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RH-5554

One of the most interesting Blendlabs I have had. It has a closed foot and curly-que cap. Very good looking cigar. Did feel a bit squishy especially the first half.

Very nice, tobacco and cedar-ish pre-light aroma. Very easy draw which confirmed that this stick was not tightly packed with tobacco. As a result the first half burned a bit faster than you might expect from just looking at the size. Never overheated though and did slow down in the second half.

The flavor - wow - this was incredible. Wonderful spicy flavors at the start that seemed to change just slightly at every puff. Never overpowering or too much spice, but extremely flavorful with other notes such as cedar and nuts and other spices coming in and out. Large amounts of very nice smoke. At about the halfway point the spice got a bit softer and the cigar became more a "Savory" and "meaty" tobacco flavor. A good chewy, mouthwatering smoke. It was a slow transition. Spice never left but it was in the background now and milder perhaps more white peppery than black pepper for those that know the difference. Spice along with a bit of a slightly stronger tobacco flavor became more pronounced at the end.

This never felt like a "Strong" cigar but at the very end a pretty good nicotine buzz snuck up on me.

This was literally a "lip-smacking" cigar.

As I usually do, AFTER I smoked this one and wrote down my notes, I went to the Mothership to see what others had to say. Unfortunately this one is not on CI right now. In fact there are NO "RH" sticks on the sight that I could find.

Just to see what would happen, I searched just "5554" and, interestingly, up popped up 2 Kristoff cigars that both have a curly cap. You cant tell really from the photos on CI, but I googled Kristoff cigars and it looks as if all of the curly-topped Kristoffs also have a closed foot and it looks like all of their blends come in a 5.5 inch/54 guage size (hence the "5554" in RH-5554)

A visit to the Kristoff webpage shows that they have several blends that are very similar to the description given on Cbid, including blends with Dominican Corojo and Criollo and Ligero leaves. While the web site shows several blends (including one that got a #11/94 from CA in 2012) none EXACTLY match up with the description on Cbid. Of course, Cbid could have the description a bit wrong, but it would be too much work for them to just make these things up, so I assume they just cut and paste whatever the manufacturer sent them.

Thus, I am confident in making my very first Blendlab source declaration: The KH-5554 IS an experimental or limited-run blend from Kristoff!

With the only negative being the slightly loose pack (especially in the front half) this is one of the best Blendlabs I have had.

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Ah-HA... More Evidence. Popped over to that other site that is affiliated with the site that is affiliated with this site and here is their description of the Kristoff Criollo:

This high-end blend utilizes some of the Dominican Republic's best-tasting tobaccos and is only rolled by the factory's best torcedors. The blend is complex, and utilizes all Cuban-seed tobaccos grown in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua and masked with a Cuban-seed Dominican binder. Outside you'll find a mouthwatering Habano Criollo wrapper which was grown in the heart of Nicaragua.

Expect competing flavors of earth, peat, nuts, and a mix of different spices as the cigar burns. You should find a smooth, effortless draw as the cigar produces a ton of thick smoke and exudes a cedar aroma. The blend burns cool from head to foot and even comes complete with a shaggy foot and pigtail cap

Sounds a whole lot like this Blendlab!

HEADS UP!

A Bunch of Blendlabs including a number reviewed above on bid right now (Jan 12). I am stocked so won't be bidding on these!
http://www.cigarbid.com/...?cb_search_box=blendlab

One of my favorites. If i didn't have a large supply already, you would be fighting me for them.

Woo Hoo, cause I just received the 5er of RQ-444s I won on a $5 drunk underbid.! Near Short Story for $1 (plus shipping in a bigger order) sounds like a score.

Based on your review above I scored a fiver of the RH-5554 and just put it down for a nap. Will see how they are in a few weeks time.

I note the Mothership has a pretty good deal on a 10-count Blendlab grab bag. For those interested in taking the plunge, it looks worth it.

Picked up that good deal 10 stick blendlab sampler from the Mothership which is especially nice when also getting daily deal free shipping. So, with this and the warmer weather, more reviews soon!

No I haven't. Connecticuts are not my first choice so getting one of those would be as part of a sampler or a "one-off" to review when I have another order in.

I HAVE noticed some discrepancies in size and description at times with the Blendlabs. Let the store know of the mistake, the one you were "promised" would have been bigger at least.

Post your review! Need other people to get their views in on these sticks.

YP-5754

Pulled this one out of the grab-bag as never had it before and looked interesting. Dang, if it wasn't another good one. Dark, Salomon shape great pre-light smell. Starts off mildly spicy with both pepper and salty flavors. Spice fades out (pepper went away first then the salt) leaving a very rich tobacco flavor with Dark Roast Coffee and Bitter (in a good way) Dark Chocolate underneath. Didn't pick up any real "sweetness" as mentioned in some other reviews and the blurb until near the end and even then not that much. Strength did kick up halfway though and got bit of a nic buzz by the end. This one stays with you, will need a couple of good tooth brushings and mouthwashes before palate is clean again!

Lots of smoke and lasted a good 90 min. before I decided to call it a smoke. Only real drawback to this one would be its listed price on CI. $7.00 per stick is pretty hefty, so putting this in my "will buy again if the price is right" category.

On back-order as of this post anyway.

QE-654

Beautiful Cigar and great pre-light smell. Lit easily and never needed retouching. Razor sharp burn and firm ash. About 1 hour 45 min smoke. Huge amounts of smoke. Got a fiver of them for $10 here on the great Cbid!

Burned one ROTT and have to say this is one of the stronger Blendlabs I have had. Very strong tobacco and dark-dark coffee-sh flavors. When good, it was very-very good. At times, however, it was a bit harsh and bitter, like coffee that has been overheated on the warmer all day. Not always like that, but at times it came through that way. Other than that the flavor profile stayed the same the entire smoke, so those that want a cigar to "Evolve" over time would not care for this.

This is a hard stick for me to categorize, so going to come up with a new category! I am putting this one in my new "wait and see" category. I am betting that this stick needs to sit for a while to mellow out just a bit, then could be a winner. So the remaining 4 from my fiver will go into the "aging" humi for a while. Will pull one out in about 3-4 months and report back, then, if still a bit harsh, another one 3 months after that. IF that doesn't do it, it will be cold weather time again so that last couple will get a whole year on them before they would get fired up - so this one might be a long-term project!

Tough job but someone has to do it...

I won a couple last year and let them sit for a bit. Ashed one up in December and thought it was a pretty decent smoke. I was expecting more sweetness given the Penn BL wrapper but for a $3 seegar I couldn't / wouldn't complain. Don't recall the need to double brush and rinse but maybe the taste did linger but I just don't remember. In any case, I'll need to re-visit this later on as well as torch up the QB-5552's that I have.

Well I guess inconsistency is a GOOD thing -- at least when the first two you had of a stick were not good.

I had reviewed the QX-6542 above (post #4) and both of the ones I got in a sampler box from the Superstore had severe construction and draw problems. So much so that you could not enjoy the cigar. Thus, in my recent 10-pack sampler purchase, when I saw one of these in there i immediately thought "Yup, here is a stinker to keep the price down..."

Well i pulled it out of the humi this afternoon and the first thing I noticed was a very-very "yellow-cello" that was also hard and crinkly. This one has been sitting around for a while. After taking it out of the cello, what to i see? Tiny white sparkly spots the length of the cigar. Yes its Bloom/Plume! And yes, I know the difference. Anyone interested I can PM you a link to another site that has good photos of real bloom that were exactly what I had here.

Wonderful aroma and, unlike the ones I had gotten from the Superstore, this was properly packed, not to firm, not to soft, from top to bottom.

Lighting it up you got wonderful flavors. Salty spice under flavorful tobacco, smoky wood and toast. Very rich, very "meaty" Actually reminded me somewhat of the little Papas Fritas although the listed blends are quite different. Draw was just right and lasted a very long time for this size.

Not to say it was perfect. There were burn issues again. started to get uneven and needed some touch ups but never "canoe'd like the others did, Did tunnel a bit at the very end and needed a relight when it did that. But in this case, it was worth it.

So given its personal history with me and the 2 out of 3 disasters, I will not be looking to buy this one (unless I see ones at the superstore that look as aged), but at least I won't be upset if it winds up in another sampler purchase. If it doesn't already looked very aged, it will go in the "deep rest" humi for a long, long, nap.

Given that on CI the few reviews (including mine) are pretty negative, I am guessing these have not been moving, hence its inclusion but it was a very pleasant surprise.

KD 5552

This one went from "meh" to "huh???" after I first tried it then checked out the description.

Stared out a bit spicy/peppery but that went away pretty quick. After that it was fairly mild for my tastes, a bit "creamy" at times but nothing really prominent. I was assuming with the taste and color it was a Connecticut wrapper with some mixed filler. It wasn't bad, but not outstanding in any way. Would have been better in the morning over coffee than when I had it in the afternoon after a big meal.

So then I checked out the description and CI says it is a "Criollo '98 wrapper and 100% Nicaraguan filler and binder. NEVER would have guessed that. Have had several Criollo cigars and none really tasted like this, and Nicaraguan tobacco is my bread and butter smoke but this was nothing like the Nics I usually have. Description did say "toasty tobacco" and looking back I guess I can see that, but was not something that jumped out at me at the time before reading the description.

Nevertheless, sure would never pegged this as a Criollo/Nic stick. Won't NOT buy a sampler knowing that this is in there, since it would probably be good to have in the morning or to give to someone that isn't into strong cigars, but would not buy this one outright.

Be sure to post your thoughts once you fire them up

RH-5554 vrs. Kristoff

Up above (post #101) I speculated that, based on both the look of the cigars and the descriptions of the blends and flavors, that the Blendlab RH-5554 might be a Kristoff stick in disguise.

Well, yesterday I had a smoke off between an RH-5554 and a Kristoff I got from a B&M. Both have been sitting in the Humi since last Thanksgiving and it was a nice day yesterday so...

Just like the photos I posted, the cigars LOOK very very similar, twisted cap, shaggy foot, even the way the wrapper is on and the vein structure all look similar. The Kristoff was just a little bit darker but if you had these unbanded in your humi, you would not be able to tell them apart easily at first glance.

I started off with the Kristoff. It was a great smoke. Exactly like the Kristoff blurb I quoted above from the Mothership and almost exactly like my review of the RH-5554. Great spice and tobacco flavors that changed and evolved throughout the stick. Lots of lovely smoke, strong ash, etc.

I smoked the Kristoff to just a bit past halfway, then cut off the cherry and blew out to clear the smoke and set it aside.

Cleared my palate as best as I could with some water, and crackers and then fired up the RH-5554. The big difference was the RH-5554 was, very noticeably, not packed as tight as the Kristoff. Although almost the same size, clearly less tobacco in this one. Consequently, the cigar was squishier, draw was much looser, and the ash not as firm.

Other than that, however, I could have been smoking the same stick. The flavors were almost identical. I would say that the Kristoff was just a bit stronger (from more tobacco?) and the RH produced a bit more smoke. But I could not really point out any flavor difference between the two - even the very noticeable pepper at the start that slowly changed about an inch in was just the same.

Smoked the RH down to the nub then fired up the left-over Kristoff. Now a re-lit cigar like that is never going to be quite as good , but i wanted to go straight from one to the other and, sure enough, my initial impressions held.

So, after the taste test I am more convinced than ever: If the RH-5554 is NOT from Kristoff, it sure as heck must be coming from the same factory/farms/rollers or whatever that does produce the Kristoffs for Kristoff!

So, if you are a big Kristoff fan but the price is too high and you see some RH-5554 here going cheap, give them a try and let us know what your think.

Anybody that likes Blendlabs, be sure to contact your Senator and Rep about exempting cigars from the new FDA regulation as part of the Farm/Agriculture bill. While much of the cigar industry would survive this mess, there is no way the blendlabs could continue.

Indeed, I am not sure how ANY new blend would ever be worth the hassle of FDA approval and as for the boutiques... well, those issues are for other threads, here its to save the Blendlabs!

UPDATE QE-654

Reviewed one ROTT in post 119 above. Although good,it did get a tad harsh and bitter briefly a couple time. Pulled one out that has been resting for two months at 65% and i would say i guessed right on this one. The rest has made a nic difference.

So now it is all of the good things i said above with no real negatives. Perhaps not quite as strong as when first arrived but no harshness or bitter spots.Very good full smoke. Will be moving it up to the "would buy again" catagory.

Wooo-boy! Been pretty slim pickin's for me on Cbid for Blendlabs recently. Plenty to bid on, but all going for above what I would pay for them in general. I do like many of the blendlabs a lot, but I am only going to pay so much - above that I head for the brand names I love and trust and/or those that I am worried might not be around.

Well recently scored 25 of my favorites for $2 a piece and very pleased! At that price can make sure the new coolidor stays nice and full. Hope it keeps up.

Also picked up a couple extra singles of ones that I have not reviewed yet, so I will try to try at least one of these tomorrow to report on.

Had a private message that asked a good question. Basically it was "Isn't the first letter of the Blendlab Number the maker of the cigar and the second the type of wrapper?" Here is my slightly edited response

.....

I am also pretty sure that the first letter is the manufacturer. For example, the RQ-444 and the RY-444 are clearly made by the same people. There is ONLY ONE cigar identified as made by Drew Estate (the VB-6744) and that is the ONLY "V" cigar there is.

As I put in the first post, the numbers are the size of course.

The second letter, however, seems to be more complicated.

There are some second letters that, at first, seem to be consistent. - there are a lot of Cameroon wrappers where the second letter is a "C" and there are a lot of Broadleaf wrappers where the second letter is a "B."

But then there are things like the vB-6744 which is from Nicaragua with Brazilian wrapper but the qB-552 is from the Dominican Rep. with a Conn. Broadleaf wrapper. And the JO-6550 is also listed with a Broadleaf, but is an "O" not a "B." Also MOST of the Habano wrapper Blendlabs seem to have an "H" as the second letter - but not all of them - and the WH-554 is not listed as a Habano wrapper. Every Oscuro wrapper I have seen, has an "O" as the second letter, but that JO-6550 clearly doesn't have that.

Likewise, both the xJ-4554 and the xV-654 are both from Nicaragua with Habano wrappers.

There are Ecuador Connecticut wrappers with the second letter of both T and L, BOTH with Nicaraguan filler.

Lastly, there are some weird ones like the G2-6050 which, like a whole bunch of the Blendlabs, has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Nic. filler.

So either there is a much more complicated coding system in place, they simply let the manufacturer decide OR, it might just be a semi-random designation as a cigar comes in from the manufacturer. Perhaps its as simple as some guy just sitting there deciding what letters to put on.

" This is a Broadleaf from manufacturer J? Do we have a "B" in this size from J yet? If not, then this will be the JB-650! What? We already have a JB-650? well have we used the letter "W" for them yet? No? OK, then JW-650 it is!"

KX-648

Pulled this one out of the humi to take to the pool thinking it was a different blendalb - one that I liked, but not in my top "must have again" tier. Didn't even pay much attention as lit it up then - wow! This was totally different. Had to check my orders to even see when I got this one. Turned it was just a single I added to a big order a while back and had forgotten about

Bad news off the bat - this one is "backordered" on the Mothership. Good news, one of the best new cigars I have had in a long time. Not just best Blendlab, but best new cigar.

Its a Habano wrapper, Honduran binder, and a mix of Honduran, Nicaraguan, Peruvian filler. As I think is a common problem, the better the cigar, the harder it is to describe. The blurbs at CI are all correct, it IS "unique, hearty and rich" toasty, a bit of spice some coffee notes at times. A bit milder than you would expect at the start, but built up to a solid medium++ but never harsh or overpowering.

All of that is accurate, but none of that really describes how good and complex this stick is. Very cuban-ish at times and, if you gave it to me unbanded and told me it was a mid-range Cuban, I would have believed you. Likewise if you told me this cigar retailed at $10 or so, I would have believed that as well, yet it was only $4

VERY easy draw despite not being squishy or loose-packed. Never burned hot even at the very end and never needed a touch up.

All in all, perhaps the best Blendlab of the bunch.

ZH-6552 Redux...

Posting this separately from post #73 above since the most recent one of these tasted like a totally different cigar. Still the box pressed torpedo shape. None of the constructions issues noted in the post above, but tasted totally different. VERY strong right from the start. The advertised coffee from the blurb (and absent from the stick in post #73) was here in spades. Apart from that it lacked the more subtle spices and white pepper of the first stick. While both were good in their own way and would be good at different times of the day with different food or beverage, the wide swing in the taste between the two for what is supposed to be the same cigar blend means i cannot give it a firm "buy" recommendation. If you see it real cheap and want to roll the dice, you could be pleasantly surprised.

HO-654

This one was interesting from the start. While listed as 654 on CI, the band said 6054. Now the way they number these that doesn't really matter because either way it means 6 inches, but this is the first one where I have seen a discrepancy.

This is a cigar where the construction (or lack thereof) made all the difference. With the pre-light aroma, initial appearance and first few puffs, you could pass this off as a Padron, it was that good - for a bit. It was spicy, flavorful, complex mix of tobacco flavors. But then the construction and rolling issues kicked in

The wrapper on this stick was very very thin and it started to unravel right away. It was also very very loosely packed. Not a lot of tobacco in there so the draw was way too easy and it burned very quickly. Also, for the same reason no doubt, the ash was not firm at all and was falling off right away.

Possible that this was just a badly rolled one, but it was VERY badly made. So for now going into my "no thanks" category. If every see one very very cheap, might give it a second chance just because the tobacco inside (what little there was) was that good.

QB-552

If you are one (like me) that does not usually pick up a maduro wrapper, here is a cigar that would make wonder why more cannot be like this. Too many "affordable" maduros seem to try to live off of the wrapper without much thought as to the filler within. This one doesn't do that. Starts off very dark choc. and espresso, but then the pepper kicked in. Much spicier than I would have ever expected but never wiped-out the strong chewy maduro underneath. Spice lasted for very long time, much longer than many sticks that advertise their spicy character. Overall a strong, chewy flavorful smoke that was complex and evolved and changed throughout while keeping a good balance between the various flavors. Those that dislike a "one trick pony" stick will want to try this one out if you get the chance.

Solid white ash and lots of lovely white smoke. Great draw and lasted a very long time for a "robusto" sized cigar.

Most defiantly a "rebuy"

NOTE TO ALL BLENDLAB FANS

If you saw my post in a separate thread ( http://www.cigarbid.com/...ds-where-it-began-maybe ) this next batch of reviews will be the last. Unless and until there is a legislative or regulatory fix, Blendlabs are not long for this world. CI (and, therefore, Cbid) still has a large supply of many of the most popular ones (including, ugh, the Drew Estate one), and they will continue making some of blends as long as they have the raw material, but they do not intend to submit any of them for FDA approval as they don't sell enough of them to justify the huge fee the FDA is charging.

However, there is still time to stock up either on-line or at the Superstores on many of the blends, so I will review this last batch of new-to-me blendlabs then pretty much close up shop here unless there is any breaking news.

KB-656

A Maduro fan's delight! Incredibly dark and shiny. Looks like a an old mahogany desktop that was just oiled. Prelight smell also delightful.

Lit easily, Did get a wavy burn at one point but self-corrected. This is NOT a "medium-full" smoke as described. Medium at the most and often a bit less than that but always flavorful.

Very typical Maduro flavors cedar, toast, coffee and natural tobacco sweetness but done very well. Not as strong, spicy or as complex as the QB-552, but if you want a great Maduro that is more mild this would be an excellent choice.

Going into my "Buy if price is right" category not because of any flaws, but simply because I like the stronger more complex QB more if I am going to grab a maduro

AVAILABLE ON-LINE STILL, STOCK UP