Mark Twain
Call me Ishmael.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2006
- Messages
- 1,626
Review Total: Ebony
1.) Avalon - Juke Series, Ebony 7x50- Infinity
I received these smoke several days ago. I put them to rest in +- 63 RH
I retreated to my upper deck with camera and stick in hand. It has been overcast the last few days but the sun started to peak through the clouds giving me a fair morning for this review.
The stick is well constructed, firm and veiny.
Well constructed cap which came off easily with my Palio.
Cap
The foot is sealed so I pealed away the wrapper to get a pre-draw. No taste but the draw was just right.
Foot
Toasted the stick with my Blazer and away we went. The burn was a little uneven for the first inch but it soon corrected itself and thereafter it remained even for the duration of the smoke.
Burn 1
The first inch was a little bland, the nose, a tobacco taste. After the first inch I got the first taste of sweetness which remained until the last quarter. The ash was medium grey and medium texture.
Burn 2
The draw was easy, copious amount of smoke and the taste remained. Although one dimensional, I started to enjoy the smoke.
Burn 3
When I got to the last quarter the pleasant taste started to change. At first the taste improved which was pleasant and then it took a 360 turn and started to move towards a slight bitter taste.
Burn 4
Overall it wasn't bad smoke. One that will, IMHO, improve with some age. I rated according to the French/Swiss test and give this stick a 15.15 out of 20 which equates to around about 80/100. -Infinity
2).Avalon Cigar Reviews- Cuppajack
Juke: Ebony 7x50
The largest of the three cigars up for review the 7x50 parejo from the ironically named “Ebony” line is sheathed in a supple and slick Connecticut Shade leaf and sports a line-signature closed foot. The cigar looked great, with nice production value on the double-band of embossed foil as well as a firm bunch and hefty weight. I’m not a huge fan of CT shade wrappers, however there are a few that I enjoy and Tom Ramsey from Avalon Cigars assured the reviewers that the Ebony has a “complex flavor profile” and was worth our attention.
Pre-light the stick had a very strong scent that was grassy and with hints of barnyard, and upon lighting the closed-foot I was treated to a very pungent first draw of smoke mostly from the burning wrapper. After the burn settled into the stick I was treated to a very agreeable draw, and the initial profile was mild-but-nuanced. Notes of wood and a strong, but not cloying, sweetness dominated with a subtle sour-tang undertone. The sourness was not unpleasant and added to the depth of flavors. The burn was a little screwy but it seemed to take care of itself with no touch-ups needed, though the ash was mottled and very flaky. Flavors remained predominantly of sweet woodiness through the first 1/3 of the length with the occasionally hint of nuts, perhaps candied nuts, resolving on my back of my pallet.
Burn 1
I would classify this cigar as the mild-end of medium bodied smokes with some interesting flavors. Coming to the halfway point of the stick the flavors of nuts defiantly increased and now dominated the profile. It may have been the marketing material that accompanied the cigars, but I could begin to detect pecans in the smoke. Avalon Cigars use a “proprietary aging process” that involves substituting pecan wood for Spanish cedar in order to give the smokes “the slightest hint of nutty aroma.” The results of this tobacco-alchemy was interesting and not at all overwhelming; these are certainly not “flavored” cigars.
Burn 2
The cigar gained some body in the last third, but remained very smooth and the smoke could be nasally expelled with nearly no burning. An notable saltiness was developing in the finish of the smoke, which certainly complemented the nutty flavors that were by now the dominant note. At seven inches, this cigar is larger than my every-day smokes and even with a more-complex-than-expected profile I found myself growing somewhat bored with the smoke. While there was certainly development of the flavors down the length of the stick it wasn’t really enough to keep my interest. I was getting more disparate flavors popping out of the background sweet woody nuts as I toyed with the idea of putting the cigar down. Caramel was the most voiced of these notes accompanied by leather and an upfront floral aroma that developed into coriander.
Final
Overall, I found the Ebony to be enjoyable with a complexity that belied the CT wrapper and enough flavor to prevent me from over-heating the stick, which I am prone to do w/ other CT Shade vitolas. I scored the cigar as a 14.6 out of a possible 25 on the modified French/Swiss tasting scale that is being used for these reviews; mainly loosing points in the Burn, Taste, and Draw portions, while scoring very high on the Wrapper & Construction and Aggressiveness of Smoke categories. Carrying an MSRP of $7 I would classify the Avalon Juke Ebony as a cigar worth a look if you enjoy a medium-side-of-mild stick, and if you are a fan of the Connecticut Shade wrapper then you shouldn’t miss it as it is certainly one of the most unique light Colorado wrapped cigars I’ve smoked in some time. However, I don’t think this line will find room in my stash as, though interesting, the profile didn’t really match my tastes.
3). -MiamiCubano
So I finally got around to smoking these sticks graciously donated by Tom Ramsey of Avalon Cigars. I am still dealing with a nagging, deep cough, but I almost felt worse about having delayed these reviews, so I pushed through anyway.
The first of these cigars to be reviewed is the "Ebony."
Specimen -
"Ebony" - Avalon Cigars
Specs (from website)-
Churchill, 7 x 50
Wrapper - Conn.
Filler - Nicaragua & Dominican
Binder - Ecuadorian
Unfortunately I smoked this one away from home and could memorialize the event with pictures. One thing from the outset, this stick arrived cracked, largely as a result of the method used to package/mail these sticks. All three arrived in what appeared to be a piece of cardboard folded over and then taped. Holes/gaps were left in the box, with the sticks thrown in baggies and left to fly around loose. I would definitely suggest some improved shipping methods if this is standard operating procedure. If it is just the method used to ship some freebies for review, well I guess we got the shipping method we paid for.
At any rate, this was the highest scoring of the sticks provided. Out of a possible 25, it received a 16.5. This was a very smooth, very mild stick. Generally not my cup of tea at all, but not bad. Pre-light draw was somewhat smooth, largely a factor of the so-called "rustic" construction of this stick (quasi-shaggy-fold over foot). Toasted, light and it produced a bounty of smoke. Very nice in fact. Just very, very mild. Almost like you're not really smoking at all. In this regard, "flavors" were not really present, and after-taste on the palate was almost non-existent. It was just a very non-descript, almost bland, smoke. A bit of a hint of grassiness, but other than that, nothing. Ash was a very nice salt and pepper, light grayish, whitish blend that hung on for quite a bit actually. Finished this baby off and remarked at how I felt as if I had hardly smoked a stick at all.
For those who prefer their sticks on the extremely mild side, I'd say this is a good stick for that. Don't know anything about price point about this stick, but for the right (i.e., inexpensive) cost, it would be worth it for those who like such sticks. If you like your sticks with any degree of "kick" to them, this one won't do it for you, desipte how well made this stick is and how well it actually burns.
Thanks are in order to Tom Ramsey for allowing us to sample these sticks.
-MiamiCubano
4). COMMENTS: PSTAN
Very nicely constructed with minimal veins, firm with a slight give when lightly squeezed until just beyond about the five inch area from the foot. In this area the bunching was hard. The foot of the cigar was wrapped but was easily removed without cutting.
Ebony
This one lit nicely and burned sharp most of the entire time with a medium draw. The occasional irregularity in burn corrected itself.
The first few puffs were very flavorful, an earth salty, light grassiness with hints of leather. The amount of smoke was plentiful, creamy but sharp to exhale nasally with a good nicotine kick. These flavors lasted for about the first one and half inches then it seemed a little flat and harder to pick out the flavors as they came and went. At about the three inch mark a flavor kick of black pepper was abundant with a hinting of toast. The burn went irregular but corrected itself after a few puffs. The smoke seemed to go dry, as in not creamy, with a little bitterness creeping in now and again. This lasted till about the four and half inch area. Just into the five inch area the cigar turned somewhat acidic and started burning very slow, to the point of relighting. A few puffs later it started to burn slow again and I let it go out. This cigar lasted me about an hour and forty minutes.
Ebony Final
Overall I liked this cigar’s flavor that it presented in the beginning and wished it remained as predominately noticeable throughout. If this one is aged using the pecan wood process, even longer if it is already being done, I think it would benefit from a little extra time.
I really liked this one and would consider getting some to set aside for morning read the paper or long drive smokes. –PSTAN
5). Ebony- Tkoepp
Keith stated that he enjoyed the Churchill. He said the pecan wasn’t over powering and had a nice floral smell to it. He said he would buy this stick. –Tkoepp
6.) Juke: Ebony-Mark Twain
This was the first cigar I smoked of the three I received. I picked a nice spring afternoon for the smoke. Here’s a picture of the view from my porch.
I am impressed by the appearance of this Churchill sized cigar. It has a nice aroma and a light texture to the wrapper with a pretty firm bunch. The closed foot is interesting. It reminded me of that Vega Talanga that I smoked awhile back.
Foot
The cigar light and drew very well. I simply torched the closed foot and let the burn take off unaided. The smoke was voluminous with an easy draw. The burn pattern was erratic, but I honestly expected a few burn issues since I had only received the cigar a week or so prior to the smoke.
Burn
The cigar started with an enjoyable, albeit one-dimensional flavor that was very reminiscent of a semi-sweet tea. The cigar showed some nice complexity as the smoke progressed and I noticed a pleasant and increasing pattern of flavors that I would define as being floral and slightly vegetal in nature. The cigar had a nice medium body to it with a fragrant aroma to the smoke that complemented the mild flavors I described above.
This cigar was enjoyable and I found it agreeable with my palate. The burn issues were problematic, but I believe that 45 days rest at the right humidity can improve this problem.
Score 16.3 out of a possible 20 points.
1.) Avalon - Juke Series, Ebony 7x50- Infinity
I received these smoke several days ago. I put them to rest in +- 63 RH
I retreated to my upper deck with camera and stick in hand. It has been overcast the last few days but the sun started to peak through the clouds giving me a fair morning for this review.
The stick is well constructed, firm and veiny.
Well constructed cap which came off easily with my Palio.
Cap
The foot is sealed so I pealed away the wrapper to get a pre-draw. No taste but the draw was just right.
Foot
Toasted the stick with my Blazer and away we went. The burn was a little uneven for the first inch but it soon corrected itself and thereafter it remained even for the duration of the smoke.
Burn 1
The first inch was a little bland, the nose, a tobacco taste. After the first inch I got the first taste of sweetness which remained until the last quarter. The ash was medium grey and medium texture.
Burn 2
The draw was easy, copious amount of smoke and the taste remained. Although one dimensional, I started to enjoy the smoke.
Burn 3
When I got to the last quarter the pleasant taste started to change. At first the taste improved which was pleasant and then it took a 360 turn and started to move towards a slight bitter taste.
Burn 4
Overall it wasn't bad smoke. One that will, IMHO, improve with some age. I rated according to the French/Swiss test and give this stick a 15.15 out of 20 which equates to around about 80/100. -Infinity
2).Avalon Cigar Reviews- Cuppajack
Juke: Ebony 7x50
The largest of the three cigars up for review the 7x50 parejo from the ironically named “Ebony” line is sheathed in a supple and slick Connecticut Shade leaf and sports a line-signature closed foot. The cigar looked great, with nice production value on the double-band of embossed foil as well as a firm bunch and hefty weight. I’m not a huge fan of CT shade wrappers, however there are a few that I enjoy and Tom Ramsey from Avalon Cigars assured the reviewers that the Ebony has a “complex flavor profile” and was worth our attention.
Pre-light the stick had a very strong scent that was grassy and with hints of barnyard, and upon lighting the closed-foot I was treated to a very pungent first draw of smoke mostly from the burning wrapper. After the burn settled into the stick I was treated to a very agreeable draw, and the initial profile was mild-but-nuanced. Notes of wood and a strong, but not cloying, sweetness dominated with a subtle sour-tang undertone. The sourness was not unpleasant and added to the depth of flavors. The burn was a little screwy but it seemed to take care of itself with no touch-ups needed, though the ash was mottled and very flaky. Flavors remained predominantly of sweet woodiness through the first 1/3 of the length with the occasionally hint of nuts, perhaps candied nuts, resolving on my back of my pallet.
Burn 1
I would classify this cigar as the mild-end of medium bodied smokes with some interesting flavors. Coming to the halfway point of the stick the flavors of nuts defiantly increased and now dominated the profile. It may have been the marketing material that accompanied the cigars, but I could begin to detect pecans in the smoke. Avalon Cigars use a “proprietary aging process” that involves substituting pecan wood for Spanish cedar in order to give the smokes “the slightest hint of nutty aroma.” The results of this tobacco-alchemy was interesting and not at all overwhelming; these are certainly not “flavored” cigars.
Burn 2
The cigar gained some body in the last third, but remained very smooth and the smoke could be nasally expelled with nearly no burning. An notable saltiness was developing in the finish of the smoke, which certainly complemented the nutty flavors that were by now the dominant note. At seven inches, this cigar is larger than my every-day smokes and even with a more-complex-than-expected profile I found myself growing somewhat bored with the smoke. While there was certainly development of the flavors down the length of the stick it wasn’t really enough to keep my interest. I was getting more disparate flavors popping out of the background sweet woody nuts as I toyed with the idea of putting the cigar down. Caramel was the most voiced of these notes accompanied by leather and an upfront floral aroma that developed into coriander.
Final
Overall, I found the Ebony to be enjoyable with a complexity that belied the CT wrapper and enough flavor to prevent me from over-heating the stick, which I am prone to do w/ other CT Shade vitolas. I scored the cigar as a 14.6 out of a possible 25 on the modified French/Swiss tasting scale that is being used for these reviews; mainly loosing points in the Burn, Taste, and Draw portions, while scoring very high on the Wrapper & Construction and Aggressiveness of Smoke categories. Carrying an MSRP of $7 I would classify the Avalon Juke Ebony as a cigar worth a look if you enjoy a medium-side-of-mild stick, and if you are a fan of the Connecticut Shade wrapper then you shouldn’t miss it as it is certainly one of the most unique light Colorado wrapped cigars I’ve smoked in some time. However, I don’t think this line will find room in my stash as, though interesting, the profile didn’t really match my tastes.
3). -MiamiCubano
So I finally got around to smoking these sticks graciously donated by Tom Ramsey of Avalon Cigars. I am still dealing with a nagging, deep cough, but I almost felt worse about having delayed these reviews, so I pushed through anyway.
The first of these cigars to be reviewed is the "Ebony."
Specimen -
"Ebony" - Avalon Cigars
Specs (from website)-
Churchill, 7 x 50
Wrapper - Conn.
Filler - Nicaragua & Dominican
Binder - Ecuadorian
Unfortunately I smoked this one away from home and could memorialize the event with pictures. One thing from the outset, this stick arrived cracked, largely as a result of the method used to package/mail these sticks. All three arrived in what appeared to be a piece of cardboard folded over and then taped. Holes/gaps were left in the box, with the sticks thrown in baggies and left to fly around loose. I would definitely suggest some improved shipping methods if this is standard operating procedure. If it is just the method used to ship some freebies for review, well I guess we got the shipping method we paid for.
At any rate, this was the highest scoring of the sticks provided. Out of a possible 25, it received a 16.5. This was a very smooth, very mild stick. Generally not my cup of tea at all, but not bad. Pre-light draw was somewhat smooth, largely a factor of the so-called "rustic" construction of this stick (quasi-shaggy-fold over foot). Toasted, light and it produced a bounty of smoke. Very nice in fact. Just very, very mild. Almost like you're not really smoking at all. In this regard, "flavors" were not really present, and after-taste on the palate was almost non-existent. It was just a very non-descript, almost bland, smoke. A bit of a hint of grassiness, but other than that, nothing. Ash was a very nice salt and pepper, light grayish, whitish blend that hung on for quite a bit actually. Finished this baby off and remarked at how I felt as if I had hardly smoked a stick at all.
For those who prefer their sticks on the extremely mild side, I'd say this is a good stick for that. Don't know anything about price point about this stick, but for the right (i.e., inexpensive) cost, it would be worth it for those who like such sticks. If you like your sticks with any degree of "kick" to them, this one won't do it for you, desipte how well made this stick is and how well it actually burns.
Thanks are in order to Tom Ramsey for allowing us to sample these sticks.
-MiamiCubano
4). COMMENTS: PSTAN
Very nicely constructed with minimal veins, firm with a slight give when lightly squeezed until just beyond about the five inch area from the foot. In this area the bunching was hard. The foot of the cigar was wrapped but was easily removed without cutting.
Ebony
This one lit nicely and burned sharp most of the entire time with a medium draw. The occasional irregularity in burn corrected itself.
The first few puffs were very flavorful, an earth salty, light grassiness with hints of leather. The amount of smoke was plentiful, creamy but sharp to exhale nasally with a good nicotine kick. These flavors lasted for about the first one and half inches then it seemed a little flat and harder to pick out the flavors as they came and went. At about the three inch mark a flavor kick of black pepper was abundant with a hinting of toast. The burn went irregular but corrected itself after a few puffs. The smoke seemed to go dry, as in not creamy, with a little bitterness creeping in now and again. This lasted till about the four and half inch area. Just into the five inch area the cigar turned somewhat acidic and started burning very slow, to the point of relighting. A few puffs later it started to burn slow again and I let it go out. This cigar lasted me about an hour and forty minutes.
Ebony Final
Overall I liked this cigar’s flavor that it presented in the beginning and wished it remained as predominately noticeable throughout. If this one is aged using the pecan wood process, even longer if it is already being done, I think it would benefit from a little extra time.
I really liked this one and would consider getting some to set aside for morning read the paper or long drive smokes. –PSTAN
5). Ebony- Tkoepp
Keith stated that he enjoyed the Churchill. He said the pecan wasn’t over powering and had a nice floral smell to it. He said he would buy this stick. –Tkoepp
6.) Juke: Ebony-Mark Twain
This was the first cigar I smoked of the three I received. I picked a nice spring afternoon for the smoke. Here’s a picture of the view from my porch.
I am impressed by the appearance of this Churchill sized cigar. It has a nice aroma and a light texture to the wrapper with a pretty firm bunch. The closed foot is interesting. It reminded me of that Vega Talanga that I smoked awhile back.
Foot
The cigar light and drew very well. I simply torched the closed foot and let the burn take off unaided. The smoke was voluminous with an easy draw. The burn pattern was erratic, but I honestly expected a few burn issues since I had only received the cigar a week or so prior to the smoke.
Burn
The cigar started with an enjoyable, albeit one-dimensional flavor that was very reminiscent of a semi-sweet tea. The cigar showed some nice complexity as the smoke progressed and I noticed a pleasant and increasing pattern of flavors that I would define as being floral and slightly vegetal in nature. The cigar had a nice medium body to it with a fragrant aroma to the smoke that complemented the mild flavors I described above.
This cigar was enjoyable and I found it agreeable with my palate. The burn issues were problematic, but I believe that 45 days rest at the right humidity can improve this problem.
Score 16.3 out of a possible 20 points.
