Black Label Trading Company Last Rites Gran Toro 6×60

One of the most iconic blends from Oveja Negra is the Black Label Trading Company Last Rites. This happens to be also one of my favorite blends. This cigar encompasses many things I love about the brand and Nicaraguan tobacco. It’s rich, it’s dark, and it is packed with flavor. If anyone has smoked Black Label before, they probably have learned it’s not a brand comprised of cigars for the smooth, mild palate. With that said, it also isn’t a lineup of harsh blends either. In the midst of strength, there is a decent balance of power and flavor. That principle plays out through the core line, and the limited productions produced every quarter of the year. Not the least of these is the Black Label Trading Company Last Rites.

Wrapped in a dark, Ecuadorian Habano Maduro wrapper, the Last Rites utilizes a Honduran binder and fillers from Honduras and Nicaragua. For me, I would put the strength level at medium plus. While it starts off with a burst of strength and spice, it mellows as you make your way to the second and final thirds. I feel like Ecuadorian Habano Maduro is where Black Label shines the most. You can find that tobacco is being used throughout BLTC’s portfolio, and the expressions are vastly diverse. Released in three sizes, Last Rites is available in a 5×54 Robusto, 6×60 Gran Toro, and 6.5×42 Lancero.

In terms of flavor, the Last Rites Gordo starts with a fair amount of spice and muted sweetness, perhaps a dry milk cocoa powder. Notes of wet oak, dry earth, espresso, baking spice, and rich cocoa follow. While existent through the transitions, that spice becomes less noticeable and more supportive. The retro is responsible for most of the pepper, or perhaps cinnamon, you encounter. If you don’t retro, that will seem far less aggressive. Perhaps the sweetness comes from most of the Honduran side of the blend? I would suggest a Balvenie Carribean cask to brighten the sweetness up. If you want something a bit deeper, a Carmel Latte might play nice, or perhaps a Widow Jane 10 year bourbon for more power.