Santa Muerte, Sacred Death

Santa Muerte, Sacred Death

Everyone is a fan of something, it could be sports, weaving, pottery, cars etc. For me I’m a fan of cigars and just as in sports I have some favorite teams. Black Label Trading Company is one of those teams. And with the Day of the Dead soon upon us, BLTC has given to us the Santa Muerte. I’m loving the artwork on this thing, always cool to see Gothic Skulls. The wrapper is a medium brown and veiny throughout. The cold draw is inviting with hints of cream and cedar. As I light the foot and take the first few draws, I’m met with spicy cedar with enough cream to keep the spice meter on the low end. As I smoke through the upper first third, the spice starts to build, black pepper becomes the primary flavor and Cedar, cream and almonds fill in the profile. However, the retrohale is just the opposite, cream and cedar is in the forefront. Jumping into the mid section, the flavor remains consistent. I would describe this to be a pleasantly simple blend. Being that this is a BLTC stick, you’d expect a wrath of power and spice but not here. The spice is present but not overbearing. Smoking into the final third, the spice slows just a bit and we’re left with a tasty blend of Cedar, cream, toasted almonds and spices. The finish on this thing is smooth and creamy with only of hint of spice left on the tongue. This taste profile continues all the way to the last puff with only slight bitterness towards the end. The Santa Muerte smokes as a strong Medium. The burn was pretty good throughout, some flaky ash in the middle and no major touchups. My final thoughts on the Santa Muerte is simple. If you’re looking for a good medium stick with good flavor and your a fan of the good life, then grab a couple boxes. This one only comes around once a year but the flavor is something you won’t get elsewhere. So stock up and enjoy it all year round until next October gives us another dose of Sacred death….

– David Harvey