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any one try the Cigars International Legends series?
- Thread starter dead_man
- Start date
jgohlke
My other hobby
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- Sep 15, 2004
- Messages
- 991
Wed July 18 2006
Legends Cigars - Black (La Aurora)
All the cigars in the Legends series are the same size, 5.75” x 54 with a target price of $5. This cigar was purchased as part of a 5-er from CI and spent about 3 weeks resting in my coolidor.
The wrapper was very nice, a dark, chocolate brown, smooth and even. One of the nicest looking cigars I’ve smoked. Pre-punch moistening provided some spice/peppery tingle on my lips. Punched without drama.
The cigar had a nice earthy smell that was sort of rain-fresh clean. I caught the evening at the perfect moment just before a storm blows in and the wind suddenly shifted from warm and muggy to crisp and cool…so it could have been the evening. I was sitting outside just after dinner.
I lit it with a torch lighter and had just a bit of trouble getting it going, then it took off fine. There was lots of smoke and the ash was nice and white although it frayed a bit by the time it had burned ½ inch or so. I normally drink water or a beer with my cigars, but this one had the feeling of something special, so I poured myself about 2 fingers of Knob Creek whiskey to accompany the cigar. It turned out to be an excellent choice.
At about the 2/3rds mark, the smoke volume was decreasing and I changed to slow double-draws which worked out fine. By now, the storm had passed me by without raining where I live. It did cool things off just a bit. The summer air was very still and the crickets were very loud. It was just the perfect time to be outside smoking a nice cigar and enjoying a few sips of a nice whiskey.
I didn’t take any notes during this part, but instead just enjoyed the cigar. I did manage a picture.
During the last 1/3 of the cigar, the sun was setting and I noticed that we have bats! A lot of them. In the twilight, they look like big, black butterflies but their flying is very aggressive, up and down, swooping and diving with lots of sharp turns. The cigar continued to be very good down to the 1.5 inch mark…the sun was down, the whiskey was gone and the mosquitoes were out…time to be done for the night.
Total smoking time 1:15.
Summary – Really a good cigar. I have one left from the 5-er…I plan to smoke it and if it is as good, I will consider buying a box of them.
Well, that’s it! All 8 CI Legends Reviews are in the bag!
Legends Cigars - Black (La Aurora)
All the cigars in the Legends series are the same size, 5.75” x 54 with a target price of $5. This cigar was purchased as part of a 5-er from CI and spent about 3 weeks resting in my coolidor.
The wrapper was very nice, a dark, chocolate brown, smooth and even. One of the nicest looking cigars I’ve smoked. Pre-punch moistening provided some spice/peppery tingle on my lips. Punched without drama.
The cigar had a nice earthy smell that was sort of rain-fresh clean. I caught the evening at the perfect moment just before a storm blows in and the wind suddenly shifted from warm and muggy to crisp and cool…so it could have been the evening. I was sitting outside just after dinner.
I lit it with a torch lighter and had just a bit of trouble getting it going, then it took off fine. There was lots of smoke and the ash was nice and white although it frayed a bit by the time it had burned ½ inch or so. I normally drink water or a beer with my cigars, but this one had the feeling of something special, so I poured myself about 2 fingers of Knob Creek whiskey to accompany the cigar. It turned out to be an excellent choice.
At about the 2/3rds mark, the smoke volume was decreasing and I changed to slow double-draws which worked out fine. By now, the storm had passed me by without raining where I live. It did cool things off just a bit. The summer air was very still and the crickets were very loud. It was just the perfect time to be outside smoking a nice cigar and enjoying a few sips of a nice whiskey.
I didn’t take any notes during this part, but instead just enjoyed the cigar. I did manage a picture.
During the last 1/3 of the cigar, the sun was setting and I noticed that we have bats! A lot of them. In the twilight, they look like big, black butterflies but their flying is very aggressive, up and down, swooping and diving with lots of sharp turns. The cigar continued to be very good down to the 1.5 inch mark…the sun was down, the whiskey was gone and the mosquitoes were out…time to be done for the night.
Total smoking time 1:15.
Summary – Really a good cigar. I have one left from the 5-er…I plan to smoke it and if it is as good, I will consider buying a box of them.
Well, that’s it! All 8 CI Legends Reviews are in the bag!
bigvinnysd
Cigar Intern
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2006
- Messages
- 440
Good job guys, thorough and detailed reviews! :thumbs: :thumbs:
It would appear that with the addition of the Don Pepin Garcia "Yellow Label" addition to the line, this thread needs to be resurrected!
This will be my first review. I'm not very good at picking out subtleties, but I have smoked many of Pepin's cigars, and his are my favorite. To me, his cigars all share a certain rich flavor....one I cannot really describe beyond that. It's just a well rounded, hearty flavor. Also, in my experience, most of his cigars are just a variation on a theme. Most are pretty strong in the nicotene department, some are spicier than others, and the body of most ranges from medium to damned full. But again, to my palate, they share a common "base" flavor, and it's one that I really enjoy. So my question coming into this is, "Will this thing really tase like a Pepin?" Let's see!
For some reason I can't get a good pic of a cigar, but here's one anyway:
I aquired the cigar in question, and two others in a trade. I recieved them Wednesday, and immediately packaged one up and sent it to jgholke for a real review.
My two went into my humi at 65%, and there this stick sat until tonight (Saturday).My first impression was that the wrapper was lighter than what I'm used to seeing on his cigars. It's tan, with an almost greenish hue; smooth, with only a couple of slightly prominent, lengthwise veins. CI says its a corojo wrapper, but it looks like a heavier Cameroon. The veins don't look like they'll affect the burn in any way. It has a nicely done triple cap, and firmness feels just right for a cigar of this ring guage.
As with most parejos above a 48 ring guage, I punched this one. No issues there. Prelight draw was spot-on, with a solid tobacco flavor. Toasted the foot with my torch, and fired it up. With only slight adjustment, we're off to the races. The first couple of draws yielded a nice blast of nicotine and spice. Tastes familiar! The first 1/2" is more of the same.
After first 1/2”, the flavors begin to round out, the body increases and the peppery spice remains. It's stronger than I expected. Not terribly complex, but there's the hearty flavor I'm used to. It's putting out plenty of smoke, and burning slow and even. Toward the end of the first third, the spice is diminishing and the flavors are mellowing. Still stout, but creamier and smoother. Doing a full exhale through the nose made me flinch a little. Still not terribly complex, but still has the trademark Pepin flavor. I hesitate to say it because it has become cliche, but what the hell: I'd call it leathery. The ash is grayish white, with a nice concentric ring pattern. Only very slight flakiness. Unlike a Tat or 8/11, this one has a pretty short finish. Doesn’t make me want to shave my tongue like many of my favorites.
I knocked the ash off after about 1”. I'm smoking inside, and didn't want to risk dumping it in my lap. It really didn't want to come off, and the ash was quite dense.
Halfway in, the strength is increasing and picking up a bit of a charred flavor. I'm beginning to feel it in the back of my throat a little. I should note that I'm a pretty aggressive smoker, so any harshness is probably my fault. This doesn't bother me unless it's pretty extreme, which is not the case here. The spice makes a return shortly thereafter, too, but the flavor remains balanced and the smoke is plentiful and cool.
The strength continues to increase going into the last couple of inches, and the stick is smoking like a steam engine. It's taking on a very Tat like character--strong, assertive, and rich. It's becoming harsh, but again I attribute that to the way I smoke.
Another 1/2"gone and it has become a complete asskicker. I love it, but I'll wrap up the review here. I sat it over in the ashtray with about 1" to go.
As an admitted Pepin whore, I was apprehensive about this one. First, since opening the factory in Nicaragua, his production and product lines have increased rapidly. Surely he can't keep cranking out winners, right? So maybe this CI stick would be his first official dud, I thought. The CI Legends by Greycliff comes to mind here (blech). Also, I generally am not a fan of his cigars in bigger ring guages.
I'm happy to report that to my tastes, that's not the case here at all. This is an excellent smoke, and it simply tastes like a Pepin cigar. The big ring guage, in this case, did not diminish the flavor at all. Makes me want to try one in a corona or petite lancero.
My final word is that if you are a fan of DPG's cigars, this one will not disappoint. It's one helluva deal to boot, and I'll be buying a box of these when my budget catches back up to my desires! I look forward to reading jgohlke's (and others') take on this one.
:thumbs:
jgohlke
My other hobby
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- Sep 15, 2004
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- 991
Well I have finally had a chance to smoke my CI Legend Yellow and I wanted to add my review to this thread for completeness. I did a trade with SammyP back in Feb for some cigars and he included a Legend Yellow just for this purpose.
Here's a pre-light picture:
SammyP does a good job of describing the cigar a few posts back, so I'll skip all that and get right to it.
I toasted the foot and it lit right up. The first couple of puffs were very peppery and spicey. I felt like I was sucking on some peppercorns. After about 3 or 4 puffs the cigar settled a bit. It produced clouds of white smoke and was the perfect draw.
After about 1/2 inch, the cigar developed this nice nutty taste and smoothed right out. I smoked it while I was cleaning the pool and doing some low-key chores around the house. I put it down a couple of times for a minute or two and it didn't go out. It was a very enjoyable cigar.
At about the last third, the strength of the cigar started to be noticeable. I started smoking it right after lunch and had been smoking it for about 1 1/2 hours. I could feel the nic-kick in the pit of stomach. I slowed down my smoking to ease the kick, but didn't attend to the cigar enough and it went out. I re-lit it and it came on with a vengence. I smoked about another 1/2 inch and let it go out. The last bit of the cigar was very strong.
By the time I called it quits, I was feeling just a bit sick. To be fair, I don't often smoke strong cigars and I am not the best judge of strength in a cigar.
I liked the cigar and I would smoke one again. But I would probably let it go out at the first sign of the nic-kick. Still, it's a big cigar and that is quite of bit of smoking even without nubbing it. They are very reasonably priced and I think I could easily get my money's worth just smoking the first 2/3rds of the cigar.
Thanks to SammyP for the assist!
Here's a pre-light picture:
SammyP does a good job of describing the cigar a few posts back, so I'll skip all that and get right to it.
I toasted the foot and it lit right up. The first couple of puffs were very peppery and spicey. I felt like I was sucking on some peppercorns. After about 3 or 4 puffs the cigar settled a bit. It produced clouds of white smoke and was the perfect draw.
After about 1/2 inch, the cigar developed this nice nutty taste and smoothed right out. I smoked it while I was cleaning the pool and doing some low-key chores around the house. I put it down a couple of times for a minute or two and it didn't go out. It was a very enjoyable cigar.
At about the last third, the strength of the cigar started to be noticeable. I started smoking it right after lunch and had been smoking it for about 1 1/2 hours. I could feel the nic-kick in the pit of stomach. I slowed down my smoking to ease the kick, but didn't attend to the cigar enough and it went out. I re-lit it and it came on with a vengence. I smoked about another 1/2 inch and let it go out. The last bit of the cigar was very strong.
By the time I called it quits, I was feeling just a bit sick. To be fair, I don't often smoke strong cigars and I am not the best judge of strength in a cigar.
I liked the cigar and I would smoke one again. But I would probably let it go out at the first sign of the nic-kick. Still, it's a big cigar and that is quite of bit of smoking even without nubbing it. They are very reasonably priced and I think I could easily get my money's worth just smoking the first 2/3rds of the cigar.
Thanks to SammyP for the assist!
jgholke, sounds like your experience was about the same as mine! I scored a box on CBid shortly after I posted my review, and I have to say I don't find them quite as strong as that first one. It may just be my imagination, and it's still a great smoke for the money, IMO.
Thanks for the review! :thumbs:
Thanks for the review! :thumbs:
CigarStone
For once, knowledge is making me poor!
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2007
- Messages
- 11,706
Damnit!
I wish I had read the Purple reviews before I bid on a fiver at CBid. Oh well I didn't pay much for them and I my brother-in-law is coming to town.
I wish I had read the Purple reviews before I bid on a fiver at CBid. Oh well I didn't pay much for them and I my brother-in-law is coming to town.
bilder
Active Member
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- Oct 12, 2006
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- 1,470
I have tried them all as well. I would agree with your picks and would include the blue label if the price is right. Yellow and Black are my top picks of them all.
The worst of the bunch was the copper label. Tasted like I was smoking one of those chocolate covered cherries. Ick!
jgohlke
My other hobby
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2004
- Messages
- 991
I recently smoked one of the Legends Gray Labels and thought I would post a quick review. I have another one to smoke and may add some notes after I smoke that one. Here's an (edited version) of the CI spiel on the Gray Legend:
Cusano - Gray Legends Cigar. A beautiful Connecticut shade wrapper leaf graces this beauty, which contains an additional Connecticut wrapper within an aged blend of premium, Dominican long-fillers. Mild to medium in body, but teeming with flavor, this cigar envelops your taste buds with a creamy, buttery smooth flavor that smacks of dry, sweet wood due to an extensive aging process in Spanish cedar.
It's the same size as the other Legends and not too expensive (I scored a fiver on Cbid for cheap). Here's a pre-light picture:
It was a nice looking cigar, firm but no too firm. Generally, I've found the Legends series well constructed and this cigar was no exception. I've smoked a few other Cusano's including the 18 year aged and I've found them to be ok cigars with nothing special that makes them stand out. Since I'm sensitive to the "nic-kick", I do enjoy smoking them anytime of the day without worrying about it making me sick.
I put the torch to it and it lit right up. Lots of smoke right from the start. I was puttering around in the shop and smoking this cigar was not my primary focus. For that situation, it was the perfect cigar! It was not distracting and didn't require much attention. I had taken a notepad with me to make some notes and when I went to put the cigar out, I realized I hadn't taken any notes. At first I was disappointed in the cigar, then I realized, "Hey, it didn't suck either!".
It's not the kind of cigar to sit and relax with after a nice meal where the cigar is your primary focus...after all, it is only a $5 cigar (full retail). But for a shop companion or maybe a golf cigar, it would be perfect. All in all, not much to say, either good or bad. Given some of the Legends that I've reviewed, that's a good thing!
Here's a picture 1/2 way through:
Right after this picture, a small piece of the wrapper flaked off. It didn't hurt anything and may have been due to rough handling on my part. Here's the pic:
So that's it on the Gray Legend...not spectacular, but ok....and ok is pretty good for this price point.
Thanks to those that have added to this thread over time. For everybody, feel free to post in this thread about any of the Legends that you have smoked.
Cusano - Gray Legends Cigar. A beautiful Connecticut shade wrapper leaf graces this beauty, which contains an additional Connecticut wrapper within an aged blend of premium, Dominican long-fillers. Mild to medium in body, but teeming with flavor, this cigar envelops your taste buds with a creamy, buttery smooth flavor that smacks of dry, sweet wood due to an extensive aging process in Spanish cedar.
It's the same size as the other Legends and not too expensive (I scored a fiver on Cbid for cheap). Here's a pre-light picture:
It was a nice looking cigar, firm but no too firm. Generally, I've found the Legends series well constructed and this cigar was no exception. I've smoked a few other Cusano's including the 18 year aged and I've found them to be ok cigars with nothing special that makes them stand out. Since I'm sensitive to the "nic-kick", I do enjoy smoking them anytime of the day without worrying about it making me sick.
I put the torch to it and it lit right up. Lots of smoke right from the start. I was puttering around in the shop and smoking this cigar was not my primary focus. For that situation, it was the perfect cigar! It was not distracting and didn't require much attention. I had taken a notepad with me to make some notes and when I went to put the cigar out, I realized I hadn't taken any notes. At first I was disappointed in the cigar, then I realized, "Hey, it didn't suck either!".
It's not the kind of cigar to sit and relax with after a nice meal where the cigar is your primary focus...after all, it is only a $5 cigar (full retail). But for a shop companion or maybe a golf cigar, it would be perfect. All in all, not much to say, either good or bad. Given some of the Legends that I've reviewed, that's a good thing!
Here's a picture 1/2 way through:
Right after this picture, a small piece of the wrapper flaked off. It didn't hurt anything and may have been due to rough handling on my part. Here's the pic:
So that's it on the Gray Legend...not spectacular, but ok....and ok is pretty good for this price point.
Thanks to those that have added to this thread over time. For everybody, feel free to post in this thread about any of the Legends that you have smoked.