DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5 [Archive]

T.G

03-26-2012, 10:00 AM

I also was wondering how I'm going to store these. I'm wondering if I put them in a big ziplock bag with a 65% travle humidifier like they give you at shops when you buy cigars, If I use that and leave the baggie open just a bit so some humidity can escape.

Wonder if that will keep them in the low 60's:confused:

If you leave the bag open you'll have an uncontrolled environment. It could go up or down drastically depending on the ambient RH in your area.

See Dan's comment below about 65%, just get a tupperware container and put the boveda pack in there with the cigars.

PS: you did mean a boveda pack? Or do you mean a water pillow when you said "65% travel humidifier that the shops give you" If it's a water pillow, those typically aren't 65%RH, they are often closer to 70%.

I have 65 beads. Should this be okay, or should I drybox before smoking?
That should be good, though low 60's seems to work best for me. Anything over 65 and they start getting troublesome. I think I'm around 61%, in fact...

smitty81

03-26-2012, 10:06 AM

If you leave the bag open you'll have an uncontrolled environment. It could go up or down drastically depending on the ambient RH in your area.

See Dan's comment below about 65%, just get a tupperware container and put the boveda pack in there with the cigars.

PS: you did mean a boveda pack? Or do you mean a water pillow when you said "65% travel humidifier that the shops give you" If it's a water pillow, those typically aren't 65%RH, they are often closer to 70%.

It's the same thing as a boveda. I was just trying to think of how to keep the RH lower.

I was thinking the 65% packet would give off RH and if I left the bag open slightly then some of the RH could escape. The RH is lower than 65% in my house and it really dosn't swing.

Maby I'll put a hygrometer in the bag (slightly open) with the packet and see where it goes before I try adding cigars.

Maby I'm just thinking to hard about it........

Brutus2600

03-26-2012, 10:24 AM

Probably just thinking too hard about it ;)

My simple suggestion: Clip the cigar, try to draw, if it draws well, then smoke it. If it doesn't draw well, dry box it for a day and smoke it then.

I keep my cigars at about 63% and I still see occasional draw issues that I need to fix with a bit of dry boxing. So, might be better to keep them closer to 60%, but 65% isn't bad :)

DBall

03-29-2012, 02:55 PM

I think the cigars arrived to both parties at this point...

...and so it begins!

:noon

lilninjabuddy

03-29-2012, 02:58 PM

It's the same thing as a boveda. I was just trying to think of how to keep the RH lower.

I was thinking the 65% packet would give off RH and if I left the bag open slightly then some of the RH could escape. The RH is lower than 65% in my house and it really dosn't swing.

Maby I'll put a hygrometer in the bag (slightly open) with the packet and see where it goes before I try adding cigars.

Maby I'm just thinking to hard about it........

If it's a Boveda, it should be a two-way packet, meaning it'll let out humidity if it gets to dry in there, but will also absorb extra if it gets too wet. So if it is in fact a Boveda, go ahead and close the bag, the packet will regulate the rH for you.

dwoodward

03-29-2012, 03:49 PM

It's the same thing as a boveda. I was just trying to think of how to keep the RH lower.

I was thinking the 65% packet would give off RH and if I left the bag open slightly then some of the RH could escape. The RH is lower than 65% in my house and it really dosn't swing.

Maby I'll put a hygrometer in the bag (slightly open) with the packet and see where it goes before I try adding cigars.

Maby I'm just thinking to hard about it........

I'd be more concerned with the Boveda losing it's RH before you get done smoking them. I like Brutus's suggestion, clip it and take a draw, if it draws well smoke it, if not dry box it. Really can't get much easier than that.

Although if you have a draw tool, you could keep it at 65 even and just poke it before smoking.

smitty81

03-29-2012, 07:30 PM

I think the cigars arrived to both parties at this point...

...and so it begins!

:noon

Indeed I did Dan. I just want to thank you again for giving me the opportunity to try this. This ought to be fun and interesting.

I will have lots of time on my hands saturday morning-noon. I will start my first one then and report in!

-(P

Sonic04GT

03-29-2012, 10:05 PM

Just looked over the 4th one. Really neat idea!

DBall

04-03-2012, 01:55 AM

ApexAZ Cigar #1
**************

4/2/2012

Today I will be reviewing the first cigar from dball's 10 cigar blind test taste sampler. I am pairing it with an Americano coffee with cream made from my stove-top moka pot.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7206/7039575539_0ffb03a56f.jpg

Pre-light
The blind taste test cigar #1 appears to be about 5 x 42 in size. Some google search results suggest that this would be a petit corona. The wrapper is a light natural color that is soft and velvety to the touch. Some minimal veins give it some some added texture. Interestingly, there appears to be tiny glittery copper specks all throughout the wrapper that glint in the sunlight (Insert team Edward joke here lol). It's almost as if there are mineral deposits within the leaf. I don't know that I've ever seen this in a cigar before. The construction appears to be very good and has a nicely rounded and symmetrical double cap. There is a spot about 1/3 from the head where the wrapper is slightly torn and exposing the binder. It's fairly small and I hope that it doesn't cause any issues. The cigar feels slightly spongy and there aren't any noticeable soft spots.

I wet the head and snipped the cap with my Xikar xi2. Pre-light, the flavor and aroma are a very light and sweet tobacco flavor. On the prelight draw I taste mainly sweet tobacco with some very slight hints of some flavor I can't quite place. I want to say it's similar to cinnamon, but it isn't tingly on the tongue like you would expect cinnamon to be. The draw is a little tight, but seems to be okay to smoke.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7250/7039576697_2ef9824503.jpg

1st Third
After lighting the cigar, one of the first things I noticed is the smoothness right from the start. Most of the cigars I'm used to smoking have that in-your-face punch for the first several draws after lighting before they start to settle. That wasn't the case for this cigar as it was pretty smooth right off the bat. The draw is perfect and the body is mild to medium and very smooth. The strength seems to be pretty mild as well. Flavors I'm getting are sweet tobacco mixed with some mild charred wood-like flavors. The cinnamon-like flavor that I got from the pre-light draw is not detectable. It's a very windy day here in Phoenix, but the burn is staying pretty sharp. The ash is a salt and pepper color and seems to want to give way on it's own after only 1/3 or an inch or so. I also noticed that the aroma coming off the cigar is very pleasing.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7123/6893481410_b86265f065.jpg

2nd Third
About 15 minutes in I start to get into the 2nd third. The cigar is now more of a medium body, light strength and really starting to get tasty. The draw and burn both continues to be perfect with the ash dropping on it's own after about 1/3 of an inch. The wood flavors have disappeared and I get mostly a creamy sweet flavor. A muted caramel or toffee flavor is the only way I can describe it.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7092/7039579305_489144fff7.jpg

Final Third
I'm now about 32 minutes into the cigar and on the final 3rd. The cigar remains medium in body with the strength picking up, which is now medium as well. I'm starting to get a mix of pepper and cinnamon flavor that leaves a slight lingering tingling sensation at the back of my tongue after I exhale. The caramel/toffee flavor that I was getting before is now closer to what I would describe as being more like butter and anise. It almost tastes like a smokey, buttery pizzelle that is ever-so-slightly spiced with cinnamon. Despite the intense wind, the burn continues to be razor sharp and the ash drops after about 1/3 of an inch. With as predictable as the ash has been, you'd think I would have known better not to let it drop on my laptop, as you'll see in the photo.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7071/6893484680_5cc48a90d5.jpg

Conclusion
This was a great little cigar. When I first smelled the tobacco and found very little aroma to it compared to the Nicaraguan leaf I'm so used to, I was a little skeptical as to whether or not I would enjoy it. As it turns out, the cigar happened to have loads of flavor that evolved into a somewhat complex experience over the course of the smoke. The cigar was much sweeter than I had anticipated and I ended up nubbing it down to about 1/2" before needing to call it quits. Overall it was very enjoyable and I look forward to BTT #2. Thanks, DBall!

Score: 8/10

Total smoke time: About 48 minutes

DBall

04-03-2012, 01:57 AM

smitty81 Cigar #1
***************

This stick was definitely different than anything I have ever tried before. I first want to talk about the wrapper used for this cigar. It had what seemed to be golden glitter all over it. Not kidding, If you hold it and turn it in the light, the wrapper sparkled like glitter. Don't know if that's just how the wrapper is or what but I found it kind of amusing.
These are pictures from my cell phone and I was on the road so they aren't the best quality pictures.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/558832_10150794112897284_505322283_9572423_1238560 760_n.jpg

The construction seemed good, triple cap, no soft spots, some small veins in the wrapper. The cigars I have smoked usually smell like horse manure but this one had the distinct smell of cow manure. I live in rural Nebraska............I can tell the smells apart.

The cap fell apart in lots of pieces when I cut the cap. I thought it was maby short or loose filler? The draw was VERY TIGHT. I didn't really pick up much flavor on the draw before the light.

Ok now into the first third.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/466628_10150794113502284_505322283_9572427_8756965 35_o.jpg

When I lit it, there was a TON of smoke. It seemed to burn fairly well at first. The smoke smelled of a lite tobacco/manure. The taste of this cigar was very interesting to say the least. I couldn't place a flavor to it. At first it caught me off guard because of it's sweetness. I wasn't expecting sweet. Having trouble placing the sweet though. Maby taste like a sweet bread or a hay?? The taste is still boggling my mind and then after about 10 minutes it hit me. It has a sweet slightly green taste like fresh snow peas right from the garden. The taste wasn't as sharp as the peas but the flavor was there. The ash held on for about 1.5 inches.

On to the 2/3rd

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/475077_10150794114807284_505322283_9572438_5271838 63_o.jpg

The smoke is starting to let up. Smoke now smells of a musky aftershave. The flavor turns from snow peas to more of a wood flavor. I think I even picked up a grahm cracker flavor a few times. I'm thinking to myself what an awesome smoke this would be if the tight draw wasn't killing the experience. I had a barqs root beer with this smoke but I think it would go well with a Late or cappuccino if your into that sort of stuff. The burn has started to go a little jagged.

After I was thinking about the draw I was thinking to myself, wish I had one of those draw tools. I finally stopped the truck to find something to put in there to try and loosed it up a bit. I found a ground marker flag and shoved that up there. It loosened it up a good bit.

This is where things really started going downhill.

The last third.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/458100_10150794115687284_505322283_9572445_8053774 15_o.jpg

I succeeded making the draw easier but the flavor of the smoke instantly changed. It went to a deep earthy and heavy wood flavor. I don't know if that was just by coincidence the flavor changed to that or of it was my trying to unplug the smoke. It wasn't a bad flavor and the sweet flavor was still picked up here and there.

The burn started out real sharp and even and I was wondering why I hadn't tried to unplug it earlier. I think it started burning better because the draw was easier?

Towards the end the flavor jumped around from a deep oak and back to snow peas if I purged it.

I started having problems about 30 minutes after I tried to loosen up the draw. The cigar started tunneling, got harsh and went out. This was with about two inches left. I had tapped the ash out, re-lit and purged. I had to repeat this about 4 time within the last 2" before I had enough and gave up. I don't know if trying to loosen up the draw made it tunnel or what?

This smoke lasted about an hour and a half.
I took the last inch or less and tore it apart to see what was inside. Looks like it was loose filler like I had thought.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/465662_10150794117052284_505322283_9572456_1259946 236_o.jpg

Isn't the long filler suppose to be better?? Not that it mattered, it was a decent smoke either way.

I would have rated this cigar around 8.5 or so if it wasn't for the tunneling and tight draw. I feel the tight draw took away from the enjoyment of the smoke and the tunneling was a real PITA.

With all that said I give this smoke a 7.8/10

emopunker2004

04-03-2012, 02:03 AM

:tu looking good guys

DBall

04-03-2012, 02:07 AM

What they smoked:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/BTT5-01.jpg

2011 Por Larranaga Panetela

ApexAZ score: 8

smitty81 score: 7.8

First off... I'm glad this is underway!

Second, snapping pics and reviewing cigars at 63MPH may not be the best idea. These things work better if the participants are focused (and alive, for that matter). ;)

Anyway, smitty was onto something... these are Tripa Corta (not long filler). The "glittery specks" thing is something you see on PLs due to the band.... funny that you both noticed that and commented on it.

I've heard a couple people compare these to vanilla lattes and, as far as cheap cigars (and recent production cigars) go, I really enjoy the hell out of these.

:tu

Great reviews, guys!

DBall

04-03-2012, 02:11 AM

...and already someone posts between the reviews and the revealing of what they smoked. :fp

emopunker2004

04-03-2012, 02:11 AM

What they smoked:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/BTT5-01.jpg

2011 Por Larranaga Panetela

ApexAZ score: 8

smitty81 score: 7.8

First off... I'm glad this is underway!

Second, snapping pics and reviewing cigars at 63MPH may not be the best idea. These things work better if the participants are focused (and alive, for that matter). ;)
Anyway, smitty was onto something... these are Tripa Corta (not long filler). The "glittery specks" thing is something you see on PLs due to the band.... funny that you both noticed that and commented on it.

I've heard a couple people compare these to vanilla lattes and, as far as cheap cigars (and recent production cigars) go, I really enjoy the hell out of these.

:tu

Great reviews, guys!

:r:r at the bold red.
I'll have to check these out

Blak Smyth

04-03-2012, 05:00 AM

Well done fellas! I had that glitter effect happen with a Camacho Tripple Maddie too.

x3 about the driving while reviewing part. I find I get so much more out of a stick if not in conversation with a friend or doing something else that requires concentration. And it is very unsafe too. But great reviews fellas.

chaase321

04-03-2012, 07:00 AM

Great job guys :tu Keep it up, can't wait to read the next one!

DBall

04-03-2012, 07:03 AM

Great job guys :tu Keep it up, can't wait to read the next one!

You and I both... after I send these cigars out, I promptly forget what I sent until they review it and I have to upload the picture.... :)

big pete

04-03-2012, 07:34 AM

Good reviews gentlemen!

I would have guessed it was something in the PL line since they described a caramel/toffee taste. Need to get me some of these

akumushi

04-03-2012, 07:48 AM

Lol, I knew it was a Por Larranaga because of the stripper glitter :tu
Great little tripa corta.

smitty81

04-03-2012, 08:00 AM

Anyway, smitty was onto something... these are Tripa Corta (not long filler). The "glittery specks" thing is something you see on PLs due to the band.... funny that you both noticed that and commented on it.

I had wondered about the bad but I thought there is no way in hell a band had that much glitter. :r

It was a pretty good cigar though.

ApexAZ

04-03-2012, 09:20 AM

I've heard a couple people compare these to vanilla lattes and, as far as cheap cigars (and recent production cigars) go, I really enjoy the hell out of these.

:tu

Great reviews, guys!

I could see the vanilla. It was a sweet cigar. The short filler explains the short ash too.

Gooner

04-03-2012, 10:28 AM

Nice reviews! Looking forward to the next reviews.

CRIMPS

04-03-2012, 01:07 PM

Great reviews to start this off. Looking forward to #2.

Bill86

04-03-2012, 01:11 PM

Great reviews. Right when I saw the word "caramel" I knew it had to be a PL.

mase

04-04-2012, 06:16 PM

Really enjoyed the reviews, guys. Looking forward to the next one.

DBall

04-10-2012, 11:13 PM

ApexAZ Cigar #2
**************

4/10/2012

I'm finally back from my wedding in Vegas (woohoo!) and looking forward to reviewing cigar #2 from DBall's blind taste test. I decided to pair it with an ice cold glass of Barq's rootbeer.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7278/7066488153_8e47326ef8.jpg

Pre-light
Cigar #2 appears to be something between a lonsdale and a churchill. It's 7.5" long and if I had to guess I'd say the ring gauge is somewhere between 42 and 46. Similar to the previously reviewed Por Larranaga, the wrapper is light and natural and soft and velvety to the touch. The construction appears to be very good with no soft spots and has a nice triple cap with a pig tail. The smell of the tobacco is sweet with some cedar.

I wet the head, snipped the cap and tested the pre-light draw, which feels a little tight and has no discernible flavors aside from tobacco that stand out to me. Hopefully there won't be any draw issues.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5039/7066488729_23873171e1.jpg

1st Third
I lit the cigar and the draw seems to be fine. The initial flavors I can taste is a mildly bitter cedar and grass taste. It reminds me a little bit of a really mild wheat grass shot. About 1/2" in the flavors settle into a mild bodied charred cedar/wood flavor. The burn is very clean and the ash dropped after about 1/2". As far as strength goes, it seems to be pretty mild to me. The root beer is actually overwhelming my pallet, so I finished it and switched to water in hopes of possibly picking out more flavors from this cigar. I had one draw where I thought I tasted some fruit, like maybe plumb, but that was it.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5040/7066490355_3fa20c1339.jpg

2nd Third
I'm about 40 minutes in and the cigar hasn't really changed much. As I progress through, I continue to get a mild-bodied charred wood flavor. Occasionally I get a very subtle dehydrated fruit flavor and some slight cream. The strength remains mild and the burn continues to be very straight, while the ash drops between 1/2 and 1". The draw is perfect.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5198/6920454702_e7001a89e0.jpg

Final Third
I finally reached the final 3rd after about 1 hour and 15 minutes into the cigar. I've been smoking slower than usual, but I haven't had to relight or touch up at all and the pace feels right. The cigar is starting to pick up in body and flavor slightly. I continue to taste the cedar flavor, but now the cream is starting to stand out a bit more. As I get deeper into the final third, I start to taste some raisin and some flavor I'm not entirely sure how to describe. The first thing that came to mind was toasted nuts? Not really sure. The cedar is still there, but now starting to lose some of it's dominance to other flavors. I'm continuing to get some fruit flavors that now resemble cherry, which is a new flavor for me. The draw and burn have continued to be absolutely perfect. With about 1" left it began to get hot and bitter, so I decided to call it quits after just under 2 hours.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/6920516430_cea3cce4eb.jpg

Conclusion
Overall I felt this cigar was pretty unremarkable. I don't know if it's the cigar itself or my untrained pallet, but I just didn't get much flavor from it until the last 3rd. It wasn't bad, just not very tasty or interesting until much later in the cigar. I probably wouldn't purchase these, but I would be interested in trying a shorter version if it existed. I'm looking forward to reviewing #3 over the weekend. Thanks, DBall!

Score: 5/10

Total smoke time: 1 hour 55 minutes

DBall

04-10-2012, 11:14 PM

smitty81 Cigar #2
***************

Ok, on to stick two. It's about 8-9 inches long (didn't measure it). maby a lancero? Construction seems good with some small veins in the wrapper. Wrapper color is lite. Guessing long filler from what was in the cap. Stick smells of cow manure. Draw before light up I am getting a lite hay flavor.

First 1/3rd

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/414210_10150802321932284_505322283_9603665_1578371 149_o.jpg

I'm getting a sweet cedar. Draw is a little on the tight side but not bad. It's burning pretty sharp and I'm getting some marshmallow flavor in there too. I am having problems getting smoke to draw even though the draw seems good.

2/3rd

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/466172_10150802325462284_505322283_9603676_1391760 259_o.jpg

I am finding that I have to take deeper draws with this stick to keep it burning well. I am assuming its because of it's length? I have never smoked a cigar in this length.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/472740_10150802358672284_505322283_9603731_1222589 972_o.jpg

Taste is a deeper cedar taste with hints of caramel? I am also getting hints of cardboard flavor.

Last third

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/478563_10150802356432284_505322283_9603729_5016178 18_o.jpg

I am finding myself drawing harder and harder on this to keep it lit. The hard draw is killing the flavor for me. I purged it and re-lit. I got back the sweet marshmallow and cedar taste. Then it starts getting a little harsh again after a while due to the deep draws. The draw on this cigar is strange to me. It dosn't seem tight but yet I have to draw hard to keep it going. Maby this is just one of those sticks you have to babysit?

Never got to much smoke out of this stick and the aroma of the smoke was just kind of a tobacco smell.

This wasn't really my cup of tea due to the flavor, draw and length. Just not my kind of cigar I guess.
I give it a 6/10

DBall

04-10-2012, 11:21 PM

What they smoked:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/BTT5-02.jpg

2001 Vegueros Especiale #1

ApexAZ score: 5

smitty81 score: 6

You guys are getting more flavors out of these than I did when I smoked one about a week ago. I'm trying to smoke the same ones you smoke to see where I'm at on them, too. I woulda given it the same rating, if not maybe a bit lower. When I first pulled these out of the cooler, they were OK, now they are a little flat.

Some people have actually referred to these as a "poor man's Cohiba Lancero"... not sure where they are getting that from (and this from a guy who doesn't really like Cohiba...). Not the best example of an 11 year old cuban cigar...

CigarGuy88

04-10-2012, 11:22 PM

lol i know what those were ;) D*mnit dan you beat me to it

DBall

04-10-2012, 11:26 PM

lol i know what those were ;) D*mnit dan you beat me to it

Read the first post, punk... Don't tell if you think you know what they are!

:sl

...you were there when I first pulled them out of the cooler... we smoked one on the balcony (and it was pretty damned good, even!). Maybe I should put them back and forget about em for another 11 years, eh? :r

dwoodward

04-10-2012, 11:27 PM

lol i know what those were ;) D*mnit dan you beat me to it

You are supposed to wait for him to post anyway. :r

I had an idea what they might have been, but I was wrong. lol

ApexAZ

04-10-2012, 11:34 PM

DBall

04-10-2012, 11:51 PM

The cigar wasn't bad really, just not really interesting until the end, which took a loooong time to reach. I'm not a big fan of the wood/grass flavors in general and that's pretty much all I was getting for most of it. The fruit-like flavors that I got, especially at the end, were very intriguing. If I got more flavors in the first 2/3 I would have scored it higher I think. The fact that it was 11 years old is pretty cool though!

Yeah... the first one I had was decent, those since have been more than a bit lackluster. Never got the fruit flavors out of this cigar, personally.

One thing I'll do if I really wanna taste the cigar for all it has is that I will pair it with sparkling water... good, neutral palate-cleanser. :tu

CigarGuy88

04-10-2012, 11:59 PM

Read the first post, punk... Don't tell if you think you know what they are!

:sl

...you were there when I first pulled them out of the cooler... we smoked one on the balcony (and it was pretty damned good, even!). Maybe I should put them back and forget about em for another 11 years, eh? :r

I wasnt gonna tell.. just teasing a bit lol. Maybe they like a higher humidity or something?

DBall

04-11-2012, 12:10 AM

I wasnt gonna tell.. just teasing a bit lol. Maybe they like a higher humidity or something?

Totally picking on ya... anyway, you already know all the cigars I have... :r

smitty81

04-11-2012, 07:35 AM

Hurry up and smoke #3 Brian, I want to know what it is!

ApexAZ

04-11-2012, 10:20 AM

Yeah... the first one I had was decent, those since have been more than a bit lackluster. Never got the fruit flavors out of this cigar, personally.

One thing I'll do if I really wanna taste the cigar for all it has is that I will pair it with sparkling water... good, neutral palate-cleanser. :tu

Something like perrier? Maybe I'll try that. The root beer didn't work out well for me.

Hurry up and smoke #3 Brian, I want to know what it is!

Should be able to this weekend, or possibly earlier. Dan, do you want us to pace these, or is a few per week okay?

Gooner

04-11-2012, 11:56 AM

Nice reviews!

Blak Smyth

04-11-2012, 01:05 PM

Great reviews guys. I don't really like smoking with root beer, it tends to bitter out my cigar. Try cream soda, the sweetness compliments many creamy cigars perfectly. So far both of you seem to be pretty similar with your findings and ratings, this is fun to watch!

DBall

04-11-2012, 02:43 PM

Something like perrier? Maybe I'll try that. The root beer didn't work out well for me.

Yeah, that or pellegrino. And it's not thaht the root beer didn't work for ya as much as the Vegueros is a kinda flat cigar ;)

Should be able to this weekend, or possibly earlier. Dan, do you want us to pace these, or is a few per week okay?

I'm up for a minimum of 1/week. As long as you hit that, I'm fine. If you're a little late, that's no biggie... once you start doing one a month, I may have an issue :D

Brutus2600

04-11-2012, 02:58 PM

Yeah, that or pellegrino. And it's not thaht the root beer didn't work for ya as much as the Vegueros is a kinda flat cigar ;)

:tpd:

I only drink mineral water when reviewing a cigar now. It's refreshing and has a crazy good palate cleansing power :D

BlkDrew

04-11-2012, 02:59 PM

I'm up for a minimum of 1/week. As long as you hit that, I'm fine. If you're a little late, that's no biggie... once you start doing one a month, I may have an issue :D

we may also.... These are so interesting to read, you have no idea.

LostAbbott

04-11-2012, 03:45 PM

Subscribed, glad to see this going again.

never_enough

04-12-2012, 11:30 PM

This is awesome. Will continue to read the reviews. Really cool idea!

Apexkingjusto

04-13-2012, 11:38 AM

Wow this is amazing....love it!

ApexAZ

04-13-2012, 08:58 PM

I will smoke #3 in the morning :)

smitty81

04-13-2012, 09:04 PM

I will smoke #3 in the morning :)

MMMMM........have a good iced coffee with it :tu

DBall

04-15-2012, 08:23 AM

ApexAZ Cigar #3
**************

4/14/2012

It's another windy day in Phoenix, but my allergies aren't acting up too bad. Hopefully the wind won't cause me any burn issues. This time I will be pairing the cigar with some citron Perrier, per the advice of Dan.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7094/6932194958_0a6eabf67d.jpg

Pre-light
Cigar #3 is just shy of 5.5" long and has a ring guage of about 44 or 46 I'd say. It seems to be about corona in size. It has a smooth natural wrapper with small veins all throughout. It's not as velvety to the touch as the others were, but very smooth instead. The construction appears to be great with a triple cap and there are no noticeable soft spots. It actually feels pretty firm compared to the others. I don't detect any distinct scents from the foot other than just sweet tobacco.

The pre-light draw is pretty tight, but so were the others so we will see. No flavors other than tobacco and some cedar came through that I could detect.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5038/7078270641_4a13304aa9.jpg

1st Third
I lit the cigar and immediately noticed the draw is very tight. I start to squeeze the cigar a little harder than before in different areas closer to the head and think I feel a plug. Although I'm struggling to get any smoke from it, it's very smooth. I don't have a proper draw tool yet, so I used a super small phillips head screwdriver. This seemed to do the trick and opened the draw up some. This cigar has a nice sweet flavor, but I can't really place what it is. Sweet cream and vanilla comes to mind, but I'm not really sure. I also get some toasty charred wood flavors and very faint pepper that lingers on the tongue for a few seconds. It's mild in both body and strength. The burn isn't perfectly sharp, but doing well enough in this wind. The salt and pepper ash dropped on their own into the ashtray after about 1/2 inch.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7139/6932196676_15ba83c8d4.jpg

2nd Third
I reached the 2nd third in about 25 minutes. The draw is giving me a lot of trouble and I'm not detecting much flavor except for charred wood. The burn is also not very even and the cigar is tunneling. It also doesn't seem to want to stay lit as I work my way into the area where I felt the plug. I don't know if this is due to the plug itself, the gap in the tobacco from trying to open it up some, or too much moisture. Maybe it's a combination of the 3, I don't know. After touching up several times and getting past that burnt taste from charring the leaf, I'm starting to get some decent flavor out of it, but I am really having to work for it. I really don't have much to comment on as far as flavor, but the body is more mild-medium now.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5327/7078272245_9860fceeb3.jpg

Final Third
About 40 minutes in I'm at the final third. I blew through the 2nd third in like 15 minutes due to all the touchups it required. I'm really struggling to get anything out of the cigar at this point. It's like trying to suck on a milkshake that's too thick and practically sucking my face inside out. I am getting some nice sweet cream flavors and maybe a hint of coffee. I tried to open up the draw again and the flavors turned to crap. It's as though the channel it creates messes with the flavor. I assume this is because the smoke is no longer passing through all of the tobacco as it should be. After a few puffs and about 1.5" left in the cigar, the flavors are starting to return and the draw is a bit easier. It seems as though I'm beyond the area where the plug was. I also notice that some of the ash is brownish in color. I'm not sure if this is something to do with the tobacco, or from the torch. Flavor is still a sweet cream flavor, but more pronounced. The body is more medium now and strength has built to medium as well. With a little less than an inch left, it tunneled and expired again, so I just called it quits after 65 minutes.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5470/6932198132_7036bd741a.jpg

Conclusion
Man, I really wanted to enjoy this cigar, but I have to give it a 6/10. I think if I didn't have the draw issues, it would have been much better and more deserving of a higher score. When I was able to get flavor from it, they were delicious, but it was huge struggle and all the touchups really hindered the progress of the smoke. Next one I will cut the cap a few days in advance and test the draw and possibly leave it out for a bit before lighting. Sorry guys =( Hopefully Josh didn't have the draw issues I did. I'm looking forward to reviewing #4 in the next few days. Thanks, DBall!

Score: 6/10

Total smoke time: 65 minutes

DBall

04-15-2012, 08:24 AM

smitty81 Cigar #3
***************

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/456767_10150805896492284_505322283_9613620_3328696 56_o.jpg

This stick appears to be a box pressed cigar and it had a rut on the first 1/3rd of the stick like something heavy was laid across it. Maby this is where a band was???

The wrapper is lite and had the texture of paper. The stick doesn't seem to give off to much smell prior to being lit. A few small veins in the wrapper and a double cap?

The stick had a good draw prior to being lit. There was only one thing that came to mind when I took a pre-light draw. The taste of chlorine in swimming pools came to mind immediately.

First 1/3rd

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/414470_10150805892287284_505322283_9613608_1943661 483_o.jpg

I usually have to really think about it if I can taste caramel in a cigar or not. Not with this one. This one had a very deep rich caramel taste on the first draw, almost like sticking a spoon of caramel in my mouth!
The smoke aroma was nice too, it was a deep rich tobacco/aftershave smell. This thing is burning razor sharp too.

2/3rd

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/414739_10150805892902284_505322283_9613609_1786934 385_o.jpg

The taste of caramel is still present but not as sweet. Now a cedar flavor is becoming dominant. Still burning very well. Not to much to touch on in the 2/3rd. Draw remains good and I'm just enjoying this cigar.

Last 3rd

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/538201_10150805893382284_505322283_9613610_5560057 96_n.jpg

The caramel was gone and it was just a nice cedar taste now. The burn had to be touched up once or twice on the last third, draw was still good.
I smoked it down to about half of what is pictured above and then gave up as it was just harsh.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I REALLY enjoyed this cigar! I liked everything about it from the draw, aroma, taste, burn, burn time.
I'm more of a maduro kind of guy but I wouldn't mind finding more of these if possible. This cigar really caught me off guard.

9.2/10

DBall

04-15-2012, 08:28 AM

What they smoked:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/BTT5-03.jpg

2005 Romeo y Julieta Corona

ApexAZ score: 6

smitty81 score: 9.2

Every time I smoke one of these, I get unreal grassiness. Hell, I tried another one after reading Josh's review last week. No love for me... I don't get any of those flavors... then again, different strokes for different folks.

Presently, I'm on my balcony with a RyJ Corona from 98... I like these much better... :D

smitty81

04-15-2012, 08:36 AM

Send them my way!

DBall

04-15-2012, 08:39 AM

Send them my way!

Didn't I already send you 10 cigars.......?

DBall

04-15-2012, 08:46 AM

By the way, Brian, try it with unflavored sparkling water next time... I once had someone tell me that the citrus will cut down on the other flavors you taste....

smitty81

04-15-2012, 09:24 AM

Didn't I already send you 10 cigars.......?

Well, I wasn't just gonna take them for free........

DBall

04-15-2012, 09:42 AM

Well, I wasn't just gonna take them for free........

Hahaha... I should've put a smiley after that...

Apexkingjusto

04-15-2012, 01:08 PM

Seems like something I would enjoy...great reviews! I'm really impressed with the detail and how comprehensive you guys are....kinda intimidates me from writing reviews

DBall

04-15-2012, 02:46 PM

Seems like something I would enjoy...great reviews! I'm really impressed with the detail and how comprehensive you guys are....kinda intimidates me from writing reviews

nah, man... it should inspire ya! Reviews make me actually pay attention...

ApexAZ

04-15-2012, 03:23 PM

Whipper Snapper

04-15-2012, 03:30 PM

Gosh I love these threads.

smitty81

04-15-2012, 03:51 PM

Hmmm, I didn't get much grass, but then again I didn't get much of anything except for the occasional sweet cream and charred wood flavor, which may be the sweet that Josh and I both tasted. I think the draw and burn issues really made it screwy though.

As far as being intimidated, don't be! I don't have a trained pallet whatsoever, so I just do my best to describe what I'm tasting. The rest is easy because its just a matter of documenting the details.

I agree, I didn't get any grass. If grass tasted the way this cigar did, I'd eat grass daily! :r

Also about the reviews, I'm not good at reviews. I just write down what I taste basically and document what I observe about the cigar.

It's pretty basic. Heck, look at my review compared to ApexAZ's. That guy can write a good review. Mines just basic.

bobarian

04-15-2012, 03:54 PM

Thread jack on.

If you want to participate in your own Blind Tasting here is the thread.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=927&page=118

Apexkingjusto

04-15-2012, 06:16 PM

Thread jack on.

If you want to participate in your own Blind Tasting here is the thread.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=927&page=118

:( no permissions.

IlmProcess

04-15-2012, 06:33 PM

These are great reviews, thanks for taking the time guys!

DBall

04-22-2012, 07:26 PM

ApaxAZ Cigar #4
**************

4/21/2012

Today the heat broke triple digits signaling the end of spring and start of summer, so I waited for the sun to go down before starting. To go with tonights cigar I'll be sipping a double of Shieldaig 18 along with some Perrier.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8026/6954806122_0653b17f9c.jpg

Pre-light
This cigar is 5.5" long and has a ring guage around 44. This cigar has a natural velvety wrapper with small veins. Triple capped, the cigars construction seems very good and has a slight spongy feel to it with no soft spots. The foot has a mild scent of sweet tobacco and grass.

The pre-light draw seems slightly tight, but okay to smoke. The draw reveals only subtle sweet tobacco and hay flavors.

1st Third
As I lit the cigar, I found the draw to be absolutely perfect. Once it started to settle, it was very smooth but somewhat flavorless. The aroma wafting from the end was very pleasant. For about the first half inch the cigar was extremely mild and hard to really pick out any real flavors. A little further in (around the time of the picture) I started to get a faint leather like flavor on some draws, while others were more of a sweet creamy flavor. I also keep noticing the aroma of the smoke and it just smells fantastic. The ash finally dropped after about 1 inch and at this point I started to really like how things were unfolding. The smoke developed into more of a medium body and had a sweet flavor somewhere in between caramel and vanilla. Although not quite the same, it reminded me of the Por Larranaga. The burn was pretty good with some minor tunneling.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8026/6954807014_876771cb0f.jpg

2nd Third
It took me about 25 minutes to progress to the 2nd third. So far the Perrier has been an excellent pallet cleanser, which is good because this cigar has been delicious. I also found that the scotch paired well. The cigar was so good I had to will myself to pace it. I continued to get a mainly sweet cream and vanilla flavor, as well as some other flavor mixed in that I couldn't quite place. I want to say it was like toast, but not really sure. Have I mentioned how good this has been so far? Even the smoke from the end smells sweet and delicious. The cigar has been tunneling slightly and I had to relight once, but overall the burn has been very straight and the ash consistently breaking off on it's own after about an inch. The flavor is medium bodied and the strength is mild, which is good because I don't smoke for the nicotine.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7134/6954851870_f778b888d9.jpg

Final Third
At around the 55 minute mark I had about a third to go and began to feel a little sad as I realized the end was nearing. The smoke was more medium to medium full in body and the flavor was still very sweet, but more of a creamy caramel flavor instead of vanilla. I also detected hints of leather, and some red pepper bite near the end. The deeper I got, the more it reminded me an opus x, only sweeter, smoother and not quite as strong. I really like the opus line and this was like a refined version with more complexity. The strength increased a little, which is to be expected this deep into a cigar, but still only in the medium range. I had to pick up the pace a little to keep the cigar from tunneling and going out, otherwise the burn continued to be very good.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8013/7101012877_7de79cd45e.jpg

With a little less than an inch left, the tingling from the heat was was my cue to finally call it quits.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8157/6955003076_bcb7f1765e.jpg

Conclusion
Indeed, this cigar was life changing for me. My experience is limited with plenty of stuff I still haven't tried in my short 10 months of experience, but as of right now this was the best cigar I've ever had Because of this, it gets a perfect score. This will be the cigar by which everything else will be measured until something else can top it. It started out a little bland, but quickly developed into a complex, interesting and delicious experience through the entire length of the cigar. Although I was sad when it ended, I went inside with a feeling of immense satisfaction. Thank you, Dan, for providing me the opportunity to experience it. I don't know how I will ever be able to repay you. I'm really looking forward to #5.

Score: 10/10

Total smoke time: 90 minutes

DBall

04-22-2012, 07:27 PM

smitty81 Cigar #4
***************

I love Maduro and darker cigars generally, So I was pretty excited to try this cigar.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/529104_10150847948262284_505322283_9751374_2706820 4_n.jpg

Stick 4 appears to be 5.5" long and 42 Ga. or so. Darker wrapper, Maduro?

Smells of manure and a lite cocoa smell is present also........

A couple small veins in the wrapper whith what appears to be a single cap?

The draw seems good and the taste is of hay and it has a lingering cardboard aftertaste.

First 1/3rd

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/530340_10150847948327284_505322283_9751375_1608911 876_n.jpg

What little smoke there is has a very nice aroma to it.

The first few puffs once it was lit was a creamy, velvety chocolate taste. It wasn't real strong which disappointed me. Seems to burn pretty sharp.

The ash held on for about an inch before it fell off.

It kind of reminds me of a Diesel minus the toasted marshmallow flavor. Maby an espresso like taste.

None of these flavors have a strong presence at all.

2/3rd

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/548471_10150847948412284_505322283_9751376_9840719 65_n.jpg

The cigar has started to go downhill in taste starting in the 2/3rd.

I am now pretty strong cardboard taste.I had pretty high hopes for this cigar because of the darker wrapper but these are not the flavors I am expecting from a darker stick.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/577638_10150847948462284_505322283_9751377_6209349 88_n.jpg

The cardboard hangs on untill the end of the 2/3rd.

The last third.

The flavors are now cardboard and a burnt wood. I have decided that the first inch of this cigar has enjoyable but everything after that has put me off.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/575444_10150847948497284_505322283_9751378_1380123 326_n.jpg

If this is a CC, I have to say that I have had way better smokes that were bought here in the states for around the $3.00 range. This cigar was just a let down in the flavor department IMOP.

After the first few draws on this cigar I had thought this might develope into a good cigar with some nice chocolate flavors but it failed to deliver.

I am going to give this cigar a 5/10.

DBall

04-22-2012, 07:33 PM

What they smoked:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/BTT5-04.jpg

2011 Ramon Allones Allones Extra

ApexAZ score: 10

smitty81 score: 5

Ha! I love these things. I put this in as a way to test my theory that NC smokers would like this cigar... hahaha. I smoked one today, in fact, to see how I felt about it. This mo fo was STRONG and definitely not my favorite cigar. I picked up a fair amount of them and fully intend on letting the rest of the boxes sleep for a long, long time.

I think it is funny that these 2 have such differing views. If one likes it, the other hates it... and these were all side by side from the same box... :D

Quick question... are either of you blowing the smoke out your nose? If not, try it. :tu

Whipper Snapper

04-22-2012, 07:35 PM

I wish I was a newb :r

DBall, you're the man.

smitty81

04-22-2012, 07:44 PM

Dball........I retro-haled a little on each of your cigars. I guess I don't really get anything out of it.:confused:

I put this in as a way to test my theory that NC smokers would like this cigar... hahaha.

What did you mean by that comment?

Blak Smyth

04-22-2012, 07:45 PM

Wow, that round was very interesting. Great selection of sticks Dball!

mase

04-22-2012, 07:49 PM

Really enjoyed this round - different strokes for different folks.

ApexAZ

04-22-2012, 08:06 PM

Yep, I always blow some out through my nose. I thought it was awesome. I wouldn't have said it was very strong though.

smitty81

04-22-2012, 08:07 PM

Yep, I always blow some out through my nose. I thought it was awesome. I wouldn't have said it was very strong though.

I agree

DBall

04-22-2012, 08:07 PM

Yep, I always blow some out through my nose. I thought it was awesome. I wouldn't have said it was very strong though.

Ehh... I just smoke old, crusty crap. This cigar is 20 years too young....... :r

ApexAZ

04-22-2012, 08:15 PM

Ehh... I just smoke old, crusty crap. This cigar is 20 years too young....... :r

Yeah, by those standards I guess. I thought it was very sweet. It was awesome.

Whipper Snapper

04-22-2012, 08:17 PM

Ehh... I just smoke old, crusty crap. This cigar is 20 years too young....... :r

mmm, old crusties

yourchoice

04-22-2012, 09:08 PM

Dan's at it again! I love these threads. :tu

Good job on the reviews, guys...keep it up!

CRIMPS

04-23-2012, 11:12 AM

Yeah, just love these threads. Great reviews as always.

Nimbus

04-29-2012, 06:34 PM

Dan's the man. I really enjoy these blind taste test threads. :tu

maninblack

04-29-2012, 06:37 PM

Thanks for the reviews gents, always enjoy reading them.

Hooligan

04-29-2012, 06:55 PM

Great reviews so far.

DBall

04-29-2012, 07:19 PM

Dan's the man. I really enjoy these blind taste test threads. :tu

JIAN!!! Where you been, man?!

Riff Raff

05-01-2012, 05:15 AM

Dan's the man. I really enjoy these blind taste test threads. :tu

Repeated for truth! I remember when I was doing these. I was in #2 and it was awesome. This is by far the best thread in the whole forum if you ask me.

BlkDrew

05-06-2012, 08:14 AM

Any more?

smitty81

05-06-2012, 03:22 PM

Yes, 6 more. I imagine they are waiting on me.

I have some done, I just need to send it all to DBall.

I will get it done tonight, sorry everyone.

Whipper Snapper

05-06-2012, 06:24 PM

Yes, 6 more. I imagine they are waiting on me.

I have some done, I just need to send it all to DBall.

I will get it done tonight, sorry everyone.

Must be hard to smoke cigars :r

smitty81

05-06-2012, 07:09 PM

Must be hard to smoke cigars :r

yea...................because I have no job nor life away from CA.

Honestly, I have one day a week to enjoy a cigar and thats if I'm not traveling somewhere.

I think I am turning in my reviews in a respectable manner of time.

BlkDrew

05-06-2012, 07:47 PM

I agree smitty, I was just wondering because it had been a while that's all. Just looking forward to them.

Whipper Snapper

05-06-2012, 07:48 PM

yea...................because I have no job nor life away from CA.

Honestly, I have one day a week to enjoy a cigar and thats if I'm not traveling somewhere.

I think I am turning in my reviews in a respectable manner of time.

It was a joke! ;s

smitty81

05-06-2012, 08:52 PM

It was a joke! ;s

I figured as much...........

Just frustrates me that I don't have more smoke time.

smitty81

05-06-2012, 08:52 PM

I agree smitty, I was just wondering because it had been a while that's all. Just looking forward to them.

Turned #5 in tonight so maby tomorrow?

Brutus2600

05-07-2012, 08:35 AM

I figured as much...........

Just frustrates me that I don't have more smoke time.

I think that's a frustration a lot of us share, so no worries :tu

44stampede

05-07-2012, 07:23 PM

I figured as much...........

Just frustrates me that I don't have more smoke time.
I have this issue myself :)

Enjoying the reviews gents.

DBall

05-08-2012, 08:14 PM

ApexAZ Cigar #5
*************

4/29/2012

Tonight I am reviewing DBall's Blind Taste Test cigar #5. It's 88 degrees so I'll be drinking a cold Perrier along with it.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8019/6980989410_6c51488467.jpg

Pre-light
This cigar is about 5 7/8" long and has a ring guage around 42. It has a smooth natural wrapper with small veins. It has a triple cap like the others before it. The construction appears good and the cigar is slightly spongy when gently squeezed. The smell of the tobacco is unremarkable to me. Just tobacco with a hint of manure. Maybe a little less sweet compared to the others.

The pre-light draw seems good and I get some floral and slightly minty flavors from the tobacco.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/6980990630_a90362e913.jpg

1st Third
I lit the cigar and had about 2 draws before the sneezing started. Crap. Allergies are a major pain in the butt for me here. I ran in and took a dose of flonase in each nostril in hopes of stopping the sneezing. It did help the sneezing, but now I'm all stuffy. Crap crap crap. The draw is excellent, the burn is clean, and the first ash dropped after about 1/2 of an inch. Now if only I could get some cooperation out of my nose =(. The cigar so far is very smooth, but I'm not getting much flavor from it aside from some wood and some slight sweetness. The strength and body are both mild. As I get deeper into it, the flavor starts to develop into an enjoyable sweet cream.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8020/7127109743_91d5f89462.jpg

2nd Third
After almost 40 minutes I'm working my way into the 2nd third. I had been smoking ultra slow in hopes that the flonase will do its job, which it has to a degree and I'm able to start retrohaling a bit. The smoke is still sweet, but I'm now detecting some slight leather and other flavors that I'm unsure how to describe. As I approach the final third, I also get a little bit of spice. The spice coupled with the sweetness reminds me of a combination of cinnamon and red pepper. The strength is picking up some and it's more medium bodied. The burn needed some touching up after some tunneling, but remained very good otherwise.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7272/6981091494_a50e09061f.jpg

Final Third
After about 60 minutes I reached the final third. I started smoking faster to prevent the cigar from tunneling and I have also been able to breath through my nose somewhat. The flavors have developed into something I am having trouble pinpointing. It's like leather, but not the same as how leather would taste in a NC stick. It's also not quite as sweet as it was in the first 2/3 of the smoke and I taste more pepper than cinnamon. The strength is more medium now and the body somewhere between medium and full. The burn remained perfect, but I did find that I needed to smoke faster to keep it alive. With a little more than an inch to go, it got hot and tasted only of tobacco smoke, so I called it quits.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7125/7127213811_456175c450.jpg

Conclusion
I felt that this was a pretty decent cigar given the circumstances. I am sure that if my allergies hadn't acted up my experience would have been different and may have influenced my score. Whether it would have been better or worse is hard to say. I can say that it's pretty hard to taste when you can't smell, but I did my best. I give it a 7/10. This marks the halfway point of the blind taste test and I'm looking forward to the other 5. Thanks, Dan!

Score: 7/10

Total smoke time: 85 minutes

DBall

05-08-2012, 08:15 PM

smitty81 Cigar #5
**************

Ok, here we are at the half way point now.

Stick #5

Stick 5 appears to be 6" x 38 Ga. There seems to be a double cap on this cigar. A few small veins with no soft spots. Construction seems good as always.

I am going to drink a ginger ale with this cigar.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/533049_10150916669267284_505322283_9857459_3958394 26_n.jpg

Cut the cap on this baby and took a draw. I could taste some dried fruit.

Lit it up and got very little to no smoke but the smoke smelled good.

The first few draws reminded me of a swisher sweet minus the sweet tip.

Flavor has mellowed out to a more hay like flavor. This thing is burning uneven and the ash has dropped off after about an inch.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/541161_10150916669362284_505322283_9857460_1266726 520_n.jpg

2/3rd

I am finding the flavor of this cigar pretty boring, it brings nothing unique to the table IMOP. The cigar has changed from a hay to more of a grassy flavor.
I had to correct the burn and it appears to be burning a bit better now.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/380317_10150916669457284_505322283_9857461_1923485 727_n.jpg

Last Third

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/552876_10150916669552284_505322283_9857462_8812679 37_n.jpg

Even after touching this cigar up, I am getting little to no smoke. The flavor is getting a little sweeter. Its a sugar sweetness, hard to explain.

As I am smoking this cigar, I find that it seems awful hard towards the cap. It feels like there are some really thick veins inside.

I was curious as to how this might change the flavor but it didn't really unless these veins or twigs were putting off that sugar flavor?

When I got her down to about an inch, I dissected it to see what was inside. Long filler with pretty big veins.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/577372_10150916708967284_505322283_9857612_1460638 03_n.jpg

I had taken the leaf off of the vein so you can see its size.

I'd give this cigar a 5/10 mostly because it didn't have any unique flavors......

DBall

05-08-2012, 08:18 PM

What they smoked:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/BTT5-05.jpg

2000 Hoyo des Dieux

ApexAZ score: 7

smitty81 score: 5

Midway through, guys...

As for this cigar... these here are decent, in my opinion. Ones from 50 cabs from the 70's, however, are to die for. :dr

Bill86

05-08-2012, 08:22 PM

I enjoy the '00 des Dieux. Surprised this one got such a low score, although the box I got the draws have been perfect so that might be it.

awsmith4

05-08-2012, 09:38 PM

I enjoy the '00 des Dieux. Surprised this one got such a low score, although the box I got the draws have been perfect so that might be it.

The Du series seems to be rather mild and the nuances are hard to pick up, especially of you have congestion and cant nose smoke. I love them but they are not straight forward and require some patience to truly appreciate.

Great reviews guys, I look forward to the rest :tu

ApexAZ

05-09-2012, 09:13 AM

I liked it. Allergies just messed with me.

ChicagoWhiteSox

05-09-2012, 09:18 AM

I enjoy the '00 des Dieux. Surprised this one got such a low score, although the box I got the draws have been perfect so that might be it.

Me too, I have loved the few '00 Hoyo des Dieux I've smoked.

smitty81

05-09-2012, 10:25 AM

Man, I am starting to think that CC's just aren't my thing. Seems you guys love some of these sticks.

awsmith4

05-09-2012, 11:28 AM

Man, I am starting to think that CC's just aren't my thing. Seems you guys love some of these sticks.

It could also be the way you smoke, I blow at least part of every puff out of my nose. I used to have to put thought in to it but now its second nature, I almost can't make myself blow only out of my mouth. CCs do not seem to have the strong "mouth" flavors NCs do and if you aren't nose smoking you may be missing what they offer. However if you don't like them, you don't like them and chalk it up to everyone is different and that is what makes the world great.

Blak Smyth

05-09-2012, 11:47 AM

Man, I am starting to think that CC's just aren't my thing. Seems you guys love some of these sticks.

There are plenty of people who don't like CCs, it just isn't the profile of flavors everybody enjoys. If it is a slope you are serious about, I reccomend taking a break from strong NCs. Smoke only CCs for a while and really pay attention to the flavors. I had one CC that really caught my attention while I was smoking NCs regularly, and everything else was just okay. After I took a break from NCs and let my palate rest, then I smoked CCs almost exclusively and I started to pull tons of incredible flavors out of almost every stick. But the flavors are subtle compared to most strong NCs. (Also what Albert said above)
Either way, you are doing a fine job reviewing CCs in this thread, keep up the good work. This is a great program, thanks Dan.

ApexAZ

05-09-2012, 12:14 PM

Man, I am starting to think that CC's just aren't my thing. Seems you guys love some of these sticks.

You've had 2 out of 5 that you really liked though. Do you like every NC you smoke?

DBall

05-09-2012, 07:41 PM

Decided to smoke one myself, although I got caught up in designing stuff for my wife's new business (she's FINALLY opening her dance studio and going out on her own), a call and the making of plans from a great friend I haven't seen in a while who is coming to visit.

As for the cigar, I really liked it... mild, creamy and flavorful, but not over-powering. Here's some pics:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/20120509_203612.jpg

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/20120509_211050.jpg

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/20120509_212650.jpg

:tu

smitty81

05-09-2012, 08:49 PM

It could also be the way you smoke, I blow at least part of every puff out of my nose. I used to have to put thought in to it but now its second nature, I almost can't make myself blow only out of my mouth. CCs do not seem to have the strong "mouth" flavors NCs do and if you aren't nose smoking you may be missing what they offer. However if you don't like them, you don't like them and chalk it up to everyone is different and that is what makes the world great.

I have tried to retrohale with them, I guess I just don't get anything out of it...:confused:

awsmith4

05-09-2012, 08:56 PM

I have tried to retrohale with them, I guess I just don't get nothing out of it...:confused:

I am not sure I understand what folks mean by retrohale. is that when you blow out then breathe some back in with the nose?

I just simply take a puff and in the middle of the exhale I close my mouth while still exhaling and the smoke is forced out of my nose.

But don't worry if you don't like Cubans, their are ALOT of other choices out there and no shame in liking what you like.

smitty81

05-09-2012, 08:56 PM

You've had 2 out of 5 that you really liked though. Do you like every NC you smoke?

Well lets just say that I have "enjoyed" 90% of the NC's I have smoked so far.

I haven't exactly found any dog rockets but then again, I haven't gone out of my way to look for them either.

It just baffles me that A LOT OF MEMBERS ON CA seem to think that CC's are a lot better than NC's.

I feel like I am missing something, I just don't get whats better about them I guess.......

The NC's I have smoked generally have a LOT more smoke and a deeper more rich spicy flavor.

Don't get me wrong, this is fun and I appreciate Dan doing this but I guess the CC's just aren't what I thought they would be.

Not the Holy Grail that I was expecting.

smitty81

05-09-2012, 08:58 PM

never_enough

05-09-2012, 09:28 PM

Still love these blind reviews. Very interesting to see the differences between two people.

DBall

05-09-2012, 09:56 PM

Not the Holy Grail that I was expecting.

Perhaps that is part of the problem. Based on prior threads, you probably came into this expecting these all to be Cuban and having the expectation of a "holy grail" type experience for all CCs, it would be very easy to be let down (and that is just a general statement, not even accounting for the simple fact that everyone's palette is different).

The only way to do this is to experience it one cigar at a time, regardless of origin (you never know... what if I mixed a couple NCs in there...), and document what YOU think about the cigar for what it is... just a cigar that you are smoking at that point in time.

There's no wrong answers in this kinda thing... you may leave this experience thinking all these cigars you tried suck, and that is totally fine :)

As far as the spice and depth, I seem to find that on the newer CCs... the older ones are more refined and are my preference (as I am admittedly a mild cigar smoker). A fresh Partagas or Bolivar may put some hairs on your chest and will seem a lot stronger than a 12 year old Hoyo for sure.

I do prefer CC's (and older ones at that), personally, but that is not a result of anything other than trying everything I have over the years I have been in the hobby and the changing of tastes I enjoy. When I first started, I was looking for the strongest damned cigars I could find and then my tastes changed. Hell... my tastes still change all the time. LGC MdO #4's used to be one of my favorite smokes, but every time I light one lately, I'm underwhelmed. A year from now, I may smoke one and be pissed that I wasted all the ones I had when I didn't enjoy them... hahaha.

You're doing just fine... just don't place any expectations on them and take 'em one cigar at a time. :tu

Brutus2600

05-09-2012, 10:14 PM

I am not sure I understand what folks mean by retrohale. is that when you blow out then breathe some back in with the nose?

I just simply take a puff and in the middle of the exhale I close my mouth while still exhaling and the smoke is forced out of my nose.

But don't worry if you don't like Cubans, their are ALOT of other choices out there and no shame in liking what you like.

That's what retrohaling is.

If I retrohale I usually only retrohale about 20% through my nose and the other 80% through my mouth like normal. Even with mild cigars it's still something I'm not completely used to.

Well lets just say that I have "enjoyed" 90% of the NC's I have smoked so far.

I haven't exactly found any dog rockets but then again, I haven't gone out of my way to look for them either.

It just baffles me that A LOT OF MEMBERS ON CA seem to think that CC's are a lot better than NC's.

I feel like I am missing something, I just don't get whats better about them I guess.......

The NC's I have smoked generally have a LOT more smoke and a deeper more rich spicy flavor.

Don't get me wrong, this is fun and I appreciate Dan doing this but I guess the CC's just aren't what I thought they would be.

Not the Holy Grail that I was expecting.

I don't think that a lot of members on CA think that CC's are superior to NC's. I do however think that a lot of members might prefer to smoke CC's over NC's. The general consensus here is smoke what you like and like what you smoke :) CC's might not be your bag, but as Dan said, if you're used to and enjoy that strong peppery kick that a lot of NC's have, aged CC's might not be your thing.

That's what's great about this whole exercise though. You can come into it being completely new to everything about a CC and derive your own thoughts and opinions about them without "smoking the band" or even unconsciously having somebody else's opinion affect what you think about a cigar :tu

Bill86

05-09-2012, 10:41 PM

Frankly a lot of times some CC's just aren't for you. I've wrote off many of marcas, just because they don't fit my flavor profile no matter how many I smoke. That or I haven't been able to give any cigar from that marca a solid "90" points.

I would definitely try a few from each marca and decide based on that. There are A LOT of hidden gems out there. I find new ones all the time, cigars people have slept on that I find are just plain wonderful. To me that is the fun of it.

Some examples of lesser smoked cigars
Anything Cuaba (Very unique tasting)
Diplomaticos No. 2 (last cigar of this marca, tasty as hell)
Bolivar Petit Belicosos EL '09 (Bolivar Chocolate bar, yes please :dr)
Montecristo Tubos (Probably one of the least reviewed Monte's)
Partagas Culebra (goofy looking but with a few years, good stuff)
Quai D’Orsay Coronas (This marca gets no attention but these smokes more than tasty)

Just a few ideas of things that fly under the radar but are gems that I have found thus far.

Keep smoking them, I'm sure you'll find at least a few good ones. If you like Punchy full bodied cigars the fresh Bolivar Royal Coronas or Partagas 898V's will probably be your cup of tea.

Blak Smyth

05-10-2012, 04:58 AM

DBall

05-10-2012, 07:28 AM

So Dan, is this the infamous patio?

Yup... you should be seeing it soon enough... :)

Blak Smyth

05-10-2012, 07:29 AM

Yup... you should be seeing it soon enough... :)

Looks like an amazing place to relax with a cigar :tu

smitty81

05-10-2012, 08:14 AM

Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed some of the CC's.........

I guess I was just waiting for that cigar that was deeper in spice.

DBall

05-10-2012, 08:32 AM

Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed some of the CC's.........

I guess I was just waiting for that cigar that was deeper in spice.

The best thing about how shitty my memory is is that I have no recollection of what I sent. I do, however, have the pictures (and no, I don't add them to photobucket until I'm ready to reveal). I have to check the folder to remember what I shipped out.

There may be some stronger, fresher cigars... I honestly have no idea... :r

jonumberone

05-10-2012, 09:04 AM

I guess I was just waiting for that cigar that was deeper in spice.

Don't let your expectations get in the way.
I've ruined many a good cigar looking for something that wasn't there, instead of enjoying the flavors that were.
If your mind is open you will always be surprised at what pops up.

I did this review in the last installment.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1067418&postcount=107

5 CC's is a small sample size.
You never know what lurks in the other 5. :)

Blak Smyth

05-10-2012, 09:07 AM

Don't let your expectations get in the way.
I've ruined many a good cigar looking for something that wasn't there, instead of enjoying the flavors that were.
If your mind is open you will always be surprised at what pops up.

I did this review in the last installment.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1067418&postcount=107

5 CC's is a small sample size.
You never know what lurks in the other 5. :)

What was it Dom?

jonumberone

05-10-2012, 09:09 AM

What was it Dom?

It was an 08 Partagas Princess

Partially Deaf

05-12-2012, 01:29 PM

My only comment is that those are a lot of cigars for a noob to smoke in a timely manner

DBall

05-12-2012, 03:21 PM

My only comment is that those are a lot of cigars for a noob to smoke in a timely manner

Ehh... only going for roughly 1 a week. :tu

BlkDrew

05-25-2012, 09:35 AM

anxious to see the next couple, keep up the great work guys.

DBall

05-25-2012, 09:03 PM

ApexAZ Cigar #6
*************

5/5/2012

Tonight it's cigar #6 from Dan's blind taste test. I'll be pairing it with a double of Shieldaig 18 and a Perrier water. My pallet has been acting funky lately, but so far it seems limited to the Nicaraguan cigars I smoke regularly. The CC's have not been a problem so far and my allergies are not giving me trouble today, so we'll see how it goes!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7050/7000753478_45d3ed9ed9.jpg

Pre-light
This cigar is about 5 1/4" long and has a ring guage around 38 - 40. It has a smooth natural wrapper with small veins. Unlike the other CC's before it, this one seems to only have a double cap. The construction is good, but the cigar feels slightly hard. The smell is very similar to the last one. Just a manure and tobacco smell.

The pre-light draw is a little bit tight, which makes sense given how hard the cigar feels, but seems to be good enough for smoking. Flavors before toasting remind me of tobacco and loose tea.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8013/7000758826_290f9d6cfd.jpg

1st Third
On the first 2 draws the draw is good and the smoke is smooth. Things were somewhat flavorless to start, but I'm starting to get some muted sweet cream. The burn is perfect and the ash dropped on it's own after about 2/3 of an inch. Strength and body are both mild.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8145/7146905699_856980bac3.jpg

2nd Third
After about 35 minutes I'm into the 2nd third of the cigar. Overall, it hasn't had a lot of flavor. It is smooth and sweet, but the flavor is somewhat muted. Muted flavors of sweet cream, coffee and leather come and go. The burn and draw both continue to be excellent. The strength and body are both more mild-medium now.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5463/7000878696_43756bdf9c.jpg

Final Third
65 minutes in and I'm progressing into the final third. The flavors are less sweet now and more like caramel. I still get a slight amount of leather, but not as much coffee. There's some other flavors I am unable to classify. The cigar is much tastier in the last third and I'd say the strength and body are more medium-full now. The burn continues to be perfect. With about an inch left, it's too hot and bitter so I called it quits.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7127/7000948584_48508c505a.jpg

Conclusion
I enjoyed this cigar more on the 2nd half. The first half was somewhat bland to me. I give it a 7/10. I think a recurring theme is starting to emerge here: I'm very used to the full flavored nicaraguans. These milder smokes take a while to develop for me. The one thing that I absolutely love about some of them is how sweet they are. Once they come into their own, they really are delicious. Some are just a bit on the mild side. Once again, Dan, thank you for the opportunity to experience it!

Score: 7/10

Total smoke time: 105 minutes

DBall

05-25-2012, 09:04 PM

smitty81 Cigar #6
**************

Ok, first of all..........I want to apologize for this review being so late.

I work at an irrigation business and we are short on help this season so they have been making me fill in where needed to keep up. I have been working almost double the hours I normally work. I'm so tired after work, all I feel like doing is sleeping.

Here is the review guys!

This is stick #6

This cigar is about 5-1/4" long and I'd say about a 36 gauge. I have been anticipating this cigar for a while because of the way the wrapper looks. The wrapper is kind of blotchy in color. It mostly has a lighter color wrapper but then it has some darker patches all over it that make it appear to have water damage or something weird like that going on with the wrapper.

Good construction with small veins.

It's Cinco De Mayo so I'm enjoying a strawberry margarita with this cigar. (they didn't pair to bad either)

http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af254/huskersuh93/1.jpg

First 1/3rd

http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af254/huskersuh93/2.jpg

This wrapper has some spice to it, really making my mouth water and my throat burn. I'd say it's a mellow cigar with caramel flavor. Not a real strong flavor but it's there.

2/3rd

http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af254/huskersuh93/3.jpg

Not a whole lot to touch upon here during the 2nd third. The flavor remains the same and the burn is also pretty good. Just enjoying this cigar, I'd say it's one of the more enjoyable cigars I have tried in this BTT.

Last Third

http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af254/huskersuh93/4.jpg

This cigar is still holding on to it's caramel flavor. If it has changed any at all, I'd say that maby it has maby picked up a sweet cream flavor?

This cigar sort of reminds me of the romeo E julita (sp) that we had earlier in the BTT.

http://i1013.photobucket.com/albums/af254/huskersuh93/5.jpg

I'm gonna go ahead and give this cigar a 7/10. Not real bold in flavor but the flavor that was there was enjoyable and it had very little burn issues.

Beings it's a holiday weekend and I plan on sitting on my butt, I will try to hammer out a few more reviews to play catch up!

Sorry again guys.

DBall

05-25-2012, 09:08 PM

What they smoked:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/BTT5-06.jpg

2011 Roxy N Corona (Nicaragua)

ApexAZ score: 7

smitty81 score: 7

Ha!!! It's not a Cuban!

DBall

05-25-2012, 09:30 PM

I think a recurring theme is starting to emerge here: I'm very used to the full flavored nicaraguans. These milder smokes take a while to develop for me.

I love this quote (and it's not to pick on you)...

Perceptions definitely color experience. While not a full flavored cigar (I've smoked one and enjoyed it), it was a Nic cigar.

:tu

I really like these taste tests.

Brutus2600

05-25-2012, 10:59 PM

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan!

Seriously though, fun twist :tu I really wasn't sure what cigars these were, but I had a sneaking suspicion they weren't CC's. Despite the reviewers thinking they were, I'd say these reviews were still spot on. When I reviewed a ROXY I definitely pulled tons of sweet, creamy caramel notes from it - something both reviewers noted.

Great job guys :D

Andrew, did you know these were being included in the lineup? ;)

jonumberone

05-26-2012, 08:21 AM

Well done, Dan! :tu

NeuRon

05-26-2012, 09:01 AM

the plot thickens!

BlkDrew

05-26-2012, 02:44 PM

Brutus2600

05-26-2012, 02:56 PM

how do you think dan got them? haha i have been waiting patiently, thanks for the great review guys.

Well you were selling a lot ;) lol, I just wondered if you knew he was using them in the BTT :)

smitty81

05-26-2012, 04:20 PM

how do you think dan got them? haha i have been waiting patiently, thanks for the great review guys.

Pretty good man! I was wanting to try one of your cigars.

Just for the record Dan, I knew this one wasnt a cc because of the retrohale......

Good smoke though.

DBall

05-26-2012, 06:48 PM

Well you were selling a lot ;) lol, I just wondered if you knew he was using them in the BTT :)

Drew lives in the same city as me and, while not as often as we should, we get together and smoke cigars on the balcony. I asked him for a couple cigars for this thing and he brought em over.

I figured it would not only be a fun twist, but a way for Drew to get a 100% honest and unbiased review of his cigars.

Success on both counts!

:tu

ApexAZ

05-27-2012, 01:12 AM

Haha, awesome! I dig the Roxy's.

DBall

06-06-2012, 06:17 AM

Bump...

Blak Smyth

06-06-2012, 06:54 AM

Wow I didn't see these Roxy reviews until now.
Awesome twist Dan!!!
It is nice to see the caramel and cream similarities between both reviews.
I had the pleasure of smoking a fresh roll Roxy Brain Stick last weekend and it was the best so far. Doing awesome work Drew!
Awesome pass Dan!!!

ApexAZ

06-06-2012, 08:42 AM

Still waiting to smoke 9 and 10. I will probably smoke 9 tomorrow or Friday. I'm not sure smitty has even smoked 7 yet.

DBall

06-06-2012, 11:17 AM

Still waiting to smoke 9 and 10. I will probably smoke 9 tomorrow or Friday. I'm not sure smitty has even smoked 7 yet.

I do not believe he has.

Hem

06-06-2012, 11:44 AM

Just caught on to this thread. Awesome reviews and an ingenious idea! Can't wait to see what's next! :)

smitty81

06-06-2012, 12:43 PM

I do not believe he has.

I will see if I cant get it sent over to you tonight.

GTCanuk

06-10-2012, 07:00 AM

Bump

DBall

06-10-2012, 06:13 PM

ApexAZ Cigar #7
*************

5/14/2012

Okay, moving onto #7 in DBall's Blind Taste Test. I'll be pairing it with a double of whisky and a Pellegrino. Even though it's 8:15 P.M., it's still like 100 degrees out, so I'll probably be smoking faster than usual. It's warm. Phoenix summer is here. Ugh.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7234/7200972056_c33529c182.jpg

Pre-light
This cigar is about 5 3/4" long and has a ring guage around 38. The wrapper is slightly darker than the others and has one large vein throughout it's length. It also has somewhat of a roughly placed single cap (at least it appears so). The construction seems good enough, but the cigar just looks a little rough around the edges and it's very light. The cigar looks and feels old to me. The scent off the foot has a very, very slight tobacco smell. I had to really concentrate to smell it, it was so faint.

The pre-light draw seems fine, and I taste nothing but a slight grass/wood type flavor, which is also very faint.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5345/7200973186_e84d9b7515.jpg

1st Third
Like the others, the cigar is very smooth right off the bat. I don't think any have ever had that in-your-face blast of pepper like so many Nicaraguans do. This is a good thing to me. While I don't mind a bit of pepper, the first few puffs can be pretty brutal before things start to settle. On the other hand, I don't taste a lot at first on these either. After about 3/4" I'm finally starting to get some sweet flavor, but unable to pintpoint exactly what it tastes like just yet. About 1.5" in the flavor is kind of a toasty sweet cream flavor. It's very smooth and mild, but somewhat muted. The draw and burn have been perfect, and the salt and pepper ash drops on it's own after about 3/4".

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5441/7200974650_8b72272946.jpg

2nd Third
I start getting into the 2nd third after about 25 minutes. The flavor is starting to really pick up now and it's really tasty. Notes of vanilla come in, as well as some charred wood. It's pretty dang good. It's still very mild and creamy with mild strength. The burn has continued to be perfect.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8149/7200975908_4be9ed3041.jpg

Final Third
45 minutes passed before getting into the final 3rd. The flavor continues to get sweeter. It's more of a toasty coffee, vanilla, caramel type mix. I'm digging it. What is it about these that make them so sweet? There must be something in the soil that promotes a lot of glucose or something? The burn continues to be perfect. Things are more medium now and the flavors just continue to fuller, sweeter and better with every puff. It's quite good and sadly it had to end with about 1/2" left.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8025/7200977998_500b83802a.jpg

Conclusion
This cigar was one of my favorites so far and I give it a 9/10. I really loved it! Thanks, Dan!

Score: 9/10

Total smoke time: 75 minutes

DBall

06-10-2012, 06:14 PM

smitty81 Cigar #7
**************

Stick #7 is about 5-3/4 long and is about a 36 Ga. cigar. The construction of it is very soft and mushy with a single cap. There are some large veins in the wrapper and overall, this cigar looks pretty rough.

My first impression of this cigar after inspecting the construction of the cigar is that this cigar must be a cheaper value cigar.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/547377_10151027015417284_1287075652_n.jpg

I found the draw to be pretty tight on this cigar. The flavor on the other hand was awesome.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/526168_10151027015222284_1288144935_n.jpg

I'm not gonna take the time to break this cigar down into thirds as it basically retained it's flavor through out the entire cigar.

The burn was OK for the most part but I did have to touch it up a few times as the large veins in the wrapper seemed to keep it from burning real well.
There was very little to no smoke.

The flavor was AWESOME. The flavor was a very nice sweet cream-grassy flavor. I was really digging the flavor of this one.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/578152_10151027015092284_1759942461_n.jpg

I did retrohale with this cigar and based on the retrohale, I took an educated guess that this is a CC because my nose was not on fire afterwords. This was a really smooth cigar.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196103_10151027014927284_1537521043_n.jpg

I truly enjoyed the flavor of this cigar down to about the last inch or so and then it started getting a bit harsh. I had been wondering if short filler was used in this cigar based on the construction. I did a little dissection with the nub and found short filler indeed.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/543717_10151027014772284_332163731_n.jpg

After this cigar, I truly feel that I have learned something from this experience Dan has so kindly offered to me.

I feel that the conception I have gathered from my time here is that short filler is for cheaply made cigars. That may well be but 2 of the 3 cigars that I have really enjoyed flavor wise have had short filler.

To me short filler only means one thing which is the second thing I feel that I have learned. It means a tighter draw to me. Both of the short filler cigars I have enjoyed have both had a pretty tight draw which makes sense to me once I stop and think about why that would be so.

I give this cigar an 8/10 based on the draw issues. If it would have been a bit easier on the draw, I would have rated it between a 9 & 10.

Tasty!

DBall

06-10-2012, 06:19 PM

What they smoked:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/BTT5-07.jpg

1999 La Flor de Cano Selectos

ApexAZ score: 9

smitty81 score: 8

Nice! To call this a "cheap" cigar would be an understatement. A better adjective would be "free". There were vendors literally giving away 5 packs with orders years back (multiple 5 packs with some orders in fact). I took all the 5 packs I got and threw them in some empty 50 cab and buried them in my tower. I'll still take these out at the golf course and be quite happy with how they are smoking. Hell... after reading these reviews, I may go have one now!

htown

06-10-2012, 07:04 PM

I have a few five packs kicking around and when I feel like my palate is a little off I will sometimes pick one of these guys up and half the time I enjoy them- the other half I figure I was right about the palate being wonky.

ApexAZ

06-10-2012, 08:11 PM

Pretty damn good for being free.

DBall

06-11-2012, 06:10 AM

Had one last night... Honestly, I was floored by how good it was in the first half... reminded me of really old RyJ/Punch with that sweet fruitiness and notes of chocolate. The second half was kinda 'meh', but the first half was crazy good.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/20120610_203735.jpg

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/20120610_205133.jpg

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/20120610_210247.jpg

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/20120610_211000.jpg

Hem

06-11-2012, 06:25 AM

Great reviews once again! Awesome to see how they both come to similar conclusions, I love this thread!-(P

44stampede

06-12-2012, 01:18 AM

Nice ones gents. This is pretty fun.

akumushi

06-12-2012, 07:18 AM

The selectos I had from the freebie fivers all tasted like red vines licorice and musty cardboard to me. My wife claimed they gave me dragon breath from hell. Guess it goes to show that taste is subjective :r

DBall

06-12-2012, 07:42 AM

akumushi

06-12-2012, 09:40 AM

Even now, though? When was the last time ya tried one? :)

It's been a of couple years, but they were over a decade old when I last smoked them. At that point a cigar is either too far gone or should by all accounts be ready to smoke. I'm sure there is a wide variance in the conditions some of these were stored in. If you got ones that had been treated nicely over the years then they probably taste much better than mine did, as the ones I had were in pretty miserable shape when I got them and were no better after a couple of years in the humi. IMO, they were beyond salvation. The same can be said for a lot of the "sale" sticks. Some people got phenominal boxes of aged smokes at bargain basement prices and some people payed too much for moldy tent poles. It was an absolute crapshoot. At least these were free, so I'm not complaining, just saying that even for free smokes, the fivers I had were pretty hard to gag down. YMMV :tu

CRIMPS

06-12-2012, 09:55 AM

Great stuff. While I thoroughly enjoy reading reviews that are almost bi-polar, I also enjoy seeing two blind reviews that are very similar, both picking up on similar tastes.

Keep them coming. :tu

GTCanuk

06-16-2012, 07:08 PM

Bump ;s

ChicagoWhiteSox

06-16-2012, 07:12 PM

The 1998 LFDC selectos are great for morning cigars:2

Nathan

06-16-2012, 08:11 PM

This has been a very cool thread to read

smitty81

06-19-2012, 01:19 PM

bump

DBall

06-19-2012, 07:48 PM

ApexAZ Cigar #8
*************

5/21/2012

I'll be pairing #8 with a Sunbru by the local Arizona brewer Four Peaks. The nights just keep getting warmer, so I'll probably continue to smoke at a slightly faster pace.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/7246577194_3c8cc399ec.jpg

Pre-light
This cigar is about 5" long and has a ring guage around 42. The wrapper is light and smooth with only small veins. Slightly spongy, the overall construction feels good with a triple cap. The cigar looks and feels old to me. The smell of the tobacco is not much different from the others: a mix of manure and tobacco.

The pre-light draw is pretty good and I taste a mix of wood and cardboard. Nothing too exciting really.

1st Third
Ugh, it's freaking hot outside. The first few puffs don't have a lot of flavor, which has been pretty typical of all of these so far. A little bit of sweetness, but not much else. Some very faint sweet cream and leather come through for an over all very mild smoke. The burn is perfect and the ash drops after about 3/4".

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8012/7246578630_87069db59e.jpg

2nd Third
20 minutes in and I hit the 2nd third of the cigar. The strength and body continue to be mild, although the flavor is starting to build slightly. The sweetness isn't as prevalent. It's more of a toasted nut and earthy type flavor. It's hard to describe really. The burn, draw and ash all continue to be flawless.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7102/7246580938_66d0892155.jpg

Final Third
I hit the final 3rd about 40 minutes in. The strength and body are both medium now and the cigar reminds me more of a Dominican in flavor, which I think is mainly due to the fact that it isn't as sweet as some of the others have been. So far it hasn't developed into what I would consider great, but not bad either. I taste an earthy leather more than anything. I don't really get any toasted nuts anymore. Burn was perfect all the way through!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7077/7246582330_e998771932.jpg

Conclusion
BTT # 8 was decent. Not as exciting as some of the others before it, but still pretty good. I give it a 7/10. Thank you, Dan!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7101/7246693436_5b69fd48c1.jpg

Score: 7/10

Total smoke time: 55 minutes

DBall

06-19-2012, 07:49 PM

smitty81 Cigar #8
**************

Cigar # 8 will be enjoyed with a ginger ale on this fine summer night. Temp is in the low to mid 80's with a slight breeze. Thunderstorms to the south of us so some nice clouds to watch and the sunset is making everything look pinkish/orange. Beautiful night that has made me appreciate this fine cigar all that much more.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/562271_10151042553307284_175102331_n.jpg

This cigar has a nice construction. Nice and firm but not hard. This cigar has no big veins in the wrapper and it looks like a good quality cigar that someone would be proud to put their cigar band on.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/603092_10151042553162284_2073338589_n.jpg

The first draw is always my favorite, it's like opening a present on Christmas morning.

The first draw was a strong green flavor. I actually enjoy the green flavor many of these cc's have. (see, I'm already guessing it's a cc)

This green flavor last up to about the beginning of the 2/3rd of the cigar.

https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/538431_10151042553012284_168303487_n.jpg

The 2/3rd of this cigar has went from tasting green to tasting slightly creamy with a little bit of sweetness in the background. Nothing real strong here, just nice and relaxing like the night I had outside.

I did retro hale and for the first time ever, I finally got something out of it. I was able to pick up a different flavor. The flavor I picked up during the retro hale was VERY brief and it took me a few times to decide what I was smelling/tasting. I finally decided on grandma smell.

I'm not talking about moth ball grandma smell but rather the take a bath in your perfume kind of grandma. That smell when you go to church and walk past a group of old ladies. It was even a perfume I would expect a grandma to wear, very floral.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/600755_10151042552772284_580027601_n.jpg

OK, the last third of this cigar has also taken a change in flavor. I am now getting that floral taste like I got with the retro hale earlier. This is the first cigar I have ever had that has had a floral taste to it and honestly, while it wasn't a bad flavor, it really isn't something that I would like to taste in a cigar. Maybe if it was a different kind of floral it wouldn't be as bad. Its almost as if someone took a very fragrant flower, stem and all and wrapped it up into a cigar. This cigar was so interesting to me.

While I may not have liked it, it was an awesome new experience for me. There were distinct flavor changes that I noticed, Some flavors that I enjoyed and a new flavor that I have never experienced with a cigar. This was a "fun" and interesting cigar to smoke.

https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/401939_10151042552537284_370962319_n.jpg

A picture to cap off my very enjoyable night. I wasn't going to have a smoke tonight but I am so glad I did.

I am having a tough time grading this one. Based on flavors, I wouldn't rate it real high but it always kept changing in flavor and that was very interesting and enjoyable to me. Not to mention this cigar practically had a perfect burn.

I will say a 7.5/10

DBall

06-19-2012, 07:53 PM

What they smoked:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/BTT5-08.jpg

2008 Pro Larranaga Petit Corona

ApexAZ score: 7

smitty81 score: 7.5

Glad you liked these... for the most part. While I haven't visited these in some time, I remember vividly thinking that they were no where near ready last time I did. I may have to try another one soon... :tu

44stampede

06-19-2012, 09:34 PM

I am about to pull the trigger on a cab of these. Based on the reviews I am a little gun shy. Someone tell me the 2011 is a good year to smoke them fresh!!

Blak Smyth

06-20-2012, 08:11 AM

I am about to pull the trigger on a cab of these. Based on the reviews I am a little gun shy. Someone tell me the 2011 is a good year to smoke them fresh!!

I am smoking through a cab now, do it :tu

Good reviews guys, once again pretty similar reviews.
I love the complexity of CCs, they are unlike any NC I have ever experienced.

CRIMPS

06-20-2012, 01:31 PM

I am about to pull the trigger on a cab of these. Based on the reviews I am a little gun shy. Someone tell me the 2011 is a good year to smoke them fresh!!

I, too, am burning through a 2011 cab. 2011's are smoking really well. :)

Great reviews.

I guess I am not familiar with flavors "grandma" and "green". I will have to keep an eye out for these :)

smitty81

06-21-2012, 07:07 AM

I, too, am burning through a 2011 cab. 2011's are smoking really well. :)

Great reviews.

I guess I am not familiar with flavors "grandma" and "green". I will have to keep an eye out for these :)

I am new and still trying to find my palate.

I was associating smells with taste. Better words to describe it would be a Strong floral smell and Grassy.

DBall

07-03-2012, 06:54 AM

Bump.

ApexAZ

07-06-2012, 01:07 PM

Finished mine up over the 4th. What a great experience this was! I'm really looking forward to seeing the results from the last 2.

Dan, you are the man. Thanks so much. I don't know how to repay you!

smitty81

07-06-2012, 01:10 PM

I will be finished up this weekend.

Thanks Dan.

DBall

07-06-2012, 06:43 PM

Dan, you are the man. Thanks so much. I don't know how to repay you!

If you enjoyed the cigars and the experiment, you've repaid me plenty... :tu

GTCanuk

07-09-2012, 08:19 PM

Re-bump

ApexAZ

07-10-2012, 11:11 AM

Let's go, Smitty! Do it up!

jonumberone

07-12-2012, 09:18 AM

Bump Diggity!

smitty81

07-12-2012, 09:28 AM

I sent #9 in this morning. Sorry I'm so slow guys, Work has been getting in the way a LOT lately. I will try my darndest to have #10 done before the weekend.

Sorry guys.

LasciviousXXX

07-12-2012, 09:42 AM

Man I love these threads :tu

Good job to all involved!

FriendlyMan

07-12-2012, 11:57 AM

If I may ask how exactly dose this work? If I say I'm in the next person responding gets 5 sticks from me? And do I need to guess which cigars they are? Or just review them?
Thanks.

Blak Smyth

07-12-2012, 12:20 PM

If I may ask how exactly dose this work? If I say I'm in the next person responding gets 5 sticks from me? And do I need to guess which cigars they are? Or just review them?
Thanks.

This was a blind review offered to two individuals who had applied in the beginning. They where selected and have completed all reviews, we are waiting to see the last one I believe. DBall was generous enough to offer his own sticks for these two guys to try and review. This is not a revolving thread although Dan may do this again in the future.

FriendlyMan

07-12-2012, 12:24 PM

Oh, thanks for clearing that up.

DBall

07-12-2012, 12:25 PM

If I may ask how exactly dose this work? If I say I'm in the next person responding gets 5 sticks from me? And do I need to guess which cigars they are? Or just review them?
Thanks.

Read the first post of the thread as that outlines how this works. This may or may not be the last one... I'm 100 cigars deep into these experiments thus far... :)

I always say it is the last and then do another one anyway... hahaha

363

07-12-2012, 12:34 PM

I always say it is the last and then do another one anyway... hahaha

Well thanks for doing em, they are highly enjoyable to read! :tu

pnoon

07-12-2012, 01:00 PM

Read the first post of the thread as that outlines how this works. This may or may not be the last one... I'm 100 cigars deep into these experiments thus far... :)

I always say it is the last and then do another one anyway... hahaha

You are to be commended for your efforts, Dan.

But there is no reason why someone else couldn't conduct the same type of taste test. One of the many ways to give back to the community (PIF).

:2

CigarNut

07-12-2012, 01:03 PM

DBall

07-12-2012, 01:08 PM

You are to be commended for your efforts, Dan.

But there is no reason why someone else couldn't conduct the same type of taste test. One of the many ways to give back to the community (PIF).

:2

I agree... people have asked if they could use the same format and stuff and I'm totally fine with that.

As for why I keep doing it, I really like to see these things and experience the cigars through the eyes of the newer members. It's also a good way for me, personally, to pay it forward/back/wherever... it was the kindness of others (most of whom are on this board or were on CS) that made cigars so much more than a hobby and so much more about the people than the cigars themselves... :tu

GTCanuk

07-13-2012, 03:41 PM

Where's #9 :dr

smitty81

07-13-2012, 05:07 PM

I just finisher up #10 today. I'll get it to you tonight or tomorrow Dan!

jonumberone

07-18-2012, 07:54 AM

Bump!

:tt

smitty81

07-18-2012, 08:30 AM

Bump!

:tt

It's all in Dballs hands now. I got all mine finished up a few days ago.

DBall

07-18-2012, 09:18 AM

Yup... I will probably get 9 up tonight and stagger 10 a bit as these are the last two... :)

GTCanuk

07-20-2012, 03:35 PM

Yup... I will probably get 9 up tonight and stagger 10 a bit as these are the last two... :)

Bump:sl

ApexAZ

07-23-2012, 03:25 PM

I'm dying to know what these are!

DBall

07-24-2012, 06:25 AM

Me too...!

I am putting a calendar reminder on my phone to do at least one of them tonight...

DBall

07-24-2012, 03:37 PM

ApexAZ Cigar #9
*************

6/25/2012

Well it's been a pretty crazy few weeks and I haven't had a lot of time to do any blind taste test reviews. Today I'm going to tackle #9 to the best of my ability in greater than 100 degree heat. I also noticed that I really can't smell the cigar. Although my allergies seem fine today, I decided to take a zyrtec followed by a dose of flonase several hours prior to this review.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7274/7441659762_0b9c40d731.jpg

Pre-light
This cigar is about 5 1/4" long and has a ring guage around 38-40. The natural wrapper has a smooth feel to it with small veins throughout. The appearance is a little rough around the edges, particularly around the triple cap. The cigar feels heavy and very dense.

The pre-light draw seems tight, which I half expected given the solid feel of it, so I decided to leave it out for several hours before attempting to smoke it. I don't really taste anything noteworthy on the draw.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5035/7441675888_aa2f8a771f.jpg

1st Third
Initial flavors from the first couple puffs are musty cardboard. The smoke is smooth, but not very flavorful. Within the first 10 minutes, the cigar went out and required a relight. The flavor is starting to develop into a semi-sweet wood/cedar flavor. It's freaking hot outside and I'm guzzling my perrier. I will have to switch to water soon. The flavors continue to sweeten and the burn/draw are both excellent.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8012/7443963920_55377e724b.jpg

2nd Third
20 minutes in and I'm into the 2nd third of the smoke. Flavors are developing nicely into a richer, sweeter and creamier medium bodied profile. I'm really starting to enjoy it. Hints of cedar are still present, but mostly now I just taste sweet cream. This thing is tasty and I'm hoping I don't melt in the heat before I can finish enjoying it. The draw and burn are both excellent and the ash has been dropping periodically after about an inch or so.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8025/7443966598_0c58bf8883.jpg

Final Third
I dip into the final third after about 45 minutes. The smoke is still medium bodied and medium strength. The same flavors are present, only stronger. I get some very slight hints of chocolate, but overall it's more of a sweet cream with some cedar. The draw and ash were perfect through the entire cigar.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8158/7444075260_e2373a142c.jpg

Conclusion
All in all, this was a really good cigar! It was mild, but had great flavor. I give it an 8/10 Thanks, Dan!

Score: 8/10

Total smoke time: 65 minutes

DBall

07-24-2012, 03:39 PM

smitty81 Cigar #9
**************

Ok, here's 9 finally. Sorry for the hold up.

Stick 9

I know you guys don't like my on the road reviews but in between sleep and work, it's all I have time for right now and I want to get this done so Dan doesn't get even more irritated with how long this is taking me.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/295349_10151101504267284_1489463933_n.jpg
Stick 9 appears to be 5-1/4" long with 2 large veins in the wrapper. I guesstimate this is about a 40 Ga. It has a tight construction with a good cap on it. Wrapper is lite in color.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/602479_10151101504602284_397938228_n.jpg
I enjoyed this cigar with some Jamaican me Crazy coffee. On my first draw, I was getting sweet cream and grassy flavors with a nice spice in the background. The draw was pretty tight on this cigar. but after squeezing it a bit I got it to loosen up a good bit.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/314033_10151101504957284_815177750_n.jpg

The flavor bounced around from grassy to sweet cream in the first third and then settled down to a nice caramel flavor with that spice still in the background.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/552278_10151101505777284_1843091086_n.jpg

I am having a really hard time picking out that spice I am tasting. Its almost like a molasses or burnt caramel or maybe even a nutmeg kind of flavor. The flavors of this cigar reminded me of warm Bread Pudding. It was pretty frickin good.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/251861_10151101506522284_899483211_n.jpg

I was having a hard time keeping this one burning and I'm gonna chalk that up to the tight draw which in turn, I am going to assume it had short filler. That is just an assumption based on my past experiences with a few of Dans other cigars I have tried. I could be wrong though as I didn't dissect it at the end.

The caramel/bread pudding flavor remained clear up to the nub. This cigar had really good flavor but due to the burn issues and tight draw, that is going to drop the score a bit.

I give stick number nine an 8/10.

DBall

07-24-2012, 03:43 PM

What they smoked:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/BTT5-09.jpg

2002 Fonseca Cosaco

ApexAZ score: 8

smitty81 score: 8

9 done and none to go... I got 10 in, but I'm gonna stagger it a bit... :)

CigarNut

07-24-2012, 03:48 PM

Thanks for the reviews. I recently picked up some of these and found them enjoyable.

smitty81

07-24-2012, 03:48 PM

These were sure good Dan. Probably ranks #2 out of the 10 you sent.

Whipper Snapper

07-26-2012, 06:33 PM

GTCanuk

07-30-2012, 06:51 AM

Bump to the finish;s

DBall

07-30-2012, 08:09 AM

Bump to the finish;s

Geez... you are relentless. :su

I was in Toronto this weekend and at work now... I'll post the final one up tomorrow evening... :tu

Blak Smyth

07-30-2012, 08:45 AM

Geez... you are relentless. :su

I was in Toronto this weekend and at work now... I'll post the final one up tomorrow evening... :tu

I say make take another week, keep the suspense alive!
Just before you post, go to commercial!

jonumberone

07-30-2012, 08:47 AM

Post up one review, a week later the other review, and wait one more week until the big reveal! :banger

Just PM me the answer first! :r

CigarNut

07-30-2012, 08:54 AM

Post up one review, a week later the other review, and wait one more week until the big reveal! :banger

Just PM me the answer first! :r:sl

DBall

08-01-2012, 06:04 PM

ApexAZ Cigar #10
**************

7/4/2012

Well it's Independence Day and the weather here in Phoenix is unusually nice. It's overcast and has been raining off and on this morning, which has given us beautiful 80 degree weather. Given the holiday and the rare nice weather, it only made sense to wrap up Dan's blind taste test by smoking number 10. I don't really have anything to drink so H2O it is.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/7503882374_2fc5aa7f57.jpg

Pre-light
This cigar is about 5 1/2" long and has a ring guage around 38-40. It has a nice and smooth natural wrapper with very small veins and a triple cap. Although somewhat light, the construction appears and feels solid and I can't really feel any noticeable soft spots. There are a couple very minor tears in the wrapper, but I don't expect them to cause any issues.

The pre-light draw seems a little tight, but not unsmokable. Scents from the foot and wrapper are musty tobacco. Flavors from the draw bring out a light semi-sweet floral tobacco flavor.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8426/7503884464_ce72580ec1.jpg

1st Third
This cigar started out with some medium bodied flavor right off the bat. The smoke is very smooth and has an earthy cedar taste to it. A little deeper in I get a toasty nutty flavor. So far it has been mild in strength, medium in body and not quite as sweet as some of the others that came before it. The burn is excellent and the ash drops after about 2/3". The draw is slightly tighter than I prefer, but it's workable.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8286/7503985174_5af5c6bb10.jpg

2nd Third
25 minutes into the cigar I reach the 2nd third. The flavor and strength of the cigar continue to be medium and mild, respectively. The cigar still has a musty, earthy type flavor, except instead of cedar, I'm now tasting more coffee and caramel. It is developing more of a sweetness, but not as sweet as some of the previous cigars in the BTT. The burn is still good, the ash drops consistent and the draw is still a little tight.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8012/7504165948_3a23725794.jpg

Final Third
50 minutes have passed and the cigar hasn't really changed drastically. It's still medium bodied and the flavors haven't really developed into anything different from the 2nd third. If anything, the cigar has become less sweet. I still get some musty, earthy flavor and more coffee with less caramel.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8289/7504176700_7d250a7052.jpg

Conclusion
This cigar had more of an earthy profile (if that makes any sense). It wasn't very creamy or sweet. I liked it well enough and give it a 7/10. Thanks, Dan!

Score: 7/10

Total smoke time: 75 minutes

Dan -- I can't thank you enough for the opportunity to try some of these cigars. To sample all of these cigars, and then write about them has been a wonderful experience. Being able to comment on them without any preconceived notions was very cool and helped to bring some things into perspective for me. Specifically, I learned that people should "Smoke what they like, like what they smoke". Thank you so much for sharing some great cigars. It was a really great experience.

DBall

08-01-2012, 06:05 PM

smitty81 Cigar #10
***************

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/165829_10151109882547284_360380719_n.jpg

I didn't get time to measure up stick #10 but if I were to guess, I'd say it was around 6" long and about a 42 Ga cigar.

There were no large veins in the wrapper and the cigar was rolled extremely tight. There is no sponginess in this cigar at all, in fact on one part of this cigar it's rock hard. This looks like a box pressed cigar.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/165832_10151109882812284_29671632_n.jpg

I lit this baby up and took a draw, got nothing. It took my 2-3 hard draws to get anything out of this cigar. I could taste a mild caramel flavor (starting to see a pattern with these cigars).

I tried to work this cigar a bit to loosen it up but damn this thing was packed tight. I couldn't get it to loosen up so I just had to draw harder.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/425032_10151109883552284_1979324316_n.jpg

This was the absolute tightest cigar I have ever had without a doubt. I was wishing I had a draw tool right about now. Although I had to draw harder, the flavor did not get harsh. The flavor profile of this cigar remained the same through out. Just a nice caramel flavor.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/603510_10151109883787284_460802557_n.jpg

After the cigar was about half done, the draw loosened up considerably. It still had a tight draw but it was better than what it was for sure. This cigar really reminds me of the first cigar we had in the BTT which was a Por Larranaga. The Por Larranga was hands down better though.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/309410_10151109884072284_1982432469_n.jpg

This cigar had good flavor but if it would have been a cigar I bought myself, I would have probably deemed it un-smokable. I really needed a draw tool to get this one smoking properly. Also, I had a TON of burn problems with this cigar. If I wasn't drawing on it about every minute or so, this thing would go out. This cigar was just a nightmare when it came to the draw and burn. I really had to babysit this one.

I gave it a 6/10.

Dan, I really appreciate the opportunity you gave me to do this. It has really opened my eyes when it comes to picking out flavors and just learning about cigars in general. This was an experience that I otherwise wouldn't of had a chance to try if it wasn't for your generosity. Also, as an added bonus, I got to try some CC's that I probably never would have had a chance to try. I really do appreciate this Dan.

Thank you!

DBall

08-01-2012, 06:07 PM

What they smoked:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww254/dichotomyx/BTT5-10.jpg

1998 Punch Corona

ApexAZ score: 7

smitty81 score: 6

That's a 14 year old CC right there...

Thanks for playing, guys! I'll post more about this probably tomorrow or so. :tu

363

08-01-2012, 06:16 PM

Dan thanks for putting this together! It has been awesome to read and follow! Look forward to meeting ya at Doms

CigarNut

08-01-2012, 06:37 PM

Dan thanks for putting this together! It has been awesome to read and follow! Look forward to meeting ya at DomsYes -- I agree. Very cool and very informative!

44stampede

08-01-2012, 07:01 PM

This was great! Thanks to all 3 of you.

Whipper Snapper

08-01-2012, 07:04 PM

Thanks guys. This was great.
The box press on those punch coronas is pretty wild.

Bleez

08-01-2012, 08:51 PM

...and then there were none :(

Thanks Dan for putting this together. What a great way for those guys to sample some mighty fine sticks and for keeping many of us entertained. Nice presentation, etc. Also a great job by Smitty and Apex on the reviews...

GTCanuk

08-01-2012, 10:06 PM

It's been a great read!!!

mase

08-02-2012, 04:37 AM

It's been fun to follow these reviews. Thanks for doing this, Dan. Great stuff.

Blak Smyth

08-02-2012, 05:44 AM

smitty81

08-02-2012, 09:27 AM

Dan, I appreciate you putting this together. This is universally enjoyed by newbs (Like myself :r) as well as the seasoned vets here. These are the kind of threads that add value to the boards, not that I don't enjoy some good hopeless banter. Brilliant thread!!!!

Thanks for the reviewers as well, you guys did apply yourselves and you produced some great fair reviews! The question I have is what is your overall opinion on CCs now that you have tried several?

While I didn't know exactly what to expect, I was a bit let down. I think I let myself hype them up to much. All I have herd growing up is CC this and CC that, they are the holy grail of cigars..............and so on.

I do like them for what they are and Dan threw in a handful that I enjoyed and even 2 or 3 that I would smoke again if I ever had a chance.

Were the CC's my cup of tea? Not so much. They were good cigars but not really the flavor profile I am enjoying right now.

:2