For the past five years, James Brown has become one of the rising stars in the cigar industry. At the same time, his Fabrica Oveja Negra operation in Nicaragua has also developed into one of the leading “boutique” factories in the industry. 2018 saw Brown take his next step in his growth as he ventured into the world of Connecticut Shade cigars. This was seen with a pair of releases under his own brands, the Black Works Studio Killer Bee Connecticut and the Black Label Trading Company Deliverance Porcelain. While the Killer Bee Connecticut was widely promoted before the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, the Deliverance Porcelain had a more quiet debut at the trade show. This past December, the Deliverance Porcelain made its debut as a part of the company’s annual Deliverance limited edition release. Today we take a closer look at the Deliverance Porcelain.

There have been three blends that have been part of the Deliverance series:

1. Deliverance: Originally released in 2014, this cigar featured a San Andres Natural wrapper released in lancero and corona formats. Three years later it was re-released as a store-exclusive to the now defunct Ford on Fifth in Scottsdale, Arizona.
2. Deliverance Nocturne: This cigar made its debut in 2015. It features a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper. It has been an annual release and has been released in several formats.
3. Deliverance Porcelain: This is the Connecticut Shade installment of Deliverance. It made its debut in 2018.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Black Label Trading Company Deliverance Porcelain and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

In addition to the Connecticut Shade wrapper, the Deliverance Porcelain features Nicaraguan tobaccos for the binder and filler. The filler also incorporates tobacco from Pennsylvania.

Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Fabrica Oveja Negra

Vitolas Offered

For 2018, the Black Label Trading Company Deliverance Porcelain was released in one size, a 5 1/2 x 48 Corona Gorda. The cigars were packaged in 16-count boxes.

 

Appearance

The Connecticut wrapper of the Black Label Trading Company Deliverance Porcelain was a shade or two darker than the average Connecticut Shade wrapper. There was also a light coat of oil on the surface. While there were some visible veins and visible wrapper seams, this was a wrapper that was definitely on the smoother side. The cigar itself is finished with a thick stem-like pig-tail.

The band features a white background with chrome font. The center of the band has a chrome-colored skull. Below the skull is a  chrome-colored ribbon with the text “DELIVERANCE” in white font. To the far right is the text “Porcelain” in chrome font.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Instead of pulling the tail off the Black Label Trading Company Deliverance Porcelain, a straight cut was used to remove both the cap and tail simultaneously. With the cap removed, the next step was to commence the pre-light draw  The cold draw delivered a mix of wood, cream, and berry. With a very good pre-light draw, it was now time to light up the Black Label Trading Company Deliverance Porcelain and await what the smoking phase would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Black Label Trading Company Deliverance Porcelain kicked off with notes of cream, dark berry, wood, and white pepper. The dark berry notes reminded me of wild blackberry with a combination of sweetness and a slight sour component. Early on the cream notes moved to the forefront. The wood became a close secondary note with the berry and white pepper more distant. As the cigar moved through the early phases some earth and mineral notes also surfaced in the background. Meanwhile, there was an additional layer of white pepper on the retro-hale.

Midway through the first third, the wood notes displaced the cream as the primary note. The cream settled in the background with the berry, white pepper, earth, and mineral notes. The berry sweetness occasionally popped into the forefront. As the Deliverance Porcelain moved through the second third, there was also an increase in the pepper notes. While there was an increase in spice, the creamy notes still present in the background softened the flavor profile a bit.

Toward the end of the second third, the wood notes remained in the forefront. The pepper notes remained a close secondary note. There was a decrease in the cream and berry and an increase in the pepper. This profile continued through the final third and until the cigar experience of the Deliverance Porcelain came to a close. The resulting nub was slightly soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

For the most part, the Deliverance Porcelain maintained a straight burn path and had a straight burn line. The resulting ash was on the firm side with a salt and pepper color scheme. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature were both at ideal levels.

Draw

The draw performed at an ideal level, with a touch of resistance. There was also an ample amount of smoke produced from this cigar.

Strength and Body

In today’s cigar world many Connecticut Shade wrapper releases are divided into traditional milder smokes and more contemporary-styled smokes that push the traditional boundaries of strength and body and are meant to provide bolder smokes. The Black Label Trading Company Deliverance Porcelain falls into the latter category. This is a cigar that started out medium strength and medium bodied. Both attributes increased in intensity. The strength increased at a slightly more rapid rate than the body. By the midway point, both attributes progressed into medium to full territory.

During the first half, the strength and body balanced each other nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other. During the second half, the strength took a slight edge.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

Black Label Trading Company has garnered a reputation for its bolder smokes. There are now a good number of Connecticut Shade smokes on the market that claim to be one of these bolder “Not your father’s Connecticut” smokes. In many cases, the end result has fallen short in terms of delivering that bold profile. The Black Label Trading Company Deliverance Porcelain is not one of those smokes. It’s going to provide a mix of strength, body, and spice. Comparing this to its cousin, the Black Works Studio Killer Bee Connecticut, I rate the Deliverance Porcelain a notch higher on the boldness scale. It’s a Connecticut I would steer to a more seasoned cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again – and it’s worthy of picking up multiples to have in the humidor.

Summary

Key Flavors: Wood, Cream, Dark Berry, White Pepper, Earth, Mineral
Burn:  Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Plus
Strength: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (Remainder)
Body: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (Remainder)
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Buy Multiples
Score: 90

References

News: Black Label Trading Company Releases Deliverance Nocturne and Deliverance Porcelain 2018
Price: $10.00
Source: Purchased
Brand Reference: Black Label Trading Company

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop