Damn, 20 bucks for a mflb... I bought a box for like 130 or something like that a while back. I think the shop robbed you.

The short robusto is $16ish at my shpo, plus tax could see the larger ones hitting 20 easily.

Last time i went there was right when the my father connecticut came out. Wanted to try one, paid 12 bucks for a rob.

Lesson learned, don't buy the cigar of the year at the shpo.

Mother ship has them at 10 bucks a piece.

They do have a tag on the boxes proclaiming "CA Cigar of the year!"

Lol, that's worth 60 percent markup!

But I didn't want a 5 pack 😳

I enjoyed a petite robusto and a grand robusto of these a while back. I liked it but Didn't think it was cigar of the year material. I was curious what someone else would think blind!

Well, I guess I've paid full price for cigars to fulfill PIBs before with spending double what I could get them here for, so I guess I kind of see your point...

Can't say I've ever spent double MSRP though, lol.

I think mine was 2 years so not much different in age.... could be vitola as you said. Shouldn't be that much difference though 46 is going to have slightly higher percent wrapper.

Guess that is kinda rough when you think about it like that. But they the only shop in town and i buy something everytime i smoke there....

Also now I feel kinda bad.. that doesn't seem very premium at 10 bucks... maybe I should've selected better. Also the ER15 MSRP is like $9.25 at mothership. Not much room between the two.

Namadio.....you are good to go. It was fun doing this as it usually is. I think my premium and mid-range were pretty close to the same.

Meh, don't feel bad, they're both really good smokes, I was just busting balls.

Needed to close this out so i settled in with Dan's #2. A 5.5 x 50 medium brown robusto rolled pretty firm. A v-cut allows for a nice smooth draw with a sweetness and grassy flavor on the cold draw. Toasted and lit the first draw has a mix of pepper, sweetness and oak or leather. Leaving a nice flavor throughout my mouth on exhale and retrohale.
Getting into the first third its leaving a very bright ash. There is a nutty sweetness and an interesting peppery finish that is continuing to keep me guessing. Ash fell after an inch and the burn is a little wonky but nothing needing a touch up yet. The flavors are deepening a bit and have changed to a leathery flavor with a creamier finish, but still a bit of pepper on the retro.
The second third is still burning a little off of straight, but no touch up yet. I feel like i am familiar with this cigar, but i can't place it exactly. A cedar note is complimenting the leathery flavor. Burn straightened up right at half way point. This cigar is confusing me as there is almost no smoke coming off between puffs and making me think its out. The flavor is just evolving on this all the way through as the cedar/floral is now the main flavor with the sweetness coming back in.
The final third has my mouth watering and i am having to hold back from abusing it. The pepper is still there ever so slightly, but just on the finish and through the nose. The leather is back to being prominent with the cedar subsiding. Still leaving a lasting flavor in my mouth that is keeping the flavor there really long. Just over an hour for smoking time and a burned finger wanting more.
Thank you to Dan for the great cigars and hot sauce i cant get enough of.

Las Calaveras 2015

Well i just had one of those a couple weeks ago.

Thanks again Dan.

=d> =d> =d>

Great job by a great group. Loved the reviews.

I've got two more to do, but it may be next week before I can get to them and give them the attention they deserve.

Absolute apologies. I totally forgot about me last 2. I can only plead forgetfulness and maybe a little bit of busyness. Regardless, entirely on me. First, I'd like to thank FrozenPhoenix for three great smokes. Second - I've got my second review ready (and should have the third up later tonight):

Cigar #2 from Frozen Phoenix is a smaller ring gauge than I usually smoke - I'd guess a 46. I would call this a corona Garda at about 5.5 inches long, but that may be absolutely incorrect. Medium brown wrapper that I tend to associate with "habano" wrappers, with a scent of cinnamon, citrus (lemon) and a little pepper. Off the foot, the dominant scent is barnyard. Construction is tidy, there's a few visible seams but it's very well put together. Draw tests out as pleasantly tight. As usual, I get no flavor at all from the cold draw.

V-cut and light and I'm greeted with a charred taste - maybe from my lighting. Not unpleasant, but definitely bitter. I have to do an immediate touch up, which has me firmly believing in user error now. Still a bit scorched tasting but that makes sense. It shortly settles down into a milder, straight tobacco profile.

I went against my strategy of having only water with the blind tastings as I realized I had forgotten the last two and, albeit three months later, needed to get this done. So this one is paired with a Bordeaux. I'm sure this is clouding my taste buds.

The scent of the smoke is peppery and fragrant. But, an inch in, I'm still not getting a lot of flavor. There may be a slight Cuban murkiness, but I'm not sure if it's the cigar, the wine or my imagination. As the first third comes to a end, I'm getting some black pepper on the tip of my tongue.

The second third sees a building of pepper and a return of the charred flavor. Making a conscious decision to slow down, the char disappears to the background. There's some cedar building now. And the more I smell the smoke, the more convinced I am
that I've smoked this before.

The second third ends with growing pepper. Very reminiscent of Camacho or DPG Blue. The final third starts to see the floors diminish and a return to more of a mild profile. Some dark berry notes come more to the forefront, with the pepper augmenting it. At the end, the pepper became stronger as did the berry. Nice finish and absolutely in my wheelhouse. Not sure if this is high end or cheap smoke, but I want more.

Cigar #3

Cigar #3 is a robusto around a 52 ring gauge. It has an oily dark wrapper with some tooth. Coffee and dark chocolate are the scents from the foot and shaft (chuckle). V-cut and light and it immediately gets my attention. Strong, strong espresso flavor with a little black pepper on the tip of the tongue (chuckle). Paired with water.

The smoke on this one smells familiar as well. It's well constructed with a triple cap and is burning quite evenly. Either this one or #2 is the cheap smoke and at this point I'm not sure which. The other will be the high end. I will Lainey be picking up some of both.

It's reminding me a bit of the Punch Signature as I get deeper into the first third. And the burn is getting a little wonky, which reaffirms the Punch thought. Much more pepper now. Really digging this one. A little dryness shows up and a clove-like quality. As the first third ends, there's a good bit of black pepper, dark roasted coffee and leather with a long finish. And the burn fixed itself pretty quickly.

Into the second third, pepper has taken over and I'm really enjoying it. Everything else is secondary, but there is an herbal element and meaty element in the background. Very nice.

The last third remains all about the pepper. The meaty flavor has resurfaced in the background - grilled chicken with a little char. I nubbed this one.

Thanks again to FP for the great smokes and apologies again for the late report

you must be stuffed from all the meat and chicken, herbs and veggies with pepper...HA!

Yep, followed it up with some Papa Murphy's.