#NowSmoking: Cavalier Geneve Black Series II

#NowSmoking: Cavalier Geneve Black Series II Cigar Review (Video)

Cavalier Geneve Black Series II – Blend Details:

Factory: San Judas Tadeo, Danlí, Honduras
Size: 5” x 50 (Robusto)
Strength: Medium-plus/Full
Wrapper: Mexico San Andres
Binder: Nicaragua Habano
Filler: Nicaragua Habano

Presented in boxes of 20 cigars.

Cavalier Geneve Black Series II Backstory

You probably know Cavalier Geneve as the boutique cigar brand that incorporates an edible 24 karat gold diamond in its wrappers in place of a traditional band.

But the brand is unusual for other reasons as well. Namely, its founder Sebastien Decoppet doesn’t come from a traditional cigar making family. Rather, the Swiss native fell in love with premium cigars in his early twenties while on vacation in Honduras. He learned the ins and outs of the cigar making process from the Plasencia family among others. Of note, spent a lot of time with Adin Perez of the San Judas Tadeo Factory, where this blend—and other Cavalier Geneve cigars—are crafted.

Cigar Basics

The Cavalier Black Series II Robusto is nicely box-pressed and is packed firmly. An eye-catching, large, edible, and smokable, 24 karat gold diamond takes the place of a cigar band—with a small secondary band underneath which identifies the cigar further. The Maduro wrapper is an evenly colored dark brown with no visible oils or seams. A quick pre-light whiff of the San Andres wrapper reveals elements of dark chocolate, earth, and leather. There were no construction issues with either Cavalier Black Series II Robustos I smoked.

Cavalier Geneve Black Series II Review

The cold draw of the Cavalier Black Series II gave hints of licorice citrus, earth, and sweetness. One lit, the blend let loose with a volley of baking spices—anise and clove chiefly among them—with some oak, black pepper, and cocoa present. The baking spices kept coming with cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg before earthiness made its appearance. The Cavalier Geneve Black Series II begins above medium-bodied and shows signs of building.

At the midsection, the Cavalier Geneve Black Series II turns savory with a smidgeon of tang—like a good barbecue sauce—and the smoke is smooth and has a creamy texture. The profile digs in with woody and earthy notes while pepper and baking spices continue to make their presence known, albeit in the background, as the intensity kicks up to the fuller side of medium-plus.

The final portion of the Cavalier Geneve Series II transitions to include impressions of graham cracker. The burn is ideal as I smoke into the gold portion with no residual gold taste. Flavor-wise, it’s more of the same winning formula—baking spices, sweetness, woodiness, earth, and black pepper—and the smoke remains pleasantly aromatic, dense, and creamy. While there can be an argument that the Cavalier Geneve Black Series II winds up at full-bodied in intensity—to my taste it’s more medium-plus.

Are Cavalier Geneve Black Series II worth buying?

Boutique cigar enthusiasts and those that seek out good examples of San Andres Maduro wrapped blends would definitely enjoy Cavalier Black Series II. I’d include fans of Cavalier’s previous core lines—even the mellow White Series—in those that should go out and try this cigar.

But going beyond that, Cavalier Geneve Black Series II will captivate enthusiasts who tends to gravitate towards medium to fuller bodied Maduros.