This 6 x 50 cigar is wrapped in a medium-brown African Cameroon leaf that has a small amount of mottling to it and light, defined leaf veining. A small amount of "tooth" is visible along the body, which possesses a light sheen from the leaf oils. No blemishes or water-spots were noted along its length and the barrel was firm, showing no under-filling.

Sniffing like a dog at a fire hydrant, I take in the aromas from the wrapper and foot of this cigar. Light "woody" nuances emit from the delicate wrapper, while the foot gives fragrant aromas of ripe tobacco, spice and dried fruit (maybe raisins or plums?). Oddly enough, there was enough spice aroma to elicit a sneeze or two out of me.

The finished cap gave way easily to sharp jaws of my Palió cutter, leaving a clean, open end with no cracking or tearing of this Cameroon wrapper. Following another pre-light look-over of this cigar, I take a pre-light draw. The light flavors and nuances of tobacco, dried fruit, and spice come through ever so mildly on the palate

In the first moments of this cigar, little smoke was produced by the draw, and the flavor of wood was barley perceptible. This mild disappointment was short-lived as the first quarter-inch of the cigar was spent.

As the cigar warmed, woody characters came alive accompanied by some earthy undertones. The Cameroon wrapper showed its purpose in the equation by adding a medium spiciness that's detected in the retrohale. As these flavors lingered on the palate, a light sweetness blossomed within the aftertaste.

At the one-third mark, the spiciness presented as a light chili spice. It began on the palate, then slowly sauntered to the back of the throat, where it lingered and became sweet. I also noted that the Cameroon wrapper, just ahead of the burn area, was taking on a waxy sheen as the oils heated up.

It was interesting to note that at the halfway point, the characters abruptly stopped, then slowly built themselves up again. This characteristic was noted again two-thirds of the way through the cigar. After that point, the earthy nuance seemed to start to lightly overpower the woody flavors, but the spice from the wrapper continued to be constant.

The finish was light, but lingering, with an earthy spice and sweet nuances in the aftertaste.

There were no burn issues noted during my time with this cigar. A nice, clean burn line was experienced, leaving a sturdy, pearl-gray ash in remembrance. Concentric marks like a tree trunk were also noted on the ash.

I purposely allowed the ash to grow as long as gravity would let it. Long past the halfway point is where gravity won over, and the ash fell to the ground with an audible "thwack." Interesting enough, the ash would come apart as large flakes, resembling the filler leaves they used to be.

This has been the final review of the Belmore Cameroon Selection. Almost 2 years has transpired since it's first review, and it continues to bring surprises. The flavors and characters have opened-up and the body has maintained itself in the mild-medium range. The blend of this cigar works, whether it's new out of the box, or enjoyed after additional aging. I am confident that this cigar will continue to age well up to five years, but may lack the strength to go much further. If you like the spiciness of Cameroon and the sweetness of Dominican fillers, then this cigar is a definite winner to keep in your humidor.

AGING POTENTIAL SCORE: B = this cigar should age well over the next 5 years and is likely to develop further complexity and nuances

~Blake