Several reviewers have mentioned that the flavor profile of the Murcielago, aka the Bat, was similar to Eddie Ortega's Serie D. It shouldn't be surprising. Eddie had a hand in blending both cigars, the Murcielago with Erik Espinosa while at E&O; the Serie D under his own label after divorcing Erik. Both cigars use the San Andreas wrapper, Mexican binder and Nicaraguan filler. Both were rolled under the auspices of Don Pepin at his factory. Both were originally similarly priced.
I believe the only distinguishing ingredients are the fillers. Both smokes use NI fillers but Eddie has proudly touted the Esteli & Jalapa, Viso & Ligero fillers he uses in the Serie D.
Tom has already reviewed the Murcelago http://www.cigarpass.com/forumsipb/topic/73683-murcielago-great-cigar-at-a-very-decent-price/?hl=%2Bmurcielago+%2Breview. We agreed to smoke them back to back and compare notes. Mine follow.
I smoked the Murcelago first and thought it was an excellent cigar all around. Good pre-light barnyard smell; beautiful, toothy, Capa Negra wrapper with an oily sheen and no prominent veins; easy light; wavy burn that corrected itself without requiring a touchup; good spicy notes in a creamy, thick bodied smoke; and a profile that varied unpredictably with surprise splashes of white and black peppers and yummy citrus-like flecks. I distinctly remember more than once saying to myself, this is a DELICIOUS cigar. The only complaint was that the ash on the Murcielago was a bit on the loose side, falling unexpectedly at about the 3/4 inch mark. One damn good cigar.
Then I smoked the Ortega Serie D. I would describe the Serie D as being almost identical but more. The wrapper was a tad darker. (Could simply be the lot, since they were both San Andreas wrappers). The barnyard smell was there but more pungent; the smoke was similar but thicker, more voluminous; the pepper was occasionally in your face rather than the more subdued background accent in the Murceilago, the ash looked identical but was more firm, and, yes, the smoke was definitely more complex, especially the base flavor. I'm guessing that the Ligero filler added that little extra zing to the base. (I'm assuming the Murcielago lacked the Ligero but I couldn't find any details about the Bat filler other than it was long-leaf Nicaraguan.)
The Ortega D didn't burn as well as the Murcielago. It canoed a bit but a single touch-up corrected it. I've smoked other Ortega D's and don't recall any issues other than some waves. This was probably a stick variation. I doubt if there is a performance difference box-to- box.
Conclusions:
I came to a similar conclusion as other reviewers. The flavor, flavor profile, burn, and quality are very similar. In fact, if I didn't know the Murcielago preceded the Serie D by a few years, I would say that the Murceilago was a very,very good Serie D clone.
Both were excellent smokes; both were perfectly balanced. The Murcielago was definitely the better value. (because of the current sale price) Some smokers will like it better than the Serie D, as it is a more genteel experience. I believe I could distinguish between the two in a blind test but only with a fresh palate and the time to consider the experience.
The Ortega Serie D and the Murcielago are normally similarly priced but the Bat can be currently acquired from Famous for about half price or less. The Serie D is only incrementally better - certainly not twice as good - as the Murcielago.
At these prices, I will keep the Bats in my rotation as well as the Serie D. I've already purchased a box of the Bats and several singles and fivers and expect to order at least one box more this month. I'll keep the Murcielagos for when I want something stronger than your typical morning smoke but not as heavy as a brandy smoke. I'll keep the Ortega D stocked for weekends and special occasions.
But when the sale ends, and I'm confronted with choosing between the Bat and the Serie D for the same cost, I'll lean towards the "D". I really, really, like both of these sticks.
In general, I like the Serie D a small bit better but there will be days and times that I prefer the Bat. In summary, I would say that Eddie took a very very good cigar, tweaked it, added a different blend of Nicaraguan fillers and voila! You now have a great cigar. I would almost say that the Bat gets an A-minus, while the Ortega "D" gets an A. but even then, I feel like I'm overstating the difference. So, let's say the Bat gets a 92 rating, while the Ortega Serie D gets a 93.
But truly, if you like the Bat you'll like the Serie "D" and vice versa. You will want to try both. If you don't like one, I doubt you will like the other.
And just to stir it up a bit, I like them both as well or better than the Padron Series, aka the Padron thousand family. Both offer the same full, luxurious smoke as the Padron, with more variety in the flavor profile. If you like Padrons, I recommend giving these a try.
Pax
I believe the only distinguishing ingredients are the fillers. Both smokes use NI fillers but Eddie has proudly touted the Esteli & Jalapa, Viso & Ligero fillers he uses in the Serie D.
Tom has already reviewed the Murcelago http://www.cigarpass.com/forumsipb/topic/73683-murcielago-great-cigar-at-a-very-decent-price/?hl=%2Bmurcielago+%2Breview. We agreed to smoke them back to back and compare notes. Mine follow.
I smoked the Murcelago first and thought it was an excellent cigar all around. Good pre-light barnyard smell; beautiful, toothy, Capa Negra wrapper with an oily sheen and no prominent veins; easy light; wavy burn that corrected itself without requiring a touchup; good spicy notes in a creamy, thick bodied smoke; and a profile that varied unpredictably with surprise splashes of white and black peppers and yummy citrus-like flecks. I distinctly remember more than once saying to myself, this is a DELICIOUS cigar. The only complaint was that the ash on the Murcielago was a bit on the loose side, falling unexpectedly at about the 3/4 inch mark. One damn good cigar.
Then I smoked the Ortega Serie D. I would describe the Serie D as being almost identical but more. The wrapper was a tad darker. (Could simply be the lot, since they were both San Andreas wrappers). The barnyard smell was there but more pungent; the smoke was similar but thicker, more voluminous; the pepper was occasionally in your face rather than the more subdued background accent in the Murceilago, the ash looked identical but was more firm, and, yes, the smoke was definitely more complex, especially the base flavor. I'm guessing that the Ligero filler added that little extra zing to the base. (I'm assuming the Murcielago lacked the Ligero but I couldn't find any details about the Bat filler other than it was long-leaf Nicaraguan.)
The Ortega D didn't burn as well as the Murcielago. It canoed a bit but a single touch-up corrected it. I've smoked other Ortega D's and don't recall any issues other than some waves. This was probably a stick variation. I doubt if there is a performance difference box-to- box.
Conclusions:
I came to a similar conclusion as other reviewers. The flavor, flavor profile, burn, and quality are very similar. In fact, if I didn't know the Murcielago preceded the Serie D by a few years, I would say that the Murceilago was a very,very good Serie D clone.
Both were excellent smokes; both were perfectly balanced. The Murcielago was definitely the better value. (because of the current sale price) Some smokers will like it better than the Serie D, as it is a more genteel experience. I believe I could distinguish between the two in a blind test but only with a fresh palate and the time to consider the experience.
The Ortega Serie D and the Murcielago are normally similarly priced but the Bat can be currently acquired from Famous for about half price or less. The Serie D is only incrementally better - certainly not twice as good - as the Murcielago.
At these prices, I will keep the Bats in my rotation as well as the Serie D. I've already purchased a box of the Bats and several singles and fivers and expect to order at least one box more this month. I'll keep the Murcielagos for when I want something stronger than your typical morning smoke but not as heavy as a brandy smoke. I'll keep the Ortega D stocked for weekends and special occasions.
But when the sale ends, and I'm confronted with choosing between the Bat and the Serie D for the same cost, I'll lean towards the "D". I really, really, like both of these sticks.
In general, I like the Serie D a small bit better but there will be days and times that I prefer the Bat. In summary, I would say that Eddie took a very very good cigar, tweaked it, added a different blend of Nicaraguan fillers and voila! You now have a great cigar. I would almost say that the Bat gets an A-minus, while the Ortega "D" gets an A. but even then, I feel like I'm overstating the difference. So, let's say the Bat gets a 92 rating, while the Ortega Serie D gets a 93.
But truly, if you like the Bat you'll like the Serie "D" and vice versa. You will want to try both. If you don't like one, I doubt you will like the other.
And just to stir it up a bit, I like them both as well or better than the Padron Series, aka the Padron thousand family. Both offer the same full, luxurious smoke as the Padron, with more variety in the flavor profile. If you like Padrons, I recommend giving these a try.
Pax
