I remember my first trial with a Chinese Fingertrap.  My Mom and I went to a shop where she would buy cake decorating stuff and they had a big section of novelty toys - yo-yo's, plastic dinosaurs, pencil toppers, that kind of stuff.  Well one of the items was this bamboo weave tube that I had never seen before and my Mom told me to put my fingers in each end....and then my eyes went wide when I realized I was stuck fast!  I think I was about 8.  Anyway, after she showed me the trick, I had to have one - to trick my friend, you know....So the cigar today is the MoyaRuiz Chinese Fingertrap. No, you can't jam your stubby fingers in the ends, but it certainly looks like you should be able to.  Anyway, here we go....

Construction: The outer band had me completely fooled.  I thought it was a real fingertrap puzzle, so props to the printer!  The inner band is very vintage....old Chinatown looking font, pale yellow, overall very well done.  The cigar itself is actually nice looking.  No seams and a couple of veins, nice sheen too.

Pre-light Aroma and Draw: Out of the cellophane the FIngertrap give off notes of grass and hay, mild sweet tobacco, and oak. The draw is wide open and a cold pull gives mild sweet tobacco and oak.

Light and Burn: She fired right up without a hitch and the burn was a tad off here and there but nothing to gripe about.

Tasting: Right off the start, I get a blast of pepper while bread and oak form a nice smooth core.  A mild floral note shows up with a nice woody flavor - kinda like pine.  Very nice already!  Ash is nice and white and clingy with a fairly even burn.  The flavors are quite manly...reminding me of days cutting down trees and splitting logs.  The name of the game so far is smooth....There's a touch of cocoa at the end of the first third too.  Medium body so far with mountains of aromatic smoke.

The middle third starts off with a bump up in the pine wood note.  A really intense white pepper and oak make up the core that plays well with the pine.  I don't get that pine note often but when a cigar offers that flavor, I love it.  A more milk chocolate note shows up here too with a mild touch of that bready note....and the retrohale, which I just did by accident - gives off a terrific spice.  Delicious.  Still medium but a tad on the high side.  Still accessible for all smokers at this point.  Burn is a tad lopsided but nothing to detract from the experience.

The final third keeps things about the same - that pine wood, pepper, bread, oak, and touch of chocolate sweetness.  I do get a mild earth note too - very like the smell of a northwoods forest floor.  With the recent passing of my Grandma, I find myself very nostalgic these days and this cigar reminds me of days spent at their cabin in northern Minnesota - wood and earth.  So, any cigar that can make me think of good times is a huge plus in my book.  An exceptional cigar reminding me of exceptional times.  Thank you, MoyaRuiz!

Value: I paid about ten bucks for this cigar and would again....worth every cent.

Final Thoughts: What a truly unique cigar!  In a world slathered in cigars it is always nice to find a real gem with a taste that makes it stand out from the crowd.  This one really fits that bill.  Highly recommended!

Wrapper: Ancient Chinese Secret?
Binder: Ancient Chinese Secret?
Filler: Ancient Chinese Secret?

Strength: Medium

Size: 6 x 50

You totally fooled me, MoyaRuiz!

Crazy awesome printing!

Underneath, a nice vintage looking band!