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Blind Cigar Review Thread #2

The weather has finally cooled down a bit here to the point where it's bearable to be outside. I figured this would be a [perfect opportunity to smoke the blind review stick I got from Robbie.

Visually it 's a churchill sized smoke with a triple cap and a light colored wrapper with a few veins running through it. My guess based on the evidence and the source is that it's a CC but we shall see.

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Pre light draw yields some graham cracker flavors and I can tell it will draw well.

I light up the stick and find it to be light bodied even though it is kicking off some thick plumes of smoke.

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I find it to have a very refined caramel cream flavor in the first third with none of the strength you'd expect from a fresher cigar. Knowing Robbie I'm fairly certain this stick has a year or 5 on it.

Continuing on the caramel seems to morph into a vanilla flavor yet the richness of the smoke stays along for the ride. The burn and draw remain perfect and I must say I'm really enjoying this stick.

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At this point the strength of the cigar is picking up and I'm getting some nutty flavors along with the previously mentioned vanilla. It's quite a rich smoke, what some might call creamy.
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into the last third she's picking up a bit more strength and the nuttiness and vanilla remain. towards the end it turns a little bitter but that's not unheard of once you get down to the nub.

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I must say I have no clue what this stick is but if I had to guess I'd say it's a Cohiba Esplendido with a couple of years on it.

And the winner is an '01 Boli Churchill Tubo.

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Thanks again Robbie for the opportunity to try a truly delightful cigar.
 
I got this lovely dark maduro looking stick from bluue13. After being sick off and on for a few months after I got this and given the nasty 100+ degree weather we're having around here I finally got around to reviewing this. I finally just drove over to my local shop and sat down with this stick for the review. Paired with a nice glass of Balvenie 15yr scotch. Sorry for the bad cellphone pics...I left the camera at home.

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After taking a few prelight draws I lit this baby up and was immediately greated with big flavors of cocoa, sweet tobacco, and a nice earthy flavor in the back of my throat. These flavors were very consistent through the first third of the cigar.

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After the 2nd third the flavors are pretty much the same and have grew a bit in intensity and have melded together nicely. At this point I thought I had smoked this cigar before. I could tell it was either a full bodied Dominican or Nicaraguan but I couldn't quite put my finger on the cigar brand.

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Going into the final third the sweet tobacco and earthy flavors are dominating this smoke and have grown pretty intense. I actually started to get a bit of a nic hit and could feel the power of this smoke. At this point I thought it may be a Tatuaje Regios Reserva or possibly an LFD of some kind.

Final Verdict: Liga Privada T52! I've had this before but it was at least a year ago. These are great smokes and definitely worth a try if you haven't had one. The Balvenie paried well with this cigar...it didn't overpower the taste at all. Big thanks to bluue13 for allowing me to try this again!

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given the nasty 100+ degree weather we're having around here I finally got around to reviewing this. I finally just drove over to my local shop and sat down with this stick for the review.

Where'd you go? (just out of curiosity) I live over in ARLINGTON, and visit the Dallas shop's ALL THE TIME.
 
Sorry for the delay. I've been feeling lazy these past couple of months. I actually did this review in August, I believe. That custom band really was a nice touch LOL.
Punched the cap, lit it up and away we went. After the first few puffs, I immediately made up my mind. It had me thinking Tatuaje and looking at the size of this smoke, a Gran Cojonu. Notes of coffee and pepper, if I remember correctly. Being that I "already knew what this smoke was," I stopped paying attention and took a walk around.

I remember sitting by the water and snapped a picture of the Whitestone Bridge. It was about that time that the flavor in this cigar just died. The coffee and peppery flavors all vanished and I was left with a bland cigar. I stuck with it for about 15 minutes more before I put it to rest. As for the guess at this point, Tatuaje was out the window. I have no idea what this is now and just gave up and opened the envelope. Thanks for the opportunity to try this smoke, Mr. Toaster!!

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Today is 63* and sunny with a slight breeze. The weather is too perfect to pass up doing my review. So I grab the cigar that Whopper sent, a Spaten Oktoberfest and go out to the back porch.

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This is a Churchill sized cigar with a triple cap and a medium colored slightly toothy wrapper. A quick sniff of the foot reveals the wonderful aromas of sweet chocolate and cedar.MMMMM, it smells good enough to eat! :laugh: It reminds me of an aged Pardon Londres Maduro or a San Cristobal.
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I clip the cap and take a pre-light draw. I am rewarded with a loose draw and the flavors of chocolate, good tobacco and a little spice.
I toast the foot and then the cigars lights easily. With the initial puffs I find the flavors of good rich tobacco with a hint of leather and a little spice. The draw is still loose and it produces great clouds of smoke.


The first third of this cigar remains consistent with the good tobacco flavor and a hint of chocolate. The ash is grey and slightly flaky. At this point I am sure the cigar is from Nicaragua with a Corojo wrapper.

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During the second third, the spice is just about gone while leather and cedar comes to the fore front. It is medium bodied with flaovrs that are familiar, but I am not sure which cigar this is.

My camera batteries just died and I cannot find any more. :(

The last third the cigar get a little bitter, so I slow down. This helps some, but it is still bitter with the flavors of leather, cedar and a little chocolate. I am still guessing this cigar is a Nicaraugran, but I do not know which one. This was an enjoyable cigar that I will add to my humidor.

The enveolpe please...........................It is a Espinosa Y Ortega Cubao Maduro.

Thanks Whopper! Now I must make room for another cigar in my humidor!
 
This is my review from the "Mystery Stick" I received from Gary aka ironpeddler.

I smoked the behemoth this afternoon on my front porch after I did some yard work. My drink of choice to accompany the cigar was A&W Diet Root Beer. Accessories used were my Palio cutter and my fancy Zippo candle lighter.

Upon first glance my guess of the identity of the cigar was some type of Drew Estate, Liga series cigar. The cigar barely fit into the Palio so I guessed the ring gauge at around 52 to 56 and the length I estimated to be close to 6 inches. The cigar had a pigtail and a shaggy foot.

The cold draw brought clean tobacco flavors. The aroma pre-light was the same. The first post-light draws brought some spice notes and immediately I began to question my 1st guess and now Tatuaje was edging in to my mind. However the spice quickly subsided. The draw started off tight as the cigar was rolled tight and packed full.

The next flavor I detected was some barnyard hay type that I have come to find in some CC's I have smoked. At this point I am totally perplexed and decide to just enjoy the cigar without hazarding any additional guesses.

The cigar remained fairly one dimensional from this point on with a kind of sweet with an spicy edge type of flavor. The draw opened up a bit as well.

It took about an hour and fifteen minutes to smoke the cigar. By the end I was totally confused as to the identity.



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Upon opening the envelope I learned the cigar was a:

Johnny-O! Behike52 rolled in July 2011. (5 3/4" x 52)

Overall I enjoyed the cigar. I'm positive it would have been more enjoyable with some more downtime as I have found with other Johnny-O!'s I have smoked.

Thanks Gary for the opportunity to smoke this fine cigar!

Bill aka whopper
 
It's a beautiful day here in Delaware. I love these bright fall days before it gets cold. I'm comfortable on the back porch with my coffee and this nice looking mystery cigar.

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Slightly oily sheen to a lightly veined wrapper. Wrapper smells like a habano wrapper, similar to many Pepin blends. It measures 4.8 in. x about 50 ring. Firm with some give with no soft spots. I give it a straight clip with the Palio and notice a near perfect draw that tastes of sweet tobacco. After lighting, the draw is still just right and this first puff has a spicy twang with a peppery retro.

1st third:

Burn wanders just a bit but self corrects well. Ash is dark gray. I'm already drawing conclusions but try to just relax and enjoy the cigar. A very easy thing to do, as it turns out. Flavors are mostly woody with a Cuban twang. Here's a pic and note the ash color:

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I'll tell ya what it looks like to me - a PSD4. Tastes like a Party, too! :p I suspect I'm in for a very good second-two-thirds on this baby. :rolleyes: It's also interesting to me that the wrapper smelled so much like a Pepin habano wrapper. I'm very sure this is Cuban so it may be a statement of how close Pepin gets to a replicating a Cuban wrapper.

Second third:

The flavors intensify slowly through this third and it performs like a champ. An underlying sweetness develops as this third ends. Not the most complex cigar but it has a very pleasant woody flavor with a bit of sweetness on the finish.

Last third:

Still more intense flavor and the strength about medium. Burn and draw perfect throughout the cigar. From the flavor, appearance of the cigar and ash, and the dimensions, it's just like a PSD4. The wrapper is just a bit lighter than I'm used to seeing on them. Here is a pic of the last third AND what is just above it, too. :thumbs:


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Conclusion:

My guess of a PSD4 is right!

Thank you, Alan, for the chance to smoke this great cigar!

Steve
 
I was gifted a beautiful looking corona gorda(?) from vortex! At first glance it is a dark wrapper with a great smell.

At first light I taste a hint of coco. Through the first few draws it is filled with that hint of coco and oak. I am not sure if it is because I just put down the final mow job of the year with the leaves falling and the wind blowing; but this cigar is starting with a nice solid Oak taste and keeping with a hint of sweetness. The aroma of the cigar is just sooo inviting and sweet. I am really starting to think this is a Broadleaf wrapper. Nearing the last of the first third I am picking up a little white pepper and less sweetness, but the oak is still present. Reaching the half way point I am freezing my hands off and the cigar is the only ting keeping warm and I am feeling the nicotine! Still keeping with a nice earthy finish I have a little more spice evolving pleasantly. As I am smoking this, Greg just came out and said he is done smoking...I never got a chance to meet him but loved his reviews; hope all is well Greg, I hope to be able to review as many as you have and develop the taste you have over the many years. The final 3rd I am getting that sweetness back and less spice. I am really enjoying this, but have no guess at this time. I am hoping I have had this before because if not I will have to get a 5er if I can. Ok, finishing up and have to guess, because of the Broadleaf I will guess the La Casta Crillio from Pete...not sure and am probably way off, but here it goes.
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Well I was off, but had the right path I guess. A My Father PS LB. What a great smoke...I have always loved Pepins smokes.
thanks again!
 
Just want to say, I read all 16 pages carefully, and from a noob perspective, this was the single most informative educational thread yet. It was helpful to read different descriptions and adjectives, and to see what a good thorough review looked like. Keep writing fantastic information guys! It's a benefit to us all.
 
Allrighty then!

It seems to me that every time I do this Blind Cigar Review thread I wind up sicker than a dog. This one was no different. Got the excellent shipment from Frodo in a Tutu along with some kind of funky illness that he packed in there for me. So, now, having cleared that up, on to the review. (Pictures will be added).

Okay, so out of the box this one looks like a La Riqueza to me. I am never good at remembering the numbers that are assigned to their vitolas but I am thinking this is one of the bigger ones. Since it is my initial guess only, the looser box press form is what has me thinking La Riqueza. The aroma on the pre-light has a pretty solid chocolate scent. I do not recall my box of La Riqueza having that kind of scent but this does not look like a Padron.

Moving on to the initial light up: Almost an astonishing amount of sweetness. Almost to the extent of something made by Swisher! Thankfully the overly sweet taste only lasts for a few draws. The flavor has set in to something of a more dull honey. I think this is comparable to some of the El Triunfador or Aging Room cigars that I have had. I don't have much experience with either of those brands so I think they are possible brands in the mix.

Through the half way point, the sweetness has remained but there is a peppery taste coming through. I would not call it spicy but it has some body. All in all, I am thoroughly enjoying this smoke. In fact, I would say that I am enjoying it enough to consider a box buy of whatever it is.

THE REVEAL: LA RIQUEZA!!! Sometimes first impressions should be trusted, I suppose. I did not think it was a La Riq after the initial part of the cigar. This was one hell of a good cigar. Downright excellent.

Thanks Modo!
 
Sorry you got sick! Everyone out here was almost dying with what was going around. But it didn't think that dead crow I rubbed the box on would have hurt ya.

Glad you enjoyed it and nice eyes catching the smoke from the roll.
 
Okay so I was blown away by this cigar.

The cigar had a couple of prominent veins. Firm, no soft spots. Good construction. Pre-light draw had some sweet barnyard taste to it, or as best as I can describe it.

The initial draw after light reminded me of a Tatuaje. The first third I immediately tasted some rich flavor on the back end of the smoke. I couldn't pinpoint what it was but I'm going to describe it as a cocoa taste. The burn was near perfect and the ash was a medium gray. The ash held on for about an inch at a time. Mind you I was walking the dog while I was smoking this.

The second third mellowed out and whatever spice there was went away. The cocoa taste still remained at the end. I still had the Tatuaje thought in my mind taking into account the construction, size, and taste.

The last third was just as good as the beginning. My wife didn't care much for the smell and actually said it didn't smell like any of the other cigars that I have smoked in the past.

So eager to get home to figure out what this was...my wife opened the envelop and I kept telling her I'm sure it was a Tatuaje.

What did it say......PUNCH! I couldn't believe it. Punch?? The "good ol' London club" Punch. I had never had a Punch cigar before and didn't even think much of the brand because I thought of it just as a mainstream brand. Wow! I looked up the price and I couldn't believe all that flavor was in a $2.50 cigar. Crazy.

Thanks punk_lawyer for opening my eyes!
 
Okay so I was blown away by this cigar.

The cigar had a couple of prominent veins. Firm, no soft spots. Good construction. Pre-light draw had some sweet barnyard taste to it, or as best as I can describe it.

The initial draw after light reminded me of a Tatuaje. The first third I immediately tasted some rich flavor on the back end of the smoke. I couldn't pinpoint what it was but I'm going to describe it as a cocoa taste. The burn was near perfect and the ash was a medium gray. The ash held on for about an inch at a time. Mind you I was walking the dog while I was smoking this.

The second third mellowed out and whatever spice there was went away. The cocoa taste still remained at the end. I still had the Tatuaje thought in my mind taking into account the construction, size, and taste.

The last third was just as good as the beginning. My wife didn't care much for the smell and actually said it didn't smell like any of the other cigars that I have smoked in the past.

So eager to get home to figure out what this was...my wife opened the envelop and I kept telling her I'm sure it was a Tatuaje.

What did it say......PUNCH! I couldn't believe it. Punch?? The "good ol' London club" Punch. I had never had a Punch cigar before and didn't even think much of the brand because I thought of it just as a mainstream brand. Wow! I looked up the price and I couldn't believe all that flavor was in a $2.50 cigar. Crazy.

Thanks punk_lawyer for opening my eyes!

Do you know what kind of Punch it was?
 
Orchestra is going so terribly nowadays. I have a full scholarship to do my Doctoral degree here at Arizona State, but as a trade off, I am required to play in the school orchestra. There are many fine musicians in the school, but there are also plenty of weaker players as well. The project I'm playing on now is a concert with no conductor, and while this can be a thrilling experience for many musicians, it requires a lot of skill to listen to those around you. This kind of project requires that you know your own part very well so you can kind of go on "auto pilot" while concentrating on what everyone else does, and adjusting to what you hear what is going around you. While this is more of given at the graduate level, most undergraduates haven't quite developed such skill, and so it can potentially be a very frustrating experience.

I received this stick in the mail this past weekend and let it rest for a few days. I planned on letting it rest a week, but I had such a terrible day today that I was looking for a special treat and felt compelled to give this baby a run. I stopped by Burger King on the way home and ordered a great big chocolate shake, which I was shocked about because they have changed the way they prepare them and it cost a lot more than the old ones ($3.50). No more shake machine, they blend up ice cream with chocolate syrup and milk.

I sat down today with a cup of hot coffee, the large chocolate shake, and my equipment for the review. The sun is out and it's 75 degrees on my back patio. I'm keenly aware I need to trim the back yard, but since I moved in last august, i haven't bought a lawnmower or weed whacker yet, so I guess I need to get myself motivated enough to do so.





The cigar was a handsome looking cigar. It had a nice brown wrapper with no imperfections. There were three major veins, but they were very narrow. The wrapper did has some strange black splotchy discoloration which I noticed, but wasn't sure what it was or where it would come from so I wasn't disturbed by it.The stick had a nice triple cap. The cigar was slightly box pressed, and measuring it, the wide width was about a 45 gauge. The cigar was extremely dense, except for the last third, which felt a bit spongy and loose.





Smelling the stick initially, it smelled of sweet tobacco. A prelight draw further gave flavors of chocolate and tobacco, and I started getting excited about the cigar. I punched the cap and lit the stick with a cedar split, and was blown over by a VERY spicy hit of flavor. I'm Korean who likes his Kimchi and lives in little Mexico here in Mesa, AZ, but this was spicy even for me, and I was glad I had a chocolate shake in hand to sweeten my tongue a bit, which I rinsed with a swig of coffee.



The draw on the cigar was near perfect, not being too resistant or too loose. The burn quickly wanted to go sideways. Plenty of smoke came funneling out of both ends.

The cigar gave off a very nice aroma, with nuts and sweetness. It was definitely an aroma I associated more with Honduran tobacco rather than the stronger buttery Nicaraguan tobacco. The cigar was still pretty spicy, and a retrohale stung my nose to near-tears.



The 2nd third began to open up the flavors, and I started tasting mocha, nuts, and something richer. The flavor started getting a bit sweeter and the retrohale was more mellow, and less stinging, but still a bit harsh. The burn was definitely going to one side, and I kept touching it up to even it out. The ash is banana'ing a bit.



The final third began getting really tasty. The nuts and chocolate flavors subsided, and coffee and leather came to the forefront. With about an inch and a half left, the pepper began to kick up very strongly again, and the flavor started getting harsh. A quick purge helped it for a short time, but it became too peppery for me, so I let it go. Standing up, I'm realizing that it was stronger than it seemed at the time, and while it isn't as strong as a LFD, it was a medium-to-strong strength.

I'm pretty sure at this point it's a Don Pepin blue label Invictos. I've had a couple, and the overwhelming spice, the construction, and the flavor profile just seems to be this line.

So I opened the envelope and...



Well, I got the Don Pepin part right, but not the correct line. I'm actually a bit surprised, because I smoked one last month and it was much smoother, and don't recall it being so spicy. Perhaps the one I previously consumed had some more time on it. I currently have a EE in my humidor, and will be curious to compare notes with this one when I light it up.

I can't say this was my favorite flavor of cigar, but I'm grateful to ChiefMD for the opportunity and for the quality sticks he sent along with it. Thanks buddy!
 
Hey Coops, what's with the guy leering at you from the roof? I seen an episode of Cops that was filmed in AZ, where a Mexican guy was trying to hide from INS on the roof. Your picture reminded me of the show :sign:


Jason
 
HAHAHA That is totally hilarious Jason. I neither noticed my neighbor while taking the photo, nor did I notice him in the picture. Good eye!
 
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