Island Prince Momona Dark

E.J. · 08-31-2010, 09:16 PM

Okay, my first shot at a review.... Take it with a grain of salt.

Kauai Cigar Co. Island Prince Momona Dark 50 X 5.75

I purchased this cigar in Kauai in November of last year. Have been waiting for a reason to smoke it and tonight appeared to be reason enough....

I was excited to pull it out, the packaging is fun....

The cigar is fairly dark and smooth, slightly veiny...

Prelight draw is easy and gives a slight taste of what seems like sea-salt/seaweed.... Prepare for A LOT OF THAT.

First third is nothing but what seems like a ROOT brand sea salt candle.... I was ready to dump this. Every once in a while I would get a hint of something that gave me the feeling there was something else there....but it would go away quickly....

Nice draw, nice burn.... Keep sipping off my run and coke to kill the taste....

2nd 1/3 got a LITTLE better.... The salty taste dissipated slightly and I started to get a little more earth, but still had the saltwater/seaweed retro-hale..... At this point, texted the friend I went to Kauai with...told him of my experience... His response.... "Your palate is not ready for a fine cigar. Didn't you pay a lot for that?" (he doesn't smoke cigars and was giving me chit if that doesn't translate with the written word) I was not feeling any better. My daughter then tells me. "Something smells like a skunk."

At this point, I really question pushing through...which is what I feel like I am doing.... But it is my first review... I even have a pen out....so off I go...

I'm really trying to pull flavors out, every time I feel like there is something there, maybe some earthy something, maybe lighter tobacco.....I get back to the hint of that initial seasalt/seaweed.... I am not sure I have even heard a cigar described this way... WTF!

Final third actually becomes the most pleasant of the cigar. The salt is almost completely gone and I am left with earth and grass. I hear about Cubans having a pleasant grassy flavor, I have to believe this is not it. I am not sure this is not just due to me being on R&C #3.... As you can see they are not small, but they are doing their job, which is getting that salty taste out of my mouth....

I get down to about 1.5" and say enough is enough. Who knows, this cigar may be great and maybe I got a turd.....but it was just bad IMO. I wouldn't smoke another if someone gave me one, even to give it a second try. Just not worth the 2 hours, which is about what I spent smoking it...

akumushi · 08-31-2010, 10:43 PM

Nice Review.

dwoodward · 09-01-2010, 01:38 AM

Maybe the roller swam to work that day...

11-07-2010, 01:23 PM

not quite sure what happened there, man....

two of my buddies and i burned darks last night. i brought them back to the mainland about 3 months ago.

burned perfectly, drew perfectly, smelled and tasted fantastic. definitely no salt/seaweed in there. i recommend giving it another go. and if you ever run into a cigar that tastes like seaweed in the future... just put it down! i found myself sorta laughing as i was reading your review because... it sounded like you were punishing yourself needlessly. I would have doused that thing, contacted the company immediately and asked if they pride themselves on using only the highest quality seaweed in their cigars... see if they choose to provide another one (or a case!) to ya. the 3 we had last night were fantastic. will probably order more for 2011.

kelmac07 · 11-07-2010, 01:46 PM

Thanks for sharing...sorry you didn't enjoy it EJ!!

Bill86 · 11-07-2010, 02:20 PM

Sounds awful I agree with the above....Why did you power through it. If something tastes like crap I just put it down. No need in mass self punishment, especially 2 hours worth. Looks like a really nice presentation, shame it was a dog rocket.

08-31-2010, 09:16 PM	#1
E.J. I'm nuts for the place Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 3,218 Trading: (21)	Island Prince Momona Dark Okay, my first shot at a review.... Take it with a grain of salt. Kauai Cigar Co. Island Prince Momona Dark 50 X 5.75 I purchased this cigar in Kauai in November of last year. Have been waiting for a reason to smoke it and tonight appeared to be reason enough.... I was excited to pull it out, the packaging is fun.... The cigar is fairly dark and smooth, slightly veiny... Prelight draw is easy and gives a slight taste of what seems like sea-salt/seaweed.... Prepare for A LOT OF THAT. First third is nothing but what seems like a ROOT brand sea salt candle.... I was ready to dump this. Every once in a while I would get a hint of something that gave me the feeling there was something else there....but it would go away quickly.... Nice draw, nice burn.... Keep sipping off my run and coke to kill the taste.... 2nd 1/3 got a LITTLE better.... The salty taste dissipated slightly and I started to get a little more earth, but still had the saltwater/seaweed retro-hale..... At this point, texted the friend I went to Kauai with...told him of my experience... His response.... "Your palate is not ready for a fine cigar. Didn't you pay a lot for that?" (he doesn't smoke cigars and was giving me chit if that doesn't translate with the written word) I was not feeling any better. My daughter then tells me. "Something smells like a skunk." At this point, I really question pushing through...which is what I feel like I am doing.... But it is my first review... I even have a pen out....so off I go... I'm really trying to pull flavors out, every time I feel like there is something there, maybe some earthy something, maybe lighter tobacco.....I get back to the hint of that initial seasalt/seaweed.... I am not sure I have even heard a cigar described this way... WTF! Final third actually becomes the most pleasant of the cigar. The salt is almost completely gone and I am left with earth and grass. I hear about Cubans having a pleasant grassy flavor, I have to believe this is not it. I am not sure this is not just due to me being on R&C #3.... As you can see they are not small, but they are doing their job, which is getting that salty taste out of my mouth.... I get down to about 1.5" and say enough is enough. Who knows, this cigar may be great and maybe I got a turd.....but it was just bad IMO. I wouldn't smoke another if someone gave me one, even to give it a second try. Just not worth the 2 hours, which is about what I spent smoking it...

08-31-2010, 10:43 PM	#2
akumushi Habanos Apologist Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 1,298 Trading: (11)	Re: Island Prince Momona Dark Nice Review. __________________ "Eventually, however, every ash must drop. And the drop usually is as sudden as it is final."

11-07-2010, 01:23 PM	#4
rrparkerr Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Island Prince Momona Dark not quite sure what happened there, man.... two of my buddies and i burned darks last night. i brought them back to the mainland about 3 months ago. burned perfectly, drew perfectly, smelled and tasted fantastic. definitely no salt/seaweed in there. i recommend giving it another go. and if you ever run into a cigar that tastes like seaweed in the future... just put it down! i found myself sorta laughing as i was reading your review because... it sounded like you were punishing yourself needlessly. I would have doused that thing, contacted the company immediately and asked if they pride themselves on using only the highest quality seaweed in their cigars... see if they choose to provide another one (or a case!) to ya. the 3 we had last night were fantastic. will probably order more for 2011.

11-07-2010, 01:46 PM	#5
kelmac07 Resident Maduro Whore!! Join Date: Apr 2009 First Name: Mac Location: Newport News, VA Posts: 27,322 Trading: (218)	Re: Island Prince Momona Dark Thanks for sharing...sorry you didn't enjoy it EJ!! __________________ Dom in the MLB thread "I could probably get you to wear a Yankee hat for a Maduro!"

11-07-2010, 02:20 PM	#6
Bill86 Snob Join Date: Jul 2010 First Name: Bill Posts: 6,704 Trading: (67)	Re: Island Prince Momona Dark Sounds awful I agree with the above....Why did you power through it. If something tastes like crap I just put it down. No need in mass self punishment, especially 2 hours worth. Looks like a really nice presentation, shame it was a dog rocket.

09-01-2010, 01:38 AM	#3
dwoodward Gentlemen, you may smoke! Join Date: Jul 2010 First Name: Derrick Location: South Dakota Posts: 1,868 Trading: (26)	Re: Island Prince Momona Dark Maybe the roller swam to work that day...