Chris#####'s Blind Journey

[verhoevc]

So, I had to send Chris a package for some trade stuff anyways... so I figured, why not have some fun with the poor fellow. Included were 5 un-banded pre-cut smokes. He shall hopefully grace us with his impressions and a picture of each... and perhaps even a guess as to what it is. It shouldn't be TOO difficult, and having talked a lot with me, some should be downright easy cause I spout off about smokes I think that are under-rated or all-too-easily-forgotten all the time, and that's what I think about these 5 sticks.
So, with his cooperation, I know he got the box today, hopefully we can have some fun.
Chris

 

[uptown_isy]

So, I had to send Chris a package for some trade stuff anyways... so I figured, why not have some fun with the poor fellow. Included were 5 un-banded pre-cut smokes. He shall hopefully grace us with his impressions and a picture of each... and perhaps even a guess as to what it is. It shouldn't be TOO difficult, and having talked a lot with me, some should be downright easy cause I spout off about smokes I think that are under-rated or all-too-easily-forgotten all the time, and that's what I think about these 5 sticks.
So, with his cooperation, I know he got the box today, hopefully we can have some fun.
Chris

This could get interesting.....curious to see what you sent him.

 

[chris28054]

Thanks Chris for the package and the great looking unbanned smokes.

As for putting me on the spot and making me do reviews :angry: I just want to make it clear now that I will do my absolute best to do these reviews and I also want to note that I have never done a review before. So let the games begin tonight!!!!

 

[haguc]

I love seeing blind taste test reviews. I find it fun and intriguing to see what people really think of a cigar. I love seeing so many of them come through here. Good luck Chris and I can't wait to read/see the reviews!

 

[chris28054]

Cigar #1

Pre-light: Almost flawless wrapper with no dominant veins. Not very oily but just a nice dark brown wrapper
The pre-light draw revealed a sweet and nutty flavor
Rating: 8.5/10
First 1/3: It has a nice toasty and nutty flavor to start. After a few puffs I got a hint of spice, but as quickly as I tasted the spice it went away just as fast. It started to pick up an earthy flavor. The first third was predominantly a toasty and earthy flavor. The nuttiness started going away by the end of this third.
Rating: 6/10

Second 1/3: It had a great toasty flavor and first thing into this third I picked up a nice chocolate undertone. The middle 1/3 was much smoother and had a very nice smooth flavor. Towards the end the nuttiness has come back and taken over as the main flavor profile.
Rating: 7.5/10

Final 1/3: Still has the nuttiness and the chocolate is coming back some. It stays this way until the end of the smoke.
Rating: 7/10

Overall: It was a great medium to full bodied smoke. Total time it took to smoke this one was 1.5 hours. Pretty much no spice but a very rich flavored cigar. One I would not mind having again!
Rating: 7.25
Price guess: $9
What it actually is: I wish I knew but I have no idea

 

[uptown_isy]

What a dirty looking wrapper.....that's what I like!

 

[verhoevc]

I love that you said it had NO spice and did this one first! That sir is the now discontinued 'king of spice', the diablo gran fuego! I got 50 of them for 100 bucks from famous. They GIVE them away now!
And onward we go!
Chris
Ps: that cigar is at the top of my list of under rated sticks! Its problem was the marketing, not the cigar.

 

[uptown_isy]

WOW! No spice Chris? That's quite a palate you have!

 

[chris28054]

I love that you said it had NO spice and did this one first! That sir is the now discontinued 'king of spice', the diablo gran fuego! I got 50 of them for 100 bucks from famous. They GIVE them away now!
And onward we go!
Chris

"King of Spice" ??? Do you think that there is any spice in this one? It was actually a very good mid day cigar IMO

 

[verhoevc]

There is NO spice in it. That's why it was such a flop thanks to the marketing!
Chris

 

[chris28054]

There is NO spice in it. That's why it was such a flop thanks to the marketing!
Chris

:thumbs: You had me scared... I thought maybe I was way off or something. I thought I had smoked to many Tats that everything else had no spice :laugh:

 

[NullSmurf]

You're doing fine, Chris. Too bad the Gran Fuego is dead. Marketing sounds like CI, though.

 

[chris28054]

You're doing fine, Chris. Too bad the Gran Fuego is dead. Marketing sounds like CI, though.

Thanks. This review thing is quite hard and I have always envied those who have such a good palate.


*Hopefully I will smoke stick #2 today*

 

[verhoevc]

Well forcing you to do these reviews it'll force you to sit down and train your palette to notice things. So really, I'm helping you
Chris

 

[chris28054]

Cigar #2

Wrapper: Good looking brown wrapper with a few mid sized veins showing.
Wrapper Rating: 6.5/10

Pre-light draw: Really didn't get any taste out of it. Kind of had a loose draw as well

First 1/3: IT started off with a burnt hay flavor with a slight hint of wood. It has a little bit of a bitter aftertaste. It started off almost reminding me of a Man O' War but with some definite differences. It produced plenty of smoke and did have a loose draw with a very uneven burn. I had to correct the burn and off we go to the second 1/3.
Rating: 4.5/10

Second 1/3: The bitterness has left and the burnt hay has completely gone away. The dominant flavor and only flavor I'm getting is a dark roasted coffee flavor. While this was a welcome change from the first 1/3 it needed some other flavor to go along with it. Still having burn issues which needed a little fixing.
Rating: 5.8/10

Final 1/3: It still has that dark roasted coffee flavor but the bitterness has returned. It is not an overwhelming bitterness but still there. It still had burn issues which is frustrating enough but it became hard to keep lit. I worked hard to keep it lit and the volume of smoke just went away. It also had a hot burn due to the loose draw and me trying to keep it lit.
Rating: 4.5/10

Overall: It didn't start off good IMO but the middle third got better but just didn't have the depth it needed to become good. I had 1 touch up during each 1/3 and the draw was just to loose.

Overall Rating: 5.3

Price Guess: $4.50

 

[uptown_isy]

What brand do you think it is?

 

[verhoevc]

On the money flavor wise... But I disagree with the rating. IMO this is one of two redeeming cigars graycliff makes! This was the double espresso! The only other good graycliff I was referencing is the grand cru. Oh well? Onward we go!
Chris

 

[uptown_isy]

I agree with Chris V. The double espresso is the only one I've enjoyed, but haven't had them all. Besides, with all the problems with beetles that I've been hearing about, it might be good to stay away from them for a bit.

 

[chris28054]

It was a decent cigar but my score also includes the burn issues and the loose draw. The flavors are good but I still think that it's lacking a little something to put it over the edge.

 

[chris28054]

Cigar #3

Wrapper: This is a very nice dark toothy wrapper. It does have a few small veins.
Wrapper rating: 7.5/10

Pre-light draw: It has a nice toasty leather taste. I was exciting to light this one up after the draw and smelling the wrapper.

First 1/3: Immediate pepper hit the back of my throat and danced around on the tongue! I got a slight citrus flavor that came and went quickly and gave into a coffee flavor. Towards the end of this 1/3 I picked up a very faint chocolate flavor coming through to mix with the coffee. The spice stayed there for the entire 1/3.
Rating: 7.8/10

Second 1/3: The chocolate and coffee are having a nice battle to be the dominant flavor in which coffee won. The coffee stayed and the chocolate kind of dissipated as a leather flavor came through.
Rating: 8.4/10

Final 1/3: The coffee and leather rule the final third. The spice has stayed constant and has been great!
Rating: 8.4/10

Overall: This stick was absolutely wonderful. The spice was there the entire time and was not overpowering. Great flavors through the entire cigar with subtle changes that kept you interested the entire time. I will be buying some of these if it's still possible to get my hands on them.
Overall Rating: 8.03
Estimated cost: $10
Guess as to what the stick is: I want to say that it's a Padilla Miami 8/11 Churchill (Pepin Made). I have never actually smoked one and it doesn't quite fit the idea of Chris' blind review.