V. Vol. 5: Isla del Sol by Drew Estate
5” x 44rg
Sumatra Wrapper
Single Price $3.65

This is sort of outside the definition of a “short” smoke because it seems to work out to an 1hr or 1hr 10min smoke. Nonetheless, it turned out to be a pleasantly surprising one. The wrapper was a medium sable brown with a little bit of teeth, moderate veins and a spattering of oily sheen. Construction was solid, evenly rolled, and topped with a decent cap. It smelled of hay and candy corn, with the foot exuding tobacco and honey notes. It had a sweetened tip and punched to open up a nice draw. The flavors were mild tobacco, cocoa, and something like macadamia nut.

The cigar began with a sweet woodiness that was comprised of more than just the sugared cap. It tasted a bit like caramel when it is really beginning to color nicely. As the stick progressed I found the woodiness remained, but the sweetness died away a bit and was replaced by something similar to a honey graham cracker. The burn was perfect and the strength was on the lighter side of medium, allowing me to enjoy it on an empty stomach at 5 in the morning. The best part of this stick is that while the infused flavors weren’t nearly as dominate, it remained a good smoke and though a larger vitola, it came in notably cheaper than either the Acids or the Javas.Overall: 9.0/10

VI. Vol. 6: Nub Café Cappuccino
5” x 42rg
Connecticut Wrapper
Single Price $6.00

This cigar came to me via @Trackmyer , and I wasn’t even able to sit on it a full week before giving it a go.

The wrapper was a little darker than the Connecticuts I’ve been smoking recently and it had a fair amount of veining. It was moderately toothy, but didn’t have much in the way of sheen. Construction was pretty neat with a few wrinkles around the cap and a very consistent feeling of thickness down the length when pinched. This cigar really did smell like a cappuccino. Like a number of other infused offerings, it had the coffee notes but it also had a light sweetness just like the froth on top its namesake. The foot had light woody notes and a bit of spice (like nutmeg). The cold draw was very firm and reminded me of a coffee topped aromatic pipe tobacco. The tip was mildly sweetened- but nothing like an ACID.

The cigar started with a toasted almond nuttiness and muted coffee notes. This developed further with the addition of a faint woodiness and spice. The second half had touches of vanilla and a bit more woodiness. It was reminiscent of the grounds drawer in my antique, hand-crank coffee grinder. The sweetness that was on the tip subsided and, while remaining mild, the coffee notes reminded me of a blonde roast that had been left sitting on the burner for too long. The burn was not perfect but never required touching up or relighting. There was a plug around 2/3rds the way through that I was able to smoke beyond, but it was annoying for about 5 minutes. The price on these is reasonable enough and the room note will be acceptable to many non-smokers. Overall: 9.0/10