BLK WKS Studios Killer Bee

As James Brown, owner and founder of Oveja Negra Brands, will tell you, cigarmaking is an art form. This is what inspired his spinoff brand Black Works Studio (BLK WKS) in 2015, providing a creative outlet to showcase small-batch projects outside of the company's own Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Among the first and most beloved lines to debut from BLK WKS in 2015 was the eye-catching Black Works Killer Bee cigar, showing off bright and vibrant visuals and a striped head to tie the bee theme together. This isn't to say that the cigar is a barber pole, as the dual wrapper (Ecuadorian maduro and Connecticut) only comes into play along the cap for aesthetic purposes. This intricate touch sets the tone for the experience to follow, as this bee's got some sting to it! The cigar is stuffed with all-Nicaraguan tobaccos, being finished with a gritty maduro wrapper. The profile is medium-full at the start, opening up to full strength by the halfway mark. The flavors are fiery Nicaraguan leaf at their best, showing off black pepper, charred oak, dark chocolate, and touches of lemon rind to keep things interesting.