A Brief Cigar Review - L’Atelier Extension de la Racine ER15

Last night I smoked a cigar that was completely new to me.   I have only puffed one or two L'Atelier cigars in the past.

Wrapper:  Nicaraguan Sun Grown Criollo   
Binder:  Nicaragua
Filler:  Nicaragua
Size:  Longsdale  ( 6 3/4 x 43 ) 

The first thing I notice about this cigar is the beautiful construction.  The wrapper tobacco is a nice reddish-brown hue that goes well with the band.  The seams are flawless and the wrapper is smooth and slightly oily.  The L'Atelier gives off a lovely scent of  cedar, whiskey, and citrus.

After a punch cut and a good toasting, the first part of the cigar gives off nice clouds of smoke.  The draw is easy, and the mouth-feel is cool and thick.   The flavor nuances that pop out at me are a good amount of dark sugar or perhaps maple, it is very sweet which I did not expect.  There is also Brazil nut, cedar, and a little black pepper.  This combination works well, so far I am impressed with the L'Atelier.

I find myself kind of zoning out, in a relaxed state of thought.  A good cigar can do that to me, and it seems to happen often.   I genuinely feel cigars are healthy for this reason.  I understand that most people will scoff at this idea, mostly because, "tobacco is evil!", has been crammed into us all of our lives.  Premium cigars are very different than other forms of tobacco.  They are 100% organic, 100% hand-made... this is true from tobacco seed to box...Hand planted, hand harvested, hand strung up to cure, hand sorted, hand rolled (of course), and hand boxed.  There is no machinery involved.  As well, cigars are never inhaled, only puffed and savored.  Cigars force you to slow down, to think, to "conversate".  You cannot smoke a cigar and rush. For the mind and body, this has many benefits in today's society.  Go ahead and tell me I am poisoning myself, go ahead and keep your mind closed, while you drink your chemical laden diet soda, and munch on your big-mac.  :)  but I digress.

The second half of the L'Atelier has a prominent peppermint note, but it is so fleeting on each puff, however very interesting.   The peppermint is very intense with a retro-hale, but again I cannot believe how short this flavor note lasts.  This short life is the opposite to some of the other notes such as creamy cedar, leather, earth, a slight orange and a small amount of pepper.  The cedar and cocoa having the longest lasting finish.   The construction continues to impress, as well as the smoke output.  The cigar never get's bitter or hot, and the flavor notes work well together.

The L'Atelier was a pleasant smoke, albeit an interesting one.  It is a cigar that has me craving another one on my very next smoke session, I love when that happens.  Overall I score the L’Atelier Extension de la Racine  a 8.75 out of 10.