Initial Thoughts:
Today's cigar is one I've smoked before. But this time, I've let the cigar age, marinate, rest – whatever you want to call it – for a year. And, now it's time to give the Hooten Young Gothic Serpent a Second Chance Cigar Review!
When I first reviewed the Hooten Young Gothic Serpent torpedo, I thought it was a good cigar but one that needed to age. So, that's exactly what I did. I stuck the toro in my humidor, traveled from Boston to Albuquerque to Dallas to Cincinnati over the course of twelve months, and let the cigar age. And today, we're taking a look and giving the Hooten Young Gothic Serpent Toro a second chance to see how it does.
One of the things I really like about Hooten Young cigars is their attention to detail. The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper is just perfect. The HY logo is classic and fierce, and I love the visual representation of both Gothic Serpent cigars.
After cutting the end, the draw was a little tight, but on the cold draw, I could taste the Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos as well as grass, straw, and hay. Once the cigar was lit, I was greeted with cool smoke that delivered hints of cinnamon and lots of spice on the retrohale.
CigarScore:
Brand: Hooten Young
Line: Gothic Serpent
Size: 6 x 52
Cut: Guillotine
Light: Torch
Price: $15
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoke Time: 70 minutes
Through the middle of the Gothic Serpent Toro, the draw opened up, but the burn was slightly uneven. However, with the newly-opened draw, the flavors of cedar and spice came through quite strong with nice hints of sweet vanilla occasionally.
Final Thoughts:
Wow, the difference a year makes! While the original review was good, this second chance Hooten Young Gothic Serpent was great! After aging just 13 months in my humidor, the cigar was richer, bolder, and spicier than it was right out of the box.
The construction was excellent, the burn was almost perfect, and, while the draw could've been a little looser, it was still wonderfully functional.
I wish I had more of these cigars to smoke after also letting them age. If I had enough, I'd probably smoke one, set a few to age a year, and set a few to age for 5 years (using these Cigar Date Labels of course). I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar, so the Hooten Young Gothic Serpent earns a CigarScore 5 the second time around and after aging for an additional 13 months.
