Marca: Saint Luis Rey, Habana
Vitola de salida: Double Coronas
Vitola de galera: prominentes, 7-5/8" x 49 rg
Cigar received: February 15, 2008
Cigar storage conditions: 67% RH, 61F
Cigar smoked: April 12, 2008
Smoking conditions: outdoors on my porch, 65F, partly sunny, light breeze
Accompaniment: water
Code: AEP MAR07
Previous experience with SLR DC: none that I can recall
Purpose of this review: This is the first in a series of reviews of cigars from this cabinet. I will be reviewing a cigar on the 2[sup]nd[/sup], 3[sup]rd[/sup], 4[sup]th[/sup], and 5[sup]th[/sup] anniversaries as well to provide a running record of the development of this renowned cigar.
Prelight Impressions
This cigar is well constructed with a nicely assembled cap and even application of the tawny wrapper. The wrapper looks healthily supple without the appearance of exceptional oiliness or dryness. It is not stretched or torn. The bunch appearance at the foot is reasonable and coupled with a nice, even springiness in the barrel suggests the draw will be acceptable. Cold aroma is leathery tobacco and initial draws prior to lighting reveal a pleasant, earthy, leathery character.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...OH_SLRDC01a.jpg)
Initial Impressions
Lightup is uneventful and the foot ignites and burns evenly. The draw is easy-light medium and smoke volume is high. The drawn smoke is heavy on the palate, very dense and oily in texture. The diluted smoke expelled nasally is biting and sharp, quite at odds with overall sensation which is light-bodied, woody, with hints of generic sweetness. Drawing lightly reveals a light leather character with pleasant floral notes and even a touch of aromatic "perfuminess." The medium-gray ash is moderately stiff though it exhibited a fluffy appearance.
Middle Stage Impressions
I ashed and purged at the 1/3 mark. This reveals a toasty character along with the medium-bodied tobacco. The general impression is of a clean flavor that is simple and composed of only one predominant layer. In a word, this is an inoffensive and simple cigar that is not compelling in any aspect. The burn continues to be reasonably straight, requiring almost no touch-ups. The aftertaste is still essentially plain, fresh tobacco and duration on the palate is lingering but not particularly enthralling.
Past the half way mark, the cigar has still not changed or developed in any way that I can detect. At the onset of the final third, the cigar has started to develop a tarry scent from the trailing smoke at the foot. This is also starting to manifest in the drawn smoke. I start to have more difficulty keeping it burning straight or burning at all.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...OH_SLRDC02a.jpg)
End Stage Impressions
I allow this cigar to go out shortly after entering the final third. The tarriness coupled with an unchanging, simple and rather dull character results in a cigar that is, in a word, boring.
Overall Judgment
At this point, this was a big, inoffensive but dull cigar. On the presumption that this cigar is expected to age and develop, I would say it has some potential. I base this on the extreme density and oiliness of the smoke. Further, although the overall impression was of a light body, the taste delivered scattered packets of flavor that I'd describe as "bound up" in the sense that undifferentiated flavors were exceptionally intense. I associate these "packets" with the future evolution of additional flavor and aroma notes. In other words, the seeds of complexity.
It is interesting to note that the SLR DC performed pretty much exactly as the SLR Churchills tubo that I reviewed here with the exception of these flavor packets.
I don't usually put a number on the cigars I smoke but if pressed, I'd say for current smoking, no more than 85 and perhaps as low as 80.
Wilkey
PS. I did some additional research by procuring cigars from another cab of AEP MAR07 and a cab from EST NOV07. The other AEP MAR07 cigars smoked substantially the same as this specimen. The EST NOV07, however, was considerably more muted, muddled, and "dumb." Cold aroma was indistinguishable, however, with no hints of ammonia from either set of alternate cigars. I have to wonder if the additional 8 months age had started to pull the AEP code out of the doldrums. If this is the case, then I think it bodes well for the continued development of the cigars under study in this series of reviews.
Vitola de salida: Double Coronas
Vitola de galera: prominentes, 7-5/8" x 49 rg
Cigar received: February 15, 2008
Cigar storage conditions: 67% RH, 61F
Cigar smoked: April 12, 2008
Smoking conditions: outdoors on my porch, 65F, partly sunny, light breeze
Accompaniment: water
Code: AEP MAR07
Previous experience with SLR DC: none that I can recall
Purpose of this review: This is the first in a series of reviews of cigars from this cabinet. I will be reviewing a cigar on the 2[sup]nd[/sup], 3[sup]rd[/sup], 4[sup]th[/sup], and 5[sup]th[/sup] anniversaries as well to provide a running record of the development of this renowned cigar.
Prelight Impressions
This cigar is well constructed with a nicely assembled cap and even application of the tawny wrapper. The wrapper looks healthily supple without the appearance of exceptional oiliness or dryness. It is not stretched or torn. The bunch appearance at the foot is reasonable and coupled with a nice, even springiness in the barrel suggests the draw will be acceptable. Cold aroma is leathery tobacco and initial draws prior to lighting reveal a pleasant, earthy, leathery character.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...OH_SLRDC01a.jpg)
Initial Impressions
Lightup is uneventful and the foot ignites and burns evenly. The draw is easy-light medium and smoke volume is high. The drawn smoke is heavy on the palate, very dense and oily in texture. The diluted smoke expelled nasally is biting and sharp, quite at odds with overall sensation which is light-bodied, woody, with hints of generic sweetness. Drawing lightly reveals a light leather character with pleasant floral notes and even a touch of aromatic "perfuminess." The medium-gray ash is moderately stiff though it exhibited a fluffy appearance.
Middle Stage Impressions
I ashed and purged at the 1/3 mark. This reveals a toasty character along with the medium-bodied tobacco. The general impression is of a clean flavor that is simple and composed of only one predominant layer. In a word, this is an inoffensive and simple cigar that is not compelling in any aspect. The burn continues to be reasonably straight, requiring almost no touch-ups. The aftertaste is still essentially plain, fresh tobacco and duration on the palate is lingering but not particularly enthralling.
Past the half way mark, the cigar has still not changed or developed in any way that I can detect. At the onset of the final third, the cigar has started to develop a tarry scent from the trailing smoke at the foot. This is also starting to manifest in the drawn smoke. I start to have more difficulty keeping it burning straight or burning at all.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...OH_SLRDC02a.jpg)
End Stage Impressions
I allow this cigar to go out shortly after entering the final third. The tarriness coupled with an unchanging, simple and rather dull character results in a cigar that is, in a word, boring.
Overall Judgment
At this point, this was a big, inoffensive but dull cigar. On the presumption that this cigar is expected to age and develop, I would say it has some potential. I base this on the extreme density and oiliness of the smoke. Further, although the overall impression was of a light body, the taste delivered scattered packets of flavor that I'd describe as "bound up" in the sense that undifferentiated flavors were exceptionally intense. I associate these "packets" with the future evolution of additional flavor and aroma notes. In other words, the seeds of complexity.
It is interesting to note that the SLR DC performed pretty much exactly as the SLR Churchills tubo that I reviewed here with the exception of these flavor packets.
I don't usually put a number on the cigars I smoke but if pressed, I'd say for current smoking, no more than 85 and perhaps as low as 80.
Wilkey
PS. I did some additional research by procuring cigars from another cab of AEP MAR07 and a cab from EST NOV07. The other AEP MAR07 cigars smoked substantially the same as this specimen. The EST NOV07, however, was considerably more muted, muddled, and "dumb." Cold aroma was indistinguishable, however, with no hints of ammonia from either set of alternate cigars. I have to wonder if the additional 8 months age had started to pull the AEP code out of the doldrums. If this is the case, then I think it bodes well for the continued development of the cigars under study in this series of reviews.
