Indeed, we each have our own way.
That's what makes us all so damm interesting.
Speaking of interesting (or not), I give to you the review of Blind Cigar No.4.
This was smoked on Tuesday, 7/26, starting at 5:15 PM.
Oh my! It's not a box-press! Did I pick the wrong bag?
Nope, still a maduro, so it's the right one. 4-1/2" x 50 ring.
Dark wrapper, not as mottled as the previous ones.
Densely packed with little give.
Prelight smell is of sweet barnyard. Like where the girl ponies hang out.
Draw is firm but good, allows tastes of cocoa & malt.
Pour some water to start & listen to Traffic. The band, not the street.
Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys/Shootout At the Fantasy Factory.
I light up I sit back......
Whoa. Sharp. Real sharp. Too sharp for my liking.
Pepper overpowers the undertones of burnt coffee, dark chocolate & tar.
Salty aftertaste. I'm starting to think it's a good thing this is only 4-1/2".
Strength is reaching into full spectrum right off the bat.
After 1/2", it's not quite as nasty-sharp, but I'm not diggin the taste, either. The burnt coffee & dark chocolate is invaded by a bitter tar & salty aftertaste. Ever smell Tegrin shampoo? Ever taste it? I'm smokin it. Reminds me of the old Tabacalera Tropical maduros. And why I didn't buy them after sampling a few.
On the bright side, the burn is very good & the draw is fine,m with just enough give. I just wish I could give it back.
1" in, there's less bitterness, but it's still making its presence known. Taste is now more like very strong (but not burnt) espresso & muted dark chocolate. The finish remains salty, and there's some woodiness mixed with the tar.
When in doubt, reach for the Makers Mark, so off I go to grab a bottle. Maybe if I gargle with it, it'll numb my tongue. Although, then it would be tough to say "numb my tongue" - it would sound like "gnungh mah dunng", so maybe I shouldn't. Shilala, I know you told me I could feel free to toss 'em early if they were ugly, but I'm a trouper. Or at least a paratrouper (insert groan here).
At the 2" mark, there's more dark chocolate mixing with the espresso, but I can't seem to shake that bitter, salty aftertaste. Halfway home now. I notice dye coming off on my fingers. WTF?!
I continue. Either I'm getting used to this or it's getting better. Not as bitter as before. Then again, a person can get used to anything. I hear you can boil a frog by placing it in cool water and slowly increasing the heat over time; it never notices. I wonder if that would work with certain lawyers? Just thinkin. But I digress. Again. The flavors are mostly espresso and dark chocolate. The tar seems to have gone, leaving a sharp woodiness. Someone once told my I had a sharp woody. I'll leave that story for another review.
Reaching the last 2" now. I do believe it's bearable! Not good, but bearable.
1-1/2" left now. Time for more bourbon & the Stones - Beggars Banquet. I can swim through the rest of this smoke like Brian Jones. Right?
I continue, but I feel like I'm just going through the motions at this point ("Oh help me dear doctor, I'm damaged"...what fitting lyrics).
Smoking this cigar is like sitting down on a filled coast-to-coast flight only to find in the seat next to you is your ex-wife. The one who got custody of your remote control. It starts nasty, you hope it will get better, you tell yourself that it does, but you still end up with a bitter taste in your mouth. And this flight has landed with about 1" to go. Once again, I reach for a cigarette as soon as I disembark.
End time 6:50 PM. Total time 1hour, 35 minutes.
Rating this cigar is a challenge. I want to find some redeeming qualities, but other than a really good burn & draw, I'm drawing a blank. If I just said "Nice construction", would you date it? My point, exactly. And yet, there it is.
I'll just leave it as I'm not a fan.
Can I say 50? I'm afraid that might be too generous.
Reflecting back upon this series of reviews, I know I sound real persnickety & picky, but I assure you, I'm not. Just luck of the draw with these particular smokes, I guess. And I'm the first to admit that I don't like most maduros, even though some of my favorite cigars are, in fact, maduros - 5 Vegas "A", Padilla Obsidian, Arganese Maduro, Fuente Anejo, etc. I'm just finding most of these test subjects bite back more than a cage full of lab rats.
No matter. I will sally forth & finish my assigned task with my Review of Blind Cigar No. 5 in the next day or 2. It has already been incinerated, it just needs the proper words.
Until then, in the words of Traffic/Steve Winwwod, "Light up or leave me alone".