Amendola Family Cigars West Side Story The Blade

It's a constant theme around here of late -- will there remain a bit of sunshine to enjoy at the end of the work day? On a recent cool evening while the sun set, a new cigar, the Amendola West Side Story, provided a pleasant opportunity to enjoy the sunset with a smoke.

Amendola West Side Story is a new line, announced in 2023, consisting of two varieties. This vitola, named The Blade, is a 6 x 53 torpedo that uses a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper over an Indonesian binder. The filler tobaccos hail from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. This cigar was included in the January Luxury Cigar Club mailing, so has been resting just over four weeks. 

It's a well-rolled cigar with sharp cap. Upon lighting the Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper influence stands out. I've only smoked a few cigars using that wrapper, but it's distinctive. The flavor is a spicy, rich toast, cocoa, and coffee combination with an underlying sweetness. The cigar is full flavored and left hint of pepper in the back of my palate. 

The draw was on the looser side and I did a couple minor touch ups, but otherwise the performance was fine. Perhaps a bit more time in the humidor would have made it even smoother. The mocha coffee was a balanced and flavorful match up.

As is often the case with the Luxury Cigar Club shipments, the Amendola cigar was previously unknown to me. And it did not disappoint. That's one of the main benefits to me of the monthly three cigar shipment.

Cheers!