It’s Christmas Eve and I’m feeling the holiday spirit all through my veins. Grinning from ear to ear, drinking eggnog, trimming the tree, decking the halls and singing Christmas carols all throughout the CI office. Actually I’m not, but I figured it sounded nice. In reality, I just sat down to do what I love – burn a tasty, tasty cigar. That puts a smile on my face every time.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve become quite attached to the newest installment in the 5 Vegas line – a rich, dark maduro beauty by the name of Triple-A. A new extension to the Series ‘A’ line, the Triple-A boasts a dark, oily and toothy Pennsylvania Broadleaf maduro wrapper that is simply oozing with richness. On the inside lies a hand selected collection of bold, Nicaraguan ligero long-filler tobaccos ripe with flavor.

Dressed in a mouth-wateringly handsome wrapper and complete with a two shiny, crisp bands (I like shiny!), the stout 5” x 56 Triple-A is quite a sight. Firm, dense, and heavy in the hand, Triple-A is well built too.

When lit, the Triple-A doesn’t disappoint, billowing out thick clouds of cool, velvety smoke. It’s surprisingly light on the palate, but there’s plenty of power waiting in the wings (just blow it through your nose and you’ll know). Sweet, rich and bready notes dominate initially before more intricate flavors come into play. As it burns, the flavors develop significantly into a truly complete smoke. Subtle notes of pepper, nuts, espresso and a long, toasty finish round out the mix. There’s a lot going on – tons of well-balanced flavors that mingle, harmonize and play off of each other well. And most impressively, despite the abundant flavor and full-body, Triple-A is impressively smooth and balanced. Never harsh, never hot, always delicious.

I like it, I love it, I want some more of it. Yeah, it’s good. 5 Vegas Series ‘A’ Triple-A is among the best. Elegantly refined, full of flavor, and interesting from start to finish, this is a good cigar. 5 Vegas Triple-A is a cool, slow burner that you will savor.

Enjoy a good cigar, enjoy friends and family, enjoy good food and drink, and enjoy the season - Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.