Many months ago Ginseng sent me two mystery Piramides to smoke and compare. With life settling down some, I'm finally posting my review. My apologies to Wilkey for the long delay, and for a review based mainly on my notes, as the cigars were smoked during the winter, and my memory isn't that strong. 
With this review, as with life, things are not always as they seem.
So here's what arrived, followed by my reviews and the unveiling:
(some of the photos aren't the best, as they were taken in my garage in the winter.
Cigar #1
...is, duh, a piramide. It sports a great-looking wrapper - oily and brown. It smells strongly of great quality, but young, Cuban tobacco. The foot smells quite spicy, and looks well constructed.
Prelight draw: Youthful spice predominates.
Fired it up, and:
Initial draws: Again, it tastes strong, and young. Not many descernable flavors yet, but it's just warming up.
The ash is gray and kind of flaky.
Normally I would break a review down by the inch or thereabouts, but my notes are similar throughout for this cigar. Green, youthful, heavy on the tannins, with an occasional musty note.
It isn't bad, and seems as if it has future potential, but I wouldn't smoke another for a few years...
It's roughness and some squirreliness in the burn let me know that it's time to put this one to rest.
I really haven't a clue what this is, but it's young. In a few years, I think it could be good.
Cigar #2
Piramide (duh) again.
Nice darker brown wrapper, with a bit of tooth, and minor damage in a couple of places. Slight boxpress. This cigar feels just a hair light in my hand, and I hope the draw will be firm enough to help it burn slowly.
Both foot and wrapper have a slightly musty, pungent tobacco smell to them. Seems older (in a good way) than Torp #1.
Foot shows quality construction:
Prelight draw: My concerns are alleved, as it shows just the right amount of resistance. There's not really any discernable flavor before lighting.
Fired it up, and:
Nice start! There are soft cocoa and berry notes, with light pepper on the finish.
First Inch:
Much like the initial draws - subtle cocoa and berry flavors, with a lingering light pepper finish. I'm not generally concerned with "nose," but this seems like it will be a fine cigar, so I exhale slightly through my nostrils to find an even stronger berry presence. Body is on the heavier side of medium.
The ash is firm and dark.
Second Inch:
This is a very complex cigar. Delicious, hard to define flavors appear and disappear quickly. Citrus and pepper flavors dominate the finish, with the pepper lingering. There are some tanins present, but they're nicely balanced.
3rd Inch:
Hints of caramel and nuts, and tea flavors. The flavors are quite subtle. This is not a smoke for the card table or a herf, but one to be enjoyed in a calm, quiet environment in which the cigar is the sole focus.
4th inch:
Building on the earlier flavors, this cigar changes with almost every mouthful of smoke. The peppery finish recedes, replaced by a smooth tanginess and cedar.
Last inch or so:
Herbal flavors develop, and it's getting much fuller bodied. Citrus on the finish. Purged at around 1 1/2" to go, and deep, complex flavors are evident, along with a slight bite, which is not unpleasant.
And then it's time to let it go out.
This is a excellent cigar. From its wrapper appearance and (sometimes) subtlety, I have to guess that this is a nicely aged Cuban of some sort.
And so
Cigar #1 is a Partagas Piramide with six or so years under its belt, and #2 is a 2006 Cohiba EL!
Boy was I wrong. About the youth of one and the age of the other. It's always an education.
Off to buy me a box of Cohibas.
Thanks so much Wilkey for the lesson!
With this review, as with life, things are not always as they seem.
So here's what arrived, followed by my reviews and the unveiling:
(some of the photos aren't the best, as they were taken in my garage in the winter.
Cigar #1
...is, duh, a piramide. It sports a great-looking wrapper - oily and brown. It smells strongly of great quality, but young, Cuban tobacco. The foot smells quite spicy, and looks well constructed.
Prelight draw: Youthful spice predominates.
Fired it up, and:
Initial draws: Again, it tastes strong, and young. Not many descernable flavors yet, but it's just warming up.
The ash is gray and kind of flaky.
Normally I would break a review down by the inch or thereabouts, but my notes are similar throughout for this cigar. Green, youthful, heavy on the tannins, with an occasional musty note.
It isn't bad, and seems as if it has future potential, but I wouldn't smoke another for a few years...
It's roughness and some squirreliness in the burn let me know that it's time to put this one to rest.
I really haven't a clue what this is, but it's young. In a few years, I think it could be good.
Cigar #2
Piramide (duh) again.
Nice darker brown wrapper, with a bit of tooth, and minor damage in a couple of places. Slight boxpress. This cigar feels just a hair light in my hand, and I hope the draw will be firm enough to help it burn slowly.
Both foot and wrapper have a slightly musty, pungent tobacco smell to them. Seems older (in a good way) than Torp #1.
Foot shows quality construction:
Prelight draw: My concerns are alleved, as it shows just the right amount of resistance. There's not really any discernable flavor before lighting.
Fired it up, and:
Nice start! There are soft cocoa and berry notes, with light pepper on the finish.
First Inch:
Much like the initial draws - subtle cocoa and berry flavors, with a lingering light pepper finish. I'm not generally concerned with "nose," but this seems like it will be a fine cigar, so I exhale slightly through my nostrils to find an even stronger berry presence. Body is on the heavier side of medium.
The ash is firm and dark.
Second Inch:
This is a very complex cigar. Delicious, hard to define flavors appear and disappear quickly. Citrus and pepper flavors dominate the finish, with the pepper lingering. There are some tanins present, but they're nicely balanced.
3rd Inch:
Hints of caramel and nuts, and tea flavors. The flavors are quite subtle. This is not a smoke for the card table or a herf, but one to be enjoyed in a calm, quiet environment in which the cigar is the sole focus.
4th inch:
Building on the earlier flavors, this cigar changes with almost every mouthful of smoke. The peppery finish recedes, replaced by a smooth tanginess and cedar.
Last inch or so:
Herbal flavors develop, and it's getting much fuller bodied. Citrus on the finish. Purged at around 1 1/2" to go, and deep, complex flavors are evident, along with a slight bite, which is not unpleasant.
And then it's time to let it go out.
This is a excellent cigar. From its wrapper appearance and (sometimes) subtlety, I have to guess that this is a nicely aged Cuban of some sort.
And so
Cigar #1 is a Partagas Piramide with six or so years under its belt, and #2 is a 2006 Cohiba EL!
Boy was I wrong. About the youth of one and the age of the other. It's always an education.
Off to buy me a box of Cohibas.
Thanks so much Wilkey for the lesson!
