Like we said in this month's letter, as we continue to expand, we're able to get more creative with our tasting lineup. The first cigar (#86) this month was the Fratello Navetta. Well... so is this one: The Fratello Navetta Inverso. It uses the same tobaccos as the Navetta, only turned inside out! Where the Navetta had an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Dominican viso binder, and Nicaraguan Jalapa fillers, the Navetta Inverso has an inverted version of this blend. This is evidenced by a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, an Ecuadorian binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. Of the Inverso, Fratello owner Omar de Frias, said, "I know the making of it all sounds a little complicated, but from conception to finished product, it only took about three months. It’s actually the easiest thing I’ve ever done. All I did was inverse everything—and then voila! Plus, we’re using 70 percent ligero on this. It’s insane!” Both of these cigars are considered 'celebratory' cigars both in theme and price point. This was a really nice smoke, with prominent dark chocolate and nutty flavors, and smoking blind allows it to be smoked fairly for what it is: a really well made, tasty cigar. However, creating a cigar like this begs comparison, and when comparing to the original Navetta - one of our favorite cigars of the year - it doesn't quite live up. The flavors while good are not quite as rich or complex, not quite as balanced. But beyond that, as far as we can tell, the cigar smokes great as its own entity. It's only when comparing to it's older, more handsome sibling does it fall a bit short. Overall though it was a fascinating experiment on the art of blending and how much the different components of a cigar can really change the experience.
