After smoking the amazing Mousa blend of the La Musa line, I was thrilled to find out that Gary Griffith at Emilio Cigars had three more blends in the pipeline.  As of this moment we have the aforementioned Mousa blend and the new Melete.  The two remaining blends, the Aoide and Mneme are forthcoming.  All of these rather odd names are based on the names of the four original Greek goddesses of inspiration.  One of the things that really impresses me about Gary and Emilio Cigars is the care and artistry he takes in naming his products.  He uses family, friends, and some great mythology in naming his brands and I applaud his ability to come up with unique names that differentiate his products from the scores of cigars on the market.

The subject of this review is the Melete (mel-i-tee).  This beautiful cigar was part of the rather massive sample pack that Nate McIntyre, Emilio's National Director of Sales sent to my good friends at The Wharf.  I have since been tasked with reviewing several of these creations - it's a rough job, folks...really.  While the composition of the Melete is currently undisclosed the origin is Nicaraguan.  The band is simple and elegant with the same look as the Mousa only purple instead of gold lettering.  Very nice, in my opinion.  Let's see how this baby smokes, shall we?

Construction: The wrapper leaf of the Melete is a nice uniform chocolate brown with a very slight red cast.  There are a few veins present by the overall feel is quite smooth.

Pre-light Aroma and Draw: Out of the cellophane, I get some very strong sweet tobacco, cocoa, and spice aromas.  Cutting is a breeze and the draw is just a notch tighter than wide open - perfect in my opinion.

Light and Burn: I lit this baby up with a strip of cedar and it instantly developed a razor sharp burn line that continued for 90% of the cigar.  The only trouble I had was towards the end when the burn went a bit wonky - but nothing terrible.

Tasting: Ah, here we go.  The Melete starts up with a very familiar floral spice with a blast of pepper.  I couldn't help but smile about this.  The first third developed into a rather full bodied affair with flavors of cedar, roasted nuts, and leather.  The smoke is incredibly aromatic as well - something akin to sweet caramel hit my nostrils several times.  Into the middle third the Melete mellows out a little and adds several new flavors to the mix.  I picked up cinnamon, dark chocolate, light roast coffee, and citrus.  The smoke throughout is dense and the flavors are very rich and bold.  The strength increases as the final third comes into play. I noted black coffee, milk chocolate, and a very minor hint of chili pepper.  Overall the cigar provided a creamy sweet finish.  Truly outstanding.

Value: Online the Melete in this vitola will run you around $8.  Absolutely worth every red cent and then some.

Final Thoughts: I need to thank Nate for sending the samples to The Wharf.  I also must thank Gary for creating such terrific cigars.  Hopefully my reviews do your excellent products justice, guys.  I also need to thank Jordan and Ron at The Wharf for allowing me to help with this task.  The La Musa line is the reason that Emilio Cigars are in my top three favorite manufacturers to date.  These are just amazing cigars and after trying the Melete, I find myself wondering what the next two blends will be like (and what color they will use on their bands).  I also find myself wondering if I like the Melete or the Mousa better.  Each is simply amazing.  Each is unique.  Yet, I think I would have to go with the Melete. The flavor profile of this cigar really speaks to me, personally.  It's bold, complex, and delicious.  Without the slightest hesitation, I highly recommend this cigar!

Wrapper: Undisclosed - but I am guessing some variation of Habano - but I am probably way off
Binder: Undisclosed
Filler: Undisclosed

Strength: Medium to full

Size: 6 x 50

In my haste to get smoking, I only snapped one photo. 
You can tell from here how well constructed this beauty is.