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The blind taste test thread

Review for cigar #47....

The wrapper fairly red in shade...almost cameroon like but a little darker in shade. The cap was of good construction and looks like it was applied with great care. The cigar measured out to about 6.2X44. Wrapper was pretty veiny with a HUGE vein running in a spiral nearly the entire length of the cigar. The prelight nose was very fruity...smelled like apples and roses. Overall construction was decent although the cigar did feel a little soft to the touch. The cap cut cleanly and easily with my double bladed guillotine. The prelight draw was quite easy and had a slight chocolaty flavor to it. I toasted the foot and it light right up with no problems. The first few draws were still had notes of chocolate, but right off the bat, it seemed like a mild cigar. The aroma was quite pleasing and it billowed lots of smoke. The taste never really took off and remained quite mild the entire length while gaining a slight bit of creaminess after the first inch or so...almost a little bland though. An unconsistant salt and pepper ash developed as the burn continued on down. The ash was fairly loose and only held on for about an inch before falling off. The fallen ash was very soft and disintegrated when i tried to pick it up. These remind me ALOT of the bundled Moya Fumas ive been buying lately in terms of taste and ash. The burn was ugly the whole way down, but it did correct itself out every time without any help from my lighter. These would make a decent everyday smoke if they were cheap enough...a 3 dollar cigar at best.


Construction: 6
Size and Feel: 6
Consistancy: 6
Taste: 7
Burn: 6
Overall Experience: 6.5

Not a bad smoke...would make a good yardgar or ones to pass out to your friends who smoke just to have a cigar in their mouth. Would also be a good everyday type cigar for a person who enjoys milder flavors.
 
Cigar # 11
Belicoso 4 ¾ x 48

Cigar11.jpg


Pre-light: Dark oily wrapper with a few veins. It appears to be well constructed with a nice firm feel. This cigar feels substantial in the hand and has a beautiful point. The cigar smells sweet, of honey and tobacco. I love the size and feel of this cigar. Clipped the cigar and the pre-light draw was tight and had a spicy flavor.

Smoking: The cigar was kind of tough to light due to the tightness, with not much smoke in the beginning. The spiciness was very pronounced. I squeezed the head a bit and the cigar opened up nicely and began producing lot of smoke The first third of the cigar had strong flavors of espresso and wood. The ash was dark and molted. The burn was off for most of the cigar and had to be touched up several times. During the second third the flavors changed to wood and licorice. The draw continued to be nice with lots of smoke. The ash was 2” long before it fell off on it’s own. The spiciness on the tongue continued. The last third of this cigar continued to have strong flavor of wood and licorice. The spiciness was a little less pronounced. The cigar took an hour and fifteen minutes to smoke. I had a good buzz by the end of it.

Overall impression: This is a full flavored cigar with a strong expression. The cigar was never bitter and remained spicy through out it’s entire length. This is a very good cigar, but not for the faint of heart.

Construction: 8
Size and Feel: 9
Consistency: 6
Taste: 9
Burn: 6
Overall impression: 8

===============================================================================
Cigar # 58b

Panatela 6” x 40
Cigar58b.jpg

Pre-light: Wrapper is medium brown with large veins. The construction seems a little inconsistent with some soft spots and a shaggy cap. This cigar has a light tobacco and hay smell. Punched the cigar and the pre-light draw is nice and firm, enough resistance to know you are smoking a cigar. The cap is very sweet, but it faded quickly. I think they have added some sweetening substance to the cap (yuck).

Smoking: The cigar lit easily and produced a nice amount of smoke. The initial taste is of earth tobacco and just a hint of spice. The first third was nothing to write home about; a pleasant tobacco taste, with no bitterness and mild to medium strength. The ash fell off after only an inch and a half. The ash was light in color. The second third was just about the same. The draw remained a little firm and it was burning well. The taste was earthy, a little spice and just a hint of bitterness was creeping in. The last third was bitter with earth and leather tastes.

Overall impression: The cigar was OK, a nice afternoon smoke while working on the yard. A mild to medium smoke with a linier taste profile. It produced a decent amount of smoke, burned very well and lasted a little over an hour.

Construction: 6
Size and Feel: 6
Consistency: 6
Taste: 5
Burn: 9
Overall impression: 6 (A good yard gar)


Thanks Lumberg for the opportunity to participate in this. This has been a lot of fun. :thumbs:
 
KiltedCraftsman dropped by last night and we decided to give a couple of these the torch. I smoked Cigar #8, the second of the two sticks that Lumberg sent to me. It was a torpedo-shaped cigar with a natural shade wrapper and measured in at 5 and 7/8 inches long by about a 50-52 ring gauge.

The overall experience with this cigar was very different than I had with the first stick I tested (#55). It was as if the two cigars were complete opposites. Where the first one looked poorly constructed, this one looked very good. The first stick had no burn issues, while this one had to be touched up a few times. The first stick was mild-medium, this one was medium-full. The first had draw issues, this one drew perfectly.

Overall, this cigar reminded me of the Puros Indios cigars I’ve had. It was a good, basic cigar. I wouldn’t buy a box or even a fiver, but I wouldn’t hesitate to smoke another one if offered.

CA Ratings:

Appearance & Construction: Good appearance and construction. 14 out of 15 possible points.

Flavor: The flavor was good and very smooth. Not very complex, but there was no hint of bitterness or harshness. Out of 25, I ‘d rate this one 22 points.

Smoking Characteristics: Although the draw was excellent, the burn was uneven and required several touch-ups. Of 25 possible points, I give this cigar 20 points.

Overall Impression: The fact that the cigar is one of my favorite vitolas probably helped with the overall impression. But the good draw, construction and flavor help a lot as well. I give it 30 out of 35.

Overall Rating: 86
 
As Steve points out, we got together last night and I took the opportunity to try my first of the two I received. And since I haven't said so yet, thanks Lum for op and the freebies. Very cool idea. I know we are supposed to utilize our own styles for reviews, but I think the CA and some of the others work well for this exercise, so here goes . .#31

CA Ratings:

Appearance & Construction: At first glance I was not impressed by this stick. It had a definite green hue to the wrapper; normally something that would send me in exactly the opposite direction. After further inspection, I was a little concerned with the construction. The wrapper, while entact, had a look of panic, so to speak, as though it wanted to come off and run away in some spots. I didn't notice too much in the way of veins. Overall color was in the olive green range with a hint of tan. My apologies for not measuring the length, but I would put the ring at approx 45. Score: 9 out of 15 possible points.

Flavor: Right off the bat, this was a bitter one. I had concerns of even finishing it for the first 10 min or so. The flavor almost had an oily taste in and of itself. This really overpowered anything else I might have detected. This continued for about 20 min in, at which time it began to mellow a bit. The middle 2" or so was rather mild in comparison to the first section. Towards the latter 2" or so, it began to spice up a bit again and the bitterness started to return. I lasted another few minutes and was done. Score: 15 out of 25 points.

Smoking Characteristics: The draw was fine and I really had no issues there. However the burn was strange. It burned somewhat under the wrapper and required me to relight the outer leaf several times. I will say that the wrapper did stay entact throughout the burn. Score:19 of 25.

Overall Impression: Overall, I would not recommend this size cigar as I don't typically like the ring gauge that small. Sadly, my experience in general was not much better. The taste was not appealing nor was the general look with it's green tint. I give it 18 out of 35.

Overall Rating: 61


Stay tuned for #17, hopefully a better smoke . .thanks again Lum!
 
Great reviews guys....while I said don't feel obligated to do a review a certain way, st the same time, don't feel obligated to try to create your own styles. The reviews so far have been EXCELLENT, and if you choose to use one or more of them as a template, please do. It will be neat to have several cigars reviewed with the same methodology.

It really warms my heart to see these cigars being reviewed so carefully. I truly hope all 58 cigars get reviewed; I hope no one gets added to the scumbag list as a result of being lazy or careless.

Keep em coming....don't rush the process; let your cigars rest as it takes to make you comfortable. I recommended a week and it looks like some people were comfortable with a period shorter than that; that's fine.

I can't wait until I can start revealing some identities!
 
Review for cigar #53

This stick is a 5 7/8 x 40 panatela with a medium brown wrapper that has some light veins. The cap is a bit scraggly though. The cigar is very firm on one axis and much softer on the opposite axis and there is most definitely a big vein under the wrapper.

The prelight aroma is earthy with a more or less standard tobacco smell. After clipping the draw was easier then I would have thought considering how firm this was on the one axis. The cigar lit well and didn't require any touchups at all during the entire burn. The ash was a nice grayish white and held on of a good 1.25" before falling off. Smoke was a medium volume just about what you would expect given the ring gauge.

Flavor was earthy with a slight spice overlay for the first half when the spiciness picked up considerably and remained that way until the last inch when it either went back down or I just became more used to it. I'm not saying that it became overly or highly spicy just that is increased a large amount compared to what it was. It reminded me of Nicaraguan tobacco but I could be totally out in left field on that.

I smoked this down to under 3/4" of an inch and overall it is a decent cigar but nothing to get overly excited about.

Now I hope to find out how wrong or right I am.....Lumberg, I'll be waiting for the real identity. :)
 
Review for Cigar #4

This long slender smoke appeared to be a maduro lonsdale.

Pre-Light Notes:

About 1/3 up from the foot there was a major vein (huge) which traveled up to the cap. The color was a bit mottled and uneven with some darker spots. The aroma was nice and rich but not outstanding. Pre-light draw was very nice and the flavor was good with almost sweet or floral notes.

Smoking Notes:

Thick rich smoke throughout. Good rich flavor. Firm and dark salt and pepper ash. This cigar burned evenly all the way to the end. The large vein in the cigar that traveled all the way to the cap was a bit distracting. It felt weird in my hand and was an odd feeling on the cap as well. Toward the end it seems the draw became too loose. The flavor remained consistent throughout, not very complex.

This was a good cigar with a nice rich flavor. The burn was perfect even considering the large vein. There was ample smoke and it burned relatively slow. I would buy these if the price was right.

You want a number here's a number . . . if not for the major vein 85, with the vein 82
 
Smoked #36 Sat and #6 Sun

#36
Appearance -
Light Brown wrapper smooth with some veins showing.Wrapper was split / cut with a very shallow fine line along most of its’s lenth. Only affected burn for first few inches. The cigar felt consistantly firm end to end.
Flavor-
Amedium strenth cigar. It hap a peppry bite when first lit that mellowed to a consistant taste.
There was a real plesant flavor in this cigar, but there was a harshness to the taste it left in my mouth. Maybe it a little more aging would help this.
Smoking-
Pre light draw was nice. The Cigar lit easily. It was uneven at the start. the cut in the wrapper was deepest here and may have affected the cigar. The rest of the cigar burned evenly. There was a grey / black ash that held on well. The draw was easy. I thought I might have a tight draw since the cigar was so firm. The Cigar did burn hot. User error may have contributed ,since I have been smoking larger guage cigars lately.

All in all an average cigar. Not great at all, but I think good if the harshness was mellowed out.
Score it a C

#6
Appearance-
Inconsistant dark brown wrapper with some prominant veins showing. Cigar was firm with a slight give when pressed.
Flavor-
Slight pepper taste at first. Had a smooth plesent flavor. Generally consistet from start to finish.
Smoking-
Pre light draw was nice and easy without being too easy. The cigar lit easily. Burn was a little uneven at the start, but righted itself and was then even til the end. Plenty of smoke that was plesent to hold in your mouth, It did get hot towards the end, but not so much that it wasn't tolerable.

All in all I would smoke more of these. Nice cigar
Score it a B+
 
Here is my review of smoke #23.

Size: Lonsdale


Appearance: Dark wrapper..almost a maduro. Large veins run the length of this cigar. It feels toothy. Small light spots permeiate this cigar making it look mottled.


Construction: Sloopy cap with a uneven foot. Seems to be very tightly rolled.


The clip: This confirms my suspicion on being tightly rolled. It was very hard to cut. The clippings blew up in my face.


Pre-light draw: Very tight...faint taste of sweet hay.


The light: Puff, puff and puff some more...to no avail. Very small amounts of smoke came through. Clipped again and rolled it around a bit in my hand. Still a big zero.


Taste: Nothing decernable except bitter.


Verdict: I hope this is not a good representive of this line. I tried to smoke it, but did not even get a third of it down. Made my face sore from all that puffing that yeided no result. Don't waste your money on this one. On a scale of 1-10 with 1 the worst...maybe 2.


I hope #15 will be better.
 
Cigar # 26
Small Corona? Under 6"

Color is dull, light brown. Nice double cap, no large noticable veining.

Prelight smells like a well stored cigar. Does not appear oily, nor seems to have any tooth. Wrapper is thin and seems a little brittle. I am being careful with it.

Prelight draw: A little on the tight side, but not at all bad. Not much if any flavor to prelight draw. Very very light tobacco taste.

Cigar punched and lit easily.

Smoke – light, tobacco smoke. Smoke nice even temperature, no bitterness. Draw was nice, nothing to complain about either way. Smoke was plentiful, yet light and airy. Almost no aftertaste in the mouth. No spice at all. No noticable flavors except for a light tobacco taste.

½ inch. Cigar recovered from my uneven lighting and is now burning razor sharp. Its great when a cigar can recover for you like that. Ash is gray with waves of light black. Now got a slight taste of leather, nuts, and light cream. Very nice cigar flavors. Hint of light floral flavor.

1” ash holding on tight. Just noticed some cracking of the wrapper when I rolled it in my fingers. No flavors detected any more. Just light, not unpleasant tobacco smoke taste.

1 ½ inch, smoke is getting a little bit hotter on big puffs. Small tight ash still holding on. Not many flavors to speak of. Overall flavor impression heading from not bad to not great.

Half way. Cigar still burning razor sharp, seems very well constructed overall. Plenty of smoke still available, still light and airy.

3/4 - smoke has started to get hot and bitter. Starting to leave an aftertaste.

Construction: 9
Size and Feel: 8.5
Consistancy: 6
Taste: 3
Burn: 8
Overall: 6/10

Not bad, not great. I'd smoke if it again if it were given to me, but I probably wouldn't seek these out.
 
Smoked both of mine this weekend, I'll have a review & pics up tomorrow evening. :)
 
Cigar #40

This one looked to be a robusto, maduro. The construction was a little off. The veins were present, and the spiral wrap was very obvious. The double cap was centered properly, but a little ragged.

This cigar looked identical to some of my Rocky Patel Vintage Seconds I have in the humidor, so I thought I might already know what this was. On lighting, however, I knew I had something different.

This thing had a LOT of acidity. The first inch had my mouth completely dry, and it overwhelmed the rather mild flavor of the cigar. The ash held on for about an inch to an inch an a quarter. It was white and very fine. After the first inch, the acidity receded and I could begin to pick up the flavor of the cigar. It was mild, and a little bit woody. This cigar produced voluminous smoke, and I kept waiting for the flavors to settle in, but it really stayed mild all the way through. The last inch or so the acidity picked back up, like licking a lemon.

Appearance & Construction: Average appearance and construction. 8 out of 15 possible points.

Flavor: The flavor was smooth, but very mild. The acidity really made it hard to get a bearing on the rest of the cigar. Out of 25, I rate this one 15 points.

Smoking Characteristics: Draw was outstanding throughout, and it only required one touch up, where it had started burning down one side. After that, the burn line cleaned up and it finished well. Outstanding smoke production. Of 25 possible points, I give this cigar 20 points.

Overall Impression: The acidity (again) detracted from the overall. I give it 20 out of 35.

73 for #40.
 
I smoked 37. The appearance was good. It had a nice light brown color, no major veins. The cap was fine, but I couldn't make out a discernable triple cap. It felt really solid, almost hard. Which perhaps reflects how dense the cigar was. The pre-light draw, and in fact the draw throughout was quite firm. Not too hard to pull, and it never went out on me.

My first taste impression of this cigar was sweetness. I'm not sure if that was the cap, the glue, or the smoke itself. Overall it seemed like a very mild cigar. I thought I tasted hints of vanilla and fruit(?), however towards the end of the cigar, the smoke started to become so hot that I couldn't necessarily taste anything besides smoke.

I would say this would make a good afternoon cigar, or one that doesn't require a meal prior to enjoying. At 5" by 40-42 ring gauge, one would think this would make a nice quickie, but it certainly was not, perhaps due to how tightly rolled it was, or due to my keeping it closer to 70 than 65 rh. But since it never actually went out on me, I'm not sure it was the rh. If I had to stick a number rating to it, I would say mid 80's.
 
cigar #21

pre-light observations:
this was a well aged stick and extremely well constructed. very rich brown colored wrapper that was oily to the touch and glittered with bloom. no major veins that would hinder the burn. the aroma was simply intoxicating with hints of light cocoa and pungent fruit preserves. rolled easy in the hand and was fairly firm. no soft spots. it clipped easy with a double blade.

post-light obsesrvations:
the noob that i am gave it an initial uneven light but the cigar quickly corrected itself into a razor thin burn that held ash longer than 2 inches before it fell. it dropped little hints of spicyness here and there but the creamy sweetness(i always thought it tasted like not quite ripe bananas) dominated for the most part. the smoke remained pungent til the last 2 inches and then took on a darker tone. it got a little harsh at that point but a little rest took it away and it was smooth to the nub.

overall impression:
this was a very pleasant cigar albeit very mild. it's not quite my thing but i would still recommend it to others. i'd give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
 
Cigar #20

Another robusto, but this one was a candela. I've never smoked a green cigar before, so I was looking forward to this.

The construction was a little rough, but nothing horrible. One giant vein ran about 1/3 of the way down the cigar, forming a sharp ridge right where my fingers would naturally rest.

On lighting, I learned something about candelas, or at least THIS candela. It turned brown for about a 1/4 inch above the ash line for the entire time the cigar burned. Kind of interesting, like watching a fruit ripen. I did have significant burn issues with this one. Several corrections were required to keep things evened up.

Appearance & Construction: Below average appearance and construction. And it was green! 6 out of 15 possible points.

Flavor: The flavor was harsh whenever the cigar got hot. I really had to let this one rest a lot. When it wasn't hot, it was decent, reminding me of an Indian Tabac Boxer. But it got hot easily, and whenever it did, it turned really harsh and kind of nasty. Out of 25, I rate this one 10 points.

Smoking Characteristics: Draw seemed loose, and this thing kept getting hot. Once it got down to about 2 inches left, I couldn't take a drag at all without it overheating. Decent smoke production, but that was constrained by the heat / draw issue. Of 25 possible points, I give this cigar 10 points.

Overall Impression: I probably won't be trying a candela again in the near future. The harsh taste I kept getting was a little disturbing to the palate, to the point that thinking about smoking any cigar even now isn't very appealing. I give it 5 out of 35.

31 for #20. I may be a tough judge, not having other candela experience to compare to, and maybe candelas just aren't my thing. I'd smoke another one of these before I'd smoke an Acid, but I'll NEVER smoke another one of those. ;)
 
Lumberg - up front, thanks again for the chance to be in this review pool. I have to say this was really interesting and I can't wait to find out what I smoked...:cool: Both my review cigars have been stored at roughly 65% / 70F since they got here (08 / 24 / 05). I unbagged and tagged ‘em both, and gave them some humi time to rest up.

Having said that.....

B.B.S.’ review of #48 – 08 / 29 / 2005

After a full meal and a glass of water to clear the palate, I retired to the outside deck to enjoy a cool late summer evening and this smoke. I drank water while smoking this cigar so I could taste it better.

Appearance & Construction: To my calipers, #48 measures about 17mm, which makes it a 42 / 43 gauge. It’s about 6.8” long; let’s call it a 7 X 42. Nice color; deep brown, but no confusing this one with a maduro. Wrapper felt almost dry to the touch. One rather large vein runs end to end, foot to cap. Feels firm to the touch, pretty consistent end to end. Cap looks OK, but several edges of the wrapper leaf around the cap and along the body are not smooth, not finished off well…?? Got to say, to my uneducated eye, the looks aren’t “super premium” but then a Fumas isn’t a real beauty queen either. I’d call it decent, but not fantastic. Plain tobacco smells, nice aroma. A snip with the Xikar releases a small bunch of small tobacco pieces, but the shedding stops with a little encouragement. Pre-light draw is nice; not too tight but firm. Out of 15 points let’s call it a 10.

Flavor:
Pre-light - taste is almost non-existent. Very mild, very plain.
First third – very mild, very little taste. Maybe some grassy, earth tastes but nothing really “interesting”.
Second third – Maybe some very slight pepper flavors but again, very mild, very simple. Grassy tastes continue…barely. Nothing bad, but nothing special or complex.
Last third – more of the same, with a little more “heat” as the burn got close to the end. Called it done at about 1.25” remaining.
Out of 25, I‘d rate this one 15 points. Nothing bad at all, just nothing to recommend it.

Smoking Characteristics: The draw was excellent, and the burn was pretty good though it took some conscious efforts to roll the cigar to keep the burn even. Ash was almost white; light grey that would hang in there 1.5-2” easy before being relieved. No touch ups required, and the smoke density was pretty good. Time to smoke from torch to ashtray was about 50 mins. Of 25 possible points, I’d give this cigar 20 points.

Overall Impression: It felt, smelled, smoked and tasted “pretty good” from start to finish. My comment would be that it was OK, maybe even good, but just not great. Very consistent from start to finish, but nothing really special or complex ever got going flavor wise. I think a Padron Fumas or a Sancho Panza Double Maduro would offer a much tastier, more interesting smoke than this one was. Not because they are maduros, but because of the complexity of flavors offered. If it were a new smoke I’d just bought to try, I’d probably try another but if it came out about the same, I’d probably pass on more. I give it a 25 out of 35.

Overall Rating: 10 + 15 + 20 + 25 = 70

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B.B.S.’ review of #35 – 09 / 04 / 2005

After lunch, I mixed up a Rum & Coke and set about to review the second of my two sticks.

Appearance & Construction: The calipers measure this one at about 17mm, same as the last one. That’s about a 42 / 43 gauge. Length is almost exactly 5”; we’ll call this one a 5 X 42. Interesting color; light brown, maybe even slightly green compared to some of the other sticks on the top shelf of the humi, but no mistaking this one for a candela. Wrapper is dry to the touch and the finish is dull; no obvious oils on the wrapper. Small veins can be seen in the surface. Feels very firm to the touch. Cap doesn’t appear to be a “triple cap” but the overall construction looks pretty good. Cutting the cap with the Xikar cuts clean with little to no shedding post cut. Pre-light draw is nice, though a bit tighter than I expected. Out of 15 points let’s call it a 10.

Flavor:
Pre-light – Aroma is nice; draw is grassy, earthy, rather than spicy or peppery.
First third – Grassy, mild taste. Nice smoke; rather light for the first few drags but not unpleasant at all.
Second third – Flavor profile built up and intensified a bit. Still very grassy, with maybe some pepper and a bit of zip to it. I really do like smokes that offer different tastes during the smoke and this one did just that. Not bad…
Last third – more of the same. Smoke was very cool and nice; nothing nasty as it went on. Called it done at about 0.75” remaining.

Light, to be sure, but some nice, grassy flavors were in there. The flavor reminded me a little of some of the “blue collar” ISOM’s I’ve had, though it didn’t have all the intensity and complexity I’d expect from one of those. Out of 25, I‘d rate this one 17 points.

Smoking Characteristics: Despite my concerns over the draw, the cigar smoked great. The burn was almost flawless and didn’t require any touch ups. Ash was mottled white, black and light grey. Ash didn’t hang in there that well; after an inch or so it’d droop precariously and when it’d droop, I’d relieve it before it hit my lap. One disappointment; at about 1.5” to go, the wrapper started to come loose along perhaps ½ of the perimeter of the cigar. I know it was stored properly here, but it may have had a rough time in transit given the hot weather we've had. Time to smoke from torch to ashtray was about 45 mins. Of 25 possible points, I’d give this cigar 20 points.

Overall Impression: I liked this one better than the previous smoke. This one, while mild, had some interesting flavors that got more intense as things went along. Left a nice taste in my mouth; overall, a very decent smoke. Our of a possible 35 points, let’s give this one 27 out of 35 possible.

Overall Rating: 10 + 17 + 20 + 27 = 74

Would I buy more of this stick? Hard to say; it wasn't "bad" but the price would have to be right. Probably have to smoke another couple to decide. Got to say - my tastes have gotten "fussy" (dang you guys....:p) and there are really great smokes to be had in the $1.50-2.00 range, to be sure.

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Between these sticks, I smoked from my "regulars" and found them to have lots more flavor, complexity, etc. than either of these had. Begs the question; do we taste what we expect to taste when we know what we are smoking? To some degree I'd say "probably" but I'll have to wait and see what these were. Lots of fun to be included in this blind taste and I'm anxious to see what I smoked...:cool:

Lumberg, again, my sincere thanks for allowing me to participate in this. Very much appreciated.... :thumbs:

Best Regards - B.B.S.
 
I've been out for a few days (fiancee and kid moved in last week, getting married next Sun) but it looks like I may be ready to reveal the identities of some of the cigars. I'll check the list.
 
OK I have created the spreadsheet, and only one cigar can be "outed" at this time:

Numbers 11 and 12 are indeed "Power Rangers" or Fuente Fuente Opus X xXx.

I was hoping that the distinctive shape wouldn't be such a giveaway but IgwanaRob nailed it.

More identities to be revealed as incoming information warrants.
 
#50

Looks to 6x40? a little thin for me. Construction was fine with only one vein to be seen. Smell out of the bag was nice. I gave it a V cut and took a taste drag and found it to be tight. Rolled it in my fingers for a moment and it didn't loosen up. Put flame to it and it caught with no problems. The burn was even the whole way. Ash didn't make an inch but was firm when I tried picking it up off of myself. Found it to be mild. The fist third tasted like fine tobacco. The last two thirds is when I found that I didn't really care for the taste. I can't put my finger on it but something just didn't do it for me.

I grade it a C.
 
First of all, let me say thank you to Lumberg for letting me participate. Second, let me say that I am a total goof and left the baggie with the number on it at the Downtown Grille last night. Therefore, I don't know if the number was 27 or 29. If anyone has one or the other of these numbers, please help me out here. Anyway, here it goes.

This cigar was a fairly classic petite corona. If I had to guess, I would say 5 to 5 1/4 by 42 ring gauge. I didn't measure it (love the pictures in some of the reviews, BTW). The wrapper was light tan in color, but had a slightly green-gray hue to it. The wrapper also showed some significant seams and the foot was very poorly finished. Wrapper tobacco was actually folded over the end. I'm pretty sure that it was not meant to be that way as in some cigars finished in the "old way." The cigar felt a little soft in the hand, but not overly so. The pre-light nose was slightly young/pungent. There was some earth, but it was mixed with a lot of herbal notes. The pre-light draw was just a little firm, but not bad.

The cigar lit easily and the draw opened right up. Smoke production was top-notch, with each easy puff bringing mouthfuls of thick smoke. The cigar burned even for the most part. It never required any corrections or touch ups. The ash was a mottled gray color and way pretty flakey (going back to the slightly soft feel of the cigar in the hand). I had to make sure to ash it often so as not to drop. The cigar burned a little warm, but with some slow smoking, it was manageable. Overall, the construction was not bad.

Now for the taste. This is where I put most of my points when tasting a cigar. This cigar started off with some earth and herbal notes. It tasted very young. There was a particular "tang" to the smoke that just didn't sit right. The cigar was around medium-bodied. As I continued to smoke it, the tastes turned more and more green and earth felt more than tasted muddy. In fact, this cigar left a coating on the inside of my mouth that no even 107 proof Bakers would wash away. :p These were the tastes throughout the cigar. I did not nub it, but smoked it down to around 1 1/2 inches or so.

It was a shame that a cigar that smoked as well as this one did had a taste that I didn't like. I've tasted some young cigars that reminded me of this one...they aged to become better. I've tasted come cigars during the "boom years" that reminded me of this one as well...they never got better. Not 100% sure where this one falls. As for rating it, I have to give it a C+ . In CA rating terms, this equates to a 77-79.

Once again, Lumberg, thanks for having me and sorry about the goof up. I'll try to remember the number on the next one. :blush:
 
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