2 down, 1 to go.

Next up #3 unbanded robusto
Beginning kinda like a Smokey cherry on the retro. Very smooth no pepper to mention. Maybe some light cocoa and spices I’m not familiar with. Good start fairly full flavor and body. Pretty well rolled cigar. Burn line is crisp. Tastes like a joya Antano 1970.
2nd slight creamy taste with that kinda charred cherry on the retro. Some mineral flavor that’s tastes good. A little wood or leather. Strength is picking up a little. Certainly full at this point. The cherry flavor seems to come and go. Almost the flavor of smoking meat with cherry wood. I’ve gotten that flavor from antano and master blend 3s. Pretty sure this isn’t a master blend. Think they’re all box pressed. This still makes me think antano. Similar blend maybe. Real good cigar. Flavors kinda cycle around enough to say it’s fairly complex. Enough to keep this one pretty interesting.
Final third
Still rolling with the same flavors mentioned. They’ve gotten a bit deeper Darker maybe. If I really let the cigar sit then take a big draw it’s just like a good bbq should smell. Burn line has been a razor since I lit it. Rolled near perfect. Gonna wrap this up. Cigar will burn around 50 minutes. I smoked a little fast.

Final guess. This is the Midcard smoke. Nicaraguan

Jumping out a window guessing it’s a joya antano

Another nice cigar whistle.

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Nice 78 degree morning after my 5 mile stroll so I picked out the #3 blind from Marcus and away we go.

About 4 7/8 X 52 robusto with a golden colorado dryish wrapper and a lumpy cap. Cold draw says hay and maybe some wood. Very easy draw and a razor straight burn for the 1 hour duration with a white ash that held firm for 2" when I tapped it. Good amount of smoke output but I could not peg any specific notes beyond the hay and a little wood in a light-medium and somewhat one-dimensional flavor profile. Very pleasant aroma but just no specific notes and almost no spice even on the retro. I'm glad I picked this one as a morning smoke as it's a very easy going profile.

I'm assuming this is the everyday type of smoke and I did enjoy it.

Edit from Marcus on July 6: Illusione Rothchildes Connecticut, every day.

Plebian Palate Reviews Vol III

Cigar #1

Looks to be a Churchill. 7.5” in length. Guessing 52ish gauge
Light brown wrapper with I believe a triple cap. Very smooth with tight seams and small veins.
Pretty light in the hand with a fair amount of give throughout, but not overly spongy.
Easy draw. No need for adjustment. I'm no good with the pre-light flavahs.

Tanginess was prevalent on lighting, along with a sweet tobacco flavor, and some creaminess in the background. Almost no spice even on the retrohale. Very smooth.
Ash was light gray with some darker spots. It held pretty tight for about an inch before I tapped it since I feared for my crotch.
Burn was nice and straight.

About a 3rd of the way in some pepper began to develop. I’d call it white pepper, mild and not overpowering.

1/2way required a slight touchup to the burn. The tanginess gives way to more of a charred oaky taste which then morphs into a toasted marshmallow.
Strength seems in the mild range, possibly edging towards med.

Around the last 1/3 the pepper strengthens, probably more of a black pepper at this point. The tanginess makes a resurgence, then fades again leaving a creamy pepper to the end, if that makes any sense whatsoever. A crack develops near the cap, probably due to my troll like fingers.

Total smoke time was 1½ hours, a little shorter than I anticipated, but it wasn’t as dense of some cigars I’ve come across.

I’ll admit I didn’t expect much going into this, being what appears to be a connie. At first glance, I was fully set to stick this in the yard gar category. I was pleasantly surprised by the construction, the burn, and the flavor. Who knows? Maybe I’m maturing as a person and am learning to appreciate different things. Sure, that's plausible!

Anyway, I’m tentatively placing this one at mid-range status until I see how the next two fare. Good smoke. Thanks, David

Last blind smoke from whistle

Red pepper on the initial light. Hay, think I’d call the other flavors baking spices. Maybe some graham cracker in there too. Off to a heck of a start here. Some floral notes kicking in. This cigar is rolled incredibly tight. To the point I was afraid the draw would potentially be plugged. Smokes perfect. Draw is perfect. Burn line is razor sharp
Hanging around medium body. Flavor I’d call full. Profile is right up my alley and very complex. Ash is very firm. I knocked it off. Kinda didn’t wanna let go but I don’t like 3inches of ash hanging off my cigar.
2nd third
Hints of vanilla Strong vanilla. A lot of sweet spices involved. Maybe some Cuban twang going on here. Wrapper is fairly dark. So that kinda throws me. This is one hell of a cigar. No matter where it’s from. Among the best cigars I’ve ever smoked. All the flavors I’ve mentioned are still here. They come and go. The hay is back presently. 2-3 draws from now it’ll be graham crackers.

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Final third.
Real gentle touch up just to keep things pretty. There could even be some new flavors at this point. Tastes like very well blended tobacco.
Light red pepper. Maybe graham cracker. Carmel. Yeah I’m making stuff up at this point.

This was a robusto by the way. Smoke time 1 hour. I could stretch it a little longer. Probably will. Very good cigar. My guess is top shelf

Maybe Cuban. Feeling pretty good about that. But it’s a darker wrapper than I’m used to seeing. My experience with Cubans is pretty slim. So just going with Cuban.

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So how’d I do whistle

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Some nice reviews, JtS, regardless of how you did

Plebian Palate Reviews Vol III

Cigar #2

This one is looking corona gordaish. About 6" in length and a 46-48 gauge.
Wrapper's a med brown. Looks like milk chocolate. Seams are tight, mostly small veins with a couple of larger ones running the length of the cigar.
The feel is fairly firm throughout. No soft spots detected.
The draw was easy. Drilling not required. Definitely more body on the cold draw, but again, I'm no good at that part.

Fire brings some sweetness, kind of caramel in nature, distinct amount of pepper, some creaminess, hints of cocoa and coffee, with a touch of leather.
Tasting pretty Nicaraguan and very much like a Tatuaje.

Ash is a darker gray and flaring at the end. I don't trust the structural integrity, and tap it off pretty quickly. Strength seems to be med to start with.

The flavors do a little dance throughout the course of the cigar. Caramel takes the lead, then pepper, then creaminess to the fore and so on. None of them really go away at any point though. I guess it's more of a dance party really.

Strength leans more towards med/full in the second half. Flavors continue their Riverdance routine.

This smoke was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I actually lost track of about 20mins where I forgot I was focusing and taking notes. Whoopsie!

I'm still set on this being a Tat. I'd bet all the money in my wallet on that. Granted that's only about $7, but I'd bet it. I can't pinpoint which one, but I'm going to guess one of the brown labels. As far as categorizing, I'm torn. I definitely liked this better than the first cigar (nothing against that one) and could see it being the premium, but it could be the mid range. For now I'll give it a tentative top shelf rating with a final call to be made after I finish the 3rd.

Thanks for another good one, stinger.

Finished up my reviews Monday, gonna post all at once. This is going to wreck my stellar reputation as a connoisseur of the leaf... 🤦

BOB - light brown 6x52 toro
Drink choice - Iced coffee
Scent - Strong barnyard, fresh tobacco
Dry draw - sweet grass, mild tobacco, light resistance
First 3rd - sower grass, hay, nut butter, salt
Switched my drink to beer - Buschhhhh
Second 3rd - roasted nut, mild honey, mild spice
Final 3rd - more roasted nut, sweet honey, mild pepper spice, dry mineral
Perfect burn line, heavy smoke clouds, satisfying smoke.
Dominican puro?
Think this was the every day selection.

FRED - medium brown 6x50 toro
Drink choice - Coke
Scent - Strong, fresh cow turd
Dry draw - mild sweetness, pecan, dry fruit, some resistance
First 3rd - sweet tobacco, toasted pecan and vanilla.
Second 3rd - still getting sweet tobacco but the nut flavors are closer to toasted walnut now and the vanilla has morphed into something closer to a white chocolate cordial cherry.
Final 3rd - a little black pepper, more cordial cherry and some faint syrupy notes.
Wonky burn line, a couple of minor wrapper cracks, light smoke production, very tasty.
Dominican filler? Cameroon wrapper?
Think this was the mid level choice.

HARRY - dark brown 4.75x50 bp robusto
Drink choice - Colombian coffee with whole cream
Scent - dark tobacco, diesel fuel
Dry draw - mild/sweet/dark tobacco, raisin, no resistance
First 3rd - toasted walnut, bittersweet chocolate, raisin.
Second 3rd - dark toasted walnut, dark chocolate, prune, honey.
Final 3rd - more dark walnut, dark chocolate, coffee and a dry/sweet mineral note.
Perfect burn line, excellent draw and smoke production. Very good, my favorite of the 3.
Nicaraguan? Maduro? I'll go out on a limb and guess a Padron anny.
Think this was the top shelf smoke.

Alrighty Jake, I'm ready for you to reveal. I'm sure my guesses missed by a mile but I enjoyed giving it a shot. All very good smokes, thank you sir!

Ha! Like you ever had a stellar reputation [frypan]

Nice reviewing, Marcus!

Bob don pepin blue One of my go to mid card.
Fred cao Nicaragua they surprised me.
Harry padron 1926

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Cao is a Honduran wrapper with Nicaragua filler.

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Don pepin is all Nicaragua

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This is fun to watch as a spectator. Interesting to hear blind reviews of these smokes. I am sure there are more surprises than expected.

^ you can say that again! Really surprised about the DPG. Thanks again for the great smokes, Jake, I enjoyed every one of them!

Glad you liked them. You’re very welcome !

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Well I'll let you be the judge of that...........drum roll please

#1 A.Flores Gran Reserva Corojo..............a real sleeper in my opinion.Sadly these have all but disappeared.........SORRY. I'd call this the "good smoke".

#2 Ashton VSG Illision.........one of my all time favorites but it MUST be smoked slow.Some of the larger ring guages in the VSG line can be pushed but this 46 rg needs a soft touch.I'm a very slow smoker so it has just always hit that spot for me.This was " top shelf" my friend.

#3 Illusione Rothschildes with roughly 6-7 years humi age on it.While I think with a few years age it smokes way above its pay grade it is just an "everyday" smoke.


Glad you enjoyed the smokes.

Looks like I failed pretty miserably. There’s always hope for next year lol

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Really liked # 1. Had a very unique profile I thought

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