I just had my first selection from the Newbie Trade with golfgar. If this is any indication of the rest of the selection he sent me, I can't wait to try the rest!
A bit of background before lighting the cigar. I decided I wanted to smoke this on the right note, so I fired up the grill and seared a rare filet mignon. Add to that some snap peas almondine on the side finished with a small piece of baklava at the very end. With a nice dinner behind me, it was time to crack open the latest book I've been reading, "How the Scots invented the Modern World." Interesting essays in there...
I brought out the cigar and clipped it with some guillotine cutters. Poured myself a nice Fuller's ESB and set myself to the task. The build was very nice: a light tan color that was ever so slightly firm. No sheen to it, just a nice solid color all the way down the length. The unlit draw was very nice. I had a straw a couple of weeks ago and wasn't too fond of it. This had just the right amount of resistance.
Lighting it with a butane torch lighter, it came to life immediately. The first 1/2 inch was just the slightest bit bitter, then pure bliss from that point forward. If I could just let it sit there and burn with me smelling the smoke alone, it would have been worth it. The flavor was mild, the strength was a little stronger than pretty much any previous cigar I've had. Really neat buzz from the nicotine. It never wavered from start to finish, and the taste was very consistent through the whole cigar. Burn was very consistent, though it did angle a bit on me about halfway through but corrected itself within a few minutes.
This lasted almost a whole hour and I was still puffing when my fingers started getting hot from the last 1/2 inch or so.
I don't have the pallette to discern all of the various flavors, yet, but this was far and above one of the best smokes I've ever had! Amazing flavor - almost a sweetness to it the whole time. And it had a nutty flavor, but that may have been left over from the peas and baklava.
Kudos to golfgar for starting me on the road of cigar heaven. I won't be forgetting this anytime soon!
Thanks, golfgar! I'm in your debt. :love:
A bit of background before lighting the cigar. I decided I wanted to smoke this on the right note, so I fired up the grill and seared a rare filet mignon. Add to that some snap peas almondine on the side finished with a small piece of baklava at the very end. With a nice dinner behind me, it was time to crack open the latest book I've been reading, "How the Scots invented the Modern World." Interesting essays in there...
I brought out the cigar and clipped it with some guillotine cutters. Poured myself a nice Fuller's ESB and set myself to the task. The build was very nice: a light tan color that was ever so slightly firm. No sheen to it, just a nice solid color all the way down the length. The unlit draw was very nice. I had a straw a couple of weeks ago and wasn't too fond of it. This had just the right amount of resistance.
Lighting it with a butane torch lighter, it came to life immediately. The first 1/2 inch was just the slightest bit bitter, then pure bliss from that point forward. If I could just let it sit there and burn with me smelling the smoke alone, it would have been worth it. The flavor was mild, the strength was a little stronger than pretty much any previous cigar I've had. Really neat buzz from the nicotine. It never wavered from start to finish, and the taste was very consistent through the whole cigar. Burn was very consistent, though it did angle a bit on me about halfway through but corrected itself within a few minutes.
This lasted almost a whole hour and I was still puffing when my fingers started getting hot from the last 1/2 inch or so.
I don't have the pallette to discern all of the various flavors, yet, but this was far and above one of the best smokes I've ever had! Amazing flavor - almost a sweetness to it the whole time. And it had a nutty flavor, but that may have been left over from the peas and baklava.
Kudos to golfgar for starting me on the road of cigar heaven. I won't be forgetting this anytime soon!
Thanks, golfgar! I'm in your debt. :love:
