DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #5

[DBall]

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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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

[DBall]

What they smoked:



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.




Great reviews, guys!

[DBall]

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

[emopunker2004]

Originally Posted by DBall

What they smoked:



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.




Great reviews, guys!

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

[smitty81]

Originally Posted by DBall

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.

It was a pretty good cigar though.

[ApexAZ]

Originally Posted by DBall

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.




Great reviews, guys!

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