Well, I am down to my last two IPCPR cigars....the Emilio Carpe Noctem and the Recluse Draconian.  I have read many reviews about Iconic Leaf's cigars and have never seen one that is less than raving.  Needless to say, it was a calculated move for me to save this cigar to the end.  Let's get to it....

Construction:  A red brown and toothy wrapper with visible but smooth seams and no veins covers this box pressed beauty.

Pre-light Aroma and Draw:  Out of the cellophane there are notes of leather, raisin, and some cinnamon.   I get some mineral and orange peel in there too. The draw is perfect.

Light and Burn:  Spot on from start to finish.   I think I hit it once with the torch and then realized I didn't need to.

Tasting:  Right off the bat, the Recluse shows loads of flavor.   Black pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, and some nutmeg and light roast coffee make up the starting balance of flavors.   There is a mineral note too underneath and while that can often flatten a cigar out it doesn't in this case.   Strength is medium leaning towards the high side of that scale.   The core is developing into cinnamon and orange peel now which balances nicely with the rest of the flavors.   Very nice so far.

The middle third is where things open up a bit more.   I will be honest, I am not usually a huge fan of cinnamon notes in a cigar where it is one of the core flavors but as this Draconian burns along, the cinnamon really smooths out and mingles with a nice soft vanilla to create something very nice.   The orange peel back off too and now the core has shifted to something sweeter and less spicy.   Bittersweet chocolate, raisin, and cream are blending together perfectly here and what was a good cigar has shifted to something truly special.   Strength is a bit higher leaning into the full range now.

The final third starts off with creamy coffee, cocoa, and some vanilla bean notes set things off and actually made me say holy cow out loud.   A mild earth note is present but that coffee flavor is so pronounced that I can name it as tasting like Guatemalan coffee.   Wicked.   As I get closer to the end that cinnamon vanilla with chocolate creeps back to the front and I just shake my head.  Exceptional cigar.

Value: At around $8.50 each, the recluse is something worth trying several times.

Final Thoughts:  Well, I was sure when I fired this cigar up it would probably be good but nothing to write home about.   Boy was I wrong.   After a nice start the Draconian turns into something worth smoking regularly.   Albeit after a good sized dinner.   The plethora of different leaves in the filler, the Draconian has the ability to knock you for a loop so watch yourself.   While smoking this cigar, I listened to The Beatles Abbey Road...perhaps the greatest rock album ever made....a fitting pairing for a cigar this good.   Highly recommended.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian maduro
Binder: Proprietary
Filler: Brazilian hybrid, piloto cubano, Dominican, Iconic Leaf ligero proprietary

Strength: Full

Size:  6.25 x 50 box press

Awesome design to the bands - certainly works well with the name of the cigar