Kid Montana
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2010
- Messages
- 1,346
A short while back many of us recall a representative from a new cigar company called "Cigar of the Gods" offering sampler packs to the forum. He cocked up the offering a bit but made good to as many of us who took the bait as he could and several weeks later I received a sampler pack of the three cigars the company offers in the robusto vitola. Here is my review, sorry, no pictures tonight.
The website says this cigar is a "combination of Nicaraguan Rosado wrappers, Nicaraguan Habano binders and Dominican, Nicaraguan and Costa Rican fillers," and comes from the factory in a cedar wrap. The cigar itself has excellent construction, with nice heft, firm feel, not lose or spongy like a 5 Vegas Gold. I chose this one first because it looked the most appealing, with a beautiful oily wrapper, dark brown with russet tones and very faint veins, quite nearly as nice a wrapper as I've seen on any cigar.
Sniffing the foot briefly pre-light, I'm treated to musty richness, not bad considering the brand is a totally unknown quantity. A punch and unlit puff revealed a perfect draw. Toasting the foot, the cigar lights quickly and my first impressions are good. No initial blast of pepper or anything that says the cigar will need to burn a while before it settles and becomes enjoyable. The website says "nutty" and nutty it is with a unsalted walnut profile, a bit of woodiness and an occasional hint of sweetness during the first 3/4". Humidified at a temperate 68% RH, this cigar produces copious amounts of pleasant tasting smoke that has a bit of sharpness on the tongue during a puff, but leaves a creamy rich aftertaste afterwords. For the first inch or so the burn is perfectly even with a delightful sawtooth pattern in the medium grey ash. On towards the end of the first 1/3rd the burn loses its evenness and picks up a bit of leathery bite.
Slowing down a bit on the puff rate into the 2/3rd helps lose a bit of the leather and back of the mouth sharpness. A bit of grass and a thick mouth feel dominate the profile. Its slightly complex but not a symphony of flavor into the middle as the burn once again even out. I'm going to give Cigar of the Gods the benefit of the doubt and assume the slightly sour flavor in the back of my mouth is the result of the mocha smoothie I enjoyed for desert an hour ago. This cigar has similar characteristics to the La Aroma De Cuba but the different flavors don't meld together quite as well. I'd favorably compare the construction and a bit of the flavor to an Oliva Serie V as well; the ash held strong until about 2" in. This cigar can get slightly bitter if smoked quickly but also occasionally hints at something fantastic every few puffs. Perhaps a candidate for aging?
Into the last third the cigar begins to become consistently bitter on the back of my tongue. Its not super obnoxious, but enough to spoil the pleasant and smooth first third. The burn is razer sharp. I'm debating whether I want to try to nub it or just let it go out with 2" left. The bitterness occasionally lets up and the cigar is quite nice but the sharpness inevitably returns. A purge does little and I left it alone with most of the final third remaining.
Overall this cigar was a disappointment. It started out with tremendous potential and didn't follow through. If I had another I'd let it rest for another three to six months, then dry box it for a day before smoking, to see if the profile can be manipulated somewhat. At $6/stick by the box it won't get my recommendation.
K.M. Score: 2.5/5
The website says this cigar is a "combination of Nicaraguan Rosado wrappers, Nicaraguan Habano binders and Dominican, Nicaraguan and Costa Rican fillers," and comes from the factory in a cedar wrap. The cigar itself has excellent construction, with nice heft, firm feel, not lose or spongy like a 5 Vegas Gold. I chose this one first because it looked the most appealing, with a beautiful oily wrapper, dark brown with russet tones and very faint veins, quite nearly as nice a wrapper as I've seen on any cigar.
Sniffing the foot briefly pre-light, I'm treated to musty richness, not bad considering the brand is a totally unknown quantity. A punch and unlit puff revealed a perfect draw. Toasting the foot, the cigar lights quickly and my first impressions are good. No initial blast of pepper or anything that says the cigar will need to burn a while before it settles and becomes enjoyable. The website says "nutty" and nutty it is with a unsalted walnut profile, a bit of woodiness and an occasional hint of sweetness during the first 3/4". Humidified at a temperate 68% RH, this cigar produces copious amounts of pleasant tasting smoke that has a bit of sharpness on the tongue during a puff, but leaves a creamy rich aftertaste afterwords. For the first inch or so the burn is perfectly even with a delightful sawtooth pattern in the medium grey ash. On towards the end of the first 1/3rd the burn loses its evenness and picks up a bit of leathery bite.
Slowing down a bit on the puff rate into the 2/3rd helps lose a bit of the leather and back of the mouth sharpness. A bit of grass and a thick mouth feel dominate the profile. Its slightly complex but not a symphony of flavor into the middle as the burn once again even out. I'm going to give Cigar of the Gods the benefit of the doubt and assume the slightly sour flavor in the back of my mouth is the result of the mocha smoothie I enjoyed for desert an hour ago. This cigar has similar characteristics to the La Aroma De Cuba but the different flavors don't meld together quite as well. I'd favorably compare the construction and a bit of the flavor to an Oliva Serie V as well; the ash held strong until about 2" in. This cigar can get slightly bitter if smoked quickly but also occasionally hints at something fantastic every few puffs. Perhaps a candidate for aging?
Into the last third the cigar begins to become consistently bitter on the back of my tongue. Its not super obnoxious, but enough to spoil the pleasant and smooth first third. The burn is razer sharp. I'm debating whether I want to try to nub it or just let it go out with 2" left. The bitterness occasionally lets up and the cigar is quite nice but the sharpness inevitably returns. A purge does little and I left it alone with most of the final third remaining.
Overall this cigar was a disappointment. It started out with tremendous potential and didn't follow through. If I had another I'd let it rest for another three to six months, then dry box it for a day before smoking, to see if the profile can be manipulated somewhat. At $6/stick by the box it won't get my recommendation.
K.M. Score: 2.5/5