What I have heard is that it’s a spicy pepper bomb with a lot of mineral and chocolate flavors, and that sounds like it would delight my palate. Looking it up and down, it’s a pretty dark beauty with a toothy Mexican San Andrés wrapper atop an Ecuadorian Habano binder, holding in Nicaraguan long-fillers. I can already taste the spices writing all of that out.

The real character in this cigar, and most of Black Label’s lineup really, is the band. It’s dark, it’s gothic, it’s brooding, and badass. No skulls this time around, bummer, but it does have a signature cross atop a blackened heart with a slightly embossed design. Anyway, enough beating around the wrapper, let’s cut this bad boy and light up, shall we? Make sure you have a cold one set out, of course. Also, I use “fuck” a lot in this review. If you’re sensitive to bad words you should probably stop here.

Storage and burn

Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge

Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge

Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge

Yadda yadda, consistency is key, so I will repeat what I always do here. I keep my humidor’s relative humidity (RH) between 64 and 67, and the temps in my house stay around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, I always let my cigars rest. I grabbed a few Super Deluxe when I had the chance, and they sat around in my humidor for quite some time. I always like to pick the right moment to smoke something new, and I’ve been pretty busy typing like Kermit on international pet a typewriter day.

During testing I deployed my usual straight cut, V cut, and punch — but I prefer straight. I know some folks prefer other cuts, but I’ve talked to master blenders who recommend the guillotine method. Plus, I like the draw it provides.

Not quite spongy, not quite stiff, I clipped the back end of the Super Deluxe and it fell away like a charm. No mess, no residues, no flakes. I didn’t even have to nudge or tap the end to make sure loose bits were removed. That could be a testament to my cutting skills, my storage prowess, or just the cigar makers — they roll a tight wad. While puffing, there were no burn issues, no tunneling, no uneven lines, and certainly no need to relight, which I absolutely adore when that happens. No fuss, stress-free smokes, yes, please. To prove it wasn’t a fluke, I smoked several and each time I had the same experience. Take that as you will, there may be duds here and there, but I didn’t encounter one.

Flavors and experience

Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge

Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge

I’ve read comments complaining that cigar reviewers often list generic flavors. If that’s how you feel, frankly, you can fuck right off. It’s win or lose either way. Because then people will bitch that you’re making up shit if you explain nuanced flavors you taste and they didn’t. I’ve said time and time again that most people who can’t taste anything are either smoking too fast or storing their cigars wrong. Bad cigars happen, sure, but there are people out there that just cannot be pleased. I will never understand why someone who can kick back, relax and enjoy a cigar would spend most of their waking hours miserable, but hey, it’s a fucked up world out there, and I digress.

Dark chocolate is the prevailing aroma and flavor here. From the cold draw to the first light all the way down to a nub, that chocolate stays true all the way through. It’s fucking great. It wavers between dark chocolate, cocoa, milk chocolate, and some spaces between, and if you don’t know the difference between those flavors, go buy a bunch of plain chocolate bars with different types of chocolate and start sucking those bad boys like your ex wife’s toes.

More flavor notes

I also tasted baking spices, black pepper, earth notes like subtle hay, dried fruit, which I picked up as cherry, strong wood flavors like oak or cedar, honeyed mead, some musky notes, and cinnamon. Also, gods damn if I didn’t like that cream on the backend. It’s a fantastic blend. While a lot of those notes can be found elsewhere, that’s what makes cigars so interesting. Each one has a distinct profile and works the same experiences in different ways — like two strippers working the same pole, you never know what you’re going to get.

You might have another chocolatey beast like Boneshaker Full Body Cast, pretty much any Padron, or the Oliva Serie V, but again, it won’t be quite the same. And if you’re loudly screaming right now about not tasting any chocolate flavors in the cigars I just called out, you need to go clean your fucking palate with coconut or saltines.

Black Label Trading Company Super Deluxe 2025: Closing statements

The Super Deluxe 2025 is medium to full-bodied, closer to full, with a decent kick of pepper and baking spices. If you don’t like spicy meatballs, you might want to skip this one. The retrohale is incredible and the blend of flavors really tests your ability to pick out distinct notes. The trick is to pinpoint each one — I always like to write down what I’m tasting on a notepad while smoking and then cross-reference them later. Sometimes, you’ll get a flavor you can’t quite name, and then it will click later.

Do I recommend this one? Yes, I do. For whom? Anyone who likes peppery smokes, although if you like to burn your face off early in the morning, like my brother-in-law, you might find this one on the mild side. I enjoyed it, though.

Briley specifics

• Recommended: Yes
• Would I smoke it again? Yes.
• Will I buy more? Yes, I already have.
• My preferred size: Toro (6 by 50)

Super Deluxe specs

• Profile: Medium to Full-bodied
• Approximate smoking time: 1 to 1.5 hours
• Box count: 20
• MSRP: $260 or ~$13 per stick (Toro size)

If you like this, you might also like: Boneshaker Full Body Cast, Oliva Serie V or Melanio series, Aganorsa Rare Leaf Maduro, Black Label Trading Company Lawless, Black Label Trading Company Salvation, Black Works Studio The Hornet, My Father La Promesa, My Father The Judge, Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Dark Knight, Herrera Esteli Norteno, Partagas Black Label, any Padron.

You’ll notice that my format is meant to be short and sweet, like this La Aurora Fuerte Sol review, or the previous Aganorsa Rare Leaf Maduro review. I don’t intend to keep up with the big leagues, I’m one guy. There won’t be any scores. However, I do want these reviews to be a resource for those looking for similar smokes or experiences.

The post Black Label Trading Company Super Deluxe 2025 review appeared first on The BS Lounge.

The brand recently announced it will bring back a fan-favorite from 2020, Super Deluxe. Prices will range from $11 to $13 per stick, depending on the vitola, with a similar blend as the original release.

Black Label Trading Company Super Deluxe is back

Source: Black Label Trading Company

2025’s Super Deluxe will feature an Ecuadorian Habano binder, Mexican San Andrés wrapper and Nicaraguan fillers. It will also come in three sizes:

• Petite Corona Box Press (4 1/2 by 48) – $220 for a box of 20 (~$11 per stick)
• Robusto Box Press (5 by 54) – $240 for a box of 20 (~$12 per stick)
• Toro Box Press (6 by 50) – $260 for a box of 20 (~$13 per stick)

The brand’s founder, James Brown, explained that this label is the “most requested cigar in BLTC history.” Aligning with its well-known dark and flavorful profiles, the Black Label Trading Company Super Deluxe is not only an excellent re-addition to its lineup, but will also provide the rest of us an incredible opportunity. The opportunity to once again experience true boutique mastery in action.

Of course, this is a limited release. There will be 750 boxes of each vitola for a total of 2,250 boxes. They will only be available at select retailers, as well. They will be available sometime next week (from February 17, 2025).

The post Black Label Trading Company’s Super Deluxe is back for more appeared first on The BS Lounge.