Foundry Wells (a Big Smoke cigar)
Size: 6.0 x 50
Tobacco: Unknown ("five tobaccos from four countries")
Price: $7.95

No doubt, this new cigar line from General Cigar raised some eyebrows for its unique Steampunk packaging.  What is steampunk?  From Gregory Mattola at Cigar Aficionado:

Essentially, it’s a literary, fashion and visual design genre that is informed by a Victorian-era notion of futurism—science fiction from an industrialized, 19th century point of view with a bit of mysticism thrown in there, too. If you can imagine a steam-powered time machine full of old iron levers, mechanical gears, burnished hydraulic pistons and steam whistles, then you’re starting to get it. Readers of Jules Verne or H.G. Wells are well acquainted with such imagery.

I didn't know the term, but I recognize the genre from movies like Wild, Wild West and stories like Joe R. Lansdale's "The Steam Man of the Prairie and the Dark Rider Get Down".

I like the box, and I like that each size is named for a famous Victorian-era writer or inventor.  The size I smoked was named for H.G. Wells, author of War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, and The Time Machine.  However, the heavy metal gear collar was annoying.  It made a small tear in the beautiful, toothy, peanut-colored 8-year old wrapper, a proprietary strain of tobacco known as H-47 Pleno Sol.

Unfortunately, like most of the bizarre flying machines invented in the 1800's, this cigar looked good on the outside but ended up crash-landing right after takeoff. It began with a hint of spice, but from the first puff it was missing any finish or aftertaste, making it seem very insubstantial.  My friend Shaun complained of chronic burn problems.  Mine burned ok, but the taste mellowed into something vaguely resembling soapy water (I don't know how else to describe it!).  We both agreed this was just a very bad cigar.

Even a glass of Caol Ila single malt could not save this one.  & that's remarkable in and of itself.