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Blind Cigar Reviews
- Thread starter Blue Dragon
- Start date
Blue Dragon
Can't Re-Member
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2005
- Messages
- 2,102
Mr_Wolf
He's watching.............
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2006
- Messages
- 1,745
Well, I got my package today. I grabbed the mystery stick, a glass of sweet tea, and my book that I'm reading and sat down next to the fireplace and began.
It was a torpedo, about 5 1/2" long, and measured between a 50 and 52 ring gauge on my Holts size chart. Looked to be a maduro, and had a good aroma. Construction was pretty good, but it looked rough in spots. Also had a real spongy feel the whole length.
Wow! It started off with real acrid smoke, that smelled pretty bad and stung my eyes!! :whistling: I was getting worried at this point, wondering if I could make it through the first inch. The taste was awful, actually it was a heavy metallic taste and had little in the way of smoke. The burn was uneven, and I had to touch it up continuously.
About halfway through, the metallic taste finally started to clear up, and the smoke volume increased. It still was burning a little uneven, but getting better. The last third however, was pretty good. the smoke thinned out again, but the bad taste was completely gone. It did have a tight ash, with no flaking.
Now the moment of truth.....
A King B!!
I did take my other King B's out for comparsion. This one didn't have the sap problems that my others seem to have, so that was good. I'm not sure why the taste problems, all the other B's that I've smoked didn't have a funky taste, just sticky wrappers. :laugh:
I must say this was fun!! Thanks Cory for starting this, it was a great idea, and thanks for letting me play!! :thumbs:
Now we'll see how Steve does with my mystery stick
It was a torpedo, about 5 1/2" long, and measured between a 50 and 52 ring gauge on my Holts size chart. Looked to be a maduro, and had a good aroma. Construction was pretty good, but it looked rough in spots. Also had a real spongy feel the whole length.
Wow! It started off with real acrid smoke, that smelled pretty bad and stung my eyes!! :whistling: I was getting worried at this point, wondering if I could make it through the first inch. The taste was awful, actually it was a heavy metallic taste and had little in the way of smoke. The burn was uneven, and I had to touch it up continuously.
About halfway through, the metallic taste finally started to clear up, and the smoke volume increased. It still was burning a little uneven, but getting better. The last third however, was pretty good. the smoke thinned out again, but the bad taste was completely gone. It did have a tight ash, with no flaking.
Now the moment of truth.....
A King B!!
I did take my other King B's out for comparsion. This one didn't have the sap problems that my others seem to have, so that was good. I'm not sure why the taste problems, all the other B's that I've smoked didn't have a funky taste, just sticky wrappers. :laugh:
I must say this was fun!! Thanks Cory for starting this, it was a great idea, and thanks for letting me play!! :thumbs:
Now we'll see how Steve does with my mystery stick
Mr_Wolf
He's watching.............
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2006
- Messages
- 1,745
No, not tea normally. I always drink some water before I start, to cleanse my palate. That's all I had before this cigar. And I didn't drink any of the tea til about half way into the cigar. So it didn't affect the taste. Actually, it helped get the metal taste out.
stevehawk
'Member? C'mon you 'member!
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2004
- Messages
- 4,113
I've smoked several King B's and haven't been impressed with them overall. Your review mirrors my own experiences. The AF Cuban Belicoso SGs are much tastier, IMO. Perhaps the B's need to age awhile.
As for this...
... I can't wait, brother! :thumbs:
As for this...
Now we'll see how Steve does with my mystery stick
... I can't wait, brother! :thumbs:
vortex
"A billion Eddie Barzoons jogging into the future
- Joined
- May 5, 2006
- Messages
- 5,510
This is what I like best about blind reviews - discovering great, inexpensive smokes!
Great review!!
CgarDan
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2006
- Messages
- 6,384
I usually like the King B but have seen the reviews go both ways so it is actually interesting to see a negative review on what is supposed to be a premium smoke from Fuente.
Sorry you did not enjoy this one, but like tigger said maybe next time
Sorry you did not enjoy this one, but like tigger said maybe next time
Mr_Wolf
He's watching.............
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2006
- Messages
- 1,745
Believe it or not, my very first King B wasn't very good either! I only got it because of all the hype. I personally like the SG Belicoso's much better. I love all of the other AF line though, and I hated to give it a bad review, but hey, I wanted to be honest :blush:
Now if someone has some of those nasty ol' Anjeo's that they don't like, I'll be happy to do a review on them for ya and send ya my tasty King B's :sign:
Now if someone has some of those nasty ol' Anjeo's that they don't like, I'll be happy to do a review on them for ya and send ya my tasty King B's :sign:
stevehawk
'Member? C'mon you 'member!
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2004
- Messages
- 4,113
The cigar for this blind review was PIFed to me by Mr_Wolf. I had the pleasure of meeting Dan at the BBQ Herf in August. He’s a great BOTL and generous as well. Thank you for this and the other excellent cigars! :thumbs:
I’ve done a few blind reviews before and I always enjoy the process. Usually when I smoke a cigar, my attention is divided -- I play poker, read a book, or talk with friends as I smoke. That’s not the case when I do a blind review. When I don’t know what I’m smoking, and know that I have to fully describe the experience, I give the cigar all of my attention. It’s a different, but entirely enjoyable cigar experience.
Now on to the review:
I sat on my back deck with a glass of ice water for this cigar. The temp was around 60 degrees.
My initial impressions of this cigar were very favorable. It appeared to be well constructed, with a dark wrapper (always a plus in my book) and only minor veining. It measured 6 inches long with a gauge in the 52-54 range. There were no loose or tight spots along the length of the stick, and the cap appeared solidly affixed.
The cigar did not have much smell and my pre-punch tasting of the stick revealed no spiciness or sweetness at all – in fact, there was no taste at all which is rare in my experience.
Because it appeared sturdy, I used my largest punch to open the stick and was rewarded with a nice, large opening to draw through. I’ve only used this punch on 2 or 3 cigars in the past because it takes a large, well built cigar to handle it without problems. This cigar did not disappoint. My pre-light draw seemed a bit tight, but I was rewarded with a hint of sweetness as I puffed on the unlit cigar.
With all of my pre-light rituals taken care of, I toasted the foot and got down to business. It lit without any problems and I got my first real taste of the cigar. There was only a hint of the sweetness I’d experienced on the pre-light draw, but the flavor was very nice and I detected hints of coffee and earthy notes.
The ash was light gray and appeared very tight. I had thoughts of trying for a long ash, but remembered why I was smoking the cigar and decided to forego the effort. The one problem I experienced was a moderately uneven burn. I tried to let it even out on its own, but had to touch it up at the 1.5 inch point.
At 2 inches in, the ash fell off on its own. At roughly this point, the cigar turned just a bit sweeter than it had been before and was giving off volumes of smoke from both the head and the foot. Very nice! At the halfway point, the initial draw problem had fully disappeared and the sweetness turned to more earthy tones. The burn was still slightly uneven but nothing that required a touch up.
I put the cigar down with roughly an inch and half left. It was a very nice cigar, but not a full-out nubber. Besides the temp had dropped about 10 degrees and it was getting a bit cold.
Overall, my experience with and impressions of this cigar were very favorable. It was constructed very well and the taste profile was extremely enjoyable. Earthy notes with sweet undertones and just a hint of spice. Depending on the price, I could see some of these finding their way into my stash.
Now, on to the reveal!
One of the best things about a blind review, especially when it was a positive one, is finding out what you smoked and having some very important questions answered: Is it a well-known cigar? Have I smoked this before? Is it within my price range? Is it a downright bargain?
I tore open the envelope that Dan included with his package and found my answers…
I have never smoked a CAO Soprano before and was pleased to find that this was an enjoyable cigar. The price point on these is probably going to keep them out of my regular rotation, but I would definitely smoke another. Thanks again, Dan, for the opportunity to try this one! :thumbs:
I’ve done a few blind reviews before and I always enjoy the process. Usually when I smoke a cigar, my attention is divided -- I play poker, read a book, or talk with friends as I smoke. That’s not the case when I do a blind review. When I don’t know what I’m smoking, and know that I have to fully describe the experience, I give the cigar all of my attention. It’s a different, but entirely enjoyable cigar experience.
Now on to the review:
I sat on my back deck with a glass of ice water for this cigar. The temp was around 60 degrees.
My initial impressions of this cigar were very favorable. It appeared to be well constructed, with a dark wrapper (always a plus in my book) and only minor veining. It measured 6 inches long with a gauge in the 52-54 range. There were no loose or tight spots along the length of the stick, and the cap appeared solidly affixed.
The cigar did not have much smell and my pre-punch tasting of the stick revealed no spiciness or sweetness at all – in fact, there was no taste at all which is rare in my experience.
Because it appeared sturdy, I used my largest punch to open the stick and was rewarded with a nice, large opening to draw through. I’ve only used this punch on 2 or 3 cigars in the past because it takes a large, well built cigar to handle it without problems. This cigar did not disappoint. My pre-light draw seemed a bit tight, but I was rewarded with a hint of sweetness as I puffed on the unlit cigar.
With all of my pre-light rituals taken care of, I toasted the foot and got down to business. It lit without any problems and I got my first real taste of the cigar. There was only a hint of the sweetness I’d experienced on the pre-light draw, but the flavor was very nice and I detected hints of coffee and earthy notes.
The ash was light gray and appeared very tight. I had thoughts of trying for a long ash, but remembered why I was smoking the cigar and decided to forego the effort. The one problem I experienced was a moderately uneven burn. I tried to let it even out on its own, but had to touch it up at the 1.5 inch point.
At 2 inches in, the ash fell off on its own. At roughly this point, the cigar turned just a bit sweeter than it had been before and was giving off volumes of smoke from both the head and the foot. Very nice! At the halfway point, the initial draw problem had fully disappeared and the sweetness turned to more earthy tones. The burn was still slightly uneven but nothing that required a touch up.
I put the cigar down with roughly an inch and half left. It was a very nice cigar, but not a full-out nubber. Besides the temp had dropped about 10 degrees and it was getting a bit cold.
Overall, my experience with and impressions of this cigar were very favorable. It was constructed very well and the taste profile was extremely enjoyable. Earthy notes with sweet undertones and just a hint of spice. Depending on the price, I could see some of these finding their way into my stash.
Now, on to the reveal!
One of the best things about a blind review, especially when it was a positive one, is finding out what you smoked and having some very important questions answered: Is it a well-known cigar? Have I smoked this before? Is it within my price range? Is it a downright bargain?
I tore open the envelope that Dan included with his package and found my answers…
I have never smoked a CAO Soprano before and was pleased to find that this was an enjoyable cigar. The price point on these is probably going to keep them out of my regular rotation, but I would definitely smoke another. Thanks again, Dan, for the opportunity to try this one! :thumbs:
Burnt Tongue
No Tastebuds...
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2006
- Messages
- 1,190
Good review I really like the whole Soprano line.
