Taboo Test Blend #5

[stearns]

I went looking for something interesting to smoke after a long day, and for whatever reason my eyes were drawn to this guy, for the first time in years. I took it as a sign and picked it up at once. I don't know much about the orgination because I got it as a gift, but I believe Taboo sent these out to the top customers to help pick a new blend. All I was told, by multiple people, that this was that #5 was "the good one." After a little looking back, I found that I got this from Vin at a bbq we had at his house in 2008.. wow that was a while ago. It's stayed in the zip lock bag since then, carried from apartment to apartment until today

Normally I jot down notes and write up a review later, but I'm gonna try writing and posting on the spot, so sorry if I get off track.

The cigar was not evenly filled, with the foot being the loosest, the middle the tightest and the cap juuust right. If its gonna be lopsided thats pretty much the best scenario, so im fine with it. It clipped well with the palio. It's a corona/corona Gorda type size and shape. I took a prelight draw and it tasted like nothing. There was some flavor, it wasn't like some other older ncs I've had that tastes like air, but it was nothing special. Not a problem, on to the light. It took the flame well and once it was going started out straight.

The initial taste is similar to the prelight, in that it's there but it's not really there. Not bad, just tastes "like a cigar" for lack of a better phrase. After about 10 minutes it's coming together, medium-full strength and good for about a 50% nose exhale. It's got a woody profile with a light sweetness on the finish. I don't know if it was originally a strong cigar but if this is what it's like 9 years later I'm pretty impressed strength wise. I'm starting to wonder if the fact that it was sealed in a bag the whole time has contributed to that, I guess we'll never know for sure. It's not overly strong by any means, but it's very nice.

I investigate the wrapper and I'm inclined to call it "toothy." Haven't used that word in a while, but it has goosebumps and reminds me of a camaroon, another thing I haven't had in a while but used to love. That's cool.

Back to the cigar, it's getting into the 1/3 mark and settling down, it's more of a medium on the exhale but it's giving me tongue bite, almost like pipe tobacco. The ash is staying on well, only a few flakes in the first third. I'm gonna ash it so it doesn't fall all over me, but it would probably hang on for a few more. I grabbed my lighter and took it to the ash, it looks like the wrapper and binder bubbled up leading me to believe it was treated with something. Not inherently bad, but interesting.

At the halfway mark and I'm getting that woody profile again, like a burnt wood. Yeah yeah, burnt because it's burning, but I know what I mean. It could have changed because of the natural development or because I'm at the spot where it's rolled the tightest, who knows, but it's definitely improved.

It's staying pretty much the same into the last third, still on the hot side and still full of flavor, unique for an NC this old. I put it down for about 3 minutes to let it cool down and the first puff back was nutty, more roasted hazelnut than peanut butter, but it left shortly as the heat took back over. I don't think I can let it rest longer without it going out, but it's still better than it was. Constant improvement, I like it.

Getting in towards the end and it's down to a mild-medium, similar profile. I've been purging and it helps, it's getting to be very smooth. I gave it one last touch up at about an inch left, purged and that sweetness came out. Really a cool profile, I wish it had come together earlier. It's a familiar taste can't put my finger on where I've had it before, I'm leaning towards a slightly aged Fuente, maybe a Don Carlos. It only lasted a few puffs before the eventual blah taste of the end of a smoke took over. I didn't nub it down to the end, but I did enjoy it, and wanted to end on a good note. My total smoke time about 75 minutes.

So in summary: thanks vin, that was cool. I think there were three of us there that day hanging out on your porch, joking about the burn on your arm from mowing the lawn with a lusitania. Some people have different definitions for "yardgar"

This was very enjoyable, I may be a decade too late but if you're out there Taboo, you should make this one into a regular production