The Piece of Heart is a charitable brainchild project from Marcel Knobel and ADVentura Cigars. The project helps visually impaired children in the Dominican Republic to afford glasses, by donating two Swiss Franc for every cigar sold.
In this article, you will discover the ADVentura Piece Of Heart as we review it according to the following considerations:
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Overview
- Brand: ADVentura Cigars
- Range: Piece Of Heart
- Reviewed Vitolas: 5 x 52 Short Belicoso
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
- Binder: Indonesian Sumatra
- Filler: Ecuador and Dominican Republic
- Factory: Tabacalera William Henderson, Dominican Republic
- Handmade: Yes
- Body: Mild – Medium
- Estimated Smoking Time: 85 Minutes
- Pricing: $10 / Single
This cigar is a 5 x 52 Short Belicoso, manufactured at Tabacalera William Henderson, since ADVentura Cigars is a collaboration between the acclaimed and renowned cigar manufacturer Henderson Ventura, and Marcel Knobel. The Swiss-born entrepreneur, tobacconist and coffee producer has a profound background as sommelier, thus relying on a rather refined palate.
ADVentura Piece of Heart Look & Feel
- Wrapper Hue: Light coffee cream
- Rolling Consistency: Perfectly even
- Spring: Firm with no soft spots whatsoever
- Aromas: Banana cream, wet wood, myrrh
First things first: the look and feel of the cigar are very elegant and refined. It has a typical Connecticut shade resemblance with a hue of light coffee cream.
The band beautifully ornates the tobacco leaves with its glossy, brightly shining British racing green. To further enhance the visual impact, the ring almost radiates a bit of fancy sparkle. The wrapper is quite oily, offering a noble visual appeal. Firmly packed and evenly rolled, the cigar has hardly any soft spots whatsoever. As a matter of fact, the veins are not only refined but almost indeterminable. Overall, the presentation is very slick and superbly elegant.
The aromas off the wrapper and the foot reveal rich, funky banana cream, some wet wood pieces besides manure as well as a hint of olibanum.
ADVentura Piece of Heart Review
The cigars come in a humidified five-pack, which will keep your Short Belicosos in perfect condition, even if you do not have an elaborate humidor setup at home. As always, I have stored the packs in my coolidor, kept at perfect humidity with 69% Boveda packs and constantly monitored storing conditions, using a Boveda Butler.
Pre-Lighting Experience
- Draw: Close to ideal but slightly on the loose side of my preference spectrum
- Aromas: Hay, quince and lemon sherbet, balm wood
Despite the easy-going draw, in combination with the fresh, light appearance of the cigar, the cold draw is still rather rich. Besides a summer breeze of mountain hay, quince and lively acidity on the tip of the tongue, I find an aromatic depth that reminds me of lemon sherbet and balm wood. Besides the prickly freshness, a touch of bitter components engages the palate, whilst sea salt and Brazil nut add a mineral dimension as well as a more luscious creaminess.
1st Third Smoking Experience
- Notes: Brioche, white pepper, strawberries & cream
The oily and creamy sensation from the cold draw is perfectly translated into the first third of the cigar smoking experience. Pumpkin seeds start to emerge, accompanied by a nuanced, fresh or rather floral quality. The first few puffs fade into white chocolate, drizzled in hazelnut milk and a more roasted, pan-fried hazelnut aroma.
With that, the Short Belicoso reveals its caramelized qualities, through an articulate brioche whiff, ethereal eucalyptus and sugar-coated berries. A light, easy draw and uncomplicated smoke reveals lemon balm, particularly on the retro-hale. The faint white pepper barely makes itself heard, just enough to contribute to the overall complexity and depth.
2nd Third Smoking Experience
- Notes: Jasmine, frankincense, clotted cream
Moving on to the second third, the floral sensation is getting more prominent, making for a very subtle, elegant, and cooling experience.
I detect jasmine tea and an aromatic quality that I had already noticed before lighting the cigar: manure. However, it’s not just a pure expression of manure but rather in combination with ethereal frankincense and the slight sprinkle of pepper that was noticeable on the retro-hale. Now it’s more prominent on the palate, though wonderfully balanced by a luscious oily and nutty layer of almond butter.
Once again, a perfectly ripe strawberry gives the cigar a fruity twist, making for an almost dessert-like, gourmet flavor. Further enhanced by a dollop of heavy cream, which eventually turns into clotted cream.
Final Third Smoking Experience
- Notes: White chocolate, rue berry, pink pepper
Consequently, the final third is characterized by a combination of marzipan, slightly covered in white chocolate, another dollop of whipped cream, and the spicy pepper component. Towards the end of the cigar, this note evolves into pink peppercorn and a foreign rue berry note from Ethiopia.
Quite frankly, the entire smoke now resembles an African spice rub, further enhanced by balsam wood and one final sprinkle of labdanum towards the very end. Even though this is a mild cigar, overall, it’s far from being a bland, uninspired Connecticut shade, on the contrary, the Piece of Heart offers ample complexity.
With every puff, a new aromatic layer can be unearthed, new facets and nuances emerge whilst enjoying these Short Belisocos.
Throughout the entire smoke, the Piece of Heart graciously offers a flurry of creaminess. The smooth and elegant mouthfeel hardly has any astringency to it, thus providing a beautifully balanced, harmonious smoke.
Even though it might sound counterintuitive, I would describe this as full-bodied and velvety, yet a very light, overall smoking experience, when it comes to nicotine strength. This is just another stellar example of a fresh and elegant cigar that nevertheless offers aromatic depth and a dense, rich experience on the palate.
Overall Burn
- Ash Backbone: Strong
- Burn Angle: Straight
- Temperature: Cool
- Draw: Ideal
- Final Smoking Time: 85Minutes
Whilst the cold draw was a touch loose, after lighting the cigars I have to give full marks to the overall draw – perfect! The very same is true for the burn, marked by a super thin burn line, which is slightly oily, but almost razor-sharp.
On the Palate the smoke feels quite cool, focused and with a medium life-cycle, yet a lingering finish. The ash backbone is firm, proudly holding its pure white, crystalline ash.
Overall Experience
As I mentioned before, the Racing green color of the ring with its glossy shimmering effect goes beautifully well with the springlike, fresh character of the smoking sensation.
There is no box we could assess because the cigars come in a humidified five-pack. At least, this is a very convenient add-on for those, who do not have an elaborate humidor set-up at home, keeping all five cigars in perfect condition.
Given the monetary uptick of two Swiss Francs per cigar, CHF 12 for the Piece of Heart is a very decent price. However, it is outstanding value for money if you consider supporting a charitable cause with every purchase. Hence, this is a cigar that you could and should smoke on any occasion.
It’s perfect as a morning smoke with coffee, during your lunch break, or even as a late-night cigar. I sometimes find that, after having smoked a couple of heavier cigars, going back to a lighter, refreshing Connecticut shade can be a very pleasant end-of-the-day treat.
Pairing Recommendations With an ADVentura Piece of Heart Cigar
Interestingly, I consider this is a rather easy-to-pair-with cigar. There’s plenty of options waiting for your enjoyment.
I’m particularly fond of having a glass of Provençal Rosé with the Piece of Heart, offering some of the red fruit and berry qualities that will perfectly accompany the smoke. As a matter of fact, the overall freshness and lively acidity are exemplified and enhanced through the cooling sensation on the tongue.
Alternatively, since I couldn’t help but detect a whiff of a funkiness within the aroma and flavor profile, I’d highly recommend a glass of sheep’s milk. As you’ve probably noticed, I regularly find myself reaching for a glass of milk when smoking cigars, because of the creamy and fatty quality, calming down your senses whilst opening up your palate for the next puff.
A strongly brewed cup of tea would perfectly round off the experience. My variety of choice would be milky oolong. Speaking of, what would be better to create an elegant afternoon tea setting, than adding a bunch of scones, clotted cream and fresh, homemade strawberry jam?
Finally, if you’re a chocoholic, grab a bar of white chocolate or crunch away on either Brazil nuts or macadamia.
Closing Thoughts
I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank You” to Marcel Knobel from ADVentura, the ladies and gentlemen of CB Foundation and El Aposento for this wonderful initiative and for providing us cigar passionados with an opportunity to support them, whilst smoking some of our favorite cigars.
Do something good for yourself by lighting up one of these lovely Connecticut shade sticks, and do something good for other people by supporting the charitable cause behind it.
"The only thing better than lighting up a fabulous cigar is lighting up a cigar for a good cause - the Piece of Heart is your opportunity to do just that."
Further Reading
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