Black Label Trading Co. 2018 Morphine Robusto (4 1/2 x 50)

Video review HERE.

(see addendum at the end of this post for a quick review of the lancero version of this cigar.)

(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Morphine line. As a result, there will be three versions of the Morphine: Corona (5 1/2 x 42), Robusto (4 1/2 x 50) and Lancero (7 1/2 x 42) The big changes are the Robusto will be a box-pressed (the first in the Morphine line) while the Lancero will be a barber-pole that is a combination of San Andres and Ecuadorian Maduro.

Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés maduro

Binder: Nicaraguan Habano

Filler: Nicaraguan

The cigar is almost jet black. It has an average feel in the hand.

The cap is finished in a small pigtail.

The test draw after cutting the minimum from the pigtail cap was good. The initial flavors were a barely detectable citrus which is overwhelmed by anise, dark chocolate, and earthy espresso. There are very light brown sugar notes but don't expect a lot of sweetness. The initial black pepper was massive at an 8 1/2 to 9. This is a very dark noted cigar that comes across with a lot of power right out of the gate. While it may be too early to call it full bodied it is very full flavored and it will hit full bodied in the next minute or two. I decided to break the cigar down into halves.

The first half (37 minutes) proved extensively this cigar is all about power and darkness. There is very little, if any, sweetness. I lost the anise, most of the brown sugar, and there is no citrus to be detected. What you're left with is espresso, dark chocolate, dry cocoa, and a lot of black pepper. The cigar is full bodied. The black pepper has toned down to a 7 1/2 to 8. This is a powerhouse that is dark noted with little to no sweetness. This is not an every day cigar for me but it has a place. The first half is rated at an 89.

The Morphine robusto lasted 1 hour 4 minutes. It continued to be very dark noted with hardly any sweetness to be found. It is very full bodied. You can really feel the ligero. In the final stages I got hints of the anise again but it was faint. This is a cigar with specific applications. It is not something I could have every day or that often for that matter. But I respect it for the powerhouse it is. The second half is also rated at 89. If this cigar sounds like something you'd like or if you would like to try them you can purchase them HERE.

Overall Score: 89

Addendum:
I sampled the lancero (7 1/4 x 42) and it was pretty much the same as this robusto. I anticipated it being different, and to be honest, better than the robusto based on the lanceros i've had recently. But, it proved to be about the same flavor notes; citrus/cedar with some brown sugar and a ton of nutmeg, dark chocolate, and black coffee. I expected more sweeter notes to counteract the heavy nutmeg and this cigar had some. In the final half the sweetness was much better than the robusto. I enjoyed this cigar a little more than the robusto. In the end I'd rate the lancero a tick better at a 90.