TX Duo Review - Warped La Colmena Black Honey 2017

[Capn_Jackson]

Glad to be smoking again this past week, after some allergies haunted me for a good while. Interesting story about the Black Honey, can’t remember where I read it, and it may have been only a rumor…not sure. Apparently Warped mistakenly put El Oso wrapper on a La Colmena blend, and the Black Honey was born. 

Nice waxy feel to this wrapper. After a DIckemann cut (ouch!), has a good draw, if a little open. Cold draw has some nuts, and a little grass.

Light-up has an excellent peanut character, a little dark agave or honey, and a bit of pepper. Going on, there is some excellent hazelnut, and also quite a bit of spice. Not overpowering, but right at that point. Trying to place exactly what the heat is...maybe red New Mexico chile sauce. There is a note of biscuit too, there in the background. Either that or sweetened granola. Strength seems about medium so far.

The spicy chile fades away, leaving a dessert nutty goodness and faint agave notes. Gotta say, the presentation comes across very close to CC, but not in flavor. The texture, and the “feel”  of the smoke, if that makes sense, is very CC-like. Even the spice of that chile was reminiscent of a PSdP, although unlike it in any other way. Something about the way this cigar presents itself, to me, is just very Habanos-like, although if handed it blind, I don’t believe I would necessarily mistake it for one.

Second third brings back some of that chile, floating around a whole lot of gingerbread. 

Midpoint thoughts. Do they ever make baklava with hazelnuts? Add some ancho chili powder on top, and flavor nailed. Strength kicks up to about med-full here late in the game.

Last act, pancake with some kind of spicy agave syrup. I’ve never put chili powder in pancake syrup, but this gives me an idea for a fun Saturday morning. Surprise the hell out of the wife and kids!

Nubbing this beauty, so much syrupy honey and forest funk at the very end. Slight grassy note too, maybe a sweet mint jelly. Really great product, probably the best I’ve had from Warped.

92 from me.

@Çnote, thanks for the smoke, and you’re up!

[Çnote]

9 hours ago, Capn_Jackson said:

mistakenly put El Oso wrapper on a La Colmena blend, and the Black Honey was born

This sounds right. We could check Halfwheel. <shrug>

I'm usually very price sensitive but I love belicosos. I lucked upon a bundle of the '15s on release and had zero clue at the time they were super HTF. They've become a little bit of a white whale ISO. 

I've had more than my fair share of these, 2015, 2017, & 2023.  Unfortunately the MSRP has roughly doubled (very CC)

IMO, the 2023 are still needing some time, but I'm seeing them hit disco at places still holding stock. The 2015s may not be worth the premium to claw them out of a collector's hands. I found these 17s and had to get them for Duo.

A distinct 1-2-3

Toast and honey, traces of cinnamon sugar

Swiss meringue, burnt sugar, toasted nuts

Baking spices, notably bitter cloves, cinnamon stick, grape-nuts

Probably the least impressive specimen I've had from any vintage. Just kinda rough and rugged, as opposed to a texture of creamy silk. Maybe my palate is off, but I don't have anything handy that would be useful as a diagnostic check.

9 hours ago, Capn_Jackson said:

Do they ever make baklava with hazelnuts?

Have you been to Prince's in Arlington? I'm pretty sure they do that, or at least something that tastes like hazelnut baklava.

[Capn_Jackson]

28 minutes ago, Çnote said:

Probably the least impressive specimen I've had from any vintage. Just kinda rough and rugged, as opposed to a texture of creamy silk.

Totally different experience, as often the case 😆

29 minutes ago, Çnote said:

Have you been to Prince's in Arlington? Im pretty sure they do that, or at least something that tastes like hazelnut baklava.

Not in awhile, but we love Prince’s!

[Çnote]

7 hours ago, Capn_Jackson said:

Totally different experience

Well, we shared many of the same flavors, but with the crazy smoke it backwards thing that has happened especially with top marquees, I think it was an MdS the 1st time. Your chili pepper sensitivity shows as well, which I picked up more as pleasantly bitter. I'm sure your retro game was stronger than mine, and you also had a clean palate after a couple of weeks of abstinence; mine was dirty for days. We certainly agree that this is something worth having a box of, just a question of acquisition costs, as is everything these days.

[Capn_Jackson]

21 hours ago, Çnote said:

Well, we shared many of the same flavors, but with the crazy smoke it backwards thing that has happened especially with top marquees, I think it was an MdS the 1st time. Your chili pepper sensitivity shows as well, which I picked up more as pleasantly bitter. I'm sure your retro game was stronger than mine, and you also had a clean palate after a couple of weeks of abstinence; mine was dirty for days. We certainly agree that this is something worth having a box of, just a question of acquisition costs, as is everything these days.

I love the chili pepper though, as long as it’s at the level it was here. Pleasantly bitter makes sense, as I get an earthy chile, but I do get a little heat too. As long as it’s in the background I love it drizzled over sweeter notes. 

As for the cost, might as well be Habanos. 

[Wlu1988]

I have yet to try this blend but my neighbor just picked up a box so it is on the horizon for me. 

I have enjoyed most of what I have smoked from Warped. The Flor De Valle Skyflower Lancero is probably my favorite of the lot and I kick myself for not buying a few more boxes before they disappeared from shelves. 

[Çnote]

4 hours ago, Capn_Jackson said:

As for the cost, might as well be Habanos. 

Yes, this is out of the original sandbox of the project. Sorry to make you smoke things that taste good.

 

4 hours ago, Wlu1988 said:

Skyflower Lancero

Legend. Sky Moon 109s are great too, Capn and i tried those a few months ago...they are still out there if you 👀