Preamble

Rick (deadeyedick) and I were not worthy of being included in the taste tests assembled by al'Thor so we decided to swap some anonymous smokes and give it a try ourselves (you know I'm just kidding Ethan).

Basically, we took Ethan's lead and sent a bargain ($1-2), a mid-range ($3-4) and a premium ($~10) with the labels removed and plain white bands added (ie DED #1A..., DED#3B).

We wanted to try to eliminate some of the stochastic variables that come with reviews so we decided that for each "unknown" brand to be sampled we would send 2 cigars (hence the A & B above). After all, they say you should never judge a cigar by only one sample.

We also wanted to remove possible personal preferences for wrapper types. If DED sent different cigars having Cameroon, Maduro and Sungrown wrappers, my love of Cameroon's may unduly bias me against the others in ways other than strictly on their quality. So we decided that ALL of the samples sent would be maduros to eliminate this area of influence.

I also smoked one of the samples in the morning with coffee and the other in the evening with a beer because my taste buds change throughout the day and as we all know the right beverage can really make or break a cigar experience.

Okay, so here I go. I promise to refrain from using the phrase "creamy smoke" but I can't guarantee that the rest of my hyperbole won't occasionally make you cringe 🙂

DED #1 was a fat Belicoso (approx 6x54) with a light mottled wrapper traced by numerous veins. It had a potent aroma and almost stinky strong tobacco. The perfect cap called out for a guillotine cut, so I lopped off her head and put her feet to the fire.

I knew this was going to be a hearty smoke and I gauged my smoking these to coincide with my meals. The morning trial had hints of sesame and poppy seed, garlic and onion and a trace of cream cheese...Oh wait that was the bagel I just finished. It started off as simply a strong cigar and I couldn't get any discernable flavors out of it. With a couple more sips of coffee it really began to open up.

This is what they mean by full-bodied. The kind of cigar where hints of leather and peppery spice can be found, but you're not looking for great complexity because there is straight forward great flavor all the way through that doesn't need categorization. The evening sample was paired with a Porch Swing Belgian-style ale (by the makers of Fat Tire ale). This was an even better combination.

Both samples had a perfect burn and draw. The ash was tremendous. It was getting long (2+ inches) and I was getting nervous so I went to tap it and it didn't fall off even after I gave it a good bang. I figured if it wanted to stay on I'd let it and I got another inch and a half before it crashed on my lap.

I really liked this with both coffee and strong beer, but the strength and size of the cigar makes it a better evening smoke for me. I'm guessing that this is the premium, but I'd be happy if I was wrong because I want to get myself plenty more.

wer,
Great review! I know we agreed all would be maduro but I couldn't resist sending these as I like them myself and had them handy. They fit in the medium price catagory as I paid about $4.80 each.

These are the AF Cuban Beli. Sun Grown

That's what I was thinking as I smoked it...this is a maduro? But I figured it could be. The CAO Brazilia is a considered a maduro and has a very light wrapper, so I thought that it might be one of the Amazons.

Good cigar nonetheless.