The fatter of the two robustos is nicely rolled, tight seams, even color throughout the wrapper, nicely laid triple cap, clean cut foot. Smooth leaf with small veins, no "tooth".

V cutter again. Cold draw is dry hay/ leaves.

First light kinda dry, a bit harsh. Not sure if I'm going to like this one. Lots of pepper bite but no sweetness to balance. Astringent, my mouth feels dry. Grab another beer.

Well the bite and harshness has mellowed out after a half inch. Still loads of pepper, especially on initial retrohale, but it subsides and there's a bit more sweeter spices coming through. Draw is perfect, burn line fairly even, and ash is sturdy wouldn't tap off at an inch.

Decent, nothing terribly special but nothing terrible either. It's not a cigar id buy, but I could see those who enjoy big pepper bite liking this cigar. It's slightly harsh, I may be rushing. I'll try to slow it down, gave myself an hour and I'm 30m in.

Little past halfway, definitely got a lot more pepper bite. Some cedar in there, fading to oak/vanilla finish and fleeting citrusy notes. Ash started drooping about 1.75" in, tapped off but no flaking or anything. It's a bit of a stinky cigar, not a room note I want to hang around so I turned up the exhaust fans and cracked the garage door. Between the stink and the fairly flat flavor profile, I'm betting yard gar. Though, it's not a rocket, I'd take a freebie while mowing. Not something I'd buy myself.

Another inch down, 1.5-2 left and I'm calling it. Smoked it for about an hour. Gotta sleep sometime. Fairly flat throughout, not terrible, not great. The astringent qualities are a big turnoff for me. I want to be salivating, not drinking to combat the effects. No big progression of flavor, though the middle section was decent. Stayed with pepper bite, cedar, and citrus for the most of it. Maybe dry tea leaves/ iced tea for the tannin astringency.

Appearance, I thought this was certainly the midrange or premium, but flavor didn't get close. Going yard gar here.

Hopefully I will get to the torpedo tomorrow morning. Running on fumes currently but last night wasn't bad, hopefully tonight will be the same.

Thanks again and looking forward to number 3

OK

I'll say this, you're better at this reviewing gig than me.

Here is my first review on the forum for any cigar.

I tried to pick my first cigar based on appearance and what I was hoping to be the "yard gar". And also because 1 of the other 2 looks like a cuban to me which I will save for the last review.

Cigar is a 50x150 dark, oily wrapper, lots of bumps, very veiny. There was also a very unusual double cap that went about 1/2 inch down the cigar. The cigar had an inconsistent feel while running through my fingers. The ends were firm and the middle was spongy. (I ran into problems with the spongy area, see below)
Poured myself a nice tall coffee, light and sweet to prep for this review. Made a straight cut with my table top cutter. When I took a prelight draw and my tongue hit the end there was a very bitter taste and the draw was very unusual. I started to get worried.

Lit the bad boy up. While lighting the burning wrapper has some really great aromas coming off. To my amazement the first few draws were extremely enjoyable and I was delighted to get going on this. I got lots of spice and pepper with some caramel and a little earthiness. Continuing through the 1st 3rd a lot of those flavors were coming through with the spice being dominate. The retro-hale was very familiar burning the nostrils but reminded me of many of the boutique cigars we all enjoy here on cbid. After a while the flavor started to really mellow out, lost some of the spice for a while but started to feel a heavy nicotine kick punching me in the face. Draw was very good, slightly tight for my preference.

Very tight ash that held on all the way till the end of the 1st third. This is where I started running into problems. I was really enjoying it and would rate it about 85. Starting on the 2nd third I was getting some dry cocoa notes and lots of earthy/dirt. Still a great burn all the way down. About halfway I realized that every puff I was in for a surprise Either no flavor, lots of flavor, or just bad flavor. When I hit the spongy spot in the middle the cigar went out, relit it and it went out shortly after. And with the relight the aromas coming off were great. The cigar got very harsh from the relight and draw got tight. From the tight draw I was pulling out some tar through the back end of the cigar and I had a brown sticky liquid over my fingers. At this point I wasnt' feeling good about smoking in all that tar so I had to stop there. I really enjoyed the 1st third of the cigar. Started out medium, ended medium/full

Overall, not a bad cigar, for a yardgar(my guess). Don't think I would buy these up if I couldn't get them on the cheap. Thanks Dan Defintely enjoyed it while I did. Really looking forward to the other two.

I forgot to add that was labeled cigar 2

Nice first review 🇨🇮

My second Spring Mystery Cigar review.

My wife picked cigar #2 this time. It is a 7 by what looks like a 40 rg. Delicate, smooth, light brown wrapper. The color of a very creamy cocoa. Wrapper so delicate, it started to flake off at the foot. Cap was a single and had a small hole in the middle.

Pre-light, it smells of light, sweet hay. Cold draw is slightly sweet, perhaps a continuation of the sweet hay. Although the construction is firm, I’m getting good flow through my cold draw. Perhaps my draw poker will remain unused today.

Initial draws after lighting are light. Light, sweet pepper. Light creaminess. Ash is very firm and compact. A marbled grey and black. I listen to cigar podcasts sometimes and I’ve people describe a Necco Wafer taste. This has that in the aftertaste. Very faint. Very slight. Aroma of the smoke is like sweetgrass.

This really reminds me of the one cc that I’ve had. It had a distinct sweet hay aroma and taste.

An inch in and I’m getting a slight bitterness at the back of my tongue. I took a drink of my coffee and swirled it around in my mouth to clear it. Next draw, the bitterness is gone. Ash is holding firm at a little more than an inch. I’m taking long, slow draws.

Retrohale was interesting. Campfire toasted marshmallows. Setting it down after the retrohale caused the ash to fall into my ashtray. Copious amounts of smoke are not coming out of this cigar when I do single draws. I switch to double draws (puff, then draw). Nice, thick smoke when I do that. Pepper ramps up when I do that as well. Still lots of sweetgrass smell.

There is something just a little acrid in the smoke. Hits the back of my tongue. Maybe it is what I was calling bitterness, earlier.

While I’m working my way through my first third, I might as well tell you about my third attempt at a draw poker. (First was a straightened paperclip. Second was a small drill bit.) After some looking around at what commercial options were available, I decided to try to make my own. I bought a 4-piece pick and hook set at good old Harbor Freight. I took my propane torch and heated one of the hooks and then hammered it straight. Not liking the thickness, I took my angle grinder and carefully shaved down each side until it was a more desirable thinness. Then, with the angle grinder, I gently ground serrations into it. I thought that it would be good for removing tobacco from the air channel that I was trying to make. So far, it has been a great little tool. As long as I am careful with insertion so that I keep to the center of the cigar, and I spin and insert slowly, it has done a good job. Hasn’t cracked a wrapper yet. And with the day-glo orange handle, it is hard to misplace. Definitely not something to carry around in a pocket. Maybe I should make a sheath for it.

As I approach the end of the first third, I have my second inch-long ash fall off on its own. This time, unfortunately, it fell into my lap and partially onto my laptop. Glad I’m smoking outside.

With a few inches gone, I’m finding that the draw is easier and I can go back to single slow draws. I’m getting good amounts of smoke now. Still light and slightly sweet. Not much change in flavor with this cigar.

I’ve been wondering what people mean when they describe their cigar as a flavor bomb. All cigars have flavor. Some are crappy to my palate and others are very nice. I wonder if it is the layering of flavor that makes their cigars flavor bombs. My cigar that I reviewed on Thursday has this great interplay between pepper, light, sweet barbeque and meaty. This cigar by comparison seems simpler. Light and sweet. Hay-like. Maybe just a brush of pepper. This is definitely a mild cigar.

Second third has no detectable taste or aroma differences. Still a nice cigar. Burn has been very straight. I think this would be a great morning cigar. Great with coffee, sitting on the front porch, watching the world wake up. Can’t wait for some warm weather. I love the Pacific Northwest, but I’m not a fan of the slllllooooowwwww transitions between seasons. Or the rain. My broski in Idaho is getting near 70’s temps on some days.

Spiciness has ramped up as I start the third third. Also, a little bitterness. The smoke is noticeably warm as I draw it into my mouth. I suspect that the spiciness is related to this. I’m not slobbering on the cigar and I’m not seeing any tar. Lips are slightly tingly.

This balancing a laptop on my lap, typing and smoking gig is interesting. If I feel the need to connect to the world through the interwebs during my cigar time, I usually just get my phone out. The laptop is a bit much.

I might as well slip this in here: I, like a lot of us, am still missing some cigars that I have won. Missing a box of L’Atelier Selection Speciales that I won on 2/23 as well as 5ers of Aging Room Quattros and Jericho Hill .44s won on 2/10. I’ve received other cigars won on those same dates as well as other cigars won since those dates. Open ticket inquiring on their status has gone unanswered. I trust it will all get sorted out at some point. I definitely am not “low” and have more than enough to keep me entertained during my cigar times for the foreseeable future. As an IT guy who has coordinated many large-scale web implementations, I can understand how they can go awry. My bid history still shows that the items I’ve won. I’m patient and trust that this will get sorted at some point.

After 90 minutes, we are getting to the end of this cigar. Last inch. Spicy, bitter. Time to say farewell.

I think this might be a Cuban. And I don’t think this is a yard gar. Thanks again Euodias for the fine smoke!

At work, don't recall what was what but you got a dud, haven't had any issues from that box before. Bummer.

You want the answers as you go or at the end? I can look when I get home in the morning

Cigar A: Robusto Extra

Visual Inspection: light wrapper, some greenish blotches. Not too appealing. Smells distinctly of leather, like a new belt. Foot is a little loosely packed. Just by looking, I think this is the yard gar.

Clip and Draw: Draw is perfect, cold flavor is pretty much reminds me of a tack-room.

Smoking Experience: Opens really promisingly. Sweet cream and a hint of citrus. A little like a creme doughnut. As it progresses, it goes downhill, getting a little bit of bitter vegetal harshness and pepper. Burn gets a bit uneven at the midway point, more disappointing notes develop, a bit of mineral flavor sours it, and a charred flavor develops, taking it from doughnut to burn doughnut, which isn't as good.

Evaluation: Its the yard gar. Its isn't bad, if I was getting them for cheap I would chuck them halfway through and everything would be fine. It might be a cigar that improves with another 6-12 months of age, in which case it might be a hidden gem.

Cigar B: Corona Gorda Maduro

Visual Inspection: Veiny maduro wrapper, looks dyed perhaps. Smells faintly of molasses. Just by looking I think this is the mid range cigar.

Clip and Draw: Draw is fine, cold flavor is vaguely campfire-ish

Smoking Experience: Cigar is dense and smokes slowly. Its got a kind of bbq'd meat sweetness. Ash is stark white. Pepper builds as it progresses, with a hint of marshmallow. Fairly strong cigar, but not killer. Construction was solid with no burn issues. No chocolate, I want chocolate :(

Evaluation: Overall, it was a pretty straight forward maduro, which isn't something I reach for much. If it is mid priced cigar, I can see it being worth the money, but the blend just isn't for me.

Cigar C: Robusto Extra, light wrapper

Visual Inspection: This is a perfect looking cigar, smooth, flawless wrapper. Just by looking you can tell this is a high end cigar. Prettier than a cigar ever needs to be, it seems clear that a lot of effort has been put into making a perfect roll. This is the high end cigar, it has to be.

Clip and Draw: Smells of barnyard with a wide open draw. Some flakes of tobacco fall out.

Smoking Experience: Perfect burn, long ash. Flawless performance. Pretty strong, but not face melting. Tons of pepper with some fruitiness underneath. Fairly one dimensional, without much change until the very end, with the last couple of puffs bringing in some woody notes. Too much power and not enough finesse.

Evaluation: Im going to go ahead and guess that this is an AF Don Carlos Anniversary. If it isn't, I bet its another high end Fuente. Really well made, but it didn't have enough going on to keep me interested. If the pepper had faded sooner, I think there maybe a lot more going on in the background. Probably a good aging candidate.

Fun stuff, thanks ypetryna!

Final one, the torpedo. Put this last because I don't like the shape, and I don't have a straight cutter right now. Cut the cap with my pocket knife.

Appearance is fair, some larger veins, seams visible, fairly large stems visible in the pack after cutting the head.

Cold draw is dry mowed hay. Sneezed afterwards.

First light is woody, dry. Draw is perfect, somewhat sweet finish. I'll grab a couple beers and settle in, I'm gambling on getting an on-call instead of going in tonight. Leaving for Florida and would like to get reset to sleep nights up days before we leave.

Half inch in, the initial light bite has eased, and it's fairly simple smoke so far. Still dry, woody, with a pepper bite up front on retrohale that gradually fades to a sweeter charred oak flavor. Maybe cherry, some leather like flavor. Small draws help reduce the bite.

Ash holding tight, no flakes. Walked away to pee and it was still fully lit when I returned.

Retrohale is a bit much, very biting pepper up front. But it does open up the finish. Nice sweet smoky caramel burnt sugar kinda makes me think of those canned/bottled Starbucks drinks.

I'm pegging this midrange. The first was the premium, second was a yard gar, and this one is in the middle. If this were my preferred go-to for an average smoke, I could see where the yard gar of the 3 fits in a similar flavor profile.

Ash is still on at a good 2" even getting set down a few times, and walked away from it twice. Nope. Just fell off when I picked it up. Still, no flakes on my flannel shirt.

Really not getting any changes in flavor. Maybe a bit more cherry/fruit sweetness on the finish but still a low-volume retro does help open it up - I just need to stifle a sneeze each time I do.

Mostly woodsy flavors, with a bite on retrohale that fades to a fleeting fruity sweetness.

Not among my favorites, but I like it more than number two. They're very similar, with this one feeling more "refined" to me. Not so much astringency, a bit nicer finish.

About ready to wrap up and go to bed. Still going with midrange here. It didn't get better or worse. A lot more pepper flavors than I care for. But in its defense, I also did not eat any spicy food when I got home. May just be noticing it more because of that. The last two were smoked after eating jalapeños on my morning taco. Mouthfeel on this one is right in the middle as well. Drier than I prefer, but not as bad as the last one. Didn't make me feel like I had cotton mouth, but didn't make me salivate.

Thank you sir, now spill the beans on what they were. 🙏

Was the midrange cigar.

Sucks you got a dud, I do like these a lot. Bought 2 boxes, and yours was.the last of my second box.

La Palina Black Label

Great reviews everyone. I've come down with a head cold and can't taste anything. As soon as my head clears up I'll get my reviewing done.

Well, Dan
Good to know you liked one of 'em.
They were, in smoking order::
1) La Aurora 100 Anos - from the 2nd release, after they "found" leftover tobacco from the original release.
2) Oliva V
3) Mr. XL, small batch boutique - One time release and no longer available.

I really like the 100 Anos. I have 2 or 3 OR belicosos left. Oliva V is a favorite. The Mr. XL I've smoked have been tasty..

Anyway, very nice reviews.

I can't wait to get started. Good reviews so far. I had plans to start yesterday but pain got in the way.

Today, I’m having my third mystery cigar, the one labeled #1. It appears to be about a 6.5 x 50. Toothy dark brown wrapper. Noticeable veins. Can’t tell if double or triple cap. Firm construction. Smells of light, sweet cream and leather. Clipped the cap with no issues and cold draw has perfect airflow. Not getting much taste in the cold draw.

Initial draws are peppered leather. Smoke is copious. The draw is just perfect. The aroma reminds me of that sweet Hoppes No. 9 leather smell I get from some of my holsters.

Half-inch in and I’m starting to get a charred meat taste/aroma. Pepper has not let up.

An inch in and the pepper has settled down. More of a creamy-smooth, slightly sweet taste of good tobacco aging. Ash is a mottled white/grey.

I’m confused. After my first two reviews, I thought for sure this would be the yard-gar. But it is good. Really good. Great burn line. Nice, firm ash holding on at an inch and a half. Nice, thick, aromatic smoke. Bobbled the cigar in my ashtray accidentally and the ash separated nicely. Flavor remains creamy. Maybe a little cedary. Sweet undertones. Retrohale gives the usual pepper blast. But as it fades, I get charred marshmallow. Maybe some crusty, caramelized sweet-roll. Holy crap the smell of the smoke while it sits in my ashtray is good.

This has been a great exercise. Take the band off of a cigar, and my preconceptions get removed. And I suspect that I pay more attention to what the cigar offers.

Reading and listening to some reviewers on the interwebs, they describe tastes that I have a hard time placing. I just don’t think my palate is that capable or sophisticated yet. It might never get there.

I’m really enjoying this medium-bodied cigar. I love the flavor transition it made when it passed the inch mark. I like pepper and LOVE ligero zings in cigars. But I don’t like it when they overpower the other flavors that a cigar might offer. (It is the same with hot sauce for me. Too many of the cheap hot sauces have a powerful vinegar component that gets in the way.) I can still taste the pepper in this cigar. But it has other layers of flavor underneath. Very nice.

Last draw was very meaty. I think I’m going to grill a bunch of meat today so that I can have leftovers in my lunch for the week. Haven’t had breakfast yet and I’m getting hungry. Dense, almost yeasty sweet-bread taste in the draws as I approach the end of the first third. Wow… Just took a sip of my now-cold coffee. Definitely reminds me of a breakfast sweet-roll, without the icing. This cigar is a perfect complement to black coffee.

I’m well into the second third and my fingers are getting numb from the cold. Can’t wait for some warmer, not-so-rainy weather. Flavor remains amazing. Delicious. Slightly-sweet baked bread with meaty undertones. Have you ever had a bacon maple bar? If you dialed the sweetness of one way back, you’d have the meaty, slightly-sweet interplay I’m trying to describe. I’m an hour in and have more than half the cigar left to finish.

Last third of the cigar. Nicotine starts to hit me a bit. Creamy, meaty deliciousness. Pepper amps up a bit. I’m thoroughly enjoying this cigar. Great draw, great smoke, great flavor.

I ended up nubbing this bad boy and wrapped it up at just shy of two hours. Delicious smoke. I’d buy more of them in a heartbeat.

My guess is that #1 wasn’t the yard-gar. But none of the cigars I had seemed like yard-gars. I’m at a loss as to which cigar could have been. My noob guess is that either #1 or #3 was a premium and that #2 was the mid-range. I couldn’t spot a yard gar in the bunch. Good selection, Euodias. Can’t wait to hear what they were!

Great reviews, so far. I'm planning some future purchases. Can't wait to read the rest of 'em.

Nice reviews, hit the yard gar right on the head. the top shelf was one i picked up from a local that i have really wanted to try from all the high praise on here. it was labeled as a 50, so i think thats a robusto extra. the UC Shade is one of my favorites right now, and i haven't really ever gotten a badly constructed stick from DE. the original UC would get me off balance with the strength, so i loved when they released the CT. now i need to try to a don carlos anniversary.
Happy you enjoyed some of them!

A - HC Series White Shade Grown Robusto (yard) my go to fly fishing cigar that i dont mind losing when i battle a fish

B - AF Anejo (top shelf)

C - DE Undercrown Shade robusto (Mid)

BTW your inbox is full

I'm looking over the cigars....#1 is a beatiful trunk press corona.....i'll set it aside for now. The other two are maduro. They are both good looking cigars but the robusto is a tighter roll with less veins or bumps. I grab #3 a churchill.....a close call but I suspect this is the yard gar if judged visually.

I pair this with a goose prelager.....and my pain med and antibiotics.

I go for a straight cut. Easy draw. Hint of cocoa on the prelight draw. Starts smoking like a chimney. Same faint cocoa flavor followed by a slight sweetness. Relatively mild with no distinct flavors. I think, "I wonder where this is going?"

Burn is great. Develops a long ash. Goes for 1 1/2 inches white and grey and a bit flaky but firm. No pepper. Dominican? This has some promise.

Still in 1st third and ramps up some pepper on the finish. Some vague floral taste comes through now and then. Maybe this is a nic? A little change up is nice but things are moving slow and the needle doesn't rise high or often.

At about 1/4, the burn gets lopsided. A good basic cigar. Nothing yet jumps out to suggest it's anything but the yard gar.

By end of 1/3, I feel lightheaded and tired. I know it is NOT a nicotine bomb so that's not it. Must be my meds. I let it go out and I take a nap.

Feeling better. I come back at it for another try. Recut and relight. Improved flavors after sitting for a few hours. But no more pepper...no more floral. Hmm. Maybe because I switched to a Sam Adams IPL? Is it the beer talking?

Still no wow. It goes out and I relight again. Still working it. Halfway now. Getting bored. End of session.

I was hoping this might be a good yard gar that I would want to pick up at the right price, especially since its a churchill. Not sure there is one for me however. If I am way off on this, blame the hangover of adreneline combined with drugs.

Don't tell me what this is until I do the other two.

screw the cigar, send me what you're on! HA!

this class of cigar reviewers is top notch...keep up the entertaining info...

Smoked #2, 5 X 50? torpedo maduro. Looks good, smooth wrapper, no prominent veins.
First puffs, charcoal/oaky with a little pepper.
About 1/3, pepper decreased and leather replaced the oaky flavor.
2/3, spice disappeared, leathery flavor increased slightly, with coffee hints.
Near the end, spice returned.
Throughout, the smoke had a creamy feel.
Overall, nice fairly mild smoke with pleasant flavors.
I would smoke these regularly.