Cigar Review: Sencillo Black Pirámide

“Sencillo Black is a new twist on the Sencillo theme. Like Sencillo Platinum (the first release of the Sencillo brand), it’s a truly extraordinary cigar that is smooth enough and inexpensive enough to smoke every day. Yet Sencillo Black has a distinctive flavor all its own. If Sencillo Platinum is the cabernet of the line, Sencillo Black is the pinot noir.”

Such is the description of Sencillo Black. The line, which debuted in June 2011 after six months of aging, is a complex blend of five different tobaccos. It features a Habano Colorado wrapper, a Habano Jalapa binder, and a filler mix of Viso San Andreas, Ligero Habano Jalapa, and Ligero Habano Jamastran crops. It is handmade in Nicaragua by Nestor Plasencia Jr. for Keith K. Park, CEO of Prometheus.

Sencillo Black is offered in five sizes that range from $6.95 to $8.95: Robusto, Double Robusto, Gigante, Short Churchill, and Pirámide. “All five sizes…have a similarly smooth character, but each one emphasizes different aspects of the flavor profile,” reads the Sencillo website. The Pirámide (6.4 x 54), for example, is said to have a leathery core with “a slight citrusy tang and undertones of sugar and vanilla.”

Over the past few days I smoked several Pirámides to see how this oily, reddish cigar stacks up with that description. At the outset, my taste buds interpret the profile to be dark, peppery, and a little meaty. The resting smoke strikes a sharp contrast with sweet notes that remind me of burnt sugar. Once settled in, flavors of cream, black cherry, and coffee become dominant. The finish is leathery with a thick texture.

Construction is solid with a firm white ash, an easy draw, and a burn line that requires only a few touch-ups to stay even.

Prometheus is known for high-end accessories and limited Fuente smokes (like God of Fire and Angelenos). But the Sencillo Black Pirámide is proof that Prometheus can compete in the mid-priced cigar market. I would give the edge to Sencillo Platinum given that cigar’s wonderful balance and subtlety. The Sencillo Black is a fine smoke in its own right, though, and clearly worthy of four stogies out of five.

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–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys