I really try not to get in a rut, so this is the one that broke me away from my norm. Ok, so out of the UPS brown box: 1. Deep oily look. 2. Don't you just love squeezing them and complimenting the firm wrap without destroying the stick?! Nice generous weight to also note. 3. Very clean pre-light smell, lots of leather there. 4. The burn got a little catywompus, but that was my fault. The cool thing is after I paid better attention to what I was doing it evened right out. 5. The draw was a little tight, but no eye ball damage. Lots of plume, my wife even said it smelled sweet. 6. Taste... This one will grab you and it's a strong one too! Not too woody, an instant coating of the entire mouth. I'll be back for this one again. Did you see the price?! At the corner store I'd still pick this one up for more! I hope this helps.