Dim Mak – The Death Touch is the third limited edition cigar to be released by MoyaRuiz Cigars. The limited editions from MoyaRuiz have all had a common theme – they have been a tribute to the Cigar Dojo community. MoyaRuiz has attributed the Dojo community to much of its success it has had. As such, each of the limited edition cigars have had an Asian or Martial Arts theme. With the Dim Mak, MoyaRuiz has said that given the pending FDA regulations, this could very well be the last limited edition it releases. Recently I’ve had an opportunity to smoke the Dim Mak. If this is the last limited edition for MoyaRuiz, the company might have saved its best for last. This is an outstanding cigar and continues what has been a very strong 2016 for the company owned by Danny Moya and Nelson Ruiz.

Dim Mak refers to a mythical martial arts technique, which is said to cause delayed death due to a single blow by the hand (thus the name “The Death Touch”). It typically is used by grandmasters as a last resort when death becomes the only option. This theme has what MoyaRuiz calls a “not-so-subtle message to the FDA and their overbearing regulations.

Dim Mak has the most traditional look of the three limited edition releases. The first limited release was 2014’s La Jugada Nunchuck, for which the company received a patent. What is unique about this release is that it joins two cigars with a fuse similar to an actual Nunchuck. This was followed in 2015 by the,The Chinese Finger Trap – a somewhat controversial release incorporated the novelty game theme.

Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at MoyaRuiz’s Dim Mak- The Death Touch and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Blend Profile

Dim Mak incorporates an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican filler. This is the first MoyaRuiz cigar to utilize Dominican tobacco. As with all MoyaRuiz cigars, Dim Mak is made at Erik Espinosa’s La Zona factory.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (La Zona).

Vitolas Available

The Dim Mak will be produced in one size – a 5 x 54 Robusto. The cigars are packaged in ten count boxes with total of 700 boxes produced.

Appearance

The Dim Mak’s Ecuadorian Habano wrapper has a medium brown color to it with a colorado tint. Depending on how the light shines on the wrapper will determine how much of a colorado tint there will be. The wrapper itself has a light coating of oil on it. While there are some visible veins, I found any visible wrapper seams to be on the thin side.

The band is a simple red one with black font. On the front of the band is the Chinese Zodiac symbol. To the left and right are additional chinese letter adornments.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting up the Dim Mak, I went with my usual choice of a straight cut to remove the cap. Once I removed the cap I proceeded with the pre-light draw. The dry draw delivered a mix of subtle notes of wood, citrus, and natural tobacco. Overall I considered this to be a satisfactory pre-light draw experience. At this point, I was ready to light up the Dim Mak and see what the smoking phase would have in store.

Flavor Profile

The Dim Mak started out with a mix of red pepper, cedar, natural tobacco, and citrus to start. The natural tobacco notes moved into the forefront early on. These notes were quickly joined by some bready notes. At the same time, the cedar, red pepper, and citrus settled in the background. The red pepper notes subsided significantly on the tongue, however it was still present on the after-draw and retro-hale.

During the first third, the natural tobacco and bread notes alternated as to which was the dominant note. The sweet-spice of the cedar morphed into more of a baker’s spice. Meanwhile there were times the citrus lost a bit of the sour component and really emphasized its sweetness.

As the Dim Mak moved into the second third, the bread and natural tobacco notes remained primary. In the background, the citrus sweetness got back a little of its sour component. At the same time the red pepper slowly started to increase eclipsing the baker’s spice. Toward the end of the last third, the natural tobacco component in the forefront began to dissipate.

During the final third of the Dim Mak, the bread notes remained primary. The red pepper and citrus provided just enough sweetness and spice to keep things interesting. Meanwhile the baker’s spice and natural tobacco components were now pretty much gone. This is the way the flavor profile came to a close. The resulting nub is cool in temperature and firm to the touch.

Burn and Draw

Overall the burn for the Dim Mak performed quite well. While there was some jaggedness on the burn line, the burn remained on the straight path from start to finish. The resulting ash had a silver-gray color to it. While it wasn’t an overly firm ash, it wasn’t a loose flaky ash either. Meanwhile the burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

I found the draw of the Dim Mak to be excellent.This was a cigar that was not too loose, nor too tight. It was a low maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

Right out of the gate the Dim Mak is going to start out as a medium to full strength cigar. About halfway through the cigar, the strength really amps up – progressing into full territory. In fact I found the strength continue to build throughout the second half.

As for the body, the Dim Mak started out medium. These notes increased linearly throughout the smoking experience. By the second half, the Dim Mak was in medium to full-bodied range. In terms of strength versus body, I definitely found the strength to have the edge – particularly in the second half.

Final Thoughts

MoyaRuiz has really been firing on all cylinders lately – namely with the The Rake, Pickle Juice, La Jugada Claro, and now Dim Mak. The strength kick in the second half of the Dim Mak is something that is going to be noticeable – and in a way the cigar’s name is appropriate. While this is a cigar where the strength has the edge over the body, it’s still a cigar that delivers an excellent combination of flavors. It’s definitely different than anything I’ve had from MoyaRuiz before and as I said at the beginning and my personal favorite for the best of the company’s limiteds. Given the strength kick, I recommend this to a more seasoned cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is definitely a cigar I would smoke again and it’s worthy of a box purchase.

Summary

Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Plus
Strength: Medium to Full (1st Half), Full (2nd Half)
Body: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half)
Finish: Excellent
Assessment: 4.0-Box Worthy
Score: 92

References

News: MoyaRuiz Dim Mak-The Death Touch Announced
Price: $9.90
Source: Cigars Provided by Manufacturer
Stogie Geeks Podcast: n/a
Stogie Feed: n/a
Reference: MoyaRuiz