I have to admit it could have been the marketing hype combining many of my favorite things all in one; acid, motorcycles, tobacco and just about anything blond all wrapped up in a mouthwatering cigar, hopefully.   I bought several Acid brand cigars on a whim from my favorite Net Tobacconists at LBSS, where the Natives are teaching paleface a thing or two about retailing.  To be honest, it would be difficult for anybody but a tax exempt org to retail the way they do, highly recommended but I digress.   Back to the Blondie, I chose this one because it’s the first cigar I’ve had in a bit and I didn’t have the hour+ to commit to any full sized stogies.  The Blondie is a mere 4×38 Panatella and takes less than half an hour to fully enjoy.  Generally the smaller cigars are lacking in depth but I was curious to see what Acid’s infamous “infusion” can offer. Off to the races…..

This little beauty is a handsomely packaged little treat with a premium hand rolled look to it. A clean and uniform wrap that betrays it’s true nature as a flavored cigar. The flavored cigar is often looked down upon by the self professed cigar connoisseurs abundant on the Net, but the Acid is a different class by being “infused” with flavor. This has nothing to do with the Strawberry Vanilla Swisher available at the local Brew-Thru and the price shows it, rivaling established Dominicans. A quick punch cut and my first Acid trip had begun.

The first few puffs were vegetal, not uncommon and quickly puffed away for the most part. Not so in this case, the vegetal stayed the length of the smoke. Not entirely unpleasant though and it soon mingled with the increasing infused flavors to mimic what reminded me of of a soapy, floral taste like accidentally sipping on some herbal shampoo in the shower, only with sugar. This too was curiously pleasant paired with the background of bitter Nicaraguan leaf, particularly tasty when drawn through the nostrils. The light draw and immense clouds of smoke this little sucker was capable of was impressive from any cigar much less this diminutive smoker. A decent burn with no runs and a compact, tight ash. An off the wall smoke to say the least but it did keep my attention, not so much for it’s complexity as it’s novelty, but tasty too in a curious way. When I did get to the nicotine soaked end where the bitterness grows along with the buzz, I could see maybe doing this one again, on occasion.

I won’t be stocking up anytime soon but I am looking forward to trying the other three I got; a Kuba Kuba, a Deep Dish and an Earthiness. With a Partegas or RyJ thrown in to bring me to baseline I can see enjoying an Acid here and there. This won’t take the place of a good Dominican for my tastes but I can see the attraction. I was hoping this wasn’t a lollipop disguised as a cigar and it’s not. There is some real tobacco satisfaction if you’re willing to experience it. There was a point I might have decided to not like it but overall I have to say I did. These might come in handy for times when around those who don’t enjoy the more traditional cigar’s bouquet and they leave a pleasant taste in your mouth. Kudos for the imagination to market these things in the face conventionalist’s, I fell for it and with no regrets. I can imagine cigar smokers would be split on these but I understand they enjoy a loyal following.