Getting your feet wet pass II cigar reviews

Jonesy said:

Alright people, I've decided to go ahead and start the first contest a little early since everything is rolling well and ahead of time. This is really a fairly easy contest, you just have to put a little effort into it.

G.Y.F.W.P. part II Cigar review contest

As the title states, the first contest is all about cigar reviewing. You can pick out your favorite cigar, do a review, throw in a couple pictures, and hopefully win some sticks. Doesn't have to be anything fancy, but you will be judged on your content so be creative.

Rules:

1) You must be a member of this pass to participate
2) Contest will end two weeks from today on Sunday September 14th @ 6pm EST
3) You must post your review in the thread I will be starting, NOT in the pass thread.
4) It must be a new review and not one you've previously done
5) There must be better than 50% participation to win the prize pack below.

Prize Pack:
Partagas Series D #4 reserva :0
Partagas Seleccion Privada #1 (2002)
Jaun Lopez PC (1998)
Opus X Perfexcion #2 (2000)
Tatuaje La Maravilla

This prize pack has been generously donated by a fine Brother here that wishes to remain anonymous. Because of the cigars included in this prize pack, I have decided that at least 11 of the 21 people involved in this pass MUST enter a review or the prize pack will be pulled for a different one and this one will be used in a later contest. I will have 3 judges to decide who will be the winner. They will be named after agreeing to do this.

Good luck!

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This is the thread for you guys to post your reviews for all the world to see! Good luck!

You guys better start doing some really nice reviews because that prize pack is killer!!!

Amazing prize pack. I'm game .. now, whether to review the Occidental Reserve Double Broadleaf, one of Seanholio's amazing PIF pack, or something else ....

Well I'm going to jump in here and give my review.

Smoke Date: September 2, 2008
The Cigar: Drew Estates - Liga Privada#9
Wrapper:Dark Connecticut Broadleaf

The Setting:The 9th Hole Restaurant, Birdies Driving Range, Palmdale California

My kids just went back to school the day after Labor day and their school has an unusual tradition to start off the school year in that the entire high school (roughly 600 students) gets together for the first two days of school to do nothing but get to know each other, get to know the faculty, discuss the rules and expectations for the upcoming year, set individual goals and most of all socialize and have fun.

Yesterday was the first of these days and it began at 7:45am and included a concert featuring a local band which ended at 8:30pm. Since the school and my office are about 25 miles from our home it makes for a lot of driving to bring the kids to school (I carpool my kids and several others each day), go to work, go home from work and come back to school to pick them up and then return home again so I decided to hang out in town until time to pick up the kids.

About a 1/4 mile from my office is a nice golf pro-shop with driving range and restaurant called Birdies. The range area faces east and the buildings block the worst of the prevailing west winds this area of the desert is famous for. They have a nice grass area with tables outside for relaxing and watching all the duffers relentlessly hacking holes in the ground and getting that little white ball to move a few feet. Once in awhile we actually have a golfer show up too!

Anyways, since this is a cigar review I figure I better get on to the cigar.

I closed my office and headed down the street with my tupperdor in hand and a couple sticks to choose from. Had a good dinner at the restaurant and then sat down outside at a table, propped my feet up and chose the Drew Estates Liga Privada #9 from my selection.

Now, Drew Estates as most of you are aware, is known primarily for their ability to ruin a good stick of tobacco by "infusing" them with various so-called flavors. One of the exceptions to this rule is their medium-full bodied Liga Privada.

From a visual standpoint the #9 looked quite tasty with its dark wrapper and tastefully done band. The construction was excellent and the wrapper solid with no cracks, splits or holes and not too much veinage. Aromatically it had a nice, rich, earthy sweetness to it.

I took out my trusty guillotine and clipped off the cap and noticed on the pre-light draw that the wrapper was loose where I had cut it and had the potential to come unwrapped on me if I wasn't careful. Other than that the pre-light draw was firm but not too firm and the taste was similar to the smell, that of earthy tobacco with a mild sweetness to it not unlike honey.

I toasted the foot and took my first draw and was treated to a definite peppery spice that was almost too strong initially but then did mellow out after the first few puffs.

The burn was perfect on this stick with no hint of any desire to side-track or tunnel.

Now comes the hard part for me when it comes to reviews. I've stated before that I have not been blessed with such a refined palate as to be able to detect "subtle hints of elderberry with a touch of anaise followed by a café-mocha finish". No, that's not me. So, suffice it to say that I enjoyed the taste of the #9 thoroughly all the way through. The pepper was ever-present although never got overpowering like the first draw was. It ebbed and flowed as the smoke progressed; sometimes light, sometimes heavier but not to the point of distraction. There was an earthiness to the cigar as well which may come from the dark Connecticut broadleaf wrapper although I'm not sure. As I neared the end of the smoke it began to get a little harsh at times but nothing a little purging didn't correct. The aroma of the smoke was pleasant and sweet as it wafted by me in the breeze and none of the surrounding patrons gave me dirty looks or wrinkled their noses at me either. In fact, I had a few guys walk by and say "now that's what I should be doing" which was relaxing, enjoying a cigar on a cool summer evening.

All in all from first light to final nub, it ended up being a 90 minute cigar which is great. Too many times I've had a cigar harsh out little more than halfway through and put a damper on my enjoyment because of the short life of the smoke. This one didn't disappoint me at all.

Final analysis? The Drew Estates Liga Privada #9 was a very enjoyable smoke. When all was said and done I could find nothing terribly wrong with it and would not steer someone away from them if they asked. It is a good smoke worthy admission to my humidor. I would probably not go so far as to purchase a full box but a fiver is definitely not out of the question.

Using the DesertRat rating scale of 1-10 (worst to best) I give this one a solid 8 .

nice review desert rat.
But that opus will be mine along with the other four.
Stay tuned for a killew review Braaaahaaaaaaa :sign:

Nice Review Danny!!!

The bar has been set so who is next?

DesertRat said:

Now comes the hard part for me when it comes to reviews. I've stated before that I have not been blessed with such a refined palate as to be able to detect "subtle hints of elderberry with a touch of anaise followed by a café-mocha finish". No, that's not me.

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For those not "in" on this joke, this came up during our herf at Azucar, where DesertRat, Souldog24ca, 42 and Nanea, and myself were discussing cigar reviews. I swear, some of the reviewers out there imagine the most insane things in their reviews. "A hint of tuna with a dash of durian" and such. I simply don't find these flavors in my cigars, but they taste good. I think we were all relieved that no one sitting at that table could pull out "a hint of elderberry with a touch of anaise."

Great review, Danny. Keep 'em coming.

Seanholio said:

DesertRat said:

Now comes the hard part for me when it comes to reviews. I've stated before that I have not been blessed with such a refined palate as to be able to detect "subtle hints of elderberry with a touch of anaise followed by a café-mocha finish". No, that's not me.

Click to expand...

For those not "in" on this joke, this came up during our herf at Azucar, where DesertRat, Souldog24ca, 42 and Nanea, and myself were discussing cigar reviews. I swear, some of the reviewers out there imagine the most insane things in their reviews. "A hint of tuna with a dash of durian" and such. I simply don't find these flavors in my cigars, but they taste good. I think we were all relieved that no one sitting at that table could pull out "a hint of elderberry with a touch of anaise."

Great review, Danny. Keep 'em coming.

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:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Bump!!

Thanks for the kind words guys

Where did the Tuna cigars come from? Bill Clinton's humidor?

Wurm said:

Where did the Tuna cigars come from? Bill Clinton's humidor?

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That's just nasty Shawn. :laugh:

Setting:
After a rather hectic day (including a 2.5 hour, $180 trip to the grocery store in preparation for Ike) I sat down on my patio with the dogs, a glass of water, and all the questions for a weekly game I play (Sheep, in case we've got any Phog, Suque, or Quad posters here...). The sky was solidly overcast and the wind variably breezy due to Hanna being a ways off. I figured that I ought to get my review in quickly, as we may be without power next week depending on what Ike has in store for us. I wanted to make sure to bring the dogs out with me since there's a chance we may be without a fence next week as well, and because they're greyhounds, they can't be off leash anywhere that they're not totally confined. The diva only stayed outside for a few minutes, while the more easygoing of the two stayed out with me for most of my cigar (until the diva began whining from inside because she was bored and/or lonely...) There was an eerie absence of birds and the lizards were behaving strangely--both discomfiting portents for what Ike may bring.


Cigar:
Hoyo de Monterrey Palmas Extra 2006
Petite Corona 5 1/2 x 40
Received from a solid-as-iron BOTL in the MAW/PIF thread.
MSRP $3-6 by the box


Appearance:
Triple capped and box pressed with a nice medium brown wrapper (still not so hot at identifying wrappers off the cuff) featuring a few little shiny, darker bumps throughout that looked to be due to light friction during it's life span. Whether a function of its aging, travels, or simply the construction, it had an overall appearance that just suggested character. The band is small, simple, and understated.


Taste:
Before cutting, I gave it a couple good whiffs. It smelled kind of funny, and I truly hesitate to mention the descriptor I'd compare it to because it conveys the absolute wrong idea, but it smelled a little bit like a locker room. Not like BO, turds, and hockey pads or anything, but a sharp, musky smell, not unlike some aftershaves. This smell didn't linger, but it wasn't an objectionable smell or anything.

After satisfactorily clipping with my Xicar, I took a couple prelight draws which were sort of hay-like and outdoorsy. I fired it up and my first impressions were of a nice, mellow peppery twist--sort of like white pepper, and there was an elusive yet enjoyable sweet aftertaste lingering in the background. Later tastes reminded me of Jordan Almonds--nutty with a little bit of bitter sweetness. The smoke caused a very pleasant tingle in my nose--not an uncomfortable burning sensation by any means. While this is only my third ISOM, I'm reminded of the profile of a DPG Black Cuban Classic which I've smoked a decent number of. Although I'm far too green (haha) to be able to pick out the distinctive "Cuban-ness" that some people insist exists, I do think that the DPG seems to have a profile similar to the two ISOMs I've had recently, for whatever that's worth.

The ash fell off after a bit over an inch, and I was into the middle third. I'd call it pretty solidly medium strength. The nicotine was evident but miles from overpowering. The smoke was really beginning to tickle my nose in a good way, sort of like wasabi does. As I approached the midpoint, the flavor evened out a little with just a steady bit of spice and pepper. Once I got to the last third, a little bit of creamyness emerged to accompany the spice and my nose was really getting it good.

Rather than put it down at the customary point, I decided to milk it for all I could and speared it with a sandwich pick. The taste was starting to suggest that it was going to turn hot and spitty at some point, but it also started getting rather sweet here and there as well. The foreshadowing of sweatymouth and spittiness continued for a little while with more sweetness and hints of campfire smoke (I thought it might be the sandwich pick, but upon extraction, while it was tarry, it wasn't burned) before actually giving way to those dual banes with about a half an inch left.

Others have described this stick as having a grassy profile, but I didn't really get much of that except at the very start.


Construction:
My prelight draw was a little tight, so I clipped it again just a little further down and that opened it up a bit more, although it was still pretty tight at the start. Despite the tough draw, it lit easily and didn't require any untoward urging or fiddling to get going. However, the smoke density was pretty inconsistent early on. Some draws were full and rich, others were light and wispy. Odd.

The burn started to get a little crooked, causing the ash to take on a very slight corkscrew shape. The ash tended to yellow a bit as it grew. The ash fell off just a little before the 1/3 mark after 28 minutes. I had to touch up the burn a little bit near the midpoint of the stick at the 38 minute mark, and the ash was a bit mottled from there on out. The black portion of the wrapper between the ash and the unburned part (I guess you'd call it a burn line?) was very shiny most of the time. I don't know whether that's common (or typical of ISOMs) and I've just never noticed it before, but it really jumped out at me with this cigar.

Into the final third at the one hour mark, it was starting to get a little bit hot. I don't think I was smoking it too quickly or anything (with a third left after an hour, I certainly hope not) and it wasn't impacting my enjoyment by any means, but I could tell how this cigar was likely to end. The band was a real bitch to remove and I tore the wrapper ever so slightly upon eventual removal. The burn got a little slow and smoldery at times and I had to stoke it a little more than was ideal, but it was still enjoyable enough that I speared it with my sandwich pick at the 1:19 mark. I started to get more hints that sweatymouth and spittyness was just around the corner, and I put it down at the 1:33 mark with about 1/2" left.


Overall:
Appearance--8.25 It wasn't some silky smooth, flawless cigar rolled by seraphim and beamed down to Earth by moonbeam or anything, but it was an engaging and appealing looking cigar according to my admittedly capricious opinions on appearance.
Taste--8.75 Again, nothing mind-blowingly complex, but I did really enjoy the playfulness of the smoke in my nose. I'm not used to such a pleasant tickle. Usually it's either very harsh or very mild to my nose, but this cigar definitely toed that delicate line between agony and ecstasy.
Construction--6.75 Just a little under average. It got a bit difficult to manage during the second half, and the inconsistent smoke early on was mildly irritating during the light stages. The evenness of the burn sort of came and went throughout.

Overall (using Saxjazzman's rating criteria of (A+T+1.5C)/3.5) that returns a 7.75. I'd probably say that's a shade lower than the overall rating that I'd give if just going by the seat of my pants. I'd probably give it a solid 8 or 8.25. While the difficulty of acquiring these stateside certainly plays into the equation, if these were available at my local B&M for $3 apiece by the box, I'd be smoking them every day.


My camera is on the fritz, so I snapped one quick shot with my phone. In spite of how it may appear, I am in fact not naked.

Come on man, did you have to go all chesty on us? ???

Nice review TGM! :thumbs:

Good luck with Ike!! ???

This is my first ever review, so be easy. I think I was able to nail this one pretty good, and being that I have never reviewed a cigar before I decided to use an outline from an above post.


Setting:
I was outside waiting for Hanna to arrive when I decided 1 - I want to smoke before the storm and 2 - I want the prize pack. So I headed out to the front deck to watch the wind whip the top of the tree's and the squirrels running around like crazy. I decided to pull out a smoke that I have been saving for a bit and a glass of Johnny Walker Black.


Cigar:
Arturo Fuente Between The Lines '06
Perfecto (I think) 4.2 x 46
Received from a friend of mine when they were available in stores


Taste:
I had a few swigs of my JW Black prior to the initial light up to clear my palette from some food I had before. I clipped a very small tip of the cap and lit the toe to watch a steady even burn for a bit. My initial draw was tight (as all WOAM and WOAN are) the first few draws seemed tasteless until I passed the toe. The first 1/3 of the cigar was very earthy and natural almost the way a short story would taste, but more of a woody taste, also the burn started to get away from me a bit and canoe towards 1 side. After burning a bit more I noticed a bit of a barrel taste, the wood was still the main flavor, but I could start tasting a bit more of an age to it, it must be the maduro wrap kicking in a bit. I kept on waiting for a bit of a kick, but it never happened. So at the 2/3 of the cigar the mild woody taste came back and I still had an earthy light tone to it and I could taste a bit of chocolate. The barrel taste that I was starting to like, went away. So now Im at the last third of the smoke and my JW is done and I figured well, I am a bit disappointed, but I might as well nub it. And with no surprise it finished up a very mild woody taste.

A few things to point out, although the ash was with me till the end, the burn was a bit uneven. About half way through it caught up with itself and finished up very even. The smoke did burn a bit hot towards the end, but Im also not used to nubbing a smoke (unless its a VSG). The smoke took about 45 mins from light up to put down.


Construction:
The initial draw was that of a WOA or a short story, as it should be. The wrapper of course is very tempting and has been eating at me since 2 years ago since I got it. I have had other pole style sticks that is a natural cigar with a slice of maduro just wrapped around it, but this was a very well constructed piece of work. The ash was a nice shade of grey and the draw's were very easy once past the toe. The smoke of the cigar had a great smell to it. The barrel smell and chocolate were released into the air.


Overall:
Appearance--9.5 This cigar seemed to be the perfection of any other Arturo Fuente they release, this company puts a tremendous amount of pride and hard work into everything they put out. It reminded me of a Christmas present that was hidden behind the couch as the last gift you didn't think you were getting.
Taste--4.5 My taste has grow from a mild stick to something of this nature to a full bodied smoke of an Opus or VSG. So although this is not my cup of tea, someone that is looking for a really cool looking mild stick should get their hands on as many as they can. There was not a tremendous amount of complexity to this stick, I mean the woody, barrel chocolate taste was easy to notice.
Construction--7.5 I like the shape they use for these sticks and the maduro strip is very well placed and to an untrained eye would seem like a true part of the wrapper. The burn was a bit off in the beginning, but I gave it the chance to fix it self without a relight and it did just fine.

Overall I would not go out of my way to purchase more of these sticks, I still have a few left for eye candy in my coolidor, but maybe a few more years will do these good. If you are into a mild woody smoke, then there is none better, but the taste just isn't for me.
Enjoy the pics.. Sorry about some of the blur.

Cigar:
Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro Principe*
4.5 x 46

Setting: It was an awesome fall day today, and I decided to head outside and indulge in one of my all time favorite smokes. I paired this cigar with an outstanding beer, Young's Double Chocolate Stout*, and the Carolina Panthers* vs. San Diego Chargers game on television.


Construction: Perfect, just like every Padron. This had a beautiful maduro wrapper that has that rough, rustic look to it that I can only imagine mimics the early cuban cigar style. I actually love the fact that these cigars seem to be a little more traditional, and not with perfectly smooth wrappers with no character to them.

Prelight: I used my Xikar to score and lifted the cap. The prelight draw seemed a touch loose, but not so much as I thought it would cause problems. I've seen it mentioned before, and find it to be true that this cigar just tastes like really good tobacco. I don't pick up much else on the prelight draw.

At this point I put fire to this little beauty, and took the first few draws. The slighty loose draw put out great volumes of smoke, and this thing started with a little more of a powerful kick than is normal with these. I was worried that I might be in for a harsher experience than is normal with these sticks, but after the first few puffs this cigar settled into the normal smooth wonderful smoke I'm used to.

As I move through this cigar I can't help but notice just how well this particular cigar pairs with the Young's DC. If you haven't had these together before, I highly recommend that you try it. The chocolate and slightly malty taste of the beer really highlights the cocoa and spice flavor of the cigar. They truly are a match made in heaven.


As I near the end of this cigar it becomes apparent to me that this cigar and I are in it until the very end. I find myself not wanting to put this cigar down, so I do the only thing I think is appropriate.......I get the "nubber."


As I take this cigar down to the very lip-burning end I notice that the amazing Carolina Panthers* are putting together a final drive in an attempt to knock off the Chargers. As I watch the last Delhomme pass of the day barely clears the outstretched fingers of two defenders and settles softly into the hands of Dante Rosario for the winning TD. At this point I realize that my beer glass is empty, and all that's left of the cigar is a smoldering nub.


Final thoughts: If pressed to pick one, and only one, cigar to smoke for the rest of my life it would be hard for me to pick anything other than Padrons. I enjoy them so much that I would consider getting their logo tattooed on my body, but only if it would put there by the masterful hands of the very lovely Kat Von D.*



*This review is in no way intended to find favor with the pass/contest host, even though I have it on good authority that Brian is a huge fan of Padron Anniversary's, Youngs Double Chocolate Stout, the Carolina Panthers, and Kat Von D. Nor will I bring up the fact that I live in the state that produced Tyler Hansbrough. And even if I don't win this contest, if the package was accidently dropped off in my yard by a misguided paratrooper I wouldn't complain (boy, that must have been embarrassing for your Tar Heels.) :laugh:

My offering to the GYFW Pass II review contest...


Description: Made in Honduras with Nicaraguan filler and binder, Café Colorado wrapper, and triple cap. Considered medium to full-bodied. The –2- is a Belicoso 5 1/4” x 52. There seems to be some sort of religious connection with the Ilusione line. According to one vendor, the number 2 reference refers to the Son of God. I’m not so sure I need religion with my smokes, but if there’s a Diablo I guess there needs to be a Son of God as counterbalance.

Why the –2-?: Not long after I joined CP, I was fortunate to be able to participate in a “Newbie Trade” with an outstanding BOTL, StinkiMonki. In the wonderful assortment he sent my way were several cigars I had not previously heard of (real newb, eh?) one of which was an Illlusione –88-. I enjoyed it in the waning hours of daylight one summer evening after a satisfying day of golf and fine food. To say it was a revelation would be an understatement. It was one of the finest cigars I had smoked. I resolved to try the other offerings of Dion Giolito and obtained a nice sampler of seven different Illusiones. I saved the –2- thinking there would be an occasion where it would be most appropriate and..lo and behold…here it is! The GYFW Pass II Cigar Review!

Pre-light observation: The wrapper is dark and satin smooth, with little evidence of oils. A few very dark spots are present, but the integrity of the wrapper is unsullied. The foot had the appearance of the filler being ever so slightly loose. I used a guillotine cutter to slice the tip, and managed to be imprecise leaving it angled and a bit torn. The prelight draw was easy and tasted mildly earthy. I toasted the foot and set it down for a moment while I took a sip of unsweetened cold tea to get my palate ready.



The Smoke: Lighting brought forth an ample quantity of smoke. Those first couple sips reveled a peppery, yet creamy taste..which was unexpected based on my previous experiences with other Illusiones. I liked it though and started to think I had found my favorite of Dion’s creations. The ash that began to form was light gray, but with some very dark, almost charcoal, tones here and there. Initially, it burned unevenly, but balanced out by the first 1/2”. The aroma was mild, with the earthiness that I had early detected.



At 3/4”, the creaminess had shifted to some subtle sweetness with peppery traces still present. I noticed that the ash was beginning to lose its integrity and as I neared the 1” point it fell off into my lap. Curses! I hate it when that happens.


At the halfway mark a bitter flavor began to come forth. Not unpleasant, it reminded me more of a very, very dark chocolate with a dryness that made me go for another sip of tea. The ash continued to show dark gray traces and at this point it began to burn a bit unevenly, but not so much that it needed repair.


As it moved to roughly the 3/4 stage, there was a citrus, orange-peel flavor that began to build. I noticed a slight bulging about 1/4” from the burn. At this point I found it necessary to touch up the burn as a deep trough threatened to take hold. (Had to start using flash photography here)

The burn was now approaching the band and the creaminess I had first noticed seemed to be returning along with what I can only describe as a “beefy” flavor..something like the taste you get from the first bite of a charcoal-broiled steak. I don’t know how else to describe it, but it was certainly robust and quite enjoyable. I removed the band as the burn got about 1/8” away. I could see the oils darkening the tip, and the flavor remained smooth, not peppery at all, as I got closer to the nub.



Finally, I had to end my experience with –2-, and dropped the nub into my garden to feed the flowers. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, as they say.


The Conclusion: My experience with –2- was a joy. Each shift in flavor as I smoked was a delightful experience with no disappointments. Still nestled deep in my humidor is a “–1-“ …a 9 1/4” x 48 presidente, dubbed “The Dark Prince”. I’m going to set aside an entire autumn afternoon for that one!

Implications for the GYFW Pass II: Yes, my brothers and sister…when the Pass comes my way, with Jonesy’s blessing I will be proud to include an Illusione with my puts.

Bsneed51 said:

*This review is in no way intended to find favor with the pass/contest host, even though I have it on good authority that Brian is a huge fan of Padron Anniversary's, Youngs Double Chocolate Stout, the Carolina Panthers, and Kat Von D. Nor will I bring up the fact that I live in the state that produced Tyler Hansbrough. And even if I don't win this contest, if the package was accidently dropped off in my yard by a misguided paratrooper I wouldn't complain (boy, that must have been embarrassing for your Tar Heels.) :laugh:

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It's a good thing I'm not judging these or we'd have a clear winner! :laugh: Keep 'em coming guys, y'all are doing a fine job so far!

A few months ago I was caught by the marketing hype of the Kristoff cigar folks.

"Made in the spirit of an elite Cuban cigar, the Kristoff embodies the taste and richness a true aficionado is looking for. With a rich, oil, wrapper, pigtail and shaggy foot, the Kristoff tastes as good as it looks with notes of almond, hints of spice and sweet finish. This is a smooth, medium bodied cigar.
Origin: Dominican
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Dominican and Cuban seed
Filler: Dominican, Cuban seed and Nicaraguan"

Plus, it had a really interesting band! LOL! I picked up a couple of two different vitolas. Whenever I saw them in the humi I saw again what beautiful cigars they are. Beautifully constructed, firm end to end, nice oily wrapper, and beautifully bunched tobacco leaves peeking out from the shaggy foot. Today, after a long day, I again saw them beckoning from their spot in the humi drawer and decided it was time to see if they taste as good as they look. I chose a maduro torpedo, 6 1/4 x 52.

Sitting at the back door of my shop in the middle of the city, I looked out at the green and growing, fenced sanctuary with which my wife and I have been blessed.

Smelling the side of the wrapper I was struck by a sweet barnyard scent that was almost floral in character. Likewise, when I clipped the head and did a pre-light draw I was again struck by the sweet fragrance that emerged. I toasted the shaggy foot and lit it up. Copious smoke filled my mouth and nose and again, the sweet, smooth, rich tobacco flavor tasted very good.

The burn line was clean beneath the light grey ash and the burn remained very even throughout the smoke. I relaxed and enjoyed ...

Here are some photos of my time with this lovely stick.





You can see the nice firm ash that fell consistently, to say the least.

I found the flavor to be quite constant throughout, sweet, smooth and flavorful. It was not particularly complex, but rich and sweet. It became somewhat stronger toward the last couple of inches but was never harsh or unpleasant, remaining very enjoyable until the last. I never detected the "almonds" but the rest of the advertising was pleasantly true.

I spent a little over $6.00 on this stick, making it considerably more expensive than my everyday smokes. However, it was very enjoyable, beautifully made and flavorful. I will try to keep a few in the humi for a little more special times. If I had the money I would love to get a box to stretch out over the next few years to see how these will age. I suspect they will be even better given a little more time to rest and mature.


edited for poor spelling

Jonesy said:

Bsneed51 said:

*This review is in no way intended to find favor with the pass/contest host, even though I have it on good authority that Brian is a huge fan of Padron Anniversary's, Youngs Double Chocolate Stout, the Carolina Panthers, and Kat Von D. Nor will I bring up the fact that I live in the state that produced Tyler Hansbrough. And even if I don't win this contest, if the package was accidently dropped off in my yard by a misguided paratrooper I wouldn't complain (boy, that must have been embarrassing for your Tar Heels.) :laugh:

Click to expand...

It's a good thing I'm not judging these or we'd have a clear winner! :laugh: Keep 'em coming guys, y'all are doing a fine job so far!

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LMAO!!!!

Jim