I loved visiting Shanghai on business. I have been there numerous times, staying in hotels in both the new (Pudong) and old (Puxi) sections of the city. It is a vibrant city that has everything you expect from a major world city. This year a new cigar brand, Sensado Cigars, introduced their first line known as the City Series at the 2016 IPCPR. One of those has been named, the Shanghai.
As the Sensado website states:
Like the city it’s inspired by, this petit corona embodies the perfect balance between tradition and innovation. A blend that brings burnt sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla to mind, with a surprising hint of hot pepper that excites the senses.
The Sensado Shanghai is available in one vitola; a 4.5 x 46 petite corona. It is adorned with an oriental themed band design, that just brings back the many fond memories of the this modern and traditional city.
Sensado cigars describes the blend of the Shanghai as:
- Wrapper -Habano Indonesia
- Binder – Nicaraguan
- Filler – Nicaraguan
Follow along as we take a short trip back to the orient with the Sensado Shanghai
Cigar Review Notes
- Beautiful dark brown slightly mottled wrapper
- Decent corona size that is packed well and firm to the touch
- Pre-light aromas offered sweetness on the foot but not much along the barrel
- Although muted, fruit, earth, and pepper are picked up on the cold draw
- The draw has a slight restriction to it
- Upon first light, there is spice and coffee with an accompanying pepper nasal burn
- The pepper increases on the nose during the first half-inch of burn
- A fruit note tails behind the pepper
- A solid medium grey ash develops
- Sweetness and toast enter midway
- Smoke is very smooth and full
- A perfect, flattened burn cone, is revealed as the ash falls
- Dry espresso and woody notes enter through the second third
- The final third offers a peanut finish in aroma and flavor
- Delicious down to the nub
- Medium Strength
- Even though the Sensado Shanghai was a short cigar it did last for almost an hour!
Overall, the Sensado Shanghai cigar was a delightful petite corona that lasted longer than I anticipated. A slow burner for sure, that delivered on both flavor, smoke volume and construction properties. This was an easy cigar to enjoy and makes me wonder how enjoyable it would be in a larger vitola.
Sensado Shanghai