It is a beautiful Sunday morning here in Melbourne, FL as I make myself a cup of coffee and head out to the back deck to enjoy the sun rising over the palm trees and watch my Cocker Spaniel Ziggy, the “Duke of Merriment”, run about the yard. Having smoked the MBombay Mōra Lancero the other day, it was is on my mind. It was my chosen cigar for a little Sunday morning enjoyment especially since I already made my notes on it. I knew it would pair well with a Cup of Joe, along with Bacon Eggs, and Toast.
Mel Shah from Bombay Tobak, sent me three of these beauties the other week and my mouth was watering to sample them. The Mōra is a well constructed lancero, with a smooth and slightly marbled wrapper ending with a shaggy foot and finished with a twisted cap. It is firm in the hand and shows all the signs of being a well constructed cigar which I would expect from Mel. The band is classic MBombay but did not have the larger sleeve that other MBombay cigars have.
MBombay Mōra Lancero
I should note that the name – Mōra – means “Peacock” in Sanskrit, and the peacock is prominently displayed in the center of all MBombay sleeves. Sanskrit is the classical language of Indian and the liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
The Mōra has an enticing, sweet and spicy aroma, before it is toasted up. But before it is toasted, I clip the cap and taste the pre-light flavors of the tobacco on my lips and tongue.Like the colors of the peacocks feathers, it is bursting with flavor notes; earth, butter, nut, and cocoa powder are predominate. The draw is perfect and it is just eager to be lit. I roll it around a tad more just taking in the cold draw flavors.
The MBombay Mōra was introduced in 2014 and has grown into a full line of available vitolas to please any cigar smoker:
- No. 4 – (5.1 x 44)
- Robusto Larga – (4.5 x 54)
- 585 – (5 x 58)
- Solomon – (6 x 58)
- Torpedo No. 2 – (6 x 52)
- Toro – (6.5 x 52)
- Lancero – (8.5 x 38)
- A – (9 x 47)
Mel has chosen some choice leaf for the Mōra. The wrapper is a 1997 vintage Dominican Corojo, the binder is Ecuadorian, and the 3 country fillers from Peru, Ecuador, Dominican complete the blend. No wonder this tastes so good without even be ignited!
I fired it up with a single torch lighter and the shaggy foot took right to the flame. The first puffs had a medium pepper burn which quickly settled down to make way for the cocoa to show itself along with a cooking spice note and some dry leather. There is a medium grey ash that holds on for a short time and the burn is perfect, with an even char line and a developing oily wrapper. The aroma wafting off the foot is nutty and spicy. The smoke production is full even though the Mōra burns slow.
When I talk to cigar smokers around the world many shy away from lanceros, citing they don’t always burn well, go out often, and burn fast. The Mōra demonstrated none of those characteristics. This is a well made lancero offering early flavor complexity and excellent burn. The thing about lanceros is they are one of the hardest cigars to make. There is very little leaf to work with to get the flavor profile the blender intends and if the filler is not bunched perfectly, it will have burn issues. The other thing about lanceros is that they reflect more of the wrapper flavor than other vitolas because of the limited amount of filler.
By the end of the first third, the spice builds up and a hint of butter comes into the mix. Remember, the notes here are based on the first sample I smoked, but the flavor paired well with my breakfast and coffee. Cigars are made to pair with food and beverages, bringing flavors to your palate that just one or the other singularly doesn’t have or enhancing those they both deliver – like how delicious the Mōra is with my cinnamon buttered toast.
The Mōra is oiling up nicely at this point and a layer of cedar joins the profile and the butter dances in and out with the spice through the second third. The strength is a pleasant medium and the burn has been razor-sharp throughout. The ash has been fragile but then again it is a lancero and I don’t count that as an issue.
As it moves to the final stage, there is increased spice overlaying citrus peel, wood and cedar notes.
Overall, the MBombay Mōra lancero is a beautifully satisfying smoke that most smokers would enjoy. It is a lancero constructed correctly, delivering excellent burn qualities, flavor, and a full body of smoke. It paired well with coffee and I am sure it would pair equally well with a full body red wine, scotch, or even a dry gin martini. I would like to thank Mel Shah and Bombay Tobak for the samples, I plan to keep the other in the “do not touch” box to see how it ages over time.
MBombay Mōra Lancero
And now for some trivia:
Did you know that the peacock is considered the oldest ornamental bird in the world. The Hindu’s believe the Peacock was created from a feather of the mythical bird Garuda that carried Lord Vishnu. If you would like to read more about the symbolism of this regal creature you can check out Sanskrit Magazine.