Marcos
I love you Rocky & Sammie and Bee...thank you
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2006
- Messages
- 1,763
So I go down to this new liquor store near my place for some libations. The store is not new but I have never been there before. The place is nice and has a big selection of beer/wine etc...As I go to checkout I look to the left and see some cigars in a case. I exit the line and peer inside the glass to see a great assortment of premium smokes. The temp was 69 degrees and the hygro read 62% which to me was better than sopping wet. After looking around some I settled on a Don Pepin Garcia Blue Label torpedo. This was the only vitola they had in this line. I usually don't prefer torps or other figurados but with all the DP excitement as of late, I went for it. The lower humidity of the humidor/frigeador aided in me choosing this particular smoke. Here is the specimen...
Prelight and Initial Stages:
This cigar has a nice aroma to it. Nothing overwhelming with some essence of wood. Construction was excellent with no signs of soft spots. I clipped the tip/cap and tested the draw. Too tight. Clipped a little more and tried again. Looser this time but still tighter than I prefer. I toasted the foot and let it settle some before getting into the smoke. After a few draws I began to taste some spice and some wood. It was nice and not overpowering like I was expecting. The cigar burned relatively straight and had a good feel to it considering there was less than 24 hours of humi acclimation before it was smoked. After an inch or so there was some intensifying of taste and aroma. A strong flavor was left on the palate after each puff that remained for quite some time. There was some leathery tastes present and the minimal spice continued. I sat waiting and expecting a firecracker, as everyone describes this cigar as the powerhouse in the DPG line. This is not my impression yet. Here is a pic...
Ending Stages and Finish:
After the halfway point the smoke volume increased slightly but not by much. The woody taste was the predominant one and the spice never came to the front as I was expecting it to. At one point I even thought I tasted someting sour. I puffed on but unfortunately there was little to no change. Just as I thought a new profile would develop, it wouldn't. Here is a final pic...
I know that there are alot of things that I probably could have done better to make this a more enjoyable smoke. A better cut, longer climate acclimation etc...but I feel that there are still some basic elements that I can comment on. Was this cigar "raw power"? NO. Was this cigar unrefind is flavor? YES If I had to sum up my experiences with this cigar I would call it uneventful and one dimensional. No major changes and nothing unexpected. I will not judge this cigar from this one experience but am in no immediate rush to try another. Maybe some age is called for. Thanks for allowing me to contribute to this forum! Marc
Prelight and Initial Stages:
This cigar has a nice aroma to it. Nothing overwhelming with some essence of wood. Construction was excellent with no signs of soft spots. I clipped the tip/cap and tested the draw. Too tight. Clipped a little more and tried again. Looser this time but still tighter than I prefer. I toasted the foot and let it settle some before getting into the smoke. After a few draws I began to taste some spice and some wood. It was nice and not overpowering like I was expecting. The cigar burned relatively straight and had a good feel to it considering there was less than 24 hours of humi acclimation before it was smoked. After an inch or so there was some intensifying of taste and aroma. A strong flavor was left on the palate after each puff that remained for quite some time. There was some leathery tastes present and the minimal spice continued. I sat waiting and expecting a firecracker, as everyone describes this cigar as the powerhouse in the DPG line. This is not my impression yet. Here is a pic...
Ending Stages and Finish:
After the halfway point the smoke volume increased slightly but not by much. The woody taste was the predominant one and the spice never came to the front as I was expecting it to. At one point I even thought I tasted someting sour. I puffed on but unfortunately there was little to no change. Just as I thought a new profile would develop, it wouldn't. Here is a final pic...
I know that there are alot of things that I probably could have done better to make this a more enjoyable smoke. A better cut, longer climate acclimation etc...but I feel that there are still some basic elements that I can comment on. Was this cigar "raw power"? NO. Was this cigar unrefind is flavor? YES If I had to sum up my experiences with this cigar I would call it uneventful and one dimensional. No major changes and nothing unexpected. I will not judge this cigar from this one experience but am in no immediate rush to try another. Maybe some age is called for. Thanks for allowing me to contribute to this forum! Marc
