The Evil Dr. Moki’s Blind THANK YOU Test

[moki]

Cigar #2 review

Tasting Notes: Nice Robusto-ish cigar, slight box press to it... clean colorado wrapper... some age, maybe 4-5 years... has a slight Avo or Davidoff-ish prelight aroma.

Enjoyable cigar... still slightly bitter (or perhaps I smoked it a little quick), but a good gar to enjoy while mowing the back lawn. Chewy, leathery in taste, not particularly spicy, perhaps a little cardamom... some hints of roasted nuts.

All in all a decent cigar... prelight aroma made me think Avo/Davidoff, but after smoking it, I think it is Cuban... which marca is tougher. I believe this is a cigar that I have smoked before, but I can't pin exactly which marca... without looking at sizes to see what would make sense, I narrow it down to Montecristo or Partagas... (though it could be another marca like Vegas Robaina).

I'll go with the latter, and say it's a Partagas Series D... though it didn't seem to be fat enough to be so. I don't think I'm right in this guess, but so it is.

Age: wrapper says older, but taste says younger... I think perhaps 4-5 years old
Origin: Cuban
Price: everyday
Marca: Partagas
Rating: 6/10

I'm going to take cigar #3 off with me to mow the paths...

 

[Brickhouse]

Great stuff, thanks for participating Andrew

 

[moki]

Cigar #3 review

Tasting Notes: Hard to feel manly on a riding mower smoking a thin panatela like this.. but it was a nice cigar. This certainly was a more refined and dignified cigar than cigar #2... and I'm comparing it to cigar #2 since I smoked 'em back to back.

Out of the two, I enjoyed this cigar more... though I think a better environment to smoke it would be with a glass of cognac in the upcoming Rimdog Barn. Hints of toasted almonds, a nice subtle toasty undertone... I did enjoy this cigar.

I believe it is Cuban, and I believe it is a La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'or... though I probably would not buy these cigars, I would certainly enjoy smoking them if they were handed to me.

Age: I think older than cigar #2... 7 years
Origin: Cuban
Price: everyday
Marca: La Gloria Cubana
Rating: 7/10

 

[sinnyc]

Thanks for the back-to-back reviews, Moki. I'm at work so I won't be able to post the the actual cigar info until tonight, sorry folks.

 

[moki]

Thanks for the back-to-back reviews, Moki. I'm at work so I won't be able to post the the actual cigar info until tonight, sorry folks.

I have more outside work to do today... I may smoke one or two more as yard gars!

 

[Strayvector]

BTW, congratulations, Andrew. Guess you weren't shooting blanks after all. Give Polly my best.

 

[moki]

Cigar #4 review

Tasting Notes: Big meaty cigar... lasted just long enough to mow the front lawn. Started off slightly bitter, then evolved into a nice black peppery spice. The finish was slightly mushroomy in taste... and the wrapper was beautiful... looked sun grown.

This is a cigar I'd want to have with a nice stiff drink... because it is a more powerful cigar than the others have been so far in the taste test. I think the cigar is Dominican, and it tasted like one of Litto's to me.

From the size, I'd have to guess it is a Limitado

Age: 5-6 years
Origin: Dominican
Price: premium
Marca: La Flor Dominicana
Rating: 8/10

 

[sinnyc]

Cigar # 2:


Bolivar Royal Corona - 2002 - (4.8" x 50) – everyday/premium

Moki's thoughts:

Cigar #2 review

Tasting Notes: Nice Robusto-ish cigar, slight box press to it... clean colorado wrapper... some age, maybe 4-5 years... has a slight Avo or Davidoff-ish prelight aroma.

Enjoyable cigar... still slightly bitter (or perhaps I smoked it a little quick), but a good gar to enjoy while mowing the back lawn. Chewy, leathery in taste, not particularly spicy, perhaps a little cardamom... some hints of roasted nuts.

All in all a decent cigar... prelight aroma made me think Avo/Davidoff, but after smoking it, I think it is Cuban... which marca is tougher. I believe this is a cigar that I have smoked before, but I can't pin exactly which marca... without looking at sizes to see what would make sense, I narrow it down to Montecristo or Partagas... (though it could be another marca like Vegas Robaina).

I'll go with the latter, and say it's a Partagas Series D... though it didn't seem to be fat enough to be so. I don't think I'm right in this guess, but so it is.

Age: wrapper says older, but taste says younger... I think perhaps 4-5 years old
Origin: Cuban
Price: everyday
Marca: Partagas
Rating: 6/10

I'm going to take cigar #3 off with me to mow the paths...

Origin: Andrew correctly identified the country of origin as Cuba

Marca: He incorrectly guessed that this was a Partagas.

Age: The cigar is a 2002 so his guess of 4-5 years is very close.

Price: Moki guessed this was an everyday cigar. Again, this is a cigar on the borderline of premium at around $8 a stick – close enough for me.

Rating: Obviously a much happier smoke than the first one as he gave it a 6. He mentions in his review that he felt he had smoked this cigar before and he is probably right as Bolivar is a popular marca encompassing some very tasty cigars.

Andrew seems to be settling into this now so let's move on to cigar #3.

 

[sinnyc]

Cigar # 3

Punch Ninfa - 2003 - (7" x 33) – premium

Moki's thoughts:

Cigar #3 review

Tasting Notes: Hard to feel manly on a riding mower smoking a thin panatela like this.. but it was a nice cigar. This certainly was a more refined and dignified cigar than cigar #2... and I'm comparing it to cigar #2 since I smoked 'em back to back.

Out of the two, I enjoyed this cigar more... though I think a better environment to smoke it would be with a glass of cognac in the upcoming Rimdog Barn. Hints of toasted almonds, a nice subtle toasty undertone... I did enjoy this cigar.

I believe it is Cuban, and I believe it is a La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'or... though I probably would not buy these cigars, I would certainly enjoy smoking them if they were handed to me.

Age: I think older than cigar #2... 7 years
Origin: Cuban
Price: everyday
Marca: La Gloria Cubana
Rating: 7/10

Origin: Andrew correctly identified the country of origin as Cuba

Marca: He incorrectly guessed that this was a La Gloria Cubana.

Age: He guessed 7 years but it is a 2003. Close but no… . OK, no bad puns.

Price: Andrew guessed everyday. I am not sure on this as it is hard to find info on this unusual cigar but I believe that is correct or at least close enough for me.

Rating: 7. Things are getting better and better for Andrew

 

[sinnyc]

Cigar # 4:


Litto Gomez Small Batch #2 -2007 (I don't have the measurements)

Moki's thoughts:

Cigar #4 review

Tasting Notes: Big meaty cigar... lasted just long enough to mow the front lawn. Started off slightly bitter, then evolved into a nice black peppery spice. The finish was slightly mushroomy in taste... and the wrapper was beautiful... looked sun grown.

This is a cigar I'd want to have with a nice stiff drink... because it is a more powerful cigar than the others have been so far in the taste test. I think the cigar is Dominican, and it tasted like one of Litto's to me.

From the size, I'd have to guess it is a Limitado

Age: 5-6 years
Origin: Dominican
Price: premium
Marca: La Flor Dominicana
Rating: 8/10

Origin: Andrew correctly identified the country of origin as the Dominican Republic.

Marca: He also nailed the maker - Litto Gomez/La Flor Dominicana. Good work!

Age: He didn't do so well here, guessing 5-6 years on a stick only a year old. I suppose that is a testament to LFD's quality.

Price: Moki guessed Premium and again I am not certain here but this might hit the realm of super-premium as these were special, limited release cigars.

Rating: Again, things keep getting better and better for Andrew. I am glad we got him one that he enjoyed enough to rate an 8.

I agree with Moki in that I thought this cigar was beautiful. The wrapper was smooth and oily - it looked like a candy bar!

 

[wes888]

Nice job, moki! :thumbs:

 

[Ginseng]

Dayam,

Looks like Mr. A is kicking some A. Well done you old goat boffer. :thumbs:

Wilkey

 

[tsmckenney]

Tim, is the LFD Small Batch #2 the same cigar as the infamous 'Snickers bar' LFD? That cigar is absolutely fantastic. Just curious.

 

[moki]

Cigar #2 -- I'm slightly surprised it was a Bolivar... didn't have the earthy taste that I'd expect, tasted closer to a Partagas to me (even if the size made no sense). I'm not expecting to get the marca right that often anyway, tho

Cigar #3 -- Ah well... I figured a cigar of that size was very likely a LGC -- I doubt I would have gotten that it was a Punch, but that does make some sense. I fell into the trap of looking at the cigar, thinking "That must be a LGC!" and then it changing my perception from there on. Happens to me as much as everyone else!

Cigar #4 -- the age on this cigar was a guess based on how old I knew the Limitado I was, and not so much based on how it tasted -- my fault for falling into the trap of preconceived knowledge. I'm actually glad it was not a Limitado, because while it tasted like a Litto cigar to me, it did not taste like Limitados that I recalled... and it didn't taste as aged as it should for being that cigar.

 

[tone-ny]

Andrew, well done!

 

[br174]

Nice job!!
I've enjoyed both of the blind taste test threads.

Brian

 

[moki]

Dayam,

Looks like Mr. A is kicking some A. Well done you old goat boffer. :thumbs:

Wilkey

The fine art of yard gar reviewing! I'm actually having fun with it -- and I hope to get some spectacularly wrong soon, to provide some entertainment to you all.

 

[Brickhouse]

Tim, is the LFD Small Batch #2 the same cigar as the infamous 'Snickers bar' LFD? That cigar is absolutely fantastic. Just curious.

Not the same Mick, I believe you're thinking of the Factory Press.

 

[bpj87]

This is turning out to be quite the interesting thread! I have followed many of moki's blind tasting challenges, and the most significant contrast that I notice is that moki's participants are usually well under 50% correct on NC vs. CC calls, whereas moki is 4/4 so far. Not only is he 100% on NC vs. CC, but he has also nailed the particular country of origin each time.

Can this be chalked up to experience? Is moki a 'supertaster?'

 

[moki]

This is turning out to be quite the interesting thread! I have followed many of moki's blind tasting challenges, and the most significant contrast that I notice is that moki's participants are usually well under 50% correct on NC vs. CC calls, whereas moki is 4/4 so far. Not only is he 100% on NC vs. CC, but he has also nailed the particular country of origin each time.

Can this be chalked up to experience? Is moki a 'supertaster?'

Nah, just dumb luck.... and we're only 4 smokes in too... I get the next 6 wrong, and I'm 40%... and I've gotten the marca wrong 3 times.

Really I think focusing on the score doesn't matter so much as realizing that blind taste testing is hard, and your preconceptions ruin you. I was hurt by my preconceptions for all of the cigars except #1, which I just disliked:

Cigar #2 -- I do remember thinking "Bolivar" at one point, but ruled it out when it didn't taste like what I thought a Bolivar should taste like. That sent me down a path that ignore that marca entirely.

Cigar #3 -- I thought the only cigar I could imagine coming in this size was a La Gloria Cubana... and formed my opinions based on that

Cigar #4 -- I knew it was a Litto cigar, and even though it didn't taste like a Limitado I to me, I guessed that cigar, because I couldn't think of what other Litto cigar would be that size with that wrapper. That predetermination caused me to guess the age wrong

Even in a "blind" taste test, I really do think taste is only a small part of what causes you to make various determinations.