Today the Brothers Nubbit comment on a sample they received from the Ezra Zionists, Kile Hoover and Chris Kelly, when they visited the Ezra Zion booth in the House of Emilio section at the IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas.

Draw: Upon unwrapping this Ezra Zion Tantrum PA I get an overwhelming aroma of milk-chocolate and wheat straw. Very smooth construction, or at least very smooth pressing. Seams are only visible due to the changing tone of the leaf as it wraps. Foot band and proper band in chrome-silver and black. Fresh ground black pepper on the cold-draw. More subtle is a fresh salmon flavor (and a suggestion of salt). I’ve used fresh twice (now three times) in one paragraph. This is a fresh cigar (Four times, now. When will it end!?).

P: I had to cut this one. It is only a fraction larger than my big punch — the draw is a nice, medium. The cold draw is very mild, but I think I’m detecting… tobacco. If you noticed the foot band in the photo above, it is the same one as on the original Tantrum which says “Edition Limatada”.  Kyle told me that they had hoped to have a different foot band for this release, but with the band printers being overwhelmed with so many other new printings leading up to the trade show, they couldn’t get it done. So, already having a lot of bands in stock for the original Tantrum, they decide to continue using those on this one. There is a difference, though; these have printing on the back that is specific to this line, and that is shown in the photo below.

D: Drat, my cap lifted due to a dull cutter. (Note to self — THROW THAT @#$% THING OUT!)  Initial flavor: hardwoods and bite, with a milk chocolate finish and aftertaste.

P: Lighting… Mmmm! I got a flash of a flavor which was so brief I had no chance to figure out what it is, but it is special – now it is gone, so never mind. Other flavors here at the start are a very slight brightness on the attack, a hint of cardamom and smoked hardwood — and something trying to trigger my gagger and threatening to give me the hiccups.

D: Too late for me. HIC. This is not HIC the first time HIC this has happenHICd. I need to HIC figure out which HIC tobacco does this. HIC. It may HIC be an allergy HIC or just a HIC response to a chemHICal in the smokeHIC. HiC. But it’s HIC dang annoying HIC. Anyway HIC. There’s some green pepper/green chile, and I can taste your cardamon in the middle, with the green taste. The finish is green pepper and chocolate.

P: That bright attack and hint of cardamom have quickly left. Now, at about an inch in I get some mild VapoRub™ , but only briefly. I was just getting ready to classify the strength of this Tantrum PA as “strong”, but in the time I took to write it, I noticed it has quickly dropped to “medium”.

Our pairing tonight is Perrier water.

Through most of the first third my burn has been lopsided, but has not needed any correction.

D: I got a taste of Vicks one draw, too. The choco-pepper finish and aftertaste is sometimes more York peppermint patty, the kind you get two-for-25¢ at Mexican restaurants. And now it just went all chamois on me! This is not an intense smoker by my reckoning; it produces an adequate volume of a light smoke. I’m tending to exhale an almost transparent cloud versus the stringy thick smoke one may sometime see. Of course, it may be an effect of being outside in the desert.

P: Starting into the second third, the flavor intensity has dialed back significantly. When we interviewed Kyle at IPCPR he described this stick as being “passive-aggressive” — thus the designation in the name as “PA” — and I’d have to agree – it has gone totally passive (for now), relative to the aggressive start I experienced.

I’m finding it needs fairly regular puffing to keep the wrapper burning. That may be due to the seasonal monsoon humidity and wind we are experiencing tonight — hard to say.

D: I agree. Coming to the end of the first third, the flavor has gradually diminished from fairly strong, to medium, to almost non-existent. And, just as I type this, I get a burst of raspberry Vicks. Note to the kids: DO NOT EAT VapoRub™!

A short time later, somewhere near the beginning of the second-third, the flavor came back in my stick, but this time it is all hardwood and pepper.

P: Yes. Right now, it just tastes like a plain ol’ cigar. It is smooth and nondescript.

D: I admit, the ash does cling very well. At least an inch or more on the average, before I end up bumping it off. I, too, have a lopsided burn, but it maintains this angle very consistently.

P: Into the last third I’m starting to feel some nicotine, but the flavor is remaining pretty much the same; smooth, well balanced, and mild-medium flavor intensity. I’m needing to do an occasional push-pull to keep the wrapper lit.

D: Similar for me, although I feel the flavor is somewhat stronger now. And, I am definitely beginning to feel this stick. I’ve also had a much straighter burn line and haven’t had to puff to keep it lit. A much better experience here, especially without the hiccups.

P: Just before letting the nub rest in peace, the flavors became slightly stronger, but are still well blended with no particular distinctiveness.

D: As I nub it, a casual purge has brought back a reminder of the full flavor range of this stick.

Burn it or Spurn it?

P: Sure, burn it. There is no good reason not to. This Ezra Zion Tantrum PA started out with big flavor and generally simmered down until the typical slight build at the end. The flavor composition was interesting and didn’t ever “go south”. The burn and draw were consistent, and the wrapper needed some attention because I was trying to take it slow so Draw could catch up with me after his bout of hiccups.

D: I agree. Smoke this. I am tempted to do a full three-cigar review of this stick. It suggests it could offer more than this one smoking reveals, especially considering some of the differences between our two experiences with this one. If not, it is still a satisfying stick, with a mildly complex flavor, varying flavor intensity, and medium strength. And a touch of cardamom.

Not having smoked the regular production of the Tantrum, it is impossible for us to compare this to that. If or when we do, we’ll amend this report to include that comparison.