ApexAZ Cigar #3
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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