Napa_Smokes
Well-Known Member
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- Mar 8, 2008
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Hey Guys Sorry I didn't get a review in. I have been working till 3 am and not had time to smoke. I am off on tuesday so I will be able to get the next 2 done that night.
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The Evil Dr. Moki's Group Blind Taste Test #2
- Thread starter moki
- Start date
Interesting! I have not smoked an 858 natural before this and now I know not to 
. I don't know why I got such a bad taste from it but who knows. I havn't smoked a Fuente nattie in some time now and looks like I shouldn't either. Very unexpected though Andrew!
. I don't know why I got such a bad taste from it but who knows. I havn't smoked a Fuente nattie in some time now and looks like I shouldn't either. Very unexpected though Andrew!
Seanholio
Don Quixote
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2007
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- 1,219
Tuesday, eh? Hmmm
insight
Making friends everywhere!
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moki
el Presidente
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- Dec 16, 2003
- Messages
- 9,418
No worries, we know you rightly have other priorities.
It's interesting that you mention that. I think 3-4 of our reviewers said they were feeling a little sick when smoking this cigar. That time of year, I guess... but being sick definitely does alter your perception of taste, whether we're talking about food, drink, or cigars.
moki
el Presidente
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2003
- Messages
- 9,418
1/3 of the Way Through Results
Just to recap, we're now 1/3rd of the way through the blind taste test, having smoked 4 of the 11 cigars. Here are the cigars people smoked, and their opinions of them:
Cigar #1 -- La Flor Dominicana Coronado Corona Especial (2008) -- Rating: 5.5/10 -- Price: $6.60
Cigar #2 -- Pepin Garcia "My Father" Robusto (2008) -- Rating: 5.8/10 -- Price: $9.00
Cigar #3 -- Cuesta-Rey Stanford's Cameroon Reserve Churchill No.1 (2008) -- Rating 6.7/10 -- Price: $5.70*
Cigar #4 -- AF 858 Natural (2008) -- Rating: 5.4/10 -- Price: $3.72
* I actually paid more for this cigar (purchased locally with NYS's ridiculous tobacco tax), but unfortunately I threw out the receipt, so I don't know exactly how much it was... close to $9 per cigar
Highest rated cigar: Cuesta-Rey Stanford's Cameroon Reserve Churchill No.1 -> 6.7/10
Lowest rated cigar: AF 858 Natural -> 5.4/10
Total cost of the cigars thus far: $25.02 (or $29.02, if I had saved my receipt for cigar #3) not including tax.
Average cost of the cigars thus far: $6.25 (or $7.25)
So I'm sure people will notice that none of the cigars thus far have been particularly high end crazy stuff. I did this on purpose, I wanted to see how relatively common cigars might fare in the reviews. In the last blind taste test that I did, there were a couple of fairly high-end cigars mixed in, which interestingly didn't seem to fare much better in the reviews then the cigars have thus far in this one!
That doesn't mean that there are crazy expensive cigars to come, btw, just rather that while the 11 cigars definitely do add up to $100 or more (not including tax, postage, etc.) in terms of my cost. So don't get all nervous on me, this is not a "get rich quick" scheme.
Interestingly, the Cuesta-Rey Stanford's Cameroon Reserve Churchill No.1 is the highest rated cigar from either blind taste test (so far... except for the Cabaiguan WCD 120 which scored 6.94/10)... even higher than some of the aged Cubans and other high end cigars in Blind Taste Test #1! That's the goal, really... finding good tasting cigars regardless of price point, origin, etc. Taking the band off of a cigar removes the influence from taste and caché.
Great job so far, everyone... I can't wait to see the rest of the reviews!
Just to recap, we're now 1/3rd of the way through the blind taste test, having smoked 4 of the 11 cigars. Here are the cigars people smoked, and their opinions of them:
Cigar #1 -- La Flor Dominicana Coronado Corona Especial (2008) -- Rating: 5.5/10 -- Price: $6.60
Cigar #2 -- Pepin Garcia "My Father" Robusto (2008) -- Rating: 5.8/10 -- Price: $9.00
Cigar #3 -- Cuesta-Rey Stanford's Cameroon Reserve Churchill No.1 (2008) -- Rating 6.7/10 -- Price: $5.70*
Cigar #4 -- AF 858 Natural (2008) -- Rating: 5.4/10 -- Price: $3.72
* I actually paid more for this cigar (purchased locally with NYS's ridiculous tobacco tax), but unfortunately I threw out the receipt, so I don't know exactly how much it was... close to $9 per cigar
Highest rated cigar: Cuesta-Rey Stanford's Cameroon Reserve Churchill No.1 -> 6.7/10
Lowest rated cigar: AF 858 Natural -> 5.4/10
Total cost of the cigars thus far: $25.02 (or $29.02, if I had saved my receipt for cigar #3) not including tax.
Average cost of the cigars thus far: $6.25 (or $7.25)
So I'm sure people will notice that none of the cigars thus far have been particularly high end crazy stuff. I did this on purpose, I wanted to see how relatively common cigars might fare in the reviews. In the last blind taste test that I did, there were a couple of fairly high-end cigars mixed in, which interestingly didn't seem to fare much better in the reviews then the cigars have thus far in this one!
That doesn't mean that there are crazy expensive cigars to come, btw, just rather that while the 11 cigars definitely do add up to $100 or more (not including tax, postage, etc.) in terms of my cost. So don't get all nervous on me, this is not a "get rich quick" scheme.
Interestingly, the Cuesta-Rey Stanford's Cameroon Reserve Churchill No.1 is the highest rated cigar from either blind taste test (so far... except for the Cabaiguan WCD 120 which scored 6.94/10)... even higher than some of the aged Cubans and other high end cigars in Blind Taste Test #1! That's the goal, really... finding good tasting cigars regardless of price point, origin, etc. Taking the band off of a cigar removes the influence from taste and caché.
Great job so far, everyone... I can't wait to see the rest of the reviews!
tsmckenney
Mick
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2007
- Messages
- 2,954
A premium fiver says the Cuesta-Rey will go down by the end of this test. Who says it will stand?
moki
el Presidente
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- Dec 16, 2003
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- 9,418
Seanholio
Don Quixote
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2007
- Messages
- 1,219
I'm down for that.
moki
el Presidente
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2003
- Messages
- 9,418
Cigar #5 review
ELittle said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 5/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 7/10 - Last 1/3rd: 4/10 - Overall: 5.3/10
Price: $9.00
Review: The first third of this cigar was the best. The wrapper is kind of dry looking and sandy in appearance. When I cut the cigar the cap disintegrated into shreds, it was really dry. The draw was kind of tight also which I didn't care for. The strength was full and I picked up on a very small amount of spice. The flavors in the first third are nicely balanced.
The second third had some good rich thick creamy smoke developing, but it seems to have fallen apart about half way through the second third. The cigar has picked up in strength quite a bit at this point, its quite strong.
The final third was just mediocre. It's bland and losing flavor, and near the nub is starting to develop a bitter taste.
Overall, this was not a great cigar but not a rocket either. The first third was undoubtedly the best. The only word I can think of to describe the majority of the the smoke is "blah".
I'm guessing the price of this cigar at $9.
.....
insight said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 7.5/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 7/10 - Last 1/3rd: 6.5/10 - Overall: 7/10
Price: $12.00
Review: First third: The cigar starts out with a heavy, thick smoke. The flavor is very earthy and slightly sweet. As the first third progresses there are floral notes and an onset of spice. Transitioning into the second third the spice picks up and there is a raw tobacco flavor. The cigar is burning perfectly and the quality of the construction is very apparent.
Second Third: The strength picks up more and is fairly harsh when I exhale a bit through the nose. The spiciness remains dominant with occasional hints of sweetness. The floral aspects of the smoke are gone and the raw earthiness is the only distinct taste I am getting
Final third: Not much complexity at the end, just a raw earthy tobacco taste. A few touches are needed to keep things moving at the end but nothing serious, the burn is still excellent overall. For the last 2 inches or so the flavor is very subdued and the complexity leaves. This is the reason for the reduced score on the final third.
Price: how much do you think this cigar sells for? ~$12 (maybe worth more now)
.....
Kingantz said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 8/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 8/10 - Last 1/3rd: 8/10 - Overall: 8/10
Price: $11.00
Review: After a very nice dinner, I decided I had enough time to go ahead and get one more smoke in for the weekend. Cigar No. 5 was a rustic looking stogie with a light brown wrapper that was quite coarse having a patchwork of veins that looked like they were sewn into the leaf. There were a few of the greenish looking spots as I’ve seen on some cigars and only a slight bit of oiliness. There’s a good weight in the hand and very little give when squeezed. With the cap punched, I found the draw to be a tad bit tight, however still enough air flow to make it work. No real discernible flavor to mention.
Beginning 1/3
With the foot torched and burning even, I took my first draw. Oh yes, a nice splash of black pepper spice on the back of the throat and a medium to full body in the smoke itself. Good flavor of vanilla, worn leather, and a hint of citrus comes through with a bit of nuttiness in the finish. The burn is decent with a medium gray, somewhat flaky, ash forming. I find the draw to be spot on with the strength of the smoke. Whew, and a lot of strength there is. I would have to say it’s more towards a full than medium. A little further in it seems I’m getting a hint of cocoa amongst the other flavors.
Middle 1/3
The cigar continues to produce a full bodied smoke with a nice black pepper spice that burns slightly when exhaling through the nose. Vanilla and toasted bread with a hint of citrus are coming through in the taste. I find it to have a nice, lasting finish. The ash continues to burn well, having only a very small run, and then correcting itself quickly. About mid-way, I’m finding it hard to get smoke through. Puff as I may, nothing much is coming out and the cigar goes out. I knock off the ash to reveal a small hole down the center of the ash. I fire the cigar back up and it starts to burn good once again.
Final 1/3
With the sun gone down behind the tree line, darkness begins to shroud me. The temperature has dropped dramatically as well and my fingers are freezing as I type. I find the cigar flavors begin to darken with a strong, black coffee and caramelized sugar taste that is quite good. There’s still a nice pepper spice coming through in the full bodied smoke and a very tasty, lasting finish. The strength is somewhat making my head swim a bit, such a nice feeling. The burn has stayed sharp since it went out earlier, and the medium gray ash holds strong until I ash it. A taste of charred wood is coming through near the end and oh boy is this sucker strong!
Summary: This was a very good fit for my palate with a black pepper spice and medium to full bodied smoke. I really enjoyed the vanilla, toasted bread, and caramel flavors. There was a nice, lasting finish on the palate as well. The burn was good with the exception of the one hole in the filler towards the middle. A very good cigar.
.....
bfisher88 said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 7/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 6/10 - Last 1/3rd: 7/10 - Overall: 6.6/10
Price: $8.00
Review: I've been sick all week which I think is why I could not get much flavor out of this. Very mellow nutty flavor that was a little mild for my taste. Very dry I would assume shed wrapper. Burned great all the way through. It was an ok cigar. Nothing great but ok.
Price. 8
Sorry for the bad format. I'm typing this at an intermission at a concert to get it in on time.
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enerjay said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 8/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 8/10 - Last 1/3rd: 7/10 - Overall: 7.6/10
Price: $8.00
Review: First 1/3rd: EIGHT. Cigar FIVE first 1/3 was very smooth, creamy and nutty. Just the way I like an early morning coffee and cigar to go.
Middle 1/3rd: EIGHT. Cigar FIVE middle 1/3 followed suit with the first 1/3. Smooth, creamy and nutty flavor were present.
Final 1/3rd: SEVEN. Cigar Five last 1/3 was doing great. However near the end grassy and a woods flavor's started to amerg.
Summary: Cigar number Five was a home run with me. The cigar looked great, nice light wrapper, smooth construction. I put this up to my nose,
took a big whiff. Yummy. Put the flame to the stick, and we are off. First 1/3 and second 1/3 very very smooth and creamy.
Little bit of honey and nutty flavor came out. Never had a burn issue with this stick. Ash looked good and never once fell in my lap as I was driving.
Coming around to the last 1/3 I was picking up a little grassy and woods flavor from the cigar. However the cigar never became hot, and I could have been puffing a little to hard
at this point, like I said YUMMY cigar.
Price: 8-9 dollar. dare I say Cuban.
.....
Napa_Smokes said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 7/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 7/10 - Last 1/3rd: 7/10 - Overall: 7/10
Price: $7.00
Review: Prelight: Good construction, a little loose, great cedar smell.
First third: Lots of smoke, draw is a little to easy but not bad. It is tunneling and regardless of how I turn it or try to touch it up it keeps tunneling. Light bodied smoke, lots of cedar, and hazelnuts coming through. 7/10
Second Third: Tunneling has still not improved. Very uneven burn. Still lots of smoke and very good flavors, the cedar has mellowed a little and the nuts and a creaminess has started to develop. 7/10
Final third: Tired of the uneven burn on this cigar but the flavors are really nice. It maintained the creaminess and nuttiness through to the end. Never got that harsh taste that I can't stand in some of the cigars. It reminded me a lot of an Avo or Davidoff cigar flavor wise and strength. 7/10 would be an 8 if not for the crappy burn
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jfields said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 7/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 7.5/10 - Last 1/3rd: 7.5/10 - Overall: 7.3/10
Price: $10.00
Review: 1st Third: (7) Creamy flavorful smoke. Leather and vanilla bean on the palate. Smoke is a nice and thick billowy white when blown out. Even burn/performing flawlessly.
2nd Third: (7.5) Spice builds along with the strength. I can feel the onset of a nice buzz coming on. Has the same flavors as the first third, only with the flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg added to the mix of the complexity this cigar has.
3rd Third: (7.5) Strength and intensity pick up even more. Vanilla bean is gone. Still present is the leather, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I can now taste some almonds and coffee. I'm glad I decided to eat before deciding to smoke this cigar. I'm thinking it would have snuck up on me, kicking my ass had I not.
Summary: I thouroughly enjoyed this cigar that I would not hesitate to stock in my humidor. Not sure of the age, but I'm guessing it has some time, and would benefit with several more years of sleep. I'm going to guess it's a Cuban Cohiba Siglo III.
.....
grateful1 said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 8/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 7/10 - Last 1/3rd: 9/10 - Overall: 8/10
Price: $11.00
Review: What a great smoke. Tasted like an Upmman or SLR lonnie (a little to dry for the SLR thou). Burn was consistent and hte ash was nice.
Price: $10 - $12
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BlindedByScience said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 7/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 7.5/10 - Last 1/3rd: 7/10 - Overall: 7.2/10
Price: $10.00
Review: #5 seemed like a good way to start the week. The wrapper is almost odor less, save for perhaps a hint of white pepper far in the background. Nice draw; open, but not too open. Pre-light tastes are almost absent; nothing jumps out of the initial draws. Flame time…first 1/3 starts off with some dusty, nicely aged tobacco tastes. Very Cuban-esque tastes, a hint of white pepper. Into the second third, some grassy and hay like tastes become very predominant and the pepper tastes continue to build. I notice that the smoke is very nicely aromatic and smells wonderful. Very clean, very pleasant. By the back third, the pepper is in the forefront and the grassy / hay tastes play back and forth against the pepper and those two tastes trade prominence back and forth as the smoke progresses towards the end. I nubbed this one; a very nice, very enjoyable smoke.
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Seanholio said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 7/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 5/10 - Last 1/3rd: 3/10 - Overall: 5/10
Price: $6.00
Review: Once again, this was a cigar that <i>wanted</i> to be great, but seemed to fall short later.
The first third had a nice nutty flavor with a hint of fruit the reminded me of pipe tobacco. It was mild, flavorful, and thoroughly enjoyable.
The second third faded down into earthy flavors, retaining some of the nuttiness, but started to tunnel on me twice, but still pleasant and good.
The final third went to crap. The flavors dissipated completely. A purge helped a little, but it remained disappointing. Tobacco flavors decended into ash and general unpleasantness. I had to pitch it with two inches remaining, even after trying everything I could to get the flavor back.
I would guess this is a $6 cuban cigar. I would not purchase this cigar at any price, as it just did not maintain the promise the first third made.
.....
Lowest rating: Seanholio 5/10
Highest rating: Kingantz & grateful1 8/10
Average rating: 6.9/10
7 - good cigar, I'd buy more of these cigars and smoke them regularly
6 - pretty good cigar, I'd smoke it if it was given to me, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it
Lowest price: Seanholio $6.00
Highest price: Insight $12.00
Average price: $9.20
.....
Cigar #5 is actually a...
Bolivar Gold Medal (2007) - price*: $12.50
Commentary: Ah yes, the legendary Bolivar Gold Medal. These cigars are all from the same box of 10 BGMs from the 2007 reintroduction as a regularly produced cigar. I put this same cigar in the last blind taste test where it scored a solid 6.65/10... and it scored even better this time around, almost cracking the "7" barrier with a score of 6.9/10!
At more than double the cost of the previously reining score champ (Cuesta-Rey Stanford's Cameroon Reserve Churchill No.1 -- 6.7/10), you might expect it to score well! And indeed, it did... though as usual, we had several people (ELittle, Seanholio) who didn't like it at all. The overall consensus with this cigar, though was fairly positive.
Still, despite the overall trend in enjoyment of this cigar, we did have some disparate opinions on it in terms of the tastes. Did everyone smoke the same cigar? Yes they did... from the same box, even.
Again note that the lowest price guess came from someone that didn't like the cigar. Further suggesting the link between how much people enjoy something, and how much they think it should cost.
Phil mentioned to me that this cigar didn't "taste Cuban" to him... rather it tasted like a Bolivar (more specifically like a Gold Medal), something he'd had before and enjoyed. I think this makes sense... there are specific taste profiles to cigar lines, not countries. People who are good at identifying cigars are people who have had them before... that's how taste works, it is extremely linked to memory.
...and finally a cigar over $10! wOOt!
.....
* Denotes the price I paid for this cigar, not necessarily the MSRP
ELittle said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 5/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 7/10 - Last 1/3rd: 4/10 - Overall: 5.3/10
Price: $9.00
Review: The first third of this cigar was the best. The wrapper is kind of dry looking and sandy in appearance. When I cut the cigar the cap disintegrated into shreds, it was really dry. The draw was kind of tight also which I didn't care for. The strength was full and I picked up on a very small amount of spice. The flavors in the first third are nicely balanced.
The second third had some good rich thick creamy smoke developing, but it seems to have fallen apart about half way through the second third. The cigar has picked up in strength quite a bit at this point, its quite strong.
The final third was just mediocre. It's bland and losing flavor, and near the nub is starting to develop a bitter taste.
Overall, this was not a great cigar but not a rocket either. The first third was undoubtedly the best. The only word I can think of to describe the majority of the the smoke is "blah".
I'm guessing the price of this cigar at $9.
.....
insight said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 7.5/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 7/10 - Last 1/3rd: 6.5/10 - Overall: 7/10
Price: $12.00
Review: First third: The cigar starts out with a heavy, thick smoke. The flavor is very earthy and slightly sweet. As the first third progresses there are floral notes and an onset of spice. Transitioning into the second third the spice picks up and there is a raw tobacco flavor. The cigar is burning perfectly and the quality of the construction is very apparent.
Second Third: The strength picks up more and is fairly harsh when I exhale a bit through the nose. The spiciness remains dominant with occasional hints of sweetness. The floral aspects of the smoke are gone and the raw earthiness is the only distinct taste I am getting
Final third: Not much complexity at the end, just a raw earthy tobacco taste. A few touches are needed to keep things moving at the end but nothing serious, the burn is still excellent overall. For the last 2 inches or so the flavor is very subdued and the complexity leaves. This is the reason for the reduced score on the final third.
Price: how much do you think this cigar sells for? ~$12 (maybe worth more now)
.....
Kingantz said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 8/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 8/10 - Last 1/3rd: 8/10 - Overall: 8/10
Price: $11.00
Review: After a very nice dinner, I decided I had enough time to go ahead and get one more smoke in for the weekend. Cigar No. 5 was a rustic looking stogie with a light brown wrapper that was quite coarse having a patchwork of veins that looked like they were sewn into the leaf. There were a few of the greenish looking spots as I’ve seen on some cigars and only a slight bit of oiliness. There’s a good weight in the hand and very little give when squeezed. With the cap punched, I found the draw to be a tad bit tight, however still enough air flow to make it work. No real discernible flavor to mention.
Beginning 1/3
With the foot torched and burning even, I took my first draw. Oh yes, a nice splash of black pepper spice on the back of the throat and a medium to full body in the smoke itself. Good flavor of vanilla, worn leather, and a hint of citrus comes through with a bit of nuttiness in the finish. The burn is decent with a medium gray, somewhat flaky, ash forming. I find the draw to be spot on with the strength of the smoke. Whew, and a lot of strength there is. I would have to say it’s more towards a full than medium. A little further in it seems I’m getting a hint of cocoa amongst the other flavors.
Middle 1/3
The cigar continues to produce a full bodied smoke with a nice black pepper spice that burns slightly when exhaling through the nose. Vanilla and toasted bread with a hint of citrus are coming through in the taste. I find it to have a nice, lasting finish. The ash continues to burn well, having only a very small run, and then correcting itself quickly. About mid-way, I’m finding it hard to get smoke through. Puff as I may, nothing much is coming out and the cigar goes out. I knock off the ash to reveal a small hole down the center of the ash. I fire the cigar back up and it starts to burn good once again.
Final 1/3
With the sun gone down behind the tree line, darkness begins to shroud me. The temperature has dropped dramatically as well and my fingers are freezing as I type. I find the cigar flavors begin to darken with a strong, black coffee and caramelized sugar taste that is quite good. There’s still a nice pepper spice coming through in the full bodied smoke and a very tasty, lasting finish. The strength is somewhat making my head swim a bit, such a nice feeling. The burn has stayed sharp since it went out earlier, and the medium gray ash holds strong until I ash it. A taste of charred wood is coming through near the end and oh boy is this sucker strong!
Summary: This was a very good fit for my palate with a black pepper spice and medium to full bodied smoke. I really enjoyed the vanilla, toasted bread, and caramel flavors. There was a nice, lasting finish on the palate as well. The burn was good with the exception of the one hole in the filler towards the middle. A very good cigar.
.....
bfisher88 said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 7/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 6/10 - Last 1/3rd: 7/10 - Overall: 6.6/10
Price: $8.00
Review: I've been sick all week which I think is why I could not get much flavor out of this. Very mellow nutty flavor that was a little mild for my taste. Very dry I would assume shed wrapper. Burned great all the way through. It was an ok cigar. Nothing great but ok.
Price. 8
Sorry for the bad format. I'm typing this at an intermission at a concert to get it in on time.
.....
enerjay said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 8/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 8/10 - Last 1/3rd: 7/10 - Overall: 7.6/10
Price: $8.00
Review: First 1/3rd: EIGHT. Cigar FIVE first 1/3 was very smooth, creamy and nutty. Just the way I like an early morning coffee and cigar to go.
Middle 1/3rd: EIGHT. Cigar FIVE middle 1/3 followed suit with the first 1/3. Smooth, creamy and nutty flavor were present.
Final 1/3rd: SEVEN. Cigar Five last 1/3 was doing great. However near the end grassy and a woods flavor's started to amerg.
Summary: Cigar number Five was a home run with me. The cigar looked great, nice light wrapper, smooth construction. I put this up to my nose,
took a big whiff. Yummy. Put the flame to the stick, and we are off. First 1/3 and second 1/3 very very smooth and creamy.
Little bit of honey and nutty flavor came out. Never had a burn issue with this stick. Ash looked good and never once fell in my lap as I was driving.
Coming around to the last 1/3 I was picking up a little grassy and woods flavor from the cigar. However the cigar never became hot, and I could have been puffing a little to hard
at this point, like I said YUMMY cigar.
Price: 8-9 dollar. dare I say Cuban.
.....
Napa_Smokes said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 7/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 7/10 - Last 1/3rd: 7/10 - Overall: 7/10
Price: $7.00
Review: Prelight: Good construction, a little loose, great cedar smell.
First third: Lots of smoke, draw is a little to easy but not bad. It is tunneling and regardless of how I turn it or try to touch it up it keeps tunneling. Light bodied smoke, lots of cedar, and hazelnuts coming through. 7/10
Second Third: Tunneling has still not improved. Very uneven burn. Still lots of smoke and very good flavors, the cedar has mellowed a little and the nuts and a creaminess has started to develop. 7/10
Final third: Tired of the uneven burn on this cigar but the flavors are really nice. It maintained the creaminess and nuttiness through to the end. Never got that harsh taste that I can't stand in some of the cigars. It reminded me a lot of an Avo or Davidoff cigar flavor wise and strength. 7/10 would be an 8 if not for the crappy burn
.....
jfields said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 7/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 7.5/10 - Last 1/3rd: 7.5/10 - Overall: 7.3/10
Price: $10.00
Review: 1st Third: (7) Creamy flavorful smoke. Leather and vanilla bean on the palate. Smoke is a nice and thick billowy white when blown out. Even burn/performing flawlessly.
2nd Third: (7.5) Spice builds along with the strength. I can feel the onset of a nice buzz coming on. Has the same flavors as the first third, only with the flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg added to the mix of the complexity this cigar has.
3rd Third: (7.5) Strength and intensity pick up even more. Vanilla bean is gone. Still present is the leather, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I can now taste some almonds and coffee. I'm glad I decided to eat before deciding to smoke this cigar. I'm thinking it would have snuck up on me, kicking my ass had I not.
Summary: I thouroughly enjoyed this cigar that I would not hesitate to stock in my humidor. Not sure of the age, but I'm guessing it has some time, and would benefit with several more years of sleep. I'm going to guess it's a Cuban Cohiba Siglo III.
.....
grateful1 said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 8/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 7/10 - Last 1/3rd: 9/10 - Overall: 8/10
Price: $11.00
Review: What a great smoke. Tasted like an Upmman or SLR lonnie (a little to dry for the SLR thou). Burn was consistent and hte ash was nice.
Price: $10 - $12
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BlindedByScience said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 7/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 7.5/10 - Last 1/3rd: 7/10 - Overall: 7.2/10
Price: $10.00
Review: #5 seemed like a good way to start the week. The wrapper is almost odor less, save for perhaps a hint of white pepper far in the background. Nice draw; open, but not too open. Pre-light tastes are almost absent; nothing jumps out of the initial draws. Flame time…first 1/3 starts off with some dusty, nicely aged tobacco tastes. Very Cuban-esque tastes, a hint of white pepper. Into the second third, some grassy and hay like tastes become very predominant and the pepper tastes continue to build. I notice that the smoke is very nicely aromatic and smells wonderful. Very clean, very pleasant. By the back third, the pepper is in the forefront and the grassy / hay tastes play back and forth against the pepper and those two tastes trade prominence back and forth as the smoke progresses towards the end. I nubbed this one; a very nice, very enjoyable smoke.
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Seanholio said:
Rating: First 1/3rd: 7/10 - Middle 1/3rd: 5/10 - Last 1/3rd: 3/10 - Overall: 5/10
Price: $6.00
Review: Once again, this was a cigar that <i>wanted</i> to be great, but seemed to fall short later.
The first third had a nice nutty flavor with a hint of fruit the reminded me of pipe tobacco. It was mild, flavorful, and thoroughly enjoyable.
The second third faded down into earthy flavors, retaining some of the nuttiness, but started to tunnel on me twice, but still pleasant and good.
The final third went to crap. The flavors dissipated completely. A purge helped a little, but it remained disappointing. Tobacco flavors decended into ash and general unpleasantness. I had to pitch it with two inches remaining, even after trying everything I could to get the flavor back.
I would guess this is a $6 cuban cigar. I would not purchase this cigar at any price, as it just did not maintain the promise the first third made.
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Lowest rating: Seanholio 5/10
Highest rating: Kingantz & grateful1 8/10
Average rating: 6.9/10
7 - good cigar, I'd buy more of these cigars and smoke them regularly
6 - pretty good cigar, I'd smoke it if it was given to me, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it
Lowest price: Seanholio $6.00
Highest price: Insight $12.00
Average price: $9.20
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Cigar #5 is actually a...
Bolivar Gold Medal (2007) - price*: $12.50
Commentary: Ah yes, the legendary Bolivar Gold Medal. These cigars are all from the same box of 10 BGMs from the 2007 reintroduction as a regularly produced cigar. I put this same cigar in the last blind taste test where it scored a solid 6.65/10... and it scored even better this time around, almost cracking the "7" barrier with a score of 6.9/10!
At more than double the cost of the previously reining score champ (Cuesta-Rey Stanford's Cameroon Reserve Churchill No.1 -- 6.7/10), you might expect it to score well! And indeed, it did... though as usual, we had several people (ELittle, Seanholio) who didn't like it at all. The overall consensus with this cigar, though was fairly positive.
Still, despite the overall trend in enjoyment of this cigar, we did have some disparate opinions on it in terms of the tastes. Did everyone smoke the same cigar? Yes they did... from the same box, even.
Again note that the lowest price guess came from someone that didn't like the cigar. Further suggesting the link between how much people enjoy something, and how much they think it should cost.
Phil mentioned to me that this cigar didn't "taste Cuban" to him... rather it tasted like a Bolivar (more specifically like a Gold Medal), something he'd had before and enjoyed. I think this makes sense... there are specific taste profiles to cigar lines, not countries. People who are good at identifying cigars are people who have had them before... that's how taste works, it is extremely linked to memory.
...and finally a cigar over $10! wOOt!
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* Denotes the price I paid for this cigar, not necessarily the MSRP
insight
Making friends everywhere!
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2006
- Messages
- 8,393
Glad to see I can nail at least one this go. Honestly this is my favorite production Cuban for a multitude of reasons. I could tell it wasn't an 06 because the flavor wasn't quite that evolved yet, which has been my experience with the 07 run. I definitely agree that this was one I knew because of my familiarity with the cigar. I am just glad these aren't at Wolter's prices now.
ELittle
Snowman Cage Inventor
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2007
- Messages
- 809
You though this cigar was an opus maduro lancero, quit lying! WHEN YOU LIE TO US YOU LIE TO YOURSELF!
grateful1
Oh My!
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2006
- Messages
- 19,753
You're right about the 06...it's a little different in taste and appearance than the 07's (Late last year I tasted both on the same weekend.)
I'm glad such a young cigar is reminiscent of the few older ones I've smoked.
Thanks for the experience!
