I agree with the OP's review. I found the MX2 (I smoked the Toro) to have a strong (but pleasant) pepper not throughout the first third, and I also found that it picked up the raisin notes as the smoke progressed.
On the strength of the Toro, I bought half a box of the box press. I've only smoked one, and it was so tight that I was only able to smoke the first half of it...just exhausting.
I'm hoping that the rest of the box won't share this isssue.