All right - I've had two of baggie A. I'll keep the last until after the big reveal. Like I said, I have the palate of a hyena, but as always, I'll give it my best. Haven't read the other reviews posted in front of me yet, so this is totally on the fly. Hopefully I make you proud, Scott, since you got me in this. I can be your 43 year-old son.
First off, I preface by saying I smoke CCs 90% of the time. Smokes lots of NCs for the past 6 or 7 years, but within the past year or more, CCs have the flavor profile I enjoy most, plus I am afforded more skinny to smaller RG smokes that fit my time allotments. A lot of NCs are heavier and spicier than I enjoy as relaxation smokes.
I'll post both reviews and will average my scores and give a final summary. Pictures include for each event.
Cigar A #1 - Before supper, Yuengling Lager as drink, 1 and 1/2 hours, watching the History channel in the garage, supplement heat via Mr. Heater propane heater while lounging in my stadium chair. Punched cut.
Review Format
0.0 - 2.0 = poor/inferior quality
2.1 - 2.9 = fair
3.0 - 3.5 = good
3.5 - 4.5 = excellent
4.6 - 5.0 = superior
1) Aesthetics: the look of the cigar - oily, coarse, smooth, dry, light, dark, pretty, ugly, etc...
Well rolled, some veins. No so much oily, but dark, yet not maduro dark, maybe sun grown. Easy on the eyes. Nice double cap. Holds together well. One small, tiny split near the end, but nothing to really write about.
Score for aesthetics:
4.0
2) Pre-light Construction: Roll cigar between fingers - soft spots? loose? tight? dense? lightweight? Well rolled? how does it smell?
Feels dense and well rolled. According to my flavor wheel, it's sweet, barnyard, with a smell I smell frequently, but don't know how to describe it. Not tobacco-y, maybe aged grass or hay. Typical NC. Very pleasant.
Score for Pre-light construction:
4.5
3) Post-light Construction/How it smoked: Does it draw well, does smoke pull through on its own, do soft spots appear after lighting, burnes evenly? smokes hot or cool? What is ash like? color of ash? flaky or solid?
Lit well, has a great, easy draw. No soft spots, burned as even as you would want a cigar to burn. Minimal touchup throughout the entire smoke, maybe 3 or 4 because I'm OCD. Ash is whitish to light grey. Holds together for an inch or more. Never fell off, I knock it off. No hot cone after ash dump. Ash reminds me of a Nicaragua stick.
Score for post-light construction:
4.5
4a) Flavor and strength – 1st 1/3: What does it taste like? Full-bodied, med. or mild? Does it taste earthy, spicy, fruity, vegetal, sweet, rich, harsh, direct, floral, robust, woody, green (haylike), acidic, salty? Is it pleasant or unpleasant? Does it build in flavor and/or complexity as you smoke it? Is it bland, flavorful, complex? Did it get bitter?
Initial light - good tobacco flavor, little pepper on the back of the throat then an overall mouth tingle from spice. Spice is medium, not overbearing, which I can't stand. Smooth and leathery, some wood. After about 3/4" the pepper subsides. With spice gone, turns pleasant and enjoyable. Not a lot of surprises, kind of one-dimensional so far. Not hot nor bitter at all. Medium- 4.0
4b) Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3:
Starting turning toward cocoa, yet not bitter. Still not hot. More sweet. Still get leather and wood. Got a little nicotine buzz, but hadn't eat in 3-4 hours. Has a short finish and flavors disappear between swallows of beer. Spice may come a go just a little every now and then. Still not complex and one-dimensional. - 4.0
4c) Flavor and strength – Last 1/3:
Best part of the stick. Burning great, razor sharp. Sweet chocolate, not harsh nor bitter. Nearer the end got toffee and the last third was devoid of spice. Never got hot. Stayed medium the entire time. Last third was creamier in flavor and the finish got longer. While the flavors did change a little, they rotated around the wood, leather, cocoa circle, so it stayed pretty consistent throughout the entire stick. No nasal. Enjoyable, solid smoke. - 4.2
Score for flavor and strength:
4.1
5) Aftertaste/Finish: aftertaste is the sensation &/or flavor on you palate after each puff, not the taste left after you finish the cigar. Is it heavy - light? Spicy, cedary, fruity, bitter, hot, grassy? Mild - strong? Pleasant or not? Harsh?
Initially spicy and woody. Not particularly heavy, medium to full nearer the end. Pleasant, never strong. Typically maduro-like flavors except for the occasional flare of spice. I liked it.
Score for aftertaste:
4.1
6) Aroma: What does it smell like? Good - bad? light or heavy? pervasive - mild? floral, perfumed, grassy, harsh, woodsy, overpowering, unpleasant, magnificent?
Good aged hay to light barnyard smell. No perfume, no floral at all. Pleasant.
Score for aroma:
4.1
7) General Comments: Are samples consistent? Did you particlarily enjoy of with a certain food or beverage? Did they appeal more at certain time of day? Did it remind you of something? Would you buy them? Sum it up as you would to a friends ("That cigar was awesome!") and give it an overall score.
See summary
Overall score for the cigar.
25.2/30 (or 84/100 for those that like the base 10 scale)
8) Recommendation: Would you recommend the cigar? Pick one of the following and explain:
Not Recommended; Possibly Recommended; Recommended; Highly Recommended
See summary
