2019 Spring Mystery Cigars With A Twist · Page 8

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gummy jones
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#141

Well done delta

I thought the uf13 would be super easy and when you didn't mention it I was kind of surprised. Didn't realize I covered up that tail. Wasn't intentional.

The cuban was a Juan Lopez #2 from 2015. I enjoy them very much and feel when they are good they are among my favorite cigars

The other was one I tried to trick you with. I got a great deal on some 858 sg's a while back so I threw it in there for the low end. I honestly thought you would get it but it's about 4 years old so it may have changed from others you've had.

Overall really well done. I plan on digging into yours today. Im almost certain I had this secondary flu they are talking about. As I get ready for work my throat is a bit sore but we'll see if it affects my taste (or at least to what degree).

tamapatom
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#142

Excited about doing the reviews and I will try to get them done close to each other so I can compare…………..I was successful in the first part but it has taken me forever to type this up. Well here goes

#1 Cigar

A fine looking robusto – tight roll, I like them tight. Viens visible but not prominent. Triple cap. Mottled dark wrap……not your typical maduro. Small bumps. Not quite San Andrean but maybe sungrown.

I am driving down the road – fondling my newly acquired cigar. Nipped the tip and got some sweet tobacco flavor pre-light but with evidence of a little age on it. Enjoyed it for about 20 minutes in the car since I don’t smoke in the car.

I am supposed to meet someone at a hazardous waste remediation site but they don’t show up. I decide I’ll go ahead and hang out and light the cigar. Perfect light. 1st draw – I get a nice bold flavor – not peppery. Easy but not loose draw. Very nice finish on the draw.

I drop the cigar in the dirt. Crap! Contaminated dirt is sticking to the wet cap of my cigar. I guess I will need to brush it off – can’t waste a good cigar. Getting a mineral flavor. Oh wait – still some dirt on there, never mind.

One inch in this burn is still perfect. Ash is interesting white with black concentric rings. Picking up some pepper and other spices. Nutmeg? Nicauraguan? This is looking like the High end or mid range so far. Definitely not the yard gar.

Slight meaty flavor…….i have tasted something similar in a liga privada before. ½ way through and no nic buzz but I am expecting some. Whole spice cabinet but very muted and not overpowering…….parsley ranging up to oregano and habanero – not the hot aspect of habanero – the flavor part, for those of you who can appreciate hab flavor.

So I am tired of baking in the sun on this derelict industrial site. I decide to drive somewhere for lunch. Veterans Park has some nice benches under trees looking over water just around the corner. Lunch break but with NO FOOD. So I drive down the road with the cigar hanging out my window – getting blasted with 45 mph breeze. Not smoking while driving but enjoying a long lingering finish in the back off my throat.

Arrived. This cigar takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Need a relight though. Cigar mellows out some, then kicks in with pepper then smoothes out. Enjoying a slight buzz. Interestingly I usually don’t like it when I feel the nic kick but this is just enough not too much.

Still admiring the white ash with thin stacked layers of darker ash. This is like the layers of an ancient buried city. I’m digging for gold!

Some personal observations: This may not be something I seek or enjoy on a regular basis but it is certainly within my wheelhouse.

In a way price influences me in that the higher the price the higher the expectations. Now relative to price I summarize as such:

If this is the high end I say it is good
If it is the mid range I say it is great
If it is the yard gar I say WOW

Despite the buzz, I am taking it to the nub. A last hurrah of flavor. Never got squishy. All this on an empty stomach. I am pretty impressed. Time to eat.

tamapatom
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#143

#2 Cigar

Toro Another nice tight roll. My preparation for this was to eat a hot dog laced with jalapeno peppers and a coke. Turns out not a good idea.

I always lose the tip of my key chain punch. So I look on the floor in my office and what do I see? 6 months after losing the tip. There it is. Must be Karma. I’m doing the punch!

Pre light – Jalapeno pepper
First draw – Jalepeno pepper
Drink a can of coke – Flavor notes? Jalapeno pepper

I definitely screwed up here.

Wrapper is much lighter than #1 and it looks like a regular natural – not quite a Connecticut in my mind but some of the south American connies do not seem like a Connecticut. I digress.

I am getting a nice flavor out of this but still mostly jalapeno. A little woodsy. I don’t know, maybe it’s a nice pairing? I think I am getting indigestion – too many peppers.

My initial light was not that great but the burnline is starting to correct itself without a lot of intervention. Draw is great. Overall performance is nothing to complain about.

Ash is like gray sheets peeling off – not layered like #1. Looks like a dirty blanket – gray and white with black spots. Wonky shape on ash – could be because of my initial incomplete lighting. Cross section of ash when it broke revealed dark grey in middle/whiter on outside.

1st 1/3 Flavor is not there on this one…..but my taste buds might be dead – not sure.

Wonky burn needs correction. Wrapper peeling in spots. Middle of cigar seems uneventful otherwise.

Last third – Picks up a little strength….by this time the jalapenos are gone from my palette but alas no real pickup in cigar flavor.

In summary – A respectable cigar – something that performs without a lot of hassle but you don’t expect too much from. I admit I gave it a tough challenge with the jalapenos but I have to think that a really great cigar would overcome that. I rank this as the YARD GAR which I am usually hesitant to pronounce before I test them all. We’ll see what #3 does now.

Edited by user 7 years ago | Reason: Not specified

tamapatom
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#144

#3 cigar

Robusto Dark bumpy with prominent viens – but nice looking.....looks like the surface of Mars. Mountains and ridges. Hard as a rock. Did I mention before I like a tightly rolled cigar? This looks like a San Andreas wrapper.

Got the perfect setting for this. Just finished some great BBQ brisket from Sweet Daddy Georgia Boy. Still picking the meat from my teeth in preparation. 74 degrees, partly cloudy with a slight breeze. Drinking a Sasquatch (in a pink tutu) double IPA.

So I decide to use my newly re-found punch again. This booger is so hard I can hardly get the punch in. While I like a tight roll, I also like a good draw at the same time. This one aims to please.

I want to do this old school so I light with a piece of Spanish cedar and a match.

Prelight draw is nice but I don’t pick up any prelight flavor. Once I light I pick up a nice flavor that I can’t identify. This cigar smokes by itself as a chimney even when you are not drawing on it. I like that.

Nice but not overwhelming in your face flavor. Truly a rocklike feel but still a great draw. Did I say that already?

Slight woody taste – burning very slow. Still in the first inch. Needs a relight. Twice. I feel I need to draw on this more to keep it lit. Nice compact white ash until I bump it and it falls off.

Going along to the 1st ½ the burn is nice and the cigar is enjoyable. A little bit of pepper (no I haven’t had any more jalapenos). A solid smoke but no real change ups or development.

I start eating some homemade guac and chips and switch to a sweet Bourbon Stout. Cigar seems to improve in flavor with this pairing.

This cigar stays rock solid to the end. A finely rolled cigar. Burn stays consistent. I only wished it gave a little more variety though nothing at all to complain about. This one is one I would like to try again.

Ranking? #1 had more flavor and had a less rustic wrapper and I stick with my original opinion that it is probably the high end. #3 is an improvement over #2 so I pronounce it the mid range. All 3 cigars were enjoyed and I would try all of them again. I am a little curious if my jalapeno fiasco unfairly tainted my opinion of #2.

#1 High end
#2 Low end
#3 Mid range

I’m curious what they all were…………and when I have time I will give some thoughts on all the other great gifts included in this package!

Edited by user 7 years ago | Reason: Not specified

delta1
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#145

gummy jones wrote:

I've smoked a few Juan Lopez #1, but haven't tried the thicker shorter #2. I really like the JL#1, and the #2 compares favorably...I thought it tasted familiar...gonna have to get some, because the #2 seems to smoke slower...at JL prices, those are terrific cigars...

surprisingly, I've not smoked a Flor Fina 858 Sun Grown. I always have the natties and maddies on hand...they are a great bang for the buck cigar that can occasionally be found at sub $5 if you buy a box. But I could never get the Sun Grown, which seems to sell out quickly...may have one that was gifted a while back, from the Hawaiian Puncher...gonna go digging...and will keep my eyes open ...

hope you get better...wait until you're 100% before doing the reviews...not sure if you'll enjoy the ones I sent you as much as I did yours, though...great line-up.

Edited by user 7 years ago | Reason: Not specified

Sunoverbeach
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#146

Nice reviewin both a youse

RMAN4443
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#147

Great reviews, very detailed, I enjoyed reading them...=d>

shaun341
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#148

tamapatom wrote:

Awesome reviews, I enjoyed reading each one of them and liked how you added in what you were doing throughout the length of smoking the cigars. I had a feeling the reviews would turn out something like what you have wrote.

#1 was an Illusione Rothchildes which I got on clearance for under $3 per. I was about to post info about it on here when I bought them and double checked they were in stock still and I must have got the last clearance cab because the price shot back up to normal retail. This was the yard gar, but I know most on here would never consider these yad gars.

#2 was a Caldwell Murcias Especial which I packaged as the midrange. I found them to be similar to your review, so I don't think that the jalapenos effected your review that much. I get an earthy tobacco and that is pretty much it. I thought this would be a good chance at seeing if it was just me or others felt the same about this cigar.

#3 is a La Aurora 100 Anos maduro, the high end. I haven't ashed one in awhile now so I am hoping I haven't waited too long on them after reading your review.

Thanks for the awesome reviews, it is always fun to read and compare cigar reviews from other people (especially when they are blind reviews)!

tamapatom
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#149

Well.......I have always liked the Illusione so for the price point it gets a WOW in my book. Not been terribly impressed with Caldwell before so that seems about right. And for the La Aurora. I had enjoyed quite a few of their double perfectos....but always thought they were way overpriced so I can see that one costing a bit more. Makes me want to pick up some Illusione rothschildes - Now that i know what it was, I can say for sure that the buzz I got was from doing it on an empty stomach.

When I do these reviews every year, I secretly hope that I am wrong picking the high end and it turns out to be the low end. I'm a bargain shopper at heart!

So on shear scoring I am a loser .....but I feel like a winner!

delta1
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#150

nice job with your reviews, tamapatom...Mr. Jalapeno fingers, lol...

gummy jones
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#151

Can't wait any longer. Kicking off the reviews with #2. Churchill. By looks I'm saying yard gar.

Greenish brown, mottled wrapper with what looks like a double cap or maybe a double and a half? Squishy spot in the middle and not a particularly oily in appearance. Foot is a mild, sweet tobacco. Draw is fine. Prelight taste is mild tobacco.

1/3 - So with a slightly sore throat and slightly stuffy nose I toast the foot. A touch acrid in the first inch but all I can say so far is it's not a cuban.

Faint pepper, wood and tobacco with good smoke output and perfect draw. Finish is much longer than I expected, especially this early. Strength and body are mild to medium. Retrohale burns a touch, not as bad as I thought it would be. Doesn't really change the flavor. Burn is acceptable and ash is solid. Im starting to get a sweet citrus that is faint but reminds me of mandarin. This is accompanied by a change in the smoke to slightly chewy. The finish has pretty clearly become a sweet ish cedar with a touch of ash tray and pepper. Here at the end of the first third the burn keeps self correcting, the initial ash is holding strong and I've had an intermittent coconut taste that I have never tasted in a cigar. Pepper is gone. It's funny what you think you taste when you are really trying.

2/3 - no burn corrections and ash is going on 3 inches so I elect to tap it off before it ends up in my lap. Earth and sweet wood predominate. Minimal pepper and faintly floral on the retro. Perhaps a little vanilla sponge cake now and again (yes gummy just hit you with sponge cake). At the midway point I would say the performance is way better than I thought it would be. The burn goes wonky but corrects itself. It's not a complex cigar but not bad. I've smoked cigars with this profile before and while it's certainly far from bad I continue to contend it's the yard gar. I feel my heart rate pick up a little but it remains medium in all categories except the finish which is surprisingly long.

3/3 - free bird is on the radio and im an hour and ten minutes in. The floral notes have picked up and there is definitely a little cocoa. And the ash just fell in my lap. The smoke output on each puff rivals a liga but without the constant smoke from the foot. Definitely cocoa but the overall sweetness is down, even on the finish. Medium plus in all categories with a long finish. My accompanying beverage is a homemade ginger blueberry kombucha. Really a nice palette cleanser without being overpowering. I'd recommend it. The final third was my favorite for sure.

Overall im not going to guess what it is but am sure I've had it or at least many like it. Not complex but not needing any attention as far as performance. A good cigar for a golf course or grilling out.

Thanks delta!

SmokeMonkey
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#152

I thoroughly enjoy taking part and reading everyone’s reviews. Unfortunately, life and work have gotten in the way. Maybe next year, maybe, don’t know.

gummy jones
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#153

Im sitting here rethinking the cap and overall profile. Not complex but pleasant with great performance. Need to smoke the other two.

delta1
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#154

nice review, gummy....I'll wait until you've done the other two before I reveal their identities...glad the bug didn't affect your palate...

gummy jones
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#155

Let's go again

#3 is firm and silky smooth with a triple cap and all the looks of a top notch cigar. Appears to be Toro ish in size and I don't care to measure to be sure. It smells like a barn yard and tastes like must.

1/3 - I light it with a soft flame and the first couple puffs seem to have a little twang. The smoke production is average (not in a bad way) and the flavors are a mild, dry grass, a little salty pretzel (utz old fashioned sourdough to be exact) and possibly something I want to label as sweet. The burn is decent, the ash is on the dark side and the finish is short but enjoyable and without any ash tray taste. This cigar is mild to mild plus at this point. The last puff just opened a flavor bomb and a previously unrecognized under filled area that may be threatening to canoe.

The grassy hay has taken a back seat to a slightly sweet tobacco and a little black cherry. The retro is mild. No pepper, no spice but possibly hickory smoked pork. The ash is holding strong and im resisting correcting the burn: I think this thing can save itself.

2/3 - the smoke is fantastic and fragrant. I tap the ash before it tags me. The kiddos are running around in the yard eating popsicles. It's not hot, but way hotter than it has been. The burn has fixed itself (I believed in you kid) and I am enjoying a slightly salty, faintly toasty graham note with a side of cream. The finish remains on the short side but very smooth. Tears for fears is serenading me on the radio and the draw has tightened just a little but in a great way. My wife says it smells good but doesn't smell super strong. Dang, maybe she should do this next year!

3/3 the burn is razor sharp and the smoke is thick and cool. The ash is still hanging on and the overall profile is solidly smooth and medium. Im sure a true aficionado (someone slightly more full of it than myself) would pick up more subtle changes but from the end of the first third to now the flavors have remained largely consistent. I easily slip deltas cute, homemade band off the shoulder and admire the ash which is 50 shades of grey (aren't I clever)? The grass is gone. Sweet tobacco, mild wood, a hint of cream and a little minty espresso. Down to the nub and pleasant throughout. Total smoking time is about an hour and ten minutes.

This was an enjoyable after dinner smoke. If it's not an upper mid to upper cuban then I'll pretend my palate is off from my 3 week sickness. I'll guess hdm.

Thanks delta!

danmdevries
Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter

7 years ago

#156

Updated OP.

Hopefully I got it caught up correctly after a week away.

Keep em coming

stinger88
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#157

I smoked my cigars in reverse order. Starting with #3 from Lance.
Pre-light - Medium brown, slight damage to the cigar (near the foot was a small chunk of the wrapper missing and wrapper problems where the band is removed). It was a tight, box pressed torpedo. It had a slight pepper taste to it prior to lighting.
First 1/3 - It had a very smooth taste to it. Even with the tight wrap, it was burning pretty fast. It produced a medium amount of smoke. The taste wasn't over powering but I could tell it had some strength behind it. Ash was a dark grey and held on until tapped off at a little over an inch.
Second 1/3 - Cigar started to soften up a bit which helped out the smoke production. The taste was a consistent smooth with a slight hint of pepper. The cigar had a nice aroma to it.
Third 1/3 - Unfortunately, I didn't get into the last third that much. Something came up and I had to set it aside and wasn't able to get back to it.

Overall the cigar had great construction (minor flaws that didn't have anything to do with original construction). The flavor profile was smooth and enjoyable. A big thing for me is that it didn't leave a bad after taste. With those three points I am leaning toward saying that it was the high end.

Thanks Lance. It was a pretty good cigar.

stinger88
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#158

Now for #2.
Pre-light - Big old, deep brown, very veiny toro. Another box press. However this one wasn't so tightly rolled. No significant taste on the prelight. (very cigar like)
First 1/3 - Not a lot of complex flavors but a very enjoyable cigar. It was easy to light and very easy to maintain. The loose wrap made for an easy draw and lots of smoke.
Second 1/3 - No big changes...an enjoyable, easy smoke.
Third 1/3 - The cigar was very consistent until the end. The draw was easy, smoke was plentiful, and the taste was one note but a pretty good note at that.

I liked the cigar. Not sure what this one is but I would say that even though very enjoyable, it came across as a good low end cigar.

I might have to see about getting some of these if they are in the low range. Might be a good daily type of cigar.

Thumbs up Lance.

stinger88
Herf-A-Holic

7 years ago

#159

And the last one....#1.

Pre-light - Unlike the #3 cigar (a slightly different shaped torpedo), this one was in the more typical torpedo shaped. It was again a box press. I guess that was Lance's intentional or unintentional themes, Box Pressed Cigars all three. The cigar had a very mild sweetness on the pre-light. Construction looked great.
First 1/3 - Very easy light and had an easy draw. This cigar burned perfectly all the way to nub. A straight line with an almost white ash. This cigar screamed med power and flavor.
Second 1/3 - Either I am chiefing this cigar or it is burning at a pretty high pace but it is cooking along something fierce. Enjoyable so far. Nothing complex, just a solid medium. (I feel a trend of this cigar)
Third 1/3 - I burned this down to just under an inch and was starting to cook my fingers.

Overall, I liked the cigar. It didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth and it was putting out a reasonable amount of smoke. However, I wouldn't say that it was the top end or the low end. It hit right in the middle.

With that being the case, I will say that this is the Mid Range cigar.

Lance, Thanks for 3 good smokes. I will open the envelope now and see just how bad my guesses were.

David.

danmdevries
Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter

7 years ago

#160

Lance, Thanks for 3 good smokes. I will open the envelope now and see just how bad my guesses were.

David.

stinger88 wrote:

We're waiting [ram27bat]

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