La Flor De Baloney Challenge

[NullSmurf]

La Flor De Baloney Review:

Just getting over a cold, my nose is slightly stuffed.

The cigar clipped beautifully, and pre- light draw was good. I can't say I can pick much of an aroma up from smelling the cigar. Not much of an aroma from toasting the foot either.

This is an extremely light bodied cigar with little flavor initially. The cigar is well packed and has a nice even draw. Half way through the cigar has shown me no character at all. It delivers little if any flavor and tastes like a hundred other cheap cigars.

This cigar lacks any character and is not at all memorable in flavor. I would neither recommend nor purchase this cigar myself. If I remember correctly it sells for about $50 a bundle and at that price is not worth the money. This cigar has a lot less flavor than the Connies at half the price. To compare this cigar to a RP Vintage is ludicrous, there is no comparison. I would say it would be like comparing a Hundai to a Lexus.

As I predicted before this started this will be one of Lew's cutouts next year. Even at half the price I could not justify buying this cigar. Lew should be embarrassed thinking that this cigar could match up to Rocky's Vintage line. He is either an idiot or a liar, you will have to determine which.

I only got one of these to try, so you will have to take this review as my final word on the subject. Thanks for letting me in on this review, and for saving me from buying a whole bundle myself. Oh, and thinks for making me only smoke one of these!

Mine wasn't bad, but I think you're on with the comparison to the Consuegras. I'll go further than you did in that Lew is absolutely insane to put this cigar in the same zip code with RP. I finished the smoke since it wasn't bad. However, give that I routinely smoke and enjoy what wouldn't qualify as a yardgar for most here, for me to say ho-hum is condemnation indeed. If my second one offers up any more, I'll let you all know. Thanks for the opportunity, Sax!

 

[Saxjazzman]

Thanks for the reviews you guys!!

 

[Ginseng]

There a pros and cons but as a newbie here I am not fully aware of all the protocols. Keeping it here as the advantage that one could follow the entire historical thread how we got started and the humor that went along with it. If nobody minds and CP protocol is not violated, it may be a good idea to keep it all here.

SJM,

Why not start a new review thread in the Reviews forum with a link to only the reviews from this main thread? You would click on the post number in the upper right hand corner of each post to get the URL for that post and then insert it using the URL tag. For example:

Vortex's Review

Burnt Tongue's Review

That way you would have all the reviews indexed for easy click through browsing.

Wilkey

 

[vortex]

There a pros and cons but as a newbie here I am not fully aware of all the protocols. Keeping it here as the advantage that one could follow the entire historical thread how we got started and the humor that went along with it. If nobody minds and CP protocol is not violated, it may be a good idea to keep it all here.

SJM,

Why not start a new review thread in the Reviews forum with a link to only the reviews from this main thread? You would click on the post number in the upper right hand corner of each post to get the URL for that post and then insert it using the URL tag. For example:

Vortex's Review



Burnt Tongue's Review

That way you would have all the reviews indexed for easy click through browsing.

Wilkey

Great idea, Wilkey! Not only does it organize the reviews for ease of navigation, it preserves the original thread. :thumbs:

 

[vortex]

BTW, I smoked the other Flor de Baloney after it sat in a humi that was about RH67% for four days. It was already a little on the too moist side but decided it was good enough. The draw was terrible, unfortunately, and the flavor was almost non-existent until the halfway point. Here I started to pick up some of the flavors I enjoyed in the first one.

I don't know what to make of this. I know most cigars taste much better when smoked on the drier side and that was certainly a factor. But there was insufficient data to draw much of a conclusion.

The Diablo by General Cigar behaves much like this. When smoked from a 65% humi the flavors are explosive. When smoked from a 68-70% humi they become subdued and one-dimensional. Also, the mailing of the cigars without even the minimum protection of a plastic bag had to make some difference. How much we will never likely know.

So all you other reviewers please note: The one I smoked that was drier was better.

Despite the fact that I enjoyed the first Baloney more than the second one, I agree that the Vintage is in a different league, the Baloney is over-priced, and Lew may need medication. Note the lack of a emoticon - I'm serious. Lew - get help. And this from an unbalanced person, too!

 

[Saxjazzman]

There a pros and cons but as a newbie here I am not fully aware of all the protocols. Keeping it here as the advantage that one could follow the entire historical thread how we got started and the humor that went along with it. If nobody minds and CP protocol is not violated, it may be a good idea to keep it all here.

SJM,

Why not start a new review thread in the Reviews forum with a link to only the reviews from this main thread? You would click on the post number in the upper right hand corner of each post to get the URL for that post and then insert it using the URL tag. For example:

Vortex's Review

Burnt Tongue's Review

That way you would have all the reviews indexed for easy click through browsing.

Wilkey

Great idea!! I have implimented it as per your suggestion...

 

[Saxjazzman]

Gentlemen,

I have followed the great suggestion (see above) about transferring the reviews to the Review Forum via links. Please check it out and see if it works and is accurate. As more reviews come in I will continue to transfer. Thanks for all your effort and sacrifice of your taste buds for these great reviews.

 

[OutlawD]

Actually received mine last week, they are resting in quarantine and will be smoked probably this weekend.
Thanks SJM for including me in this experiment.

I love the 1890-1892 on the band, that's hilarious!!!

 

[Saxjazzman]

Actually received mine last week, they are resting in quarantine and will be smoked probably this weekend.
Thanks SJM for including me in this experiment.

I love the 1890-1892 on the band, that's hilarious!!!

...the band is almost worth the price of the bundle... :laugh:

 

[Seere]

The second FdB has been burned. It was a light smoke that was not exotic nor terrible. I noticed the second seemed more leafy whereas the first was just sweet the entire time. Comparing these to the Habano's or Don P (2 cigars given to me as an angry joke) it was a good smoke. Both cigars had a decent burn, consistentcy, and were not of bad quality.

This last week i've had 3 cigars that were terrible and Flor de Baloney was not on that list.

On a 1 - 10 i'll give them an 8. ( 1 point for the band )

Thanks again Saxjazzman!

 

[mostholycerebus]

Grabbed this stick on the way out to work today, after sitting a few days. Here's what I thought:

Looking at the stick, I was not too impressed. I noticed two large veins right away, maybe even stems they were that big. One ran slightly under the cap. The cap itself appeared to be a double cap, somewhat rough and lumpy. In fact, the whole cigar looked a little rough, leathery. The color was slightly darker than chocolate, but somewhat uneven, like on many low-end maduros. It smelled a little musty, but I could also smell good tobacco in there. I clipped it with my SAK cutter, good cut, and took a draw. The draw was very free, and tasted a little minty to me. I lit it with my ronson and took a few puffs.

Smoke was plentiful, not exceptional but enough. It started with a strong flavor of tobacco, leathery, and a moderate spicey note hit the back of my throat. This continued for several minutes, accompanied by a strong ash. The ash had more grey than i'm used to seeing, and was a bit lumpy, kind of like you see on mixed-fill cigars. Which made me think of what this cigar reminded me of: a La Vieja Habana Fumas. Also a rough looking 'gar, and mixed-fill, this tasted similar. The ash had even banding though, and held up for a little over half the stick. Burn was pretty straight, after being kept at 65rh, despite the winds whipping through my car.

As I rounded the 2nd third, the flavor and spice fell off drastically. It tasted like I was smoking nothing. I soldiered on...

After dropping ash, the final third picked up a bit. The earlier spice came back, albeit subdued.

Overall, this wasn't a bad stick, for the sub-$2 range. The first third was great, unfortunately it did not hold out for the whole stick but dropped off fairly quickly. I would not turn this down at the price I paid (nothing), but IMO there are (many, many) much better sticks out there at this price point (ironically, many of them RP Seconds). It also was not nearly as strong as I expected in a maduro, which could be a plus for some, but if I want a lighter stick I grab a Natural.

Tommorow i'll smoke a Vintage 1990 robusto with the same time on it, and post a comparison.

EDIT: after reading the reviews, I would be real worried about the consistency of this cigar. A few posters note a few similar qualities, but it almost sounds like everyone is smoking a different cigar! Leathery, cocoa, spice, tasteless, minty: pick two at random. IMO you couldn't even set them down to even them out, because the flavor is not really strong enough to last long at rest.

 

[Saxjazzman]

Grabbed this stick on the way out to work today, after sitting a few days. Here's what I thought:

Looking at the stick, I was not too impressed. I noticed two large veins right away, maybe even stems they were that big. One ran slightly under the cap. The cap itself appeared to be a double cap, somewhat rough and lumpy. In fact, the whole cigar looked a little rough, leathery. The color was slightly darker than chocolate, but somewhat uneven, like on many low-end maduros. It smelled a little musty, but I could also smell good tobacco in there. I clipped it with my SAK cutter, good cut, and took a draw. The draw was very free, and tasted a little minty to me. I lit it with my ronson and took a few puffs.

Smoke was plentiful, not exceptional but enough. It started with a strong flavor of tobacco, leathery, and a moderate spicey note hit the back of my throat. This continued for several minutes, accompanied by a strong ash. The ash had more grey than i'm used to seeing, and was a bit lumpy, kind of like you see on mixed-fill cigars. Which made me think of what this cigar reminded me of: a La Vieja Habana Fumas. Also a rough looking 'gar, and mixed-fill, this tasted similar. The ash had even banding though, and held up for a little over half the stick. Burn was pretty straight, after being kept at 65rh, despite the winds whipping through my car.

As I rounded the 2nd third, the flavor and spice fell off drastically. It tasted like I was smoking nothing. I soldiered on...

After dropping ash, the final third picked up a bit. The earlier spice came back, albeit subdued.

Overall, this wasn't a bad stick, for the sub-$2 range. The first third was great, unfortunately it did not hold out for the whole stick but dropped off fairly quickly. I would not turn this down at the price I paid (nothing), but IMO there are (many, many) much better sticks out there at this price point (ironically, many of them RP Seconds). It also was not nearly as strong as I expected in a maduro, which could be a plus for some, but if I want a lighter stick I grab a Natural.

Tommorow i'll smoke a Vintage 1990 robusto with the same time on it, and post a comparison.

EDIT: after reading the reviews, I would be real worried about the consistency of this cigar. A few posters note a few similar qualities, but it almost sounds like everyone is smoking a different cigar! Leathery, cocoa, spice, tasteless, minty: pick two at random. IMO you couldn't even set them down to even them out, because the flavor is not really strong enough to last long at rest.

Good review. Would be interested on the comparison with Vintage 1990. You are correct, consistancy is a real issue with this one.

 

[mostholycerebus]

Smoked the 1990. There were a few differences, though the sticks were more similar than I expected. The 1990 produced more smoke, had a better draw, and the build was better. The wrapper was not rough at all, just a few fine veins, and a smooth coloring. It did have a sloppy double cap though, and I noticed two small blotches. The very mild box press made handling more interesting, and added a look of refinement that the bulging Baloney lacked. The 1990 also tasted slightly spicier, and the spicey-ness lasted the whole length of the cigar. It also had a much better smell than the Baloney, a deep mouth-watering cocoa smell, heavenly. I did not taste anything like the mintyness of the Baloney. The 1990 ash was almost pure-white and had even banding.

Overall, I liked both of these sticks, and if the Baloney could maintain the flavor of the first third, I would even call it superior. However, since it stalled out for me, I would have to select the 1990 over the Baloney for consistency and production value. Now, if the Baloney dropped in price to near or below the price of 1990 seconds, it would be tempting.

I'm gonna let the next one sit a month or so, i'm curious as to how it will rest. Usually 'gars with that 'musty' smell do pretty well after a little time down.

Sax, put an adress in your profile, i'd like to shoot you a few other good sticks in this price range.

 

[vortex]

Sax, put an adress in your profile, i'd like to shoot you a few other good sticks in this price range.

What he said

It's often put in the Interests section along with a short wish list, perhaps

 

[tomthirtysix]

Just posted my review over in the other Baloney thread.

 

[Saxjazzman]

Just posted my review over in the other Baloney thread.

Great Review!!! Thanks... :thumbs:

 

[insight]

I had the second one yesterday and my original review mostly stands. The cigar remained light and one dimensional BUT a few extra weeks of rest actually improved the flavor a bit. The smoke actually had a woody flavor to it and was slightly less acrid than the first cigar. I still don't think I will be grabbing any more of these and they can't hold a candle to the RP vintage lines. Thanks again SJM for letting me participate!

 

[Saxjazzman]

I had the second one yesterday and my original review mostly stands. The cigar remained light and one dimensional BUT a few extra weeks of rest actually improved the flavor a bit. The smoke actually had a woody flavor to it and was slightly less acrid than the first cigar. I still don't think I will be grabbing any more of these and they can't hold a candle to the RP vintage lines. Thanks again SJM for letting me participate!

It was my honor. Thanks for the review!!

 

[OutlawD]

Well I finally plucked this stick from the humi yesterday and decided ot give it a whirl.
It sat at 65% for a good amount of time. The pre-draw was mostly tasteless.

Fired this stick up and it lit well, took a few flavorless puffs to get it going.
This is where the cigar started to perplex me. The draw was very open, but the cigar wouldn't produce any smoke.
I have never had this happen, so I continued on, the cigar stayed flavorless through the first half, but mainly because there was no smoke coming from the cigar.
About half way through, I start to pick up some subtle flavors, chocolate, mild cedar, coming fom the minimal smoke.
Right around this time the wrapper splits and starts to fall off, so by now I've had enough and chuck it in the ashtray.

All in all I'd rather eat a dry baloney sandwich, with a glass of dehydrated water.

I still have the other one and I will either smoke it later or I may let OpusxKC give it a whirl, and post one of his colorful reviews.
Didnt buy it, wouldnt buy it, it truly lives up to its name, Baloney.

 

[Saxjazzman]

Well I finally plucked this stick from the humi yesterday and decided ot give it a whirl.
It sat at 65% for a good amount of time. The pre-draw was mostly tasteless.

Fired this stick up and it lit well, took a few flavorless puffs to get it going.
This is where the cigar started to perplex me. The draw was very open, but the cigar wouldn't produce any smoke.
I have never had this happen, so I continued on, the cigar stayed flavorless through the first half, but mainly because there was no smoke coming from the cigar.
About half way through, I start to pick up some subtle flavors, chocolate, mild cedar, coming fom the minimal smoke.
Right around this time the wrapper splits and starts to fall off, so by now I've had enough and chuck it in the ashtray.

All in all I'd rather eat a dry baloney sandwich, with a glass of dehydrated water.

I still have the other one and I will either smoke it later or I may let OpusxKC give it a whirl, and post one of his colorful reviews.
Didnt buy it, wouldnt buy it, it truly lives up to its name, Baloney.

Thanks for the review OutlawD. It is interesting that Lew wants to put this in the same catagory as RP Vintage.