El Septimo Sacred Arts Collection Da Vinci

For an afternoon smoke recently I grabbed an El Septimo Sacred Arts Collection Da Vinci. This was one of the "special" cigars I picked up recently as I prepared for the great relaxing (aka, retirement.) It hasn't been in the humidor long, but I was anxious to try it out.

The Da Vinci is part of the Sacred Arts Collection by El Septimo. The 7 1/2 x 40 Lancero has a dark chocolate maduro wrapper. The wrapper leaf is toothy with a slightly dry look, though it did not feel dry.

The cigar had a tighter draw than I prefer, which it retained throughout the 95 minute smoke. I had to retouch the bun a couple times when the smoke production wavered. The smoke was dry and earthy, with bit of cedar and black pepper. The spice was joined by cocoa and nuts as the smoke progressed. It was a medium bodied smoke that I enjoyed despite the extra effort required for the draw.

For the sunny afternoon smoke, I paired the El Septimo Sacred Arts Collection Da Vinci with a couple glasses of beer. I started with a leftover Lights Out Holiday Ale from Blue Mountain Brewery. The malty, slightly spiced beer proved a good match. I followed it with a malty Smithwick's Irish Red Ale. Again, the malt rich beer prove a nice compliment to the El Septimo. A pleasant afternoon all around.

Cheers!