The CIGAR CLoWnS are about to make another drop on their fans and I have gotten my hands on it to give my take on this limited one and done cigar. This latest release is named “The Mark”. According to one of the chief Clowns, Nick Marzigliano, it is named after many different clowns. One being Skid Mark, a sideshow clown. He was a bad clown gone wrong. Skid Mark is one of the main villains of “Killjoy Goes to Hell” – a 2012 dark humor film and the fourth installment in the Killjoy series of movies.
As with all CIGAR CloWnS drops, we only know a few details, liek it is a (5 x 52) Robusto and has a blend described as:
- Wrapper – San Andreas
- Binder – Nicaragua
- Filler – Nicaragua
The factory and country of original are not disclosed, but as in the previous drop, The Mark will be sold through the Privada Cigar Club.
The only way to learn more about this clown is to smoke a couple of samples and get acquainted with it, which is exactly what I did. I sampled 3 of the CIGAR CLoWnS The Mark for this review. The samples were provided by the CIGAR CLoWnS for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
Pre-Light Examination
The Mark, is a slightly rugged, coffee bean brown cigar that has a light marbling and bit of tooth along the wrapper. There are a number of veins that run through the barrel and it feels well packed and solid to the touch. A simple cap finishes the presentation.
The Mark is adorned with a single band that declares it as a CIGAR CLoWns cigar and includes an image of a clown, which I assume is one of the Marks.
As I ran The Mark along the nose, I detected a pungent note along the barrel along with notes of earth, cocoa and fruit off foot.
Using my double blade Xikar cutter, I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder of the cigar and proceeded to give it some cold draw puffs that had a fairly decent draw and offered a unique pineapple fruit note and peppery spice. I puffed a little more to make sure the pineapple was what I was getting and did the same over two more samples over the week and yes it is pineapple.
Using my double flame torch, I warmed the foot to bring it to an even orange glow and drew in the first peppery blasts of smoke, especially on the initial retro hale. Follow along as I burn this clown to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Black Peppery blast to nasals on initial puffs
- Fruity notes enter as the pepper recedes
- Solid light grey ash forms on top of thin char line
- Thick, full chewy smoke fills the palate
- As the burn moves deep into the first third, there is an enticing cafe mocha note
- Toasted bread aroma wafts off the foot
- Ash fell in a solid chunk revealing a well formed burn cone
- The mocha notes morph into a sweet cream moving through the second third
- Slight wave in the burn
- Mild spice lays in the background
- Profile begins to radically change with rich umami notes midway
- Earthy notes join the mix
- Slightly Astringent notes deep in second third
- Cocoa and cedar notes take it down to the nub
- Off burn in the final
- Medium to full in strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 30 minutes
Final Analysis
The CIGAR CLoWnS – The Mark took me on an interesting, unique, and complex journey from the pre-light through the burn and down to the nub. It started with a rich black pepper note and morphed into notes of fruit, cafe mocha, and sweet cream as the pepper receded into a background of spice. The fun part of this cigar was the radical shift midway when the flavor shifted to tantalizing umami notes with added earth, cocoa and cedar. This is a cigar that an experienced smoker should enjoy as they discern the shifting notes and aromas. Go grab a five pack when they go up for sale. I rate this a 93.
Point Deductions: (-1) Slight Wave in burn; (-1) Off Burn In Final Third; (-1) Slightly Astringent Notes deep in second third
Bonus Points:(+1) Positive experience through multiple samples; (+1) Complex
