Obsidian

A lot has happened since my last review. The Phillies collapsed. The Eagles have gone from the best team in the NFL, to the worst, to the best, then back to the bottom of the barrel about....oh, eleven times. MLS became the number 3 sport in America - I love soccer, but really? Kim Kardashian got married, again. And divorced, again....all while Gurkha released 17 new small-batch brands. During this time, I’ve been trying a ton of samples for future releases, but when I truly wanted to enjoy something special, I found myself reaching for the same cigar, over and over: Obsidian.

Obsidian is a brand that – at first glance – raises more questions than answers. The dark, mysterious appearance. The black, intimidating artwork. The obscure name and simple, yet appealing logo. Where did this brand come from? Who makes the Obsidian? Is it as powerful as it looks? Are the unconventional sizes part of the equation or merely a coincidence? Does the appealing appearance set the stage for an underwhelming performance....a la Paranormal Activity 3?

You’ll quickly notice, everything about Obsidian is dark. A pitch black box with minimal art. A tall, dark black band with the Obsidian name distressingly printed behind a simple rune. A dark and leathery Brazilian Habano ligero wrapper. A generous amount of dark, near-black tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican visible from the foot. Let’s shed some light on the darkness.

I chose the 5.5”x54 Robusto, the size I’ve been burning most frequently. It’s heavy in the hand, oily to the touch, and solid from head to toe. The pre-light aroma is sweet and zesty with a touch of barnyard. After a quick snip and toast, the easy draw produced thick, heavy clouds of aromatic gray smoke. Instantly, the wrapper takes center stage, consuming my palate with a sweet series of spices that linger long on the finish.

About a half an inch in, the Obsidian’s true colors shined through. A rich, chewy core of roasted nuances took center stage, with soft notes of leather, toast, and an underlying creaminess that seemed to cling to my taste buds after each puff.

One third of the way through, this generous Robusto evolves once again, unveiling a dense array of dark, unsweetened cocoa and espresso bean. The finish is peppery-sweet and the zesty aroma remains true to the pre-light inspection.

Shortly after the midway point, I realized I was in the final stretch as the Obsidian gradually moved from medium-bodied to medium-full and then ultimately full-bodied at the finale. The spices returned for a final hurrah, but never overpowered the rich, chewy flavors I’ve been enjoying thus far. This final half of every Obsidian has amazed me. All this complexity, all this evolution in taste sensations, but literally no harsh tones, bitter notes, or signs of imbalance at any point during the burn.

Then, the finale. After a long, cool burn, the 5.5”x54 Robusto is coming to an end. I could hold on a bit longer, clinging to an uncomfortable nub for just a few more minutes....but I’d rather just light up another and take my palate for another roller coasted ride – or, in the words of Gonz, another “plethora of roller coasters.” (WHAT?).

The Obsidian had me from first sight. Maybe it’s my exploratory nature. Maybe it’s my eagerness to try anything some might call offbeat....with edgy, unconventional art. Maybe it’s my employee discount. Whatever the case may be, Obsidian won my attention, and has kept it for 2 full months. I urge you to try this cigar, and hope you send me your feedback. I think you’ll love it....and can’t wait to hear the positive reviews.

As a kid growing up in the 80s and 90s during the professional wrestling boom, I was a huge fan. However, my favorite part of pro wrestling wasn’t particularly the matches, the promos, or the hellacious chair shots to the back of an unsuspecting wrestler.  I loved the intros! Every time I hear the guitar intro of “I am a Real American,” I still get chills.

With cigars, I am the same way. Whenever someone mentions a hot new cigar that I like, I’m all over it! Moreover, whenever someone talks about the new Obsidian, I get real fired up! There are so many different aspects of this cigar I can cover, which I whole-heartedly plan on doing in this review. 

To start, the name and packaging itself is downright awesome. 20 Obsidians come packed in jet black boxes comprised of Spanish cedar wood. On the petit corona, belicoso, and gordo sizes; a black cigar band encompasses the entire body of the cigar, only leaving the shoulder and cap exposed. Presentation-wise, the Obsidian gets an A+ for originality.

Next, we’ll take a look at the blend of tobaccos that comprise the Obsidian. This Dominican handmade features a powerful mixture of Dominican and Nicaraguan long fillers. As I look at the foot of the cigar, I notice a nice combination of dark tobaccos (ligeros) in the core of the cigar, with a portion of lighter-colored tobacco (visos and secos) bunched in there as well. I anticipate a strong, yet balanced and complex cigar.

Upon lighting the Obsidian Double Perfecto, dense smoke fills the air and my palate picks up chewy notes of leather. As the 1^st third of the cigar builds, hearty spices are detected in the blend. In the middle third of the Obsidian, I finally hit the immense, 60-ring bulbous point in the cigar…did I just hear the “Hulkster’s” theme music? I am more than enthralled at the fact that during this portion of the cigar, every draw had a distinct, unique flavor. A nice sweetness, along with ample pepper dominates this portion of the cigar. 

The finish is just as good as the start, featuring many similar flavors as I picked up when first lighting the Obsidian. The rich tobacco core tastes great and just when the cigar is getting hot (because I smoked it down to the bare nub), I finally put it down with a feeling of great satisfaction.

In sum, this is arguably the best new blend we’ve brought into inventory at the CI Super-Store in months. Not only does the Obsidian protrude flawless construction, copious amounts of smoke and savory flavor, these sub-six dollar sticks are well worth the value.

Expert advice for the day: “Say your prayers and eat your vitamins.” – H.H.