Doc Wylie
Curmudgeon
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2008
- Messages
- 848
I beg your indulgence. This is not a review according to the recommended guidelines. It is merely my thoughts regarding my first experience with a WOAM. I offer it from the perspective of a newbie whose knowledge of all things cigar has increased exponentially since that fateful day (less than a month ago) when I stumbled upon, and subsequently joined, this fine website that I now cannot stay away from. In early June, I wouldn't have known a WOAM from a wombat.....now I am writing about it and sharing my experience with this community. To say my horizens have broadened would be an understatement.
So much for the disclaimer.
My query on this site seeking recommendations on maduros brought forth a number of replies indicating that the Work of Art Maduro was at the top of many lists. In my naivete, I casually walked into my favorite B&M and asked where the WOAM's were located as I wished to purchase several. I received a look that I'm certain you can visualize, followed by the purveyor's somewhat stiffled chortle as he tried to diplomatically explain that this was a cigar that he did not usually have in stock. Not wanting to take NO for an answer I then phoned a number of other shops and received a similar response. I was quite discouraged.
What would be my recourse? What could I do to find this elusive prize? A post on CP brought salvation (and a bit of rebuke). The debate on a newbie's ability to proactively procure desired (and HTF) smokes ensued...rules were clarified...and I learned a lesson. No wounds were inflicted and the community moved on. In any event, the inquiry did make it possible for me to obtain a WOAM and it soon arrived to take an honored place in my humidor.
It only lived there one day.
Friday evening, after the affairs of the week were settled and it was time to relax the brave little WOAM left the cozy confines of the humidor and the ritual began. I was a bit too aggressive on the cut, but it did provide a decent draw. The next time I would be more conservative. I then toasted the little foot and carefully applied flame...drawing the first sip of WOAM breath. My uneducated and inexperienced palate detected nothing extraordinary, and as the burn showed to be uneven I was concerned. After another sip, I began to detect a taste that reminded me of dark chocolate...dry, sweetly-bitter (does that make sense?) but rich. Eventually the burn evened itself out..I would say somewhere about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in. The cocoa-ey flavor continued and was joined, and eventually replaced by, a mildly spicy "earthiness", for lack of a better term, and as more sips ensued the warm richness was elevated. I alternated sips of WOAM with sips of unsweetened slightly chilled tea. This had the effect of cleansing my palate so that each sip of WOAM breath had a freshness that I don't think I've ever experienced with a smoke.
Eventually it occurred to me that there should be some sort of documentation of this event, so I retrieved my camera and took the photo that I've posted in the gallery. ( I can't manage to link the pic to this post, so unless you go there to look for it you'll have to take my word that the ash looked beautiful...a "work of art" so t speak.)
At that point, I carefully removed the band since I knew that I would have to smoke this little gem until it could be smoked no more. The ash remained until it got to the point where the bottom of the band had been located and then with a quiet sigh dropped off, returning to Mother Earth. The WOAM and I stayed connected for a little while longer. When my fingers started feeling the heat, I cursed my lack of a roach-clip and set her down to peacefully go to sleep.
The flavor remained on my taste buds for the rest of the evening. The memory of a uniquely satisfying smoke will remain much longer.
So much for the disclaimer.
My query on this site seeking recommendations on maduros brought forth a number of replies indicating that the Work of Art Maduro was at the top of many lists. In my naivete, I casually walked into my favorite B&M and asked where the WOAM's were located as I wished to purchase several. I received a look that I'm certain you can visualize, followed by the purveyor's somewhat stiffled chortle as he tried to diplomatically explain that this was a cigar that he did not usually have in stock. Not wanting to take NO for an answer I then phoned a number of other shops and received a similar response. I was quite discouraged.
What would be my recourse? What could I do to find this elusive prize? A post on CP brought salvation (and a bit of rebuke). The debate on a newbie's ability to proactively procure desired (and HTF) smokes ensued...rules were clarified...and I learned a lesson. No wounds were inflicted and the community moved on. In any event, the inquiry did make it possible for me to obtain a WOAM and it soon arrived to take an honored place in my humidor.
It only lived there one day.
Friday evening, after the affairs of the week were settled and it was time to relax the brave little WOAM left the cozy confines of the humidor and the ritual began. I was a bit too aggressive on the cut, but it did provide a decent draw. The next time I would be more conservative. I then toasted the little foot and carefully applied flame...drawing the first sip of WOAM breath. My uneducated and inexperienced palate detected nothing extraordinary, and as the burn showed to be uneven I was concerned. After another sip, I began to detect a taste that reminded me of dark chocolate...dry, sweetly-bitter (does that make sense?) but rich. Eventually the burn evened itself out..I would say somewhere about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in. The cocoa-ey flavor continued and was joined, and eventually replaced by, a mildly spicy "earthiness", for lack of a better term, and as more sips ensued the warm richness was elevated. I alternated sips of WOAM with sips of unsweetened slightly chilled tea. This had the effect of cleansing my palate so that each sip of WOAM breath had a freshness that I don't think I've ever experienced with a smoke.
Eventually it occurred to me that there should be some sort of documentation of this event, so I retrieved my camera and took the photo that I've posted in the gallery. ( I can't manage to link the pic to this post, so unless you go there to look for it you'll have to take my word that the ash looked beautiful...a "work of art" so t speak.)
At that point, I carefully removed the band since I knew that I would have to smoke this little gem until it could be smoked no more. The ash remained until it got to the point where the bottom of the band had been located and then with a quiet sigh dropped off, returning to Mother Earth. The WOAM and I stayed connected for a little while longer. When my fingers started feeling the heat, I cursed my lack of a roach-clip and set her down to peacefully go to sleep.
The flavor remained on my taste buds for the rest of the evening. The memory of a uniquely satisfying smoke will remain much longer.
