I celebrated the July 4th Independence Day holiday this past weekend by binge watching video clips from Black Sabbath’s epic final performance and celebration of all things Oƶƶy live from Birmingham, England. An endless stream of musicians took the rotating stage by storm and absolutely killing it as their way of paying tribute and respect to the band that made metal as a genre of music possible. The highlights for me were a mesmerizing drum-off between Tool’s Danny Carey, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, and Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Chad Smith during a cover of Sabbath’s “Symptom of the Universe” and the entire set by the almighty Slayer. And when the four original members of Sabbath finally took the stage together with a resilient Ozzy sitting on his black throne… just forget about it. These men are fucking legends for a reason. I mention all of this because when I received samples of the Eletto for review, the first thing I noticed was the death metal font utilized on the cigar’s band.
That’s ballsy. But will the cigar itself live up to the font? There’s only one way to tell…
THE CIGAR – ELETTO by BLACK LABEL TRADING COMPANY
Size: 6 x 50 (toro)
Wrapper: Connecticut broadleaf
Binder: Ecuadorian habano
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $13.90 (Famous Smoke Shop has a plethora of BLTC cigars in stock and you can save $20 off $100 by using promo code TNCC20)
The Eletto’s broadleaf wrapper not only looks like it was cut straight from Indiana Jone’s leather jacket but it smells like it too. There is also a raisin-like sweetness detected along with some rodeo stuff when sniffing the open foot of the cigar directly. I easily tear off the twisted cap and there’s enough airflow that no additional punch is necessary. I’m always happy when that is the case.
Upon ignition, a thunderous cloud of sharp black pepper immediately floods my nostrils. It’s loud, it’s proud, and it completely dominates the first few puffs. I decide to take a brief respite from retrohaling in order to solely focus on what flavors the draw is producing: dry oak and dark roasted coffee are coming through in equal measure. That retro is so intense that it’s beckoning me to come back to it and I can’t resist… Holy Shit. So far the Eletto is full body, full strength, and it’s fully kicking my big ass around the room.
The overall construction so far has been very good with a smooth draw and an acceptable burn line. Smoke production is copious to say the least, with the Eletto acting exactly like a true premium broadleaf cigar should. A touch of burnt brown sugar arises beneath the woodsy oak and coffee via the draw. It’s a very interesting note and the most interesting thing about it is that it completely vanishes just a few, short minutes later.
Once the Eletto crosses the fifty yard line, a combination of salt and must arises on the backend of the draw. Over the last year of so, I’ve transitioned from smoking heavier cigars to primarily enjoying lighter, less peppery offerings. It happens from time to time, preferences change and I just go in whatever direction the tobacco winds blow me. Having just read that nugget of personal information, you would most likely think that the Eletto’s profile is completely out of my wheelhouse. You’d be wrong. There’s something about its relentlessness that demands respect. This cigar is a goddamn powerhouse and I’m totally here for it.
In the Eletto’s final act, the burnt brown sugar note makes a surprise reemergence and it plays nicely with the existing flavors. It’s astonishing to me that a cigar can display any complexity or transitions whatsoever when its full-on black pepper assault is this persistent and unflinching. As the 65 minute smoking experience comes to an end, it’s now abundantly clear that the Eletto is absolutely worthy of using the death metal font on its band. In fact, the artwork belongs on a large patch that’s been crudely stitched on the back of a well-worn blue jean jacket. I’d wear it. And, if you were nice to me, I’d let you bum a Marlboro Red from the crumpled soft pack that I’d keep in the jacket’s front pocket. Sounds like a pretty fucking good Tuesday night, doesn’t it? You bet your sweet ass it does.
THE NUB
TNCC FINAL SCORE = 92
The release of the Eletto is a statement from Black Label Trading Company. It’s “Exhibit A” as far as BLTC demonstrating to the masses that a cigar can be FULL EVERYTHING while also remaining incredibly balanced and enjoyable. My final verdict is that the Eletto is a pitch perfect tribute to celebrate Fabrica Oveja Negra’s 10th anniversary.
We here at the TNCC are on the record for being huge fans of Halfwheel. It is the absolute gold standard of cigar media and I personally visit their website multiple times daily. Their professional team puts in a ton of work and they cover every single aspect of the industry no matter how huge or insignificant it may seem. Halfwheel is truly in a class by itself.
I always laugh when a Halfwheel review ends with the reviewer having to lay down for an extended period of time to recover from smoking a strong cigar. Seriously, it happens semi-frequently and it’s always hilarious. So I won’t be at all surprised when their upcoming Eletto review concludes with Brooks Whittington being carried away on a stretcher straight to the Emergency Room. Hell, this cigar might put the poor guy in a goddamn coma. Thoughts and prayers, boys!
