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Blind Cigar Review Thread #2
- Thread starter denverdog
- Start date
emoshun
SoCal Herfin'
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2009
- Messages
- 2,585
Wrapper - Silky with minimal veins, a lot of "give" when pressed upon.
Pre Light - Woody, easy draw.
1/3 - Huge black pepper punch right off the bat. Certainly nothing Cuban here. Tasting some toasted oats, and an oakiness to it that sticks to your lips. I'm searching for refinement/complexity in this stick, but it feels like the blender had a one dimensional thing in mind when this was rolled. Moderate smoke production, can hear the tobacco inside crackling, burn is good.
Mouthfeel at this point was heavy, almost soot-like smokiness that lingered. Right before ashing the 1/3 I heard a pop and the ash fell.
Big hole right there. :0
2/3 - Flavor profile is the same, pepper still present with more charred oats coming forward. Really no clue what it could be at this point.
3/3 - Harshness coming through with every consecutive pull, resting it about 3 minutes in between each to try and let it calm down but no luck. Putting it down at this point as there isn't going to be a change with this stick. No clue what this could be as I haven't smoked many cigars like it. (Maybe one or two)
Totally thrown by this stick, and I've never heard of this brand. I hope that I simply got a bad one as other reviews I've read had better things to say about it.
Barry you stumped the chump on this one, thanks for the making me scratch my head the whole way through!
Pre Light - Woody, easy draw.
1/3 - Huge black pepper punch right off the bat. Certainly nothing Cuban here. Tasting some toasted oats, and an oakiness to it that sticks to your lips. I'm searching for refinement/complexity in this stick, but it feels like the blender had a one dimensional thing in mind when this was rolled. Moderate smoke production, can hear the tobacco inside crackling, burn is good.
Mouthfeel at this point was heavy, almost soot-like smokiness that lingered. Right before ashing the 1/3 I heard a pop and the ash fell.
Big hole right there. :0
2/3 - Flavor profile is the same, pepper still present with more charred oats coming forward. Really no clue what it could be at this point.
3/3 - Harshness coming through with every consecutive pull, resting it about 3 minutes in between each to try and let it calm down but no luck. Putting it down at this point as there isn't going to be a change with this stick. No clue what this could be as I haven't smoked many cigars like it. (Maybe one or two)
Totally thrown by this stick, and I've never heard of this brand. I hope that I simply got a bad one as other reviews I've read had better things to say about it.
Barry you stumped the chump on this one, thanks for the making me scratch my head the whole way through!
oke&coke
Shut up baby I know it!
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2014
- Messages
- 3,666
Ok lets do this.
Cigar: Torpedo, about 4 3/4" and about a 52rg. Wrapper is smooth with some small veins. Firm under pressure, a little tight on the draw but not detractive.
Initial draw: Draw did seem fairly tight once lit. Initial flavors were of toast and grass.
1/3: Toast and grass continue, with wood and I want to say nuts making more of an appearance. Draw is still tight in the first third, noticeable but not detrimental. Ash is tight and grayish.
2/3: Moving into the second third, the ash is still hanging on. Wood is coming out more now, but giving a good balance of flavors. I am glad I decided to do this review in the afternoon instead of night. This is the time of day these flavors do best for me. Ash fell just short of halfway leaving a nice cone. I kinda like seeing that, don't know why. Towards the end of the 2/3, opened up a can of A&W Root Beer. I like the way RB pairs with dryer flavors like this as well as to stave off the humid heat.
3/3: Going into the last third, the flavors are getting muddled here but not in a bad way. On the retrohale I am getting a pleasant wood scent. Slight bitterness creeping in as I move along, but not out of the ordinary.
Conclusion: A good cigar that I would smoke again, however cigars of this style are highly dependent on the situation. Construction was pretty good with only a small touch up necessary considering the humidity today. The draw however was a bit tighter overall then I prefer. My guess here is something in the Montecristo portfolio. And the winner is...........
Buena Vist EL 2008. Very nice cigar and at the price they were going for a very good deal. Too bad I didn't get in on them. Thanks again Jimmy.
Cigar: Torpedo, about 4 3/4" and about a 52rg. Wrapper is smooth with some small veins. Firm under pressure, a little tight on the draw but not detractive.
Initial draw: Draw did seem fairly tight once lit. Initial flavors were of toast and grass.
1/3: Toast and grass continue, with wood and I want to say nuts making more of an appearance. Draw is still tight in the first third, noticeable but not detrimental. Ash is tight and grayish.
2/3: Moving into the second third, the ash is still hanging on. Wood is coming out more now, but giving a good balance of flavors. I am glad I decided to do this review in the afternoon instead of night. This is the time of day these flavors do best for me. Ash fell just short of halfway leaving a nice cone. I kinda like seeing that, don't know why. Towards the end of the 2/3, opened up a can of A&W Root Beer. I like the way RB pairs with dryer flavors like this as well as to stave off the humid heat.
3/3: Going into the last third, the flavors are getting muddled here but not in a bad way. On the retrohale I am getting a pleasant wood scent. Slight bitterness creeping in as I move along, but not out of the ordinary.
Conclusion: A good cigar that I would smoke again, however cigars of this style are highly dependent on the situation. Construction was pretty good with only a small touch up necessary considering the humidity today. The draw however was a bit tighter overall then I prefer. My guess here is something in the Montecristo portfolio. And the winner is...........
Buena Vist EL 2008. Very nice cigar and at the price they were going for a very good deal. Too bad I didn't get in on them. Thanks again Jimmy.
chiefmd
Bone Fixer
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2011
- Messages
- 1,796
Drink: Woodford Reserve Double Oak
So I wonder what kind of cigar a Hawaiian would send me. The initial cigar was smooth. No veins. Great construction. Figurado shape. Smelled of hay and wood.
I cut the cap. Barnyard draw prelight. Excellent draw before lighting. I'm assuming that a cigar this well constructed must be up there with CC or Padron and the like.
So being still a noob I either think pepper or no pepper on the first draw. Definitely some pepper in this draw at first. Not a ton of smoke. The pepper is definitely strong. We'll see how the first third goes.....
Great burn. The pepper is slowly calming down. I get some deep woody flavored. I'd almost say Caramel but not quite.
First third is gone. The dark toffee/caramel/wood flavors remain with a bit of pepper on the end of the retrohale. The ash didn't hold up too long.
Burn has been impeccable. The dark toffee flavors still remain. No new flavors have come in. The draw is perfect with the right amount of smoke. I'd definitely smoke this as my go to cigar.
Getting to the last 1/2. I taste some cloves with the same dark toffee. Great draw and great smoke. The bourbon doesn't do a whole lot to accentuate the taste.
Down to the last third and the smoke remains impeccable. The draw is great. Great amount of smoke. The flavors remain consistent. And the winner is...
I had just smoked an Oliva today. I haven't had this line and it's great. I look toward to having another stick!
Total smoking time about an hour and a half.
golfgar
Bueller.... Bueller...... Anyone....... Anyone?
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2004
- Messages
- 6,413
Blind Cigar Review
As I picked up the unlabeled cigar, slightly box pressed more rectangular than square, with a dark slightly toothy wrapper. The cigar measured right at 5 inches and I’m guessing about a 50 ring. A few little crinkles by the head of the cigar and one little chip (see photo) at the foot. A squeeze between the thumb and forefinger reveals it is “a seriously fine cigar” without any bumps and rolled very well.
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12745]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12746]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12744]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12747]
Smoking the cigar at my desk started at 16:10.
The light was made before the cut. Cut the head and took the first draw. Copius volume of good smooth smoke. Definitely a flavor I have tasted before. First few puffs are mild to medium with that familiar nutty leather characteristic. Perhaps a Maduro wrapper, not black like a La Gloria Cubana, however it does have some of the notes of a Maduro wrapper. No acrid aftertaste whatsoever. The finish is not incredibly long but certainly long enough to be enjoyable.
The ash after the first inch is light grey and a little flakey. Fell off after the first inch and a half so it was fairly firm.
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12748]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12750]
The burn is a bit uneven so it was touched up ever so slightly. During the second inch the flavor intensified as would be expected from a good cigar. The first two inches are done the cedar profile is more apparent, still putting out great smoke and the intensification of flavor happening. Smoking at a medium level, perfect for my palate. The leathery and ever so slight pepper flavor is lingering more in the mouth as would be expected. Overall the flavor so far is very crisp and no lingering aftertaste.
In the third inch now, flavors haven’t really changed or intensified significantly since the previous inch. Still burning perfectly well, still has the tobacco and leather and is starting to develop a bit of pepper on the tip of the tongue finish. Now the flavor of the cigar is engulfing all parts of the mouth. Just watching the hurricane come ashore, Patricia, my first wife’s name. I feel a disaster is in the making. HAHAHA. Luckily the hurricane is hitting where it’s not too populated.
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12751]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12752]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12753]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12754]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12755]
Now down to the last two inches. I backed off a bit as I could feel the heat from the ember getting too hot. All is good after backing off a bit. It’s now 17:05 and the cigar is still smoking great. The burn is a little uneven again, so again it was touched up a bit. The coffee and wood flavors are intensifying a bit more in the 4th inch. I’m guessing there is some Nicaraguan tobacco in there somewhere but alas, I’m not good enough to say where it originated. Still the last inch is smoking very well, although getting harder to hold. Down to the last bit consistent and a good smoke
This is a confession that I don’t really have a good guess, the press isn’t right for a Padron, but flavors are in my mind similar as for me that distinct Nicaraguan profile is present somewhere. I would rate the cigar pretty high somewhere between an 8 and 9 as it was overall a smooth, flavorful cigar. Done 17:30. So my guess is perhaps Don Pepin or some Padilla.
I left the reveal envelope at home so I’ll look tonight and post later. Thanks to chiefmd for the very nice smoke and riders! Can't wait to try the rest.
Edit: The reveal.....Perez Carillo La Historia Great smoke, thanks chiefmd!
As I picked up the unlabeled cigar, slightly box pressed more rectangular than square, with a dark slightly toothy wrapper. The cigar measured right at 5 inches and I’m guessing about a 50 ring. A few little crinkles by the head of the cigar and one little chip (see photo) at the foot. A squeeze between the thumb and forefinger reveals it is “a seriously fine cigar” without any bumps and rolled very well.
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12745]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12746]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12744]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12747]
Smoking the cigar at my desk started at 16:10.
The light was made before the cut. Cut the head and took the first draw. Copius volume of good smooth smoke. Definitely a flavor I have tasted before. First few puffs are mild to medium with that familiar nutty leather characteristic. Perhaps a Maduro wrapper, not black like a La Gloria Cubana, however it does have some of the notes of a Maduro wrapper. No acrid aftertaste whatsoever. The finish is not incredibly long but certainly long enough to be enjoyable.
The ash after the first inch is light grey and a little flakey. Fell off after the first inch and a half so it was fairly firm.
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12748]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12750]
The burn is a bit uneven so it was touched up ever so slightly. During the second inch the flavor intensified as would be expected from a good cigar. The first two inches are done the cedar profile is more apparent, still putting out great smoke and the intensification of flavor happening. Smoking at a medium level, perfect for my palate. The leathery and ever so slight pepper flavor is lingering more in the mouth as would be expected. Overall the flavor so far is very crisp and no lingering aftertaste.
In the third inch now, flavors haven’t really changed or intensified significantly since the previous inch. Still burning perfectly well, still has the tobacco and leather and is starting to develop a bit of pepper on the tip of the tongue finish. Now the flavor of the cigar is engulfing all parts of the mouth. Just watching the hurricane come ashore, Patricia, my first wife’s name. I feel a disaster is in the making. HAHAHA. Luckily the hurricane is hitting where it’s not too populated.
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12751]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12752]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12753]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12754]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:12755]
Now down to the last two inches. I backed off a bit as I could feel the heat from the ember getting too hot. All is good after backing off a bit. It’s now 17:05 and the cigar is still smoking great. The burn is a little uneven again, so again it was touched up a bit. The coffee and wood flavors are intensifying a bit more in the 4th inch. I’m guessing there is some Nicaraguan tobacco in there somewhere but alas, I’m not good enough to say where it originated. Still the last inch is smoking very well, although getting harder to hold. Down to the last bit consistent and a good smoke
This is a confession that I don’t really have a good guess, the press isn’t right for a Padron, but flavors are in my mind similar as for me that distinct Nicaraguan profile is present somewhere. I would rate the cigar pretty high somewhere between an 8 and 9 as it was overall a smooth, flavorful cigar. Done 17:30. So my guess is perhaps Don Pepin or some Padilla.
I left the reveal envelope at home so I’ll look tonight and post later. Thanks to chiefmd for the very nice smoke and riders! Can't wait to try the rest.
Edit: The reveal.....Perez Carillo La Historia Great smoke, thanks chiefmd!
MichaelD
What does this button do again?
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2015
- Messages
- 1,522
Having let Golfgar's cigar rest with it's buddies in the humidor for a few days, it was finally time to unravel its mystery. So I made myself comfortable on the screened-in deck, slipped under a fleece blanket, cued up some World Cup rugby, and took a closer look at the cigar.
Prelight inspection: The cigar looked well made. The seams where all perfect and tight, and there were no obvious veins. It felt pretty decently filled with only a couple of small soft spots. The wrapper had that yellow mustardy color that I associate with some Cuban cigars. While perhaps a bit hampered by my oncoming cold, a good sniff of the wrapper revealed nothing.
Even the foot was largely scent free, perhaps some light tobacco, but that is it. I think it was safe to rule out this being an Acid. I did take a nibble as I sometimes do, but could only taste the slightest hint of pepper. That rules out nearly every Pete Johnson cigar ever made and for that matter most the Nicaraguen cigars I typically smoke.
Taking a closer look at the head, it appears to have a well made triple cap. At this point I'm really thinking it's going to be a Cuban cigar, or perhaps something Dominican like a Davidoff.
Time to get this mystery lit up, so out come the Xicar and snip, she's ready to go.
The cigar lights easily and with the first puff it releases a good deal of smoke. I'm rewarded with just a slight peppery blast to the tip of my tongue. Maybe some lighter leather as well. The flavors rapidly disappear. It doesn't really coat the tongue or mouth. It's perhaps medium in strength and medium in body.
The pepper recedes into a creamy hay. The burn line is near perfect with only a couple of small waves. The draw is perfect. I settle in and watch New Zealand dismantle the French. Go All Blacks!
The ash continues to build into a pretty grey chimney stack that holds on for about 1.5 inches. The flavors are still subtle, so much that my limited pallet struggles to pick out other notes and let alone figure out how to articulate them. Is that a touch of coffee? Maybe.
The pepper has receded to the point where I'm feeling brave enough to try retrohaling. That gets me nothing new, but also didn't torch my sinuses like the last time I tried to do that. I'm guessing Cuban still. Leather and hay seem to be the main flavors now.
The ash comes off to reveal a pretty little cinder cone. Not sure why, but I always get a little bit of joy whenever that happens.
I let it sit just a smideg too long as I fuss around trying to take photos and am forced to puff a bit to get it going again. That may have been a mistake because just like that the cigar gets a bit harsh. I must have overheated it. I don't know how, I'm only puffing every 45 seconds or so.
I let it cool a bit and things resume like before. However it must have hit one of the soft spots as a little canoe action nearly instantly appears. A little touch up, some more rest and order is restored by the cigar gods. And oh, the rugby gods finally put France out of their misery as time expires. 65-15. It was a staughter. So onto the next match we go.
The pepper flavors return, along with a sort of creamy earth. It's still medium in body, but the strength may have picked up a bit. I'm now paying attention because I've gotten to that final third stage where for some reason some cigars just give me trouble staying lit. She goes out again. Another careful relight. I never know if I'm doing it correctly, but I tend to scrape away the ash and the use the lighter to carefully toast the center and the wrapper. At first I just blow through the cigar to light it before inhaling again.
We are now into the final third. Nice flavors return: more barn, cream and musk. But just like that it gets harsh. Clearly this cigar forces you to smoke it right. There is just no room for error.
The pepper returns. It remains medium bodied. I'm not really feeling much nicotine, but it is there. Scotland versus the Aussies. This is turning into a really good game. There is more of that leather like woodsyness with touches of pepper. I can feel the pepper on the inner lip. But it gets harsh again, so more cooling, and then back to leather and pepper.
And then with the next puff it's going out again. Grrr. I'm going to let it go out for good with about two inches to go. The harshness just won't let up even as I'm being very careful not to overheat it. Is it perhaps still too young? I just don't have enough experience yet to know. Either way it's time to say goodbye.
So in the end I'm really still guessing that it's Cuban. I forgot to measure its length, but I think it was somewhere between 4.75 and 5.5 inches. So given the fuller flavors (for a Cuban) my guess is a Bolivar, Royal Corona. I take a final photo of my notes before the big reveal...
And as the saying goes....close but no cigar. Saint Luis Rey. Right country, but not the correct cigar. I honestly know nothing about this brand and have never had one before. I just looked up the brand on Cigar Terminal to see if I can figure out which one it is and whether my pallet is even in the right ballpark with what I was suppose to taste. Looking at the notes, assuming it was the Serie A, I think I did okay. If was the Regios then I wasn't even close because I shouldn't have been tasting any pepper apparently.
Anyway, I had a blast, even if the cigar got a bit rough near the end. I'm a firm believer that I need to try two of every cigar before deciding whether I like it or not. So many things can impact the experience, and it's not always the fault of the overall blend. And so ends my first review and my first Saint Luis Rey.
Prelight inspection: The cigar looked well made. The seams where all perfect and tight, and there were no obvious veins. It felt pretty decently filled with only a couple of small soft spots. The wrapper had that yellow mustardy color that I associate with some Cuban cigars. While perhaps a bit hampered by my oncoming cold, a good sniff of the wrapper revealed nothing.
Even the foot was largely scent free, perhaps some light tobacco, but that is it. I think it was safe to rule out this being an Acid. I did take a nibble as I sometimes do, but could only taste the slightest hint of pepper. That rules out nearly every Pete Johnson cigar ever made and for that matter most the Nicaraguen cigars I typically smoke.
Taking a closer look at the head, it appears to have a well made triple cap. At this point I'm really thinking it's going to be a Cuban cigar, or perhaps something Dominican like a Davidoff.
Time to get this mystery lit up, so out come the Xicar and snip, she's ready to go.
The cigar lights easily and with the first puff it releases a good deal of smoke. I'm rewarded with just a slight peppery blast to the tip of my tongue. Maybe some lighter leather as well. The flavors rapidly disappear. It doesn't really coat the tongue or mouth. It's perhaps medium in strength and medium in body.
The pepper recedes into a creamy hay. The burn line is near perfect with only a couple of small waves. The draw is perfect. I settle in and watch New Zealand dismantle the French. Go All Blacks!
The ash continues to build into a pretty grey chimney stack that holds on for about 1.5 inches. The flavors are still subtle, so much that my limited pallet struggles to pick out other notes and let alone figure out how to articulate them. Is that a touch of coffee? Maybe.
The pepper has receded to the point where I'm feeling brave enough to try retrohaling. That gets me nothing new, but also didn't torch my sinuses like the last time I tried to do that. I'm guessing Cuban still. Leather and hay seem to be the main flavors now.
The ash comes off to reveal a pretty little cinder cone. Not sure why, but I always get a little bit of joy whenever that happens.
I let it sit just a smideg too long as I fuss around trying to take photos and am forced to puff a bit to get it going again. That may have been a mistake because just like that the cigar gets a bit harsh. I must have overheated it. I don't know how, I'm only puffing every 45 seconds or so.
I let it cool a bit and things resume like before. However it must have hit one of the soft spots as a little canoe action nearly instantly appears. A little touch up, some more rest and order is restored by the cigar gods. And oh, the rugby gods finally put France out of their misery as time expires. 65-15. It was a staughter. So onto the next match we go.
The pepper flavors return, along with a sort of creamy earth. It's still medium in body, but the strength may have picked up a bit. I'm now paying attention because I've gotten to that final third stage where for some reason some cigars just give me trouble staying lit. She goes out again. Another careful relight. I never know if I'm doing it correctly, but I tend to scrape away the ash and the use the lighter to carefully toast the center and the wrapper. At first I just blow through the cigar to light it before inhaling again.
We are now into the final third. Nice flavors return: more barn, cream and musk. But just like that it gets harsh. Clearly this cigar forces you to smoke it right. There is just no room for error.
The pepper returns. It remains medium bodied. I'm not really feeling much nicotine, but it is there. Scotland versus the Aussies. This is turning into a really good game. There is more of that leather like woodsyness with touches of pepper. I can feel the pepper on the inner lip. But it gets harsh again, so more cooling, and then back to leather and pepper.
And then with the next puff it's going out again. Grrr. I'm going to let it go out for good with about two inches to go. The harshness just won't let up even as I'm being very careful not to overheat it. Is it perhaps still too young? I just don't have enough experience yet to know. Either way it's time to say goodbye.
So in the end I'm really still guessing that it's Cuban. I forgot to measure its length, but I think it was somewhere between 4.75 and 5.5 inches. So given the fuller flavors (for a Cuban) my guess is a Bolivar, Royal Corona. I take a final photo of my notes before the big reveal...
And as the saying goes....close but no cigar. Saint Luis Rey. Right country, but not the correct cigar. I honestly know nothing about this brand and have never had one before. I just looked up the brand on Cigar Terminal to see if I can figure out which one it is and whether my pallet is even in the right ballpark with what I was suppose to taste. Looking at the notes, assuming it was the Serie A, I think I did okay. If was the Regios then I wasn't even close because I shouldn't have been tasting any pepper apparently.
Anyway, I had a blast, even if the cigar got a bit rough near the end. I'm a firm believer that I need to try two of every cigar before deciding whether I like it or not. So many things can impact the experience, and it's not always the fault of the overall blend. And so ends my first review and my first Saint Luis Rey.
MichaelD
What does this button do again?
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2015
- Messages
- 1,522
Why the heck was I getting all that pepper then? None of the cocoa and coffee it's suppose to have. Heck, those are the favors I look for the most.golfgar said:
Ok it's official, my pallet sucks. I clearly need to smoke more. Lol. [emoji1]