Black Works Studio Paper Crane Toro Box Press – Cigar Review

Today, we review the Black Works Studio Paper Crane in the Toro Box Press size from Oveja Negra Brands. When blender and founder James Brown entered the cigar business a decade ago, he quickly garnered a reputation for his dark and bold blends. Over the years, we have seen Brown evolve, tackling many different tobacco varietals for his blend. Brown developed a blend using the Connecticut Florado (often called DesFlorado) wrapper in this case. The idea with this wrapper is that the tobacco plant it grows on is “deflowered,” resulting in more nutrients being passed to the leaves. We see this done with Connecticut seed wrappers to create a bolder flavor.

Paper Crane is a design that comes from Japanese Origami. Sometimes, it is called Orizuri or an origami crane. It’s paper folded to represent the red-crowned crane. At the time the Black Works Studio Paper Crane was announced, Brown talked about how this wrapper and the resulting bland played into the creation of this cigar name:

The Paper Crane is a project I’ve been thinking about for several years. I’ve always wanted to do something with a Connecticut Florado wrapper. I love the flavor profile of this wrapper and, of course, its unique, beautiful golden pink color. This cigar is extremely complex, with a beautiful balance of light citrus notes on the palate, followed by delicate layers of spice on the retrohale and finish. It was these flavors that inspired the name and the artwork I created.

Let’s break down the Paper Crane Toro Box Pressed without further ado and see what this cigar offers.

Black Works Studio Paper Crane Toro Box Press – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

In addition to the Connecticut Florado wrapper, the remainder of the Paper Crane blend features an Ecuadorian Habano binder and all Nicaraguan fillers. As with all Black Works Studio products, the Paper Crane comes from Fabrica Oveja Negra in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Wrapper: Connecticut (Des)Florado
Binder: Ecuador Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Fabrica Oveja Negra

Vitolas Offered

The Paper Crane was launched in two box-pressed sizes. Both sizes come in 20-count boxes.

Corona Gorda Box Press: 5 x 46
Toro Box Press: 6 x 48

Appearance (*)

The “golden pink” color that James Brown discussed regarding the Paper Crane Toro’s Connecticut Florado wrapper is on point. The complexion of this wrapper is somewhat silky. There was not a lot of oil on this wrapper. The surface of the wrapper had very few visible veins. There were some prominent visible seams. The Paper Crane also had more in the way of a soft Cuban Box Pressed (slightly rounded look)

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

Before lighting up the Paper Crane Toro, the cap was removed by a straight cut. From that point, it was on to the pre-light draw phase. The Paper Crane Toro delivered a mix of sweet cedar and some floral notes. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of floral notes, and there were enough floral notes to make this a slightly disappointing pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to remove the Paper Crane Toro’s footer band, toast up the cigar, and head to the next phase.

Tasting Notes

The Paper Crane Toro opened up with hay, cedar, light citrus, floral, and white pepper notes. Early on the hay notes moved to the forefront. Meanwhile, the cedar, citrus, floral, and white pepper notes settled in the background. A lot of times floral notes will dissipate early on. In the case of the Paper Crane Toro, they remained, but at least they were not overpowered. Meanwhile, the retro-hale delivered another layer of white pepper with citrus mixed in.

In the second third, the cedar notes became the dominant flavor, overshadowing the hay notes, which shifted to a complementary role in the background. Alongside them were hints of citrus, floral, and white pepper notes. The floral notes remained balanced and did not become overpowering; however, there was still an unwanted component present in the overall flavor profile.

During the final third, the hay notes made a comeback, joining the cedar. Meanwhile, the citrus, floral, and white pepper notes remained constant. While you can tell I am not a fan of floral notes, it was good to see that they did not overpower the flavor profile. As the Paper Crane came to a close, the resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

The Paper Crane Toro performed quite well when it came to burn. This cigar had little trouble maintaining a straight burn path and straight burn line. There was some minor flaking along the way, but overall, this ash was skewed toward the firmer side. The ash itself had a near white color. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Burn of the Black Works Studio Paper Crane Toro Box Press

Draw

The draw of the Paper Crane Toro was open but not loose. Normally, I prefer a little more resistance to the draw. In the end, this was a personal preference, and it didn’t result in any adverse effects on the smoking experience.

Strength and Body

The Paper Crane Toro is one of Fabrica Oveja Negra’s milder offerings. This cigar started out mild to medium in strength before progressing to medium in the second third. As for the flavors, they remained medium-bodied throughout the smoking experience.

In terms of strength versus body, the body maintained an edge from start to finish.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

What is equally impressive about James Brown, the cigar maker, is his work as a packaging designer. Once again, Brown knocks it out of the park with his imagery on the packaging. I simply love the illustration of the paper crane on the black box and the black band. I also like the inclusion of a BKS WKS (Black Works Studio) footer band.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, regarding the Connecticut Shade Desflorado wrapper, I’ve had more negative experiences than positives. In the case of the Paper Crane Toro case, this wasn’t a heavy cigar, but it delivered notes of hay, cedar, citrus, white pepper, and my dreaded floral note. Simply put, these aren’t flavor notes that require me to do handstands. On the other hand, I know this flavor profile, including floral notes, appeals to some people. This is a cigar I’d recommend trying a sample of. It scores a respectable 87 points, but I’d reach for a Black Label Trading Company Porcelain over the Paper Crane.

Summary

Key Flavors: Hay, Cedar, Citrus, Floral, White Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Mild to Medium (1st Half), Medium (2nd Half)
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Try a Sample
Score: 87

Let’s Get Pairing

In Episode 21 of Let’s Get Pairing, Tripp, and Denis tackled the Paper Crane in the Corona Gorda size. Due to age restrictions, you may have to click on View on YouTube.