I am SO behind on reviews!  James Brown of Black Label Trading Company hit me up about something the other day on Facebook and it reminded me that I owed him a couple of reviews.  So, today I selected his newest offering - The Deliverance.  This review only contains one mention of the 1972 film starring Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox, and as it only appears in this introduction, you're past it now.  So, let's get smoking....

Construction: Deliverance is a very nice  looking cigar.  Long and slender with a nice lumpy shape under and veinless and mildly toothy wrapper - very rustic.  The band is a work of art.  All in all, James has some terrific cigars under his belt that all share a common look.

Pre-light Aroma and Draw: Out of the cellophane, the Deliverance gives with a nice leather, chocolate, and dry alfalfa aroma.  The draw is a tad stiff and a cold pull gives a dry grass and tobacco sweetness.

Light and Burn: Flawless from start to finish.  The draw opened up a bit as I smoked it, but it was a bit tighter than I would have liked.  Oh well, such is the cigar smoker's luck.

Tasting: The Deliverance starts off very mild and smooth.  Notes of chocolate, herbal tea, and soft spices fire things up.  A bit further along, I get some earth and leather notes. There is a sweetness on the finish that smacks of milk chocolate.  A truly exceptional start....

The middle third ramps up the earth and leather a bit. Strength increases to a solid medium too.  I get nice set of sweet spices balanced nicely within that earth/leather core.  James has been creating some very unique blends within the Black Label brand and this one is no exception to the rule.  A nice pencil wood and graphite note creep into the mix as the second third fades...but this is not a bad thing.  In fact it reminds me of all of the time I spent drawing when I was a kid.

The final third shows notes of vanilla custard, roasted nuts, and herbal tea again.  A terrific end to a terrific cigar.

Value: At about $12 the Deliverance is priced about like you might expect for a boutique lancero.

Final Thoughts: I loved this cigar.  It is a high quality blend that has been balanced expertly.  If you look at the whole cadre of Black Label Trading Co.'s cigars you will find that they all fit together very well.  There really isn't one cigar that tastes like another - thus creating a catalog that contains something for everyone.  While this sample was a tad on the tight side in terms of the draw, I would easily place the Deliverance in a three-way tie as BLTC's best cigar.  Where the Last Rites and Morphine are a falcon punch to the chops, the Deliverance is like a relaxing Spring day on the porch with Grandpa.  And any cigar that makes me think of that rates pretty darned high, folks.  Highly recommended.

Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
Binder: Nicaraguan habano
Filler: Nicaraguan

Strength: Medium

Size: 7 x 38

Love the look of the Black Label lineup!