Want a “hot take” on TAA-exclusive cigars? They ain’t what they used to be! While some blends that are exclusive to the TAA organization member stores are still excellent, over the past decade I have to admit that most of them have been underwhelming at best. Oh, and I’m not the only one to say this…ask Will Cooper over at Cigar-Coop what his opinion on TAA blends is.
Espinosa Cigars decided to do a spinoff of their Murcielago (“bat”) line as a TAA-exclusive…Shikaka or “the white bat.” It uses Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos with an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper leaf, all combined in a Toro “Oval” shape that as I recall was first popularized on the San Lotano Oval series about 15 years ago…appropriate since the Murcielago and Shikaka cigars are made in the San Lotano factory for Espinosa.
This really was a beautiful cigar, with a brilliant and golden wrapper leaf that looked to be an equal to anything I’ve seen on some very high end milder cigars that also use a predominantly white and gold color scheme. It had a clean hay aroma while the foot of the stick was rich with earthy aromas.
Prelight draw was very good for resistance…not so good for flavor, but that doesn’t really matter that much, I guess. I poured some Early Times Bottled In Bond to go with this cigar…one of my go-to cheaper bourbon pours. Firing up the Shikaka, I found it creamy and a little spicy with a pleasant mix of earth, cedar, and hay notes. The retrohale had a bit of bite, but nothing overpowering. I wasn’t blown away by this milder Espinosa blend, but I did enjoy it. I found it somewhere in between the Crema (which I never have enjoyed) and the Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut (which I thoroughly enjoy). I would smoke this again, although I’d be more interested in trying it at some different ring gauge.
