Archetype Fantasy Curses Cigar Review

Archetype Fantasy Curses (5×50)

W: Connecticut Broadleaf

B: Nicaraguan Habano

F: Nicaraguan Habano

Origin: Tabacalera Oliva de Nicaragua S.A.

Continuing the trials of Archetype’s Fantasy Mini Series that I began with the Crystals review a couple weeks back, I pulled out a sample of the Curses blend. This entry in the ambitious series wears a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over its closely-guarded recipe of Nicaraguan Habano tobaccos, and displays the silhouette of an imposing minotaur-like figure on its over-sized foot band. But I wasn’t scurred at all.

Cold draws gave off an attention-getting teaser of sweet and smoky hickory notes, and without further ado, I set it on fire.

Warm tones of nuts and baking spices over an earthy base greeted me in the first few draws. Hints of sweet cocoa joined the fold about an inch into the cigar. In contrast to the razor-sharp burn I witnessed on the Crystals, the burn-line on this one was off to a bit of a wavy start, but not anything close to hindering the smoke.

As I progressed into the 2nd third, the earth and spice subsided and were replaced by a delicious combo of chocolate, peanut butter, and a pleasant saltiness. For those of you who typically scoff at notes like those being mentioned in reviews, I recommend you try this cigar, as it took no stretch of the palate to detect them here. Let’s call it “easily accessible awesomeness.” I actually enjoyed this portion a bit too much, to the point where I had the cigar burning a little hot, making a short resting session in the ashtray necessary.

After picking it back up and doing a quick purge (meaning I blew through the lit cigar in order to expel any built-up excess gasses) I was greeted with a new blast of fresh black pepper, breadiness, & subtle earth, and I wasn’t mad at all.

In the final third the profile settled into a smooth culmination of baking spices, unsweetened cocoa, earth, nuts, and a smokiness that was similar to what I had picked up on the pre-light draw. Up until this point the cigar had hit me as a true medium body, whereas this last portion read a bit more like medium-full. A strong finish, quite literally.

With 2 down and 1 to go, Curses is the winner in the Fantasy Series trilogy for me so far. Not only was it complex and engaging with an excellent draw performance, but the lush flavors at play here were right up my alley. Whereas the Crystals kept me guessing and in suspense with its creamy interludes, the Curses just piled on delicious and diverse flavor from start to finish. Oh yeah, and in my Crystals review I neglected to point out that these are all made by the distinguished Oliva family, which would explain their near flawless construction. This was so good. I need a box. So do you.


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