DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

2 of our newer members are going to review these 10 cigars:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...tomyx/BTT5.jpg

If anyone has any ideas of what these might be, please don't share... I want this to be as fun and unbiased as possible.

They will review them at least 1 per week and PM their reviews to me. Once I get em, I'll post them in the thread and post the results.

Cigars are going out probably Monday... :banger



Previous Newb Blind Taste Tests here:

Blind Taste Test Thread #1

Blind Taste Test Thread #2

Blind Taste Test Thread #3

Blind Taste Test Thread #4

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

These are always fun. Thanks for getting it going again Dan, looking forward to it :tu

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

Really looking forward to this! :tu

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

Dropped in the mail today.

As a suggestion, keep the RH for these around 63 or so... many people in previous threads had issues with plugged cigars due to overhumidification.

:banger

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

Oh boy!!! He's at it again!

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

Looking forward to this as everybody else is. Great program!!!

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

Awwwww yeahhhhh :banger :noon

Subscribed - can't wait to see what they think!

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

Also subscribed. These are always great threads--thanks for doing another one, Dan!

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

I have 65 beads. Should this be okay, or should I drybox before smoking?

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

Subscribed! Glad to see this going again :tu

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

65% is perfect!

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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...

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

Here we go!

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

I told my wife I was doing this.......................She wasn't to happy when I made her throw bleach in my eyes so I could be blind.

I ensured her it was worth it though.

I'm 100% ready for the blind taste test now.

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

http://www.guidedbyyoda.com/images/yoda_in_swamp.jpg
Ready are you? What know you of ready?

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

I am eagerly waiting for these reviews.

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

yes!!! Subscribed.

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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:

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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%.

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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........

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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 :)

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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


...and so it begins!

:noon

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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.

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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.

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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/7206/7...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/7250/7...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/7123/6...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/7092/7...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/7071/6...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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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...38560760_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...75696535_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...27183863_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...05377415_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...59946236_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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

:tu looking good guys

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

What they smoked:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...yx/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!

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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.

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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.... :)

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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.

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

Nice reviews! Looking forward to the next reviews.

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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/7278/7...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/5039/7...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/5040/7...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/5198/6...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/7231/6...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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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...78371149_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...91760259_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...22589972_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...01617818_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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

What they smoked:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...yx/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...

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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

Re: DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5
 

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!