Black Works Studio S&R Corona Larga 2023

Today, we review the Black Works Studio S&R 2023 edition from Oveja Negra Brands in the Corona Larga size. S&R debuted in 2018 as a limited edition small batch line under the Black Works Studio brand. At the time, it was a significant release for owner and blender James Brown because it marked his first release with a Sumatra wrapper and his first release with Dominican tobacco. There were additional small batch releases in 2019 and 2020 of S&R. Last year, James Brown decided to revamp the blend with the big change of using a barber-pole wrapper of Sumatra and Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.

Brown launched Black Works Studio late in 2015. Early on, several Black Works Studio releases were inspired by movies such as Boondock Saints, Green Hornet, Kato, and NBK (Natural Born Killers). The name S&R fits into this model. S&R stands for Serpents and Rainbows, drawing its inspiration from the film and book The Serpent and the Rainbow. The twisted barber-pole wrapper seems to fit in with the whole theme of “Serpents.”

In terms of age, this cigar had about 18 months of aging on it. Like all Black Works Studio cigars, the S&R is distributed by Oveja Negra Bands. Without further ado, let’s break down the S & R Corona Gorda and see what this cigar has to offer.

Black Works Studio S&R Corona Larga (2023) – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

As mentioned, the wrapper consists of Sumatra and Ecuadorian Connecticut tobacco twisted into a barber pole. The binder is Ecuadorian Habano. The filler consists of Nicaraguan tobacco and, once again, Dominican tobacco. Production comes from Brown’s Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Wrapper: Sumatra, Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Ecuador Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Fabrica Oveja Negra

Vitolas Offered

The 2023 release of Black Works Studio S&R comes in three sizes. The Robusto and Corona Larga are presented in 20-count boxes. The Lancero Culebra consists of a unit of three twisted cigars in a single box. This was a limited small batch release with production numbers not disclosed. The 6 x 46″ Corona Larga is a size that has been popularized across the brands of Black Work Studio and its sister brand, Black Label Trading Company.

Robusto 5 x 50
Corona Larga: 6 x 46
Lancero Culebra: 6 3/4 x 42

Appearance (*)

The dark brown Sumatra wrapper and light brown Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper make a nice contrast for the barber pole. The Sumatra makes up the majority of the leaf on the S&R Corona Larga. There was some oil on the surface of the wrapper, as well as a slight amount of toothless. Some visible veins were present on the surface of the wrapper. The S&R Corona Larga is finished with a small twisted bun pigtail.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

As opposed to pulling the pigtail off the Black Works Studio S&R Corona Larga, a straight cut was used to remove the pigtail and cap simultaneously. From that point it was on to the pre-light draw experience. The cold draw delivered a mix of coffee beans, earth, and cream. I found this to be a satisfactory pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to toast up the footer of the S&R Corona Larga and move into the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The Black Works S&R Corona Larga started off with notes of coffee, earth, cream, cedar, and chocolate. Early on, the coffee notes moved to the forefront. The earth, cream, cedar, and chocolate notes settled in the background. Meanwhile, on the retro-hale was a combination of cedar and black pepper. Toward the end of the first third, some black pepper also emerged on the tongue in the background

The coffee notes were still in the forefront at the start of the second third of the Black Works S&R Corona Larga. During this phase, the cream notes diminished, while the pepper slowly increased on the tongue and the retro-hale. By the end of the second third, the cream notes had diminished while the pepper emerged as the most dominant of the secondary notes.

The final third saw little change. The coffee notes were primary, and the pepper notes were the most prominent secondary notes. In addition, notes of earth, cedar, and chocolate still rounded out the flavor profile. As the Black Works S&R Corona Larga came to a close, it finished with a soft, cool nub.

Burn

The S&R Corona Larga had excellent construction, which was reflected in the burn. This cigar required few touch-ups to maintain a straight burn path and straight burn line. The resulting ash was firm and mostly very light gray in color. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Burn of the Black Works Studio S&R Corona Larga 2023

Draw

The draw of the S&R Corona Larga also performed excellently—also a product of the cigar’s excellent construction. This cigar had a touch of resistance to it, which gave it an ideal draw. At the same time, it was a low-maintenance cigar from which to derive flavor.

Strength and Body

The S&R Corona Larga opened with medium strength and medium-bodied flavors. There was a slight increase in intensity along the way, but in the end, the S&R Corona Larga remained in the medium range for both strength and body. In terms of strength versus body, both attributes balanced each other nicely, with neither attribute overpowering the other.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

For the most part, the S&R follows the design pattern for both the banding and boxes—namely, a black background with some artwork. James Brown not only blends the cigars, but he also designs the packaging. In this case, the S&R had a snake head with some colorful graffiti artwork for both the box and the band. This release probably has more color than the other Black Works Studio releases, but the design works and keeps to the contemporary theme of the Black Works Studio brand.

Packaging of the Black Works Studio S&R Corona Larga 2023 (Photo Credit: Oveja Negra Brands)

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

For the past few years, I have been less than impressed with the onslaught of Sumatra-wrapped cigar releases to hit the cigar market. When James Brown introduced the first S&R in 2018, he proved he could blend an excellent Sumatra release. Once again, he shines again with the new 2023 S&R – this time delivering a flavorful barber pole. With 18 months of age for this release, the 2023 edition of the S&R also proves this can stand the test of time. Ultimately, the Black Works Studio S&R Corona Larga is a cigar I could recommend to any cigar enthusiast. As for myself, it’s a cigar I would buy and smoke again. Coming in at 90 points, the 2023 edition of the S&R Corona Larga earns a Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence designation.

Summary

Key Flavors: Coffee, Cedar, Earth, Chocolate, Cream, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good