ZH-6552 Redux...

Posting this separately from post #73 above since the most recent one of these tasted like a totally different cigar. Still the box pressed torpedo shape. None of the constructions issues noted in the post above, but tasted totally different. VERY strong right from the start. The advertised coffee from the blurb (and absent from the stick in post #73) was here in spades. Apart from that it lacked the more subtle spices and white pepper of the first stick. While both were good in their own way and would be good at different times of the day with different food or beverage, the wide swing in the taste between the two for what is supposed to be the same cigar blend means i cannot give it a firm "buy" recommendation. If you see it real cheap and want to roll the dice, you could be pleasantly surprised.

KK-4560

Unusual fat figurado shape to begin with. Cap came off with the cut but probably should have let it rest instead of smoking ROTT since there is no humi pack when order from Cbid. In any case, lots of flavor in a short stick. Was stronger than the CI blurb suggests but not overpowering. Not "creamy" really as described, at least not in a Conn. wrapper sort of way. Mostly good Nicaraguan tobacco flavor.

UPDATE: Have to be careful with this one. Easy for it to get hot and harsh. Not sure if its the shape or how its rolled but more than just a few puffs in short period of time and it gets that way.

HO-654

This one was interesting from the start. While listed as 654 on CI, the band said 6054. Now the way they number these that doesn't really matter because either way it means 6 inches, but this is the first one where I have seen a discrepancy.

This is a cigar where the construction (or lack thereof) made all the difference. With the pre-light aroma, initial appearance and first few puffs, you could pass this off as a Padron, it was that good - for a bit. It was spicy, flavorful, complex mix of tobacco flavors. But then the construction and rolling issues kicked in

The wrapper on this stick was very very thin and it started to unravel right away. It was also very very loosely packed. Not a lot of tobacco in there so the draw was way too easy and it burned very quickly. Also, for the same reason no doubt, the ash was not firm at all and was falling off right away.

Possible that this was just a badly rolled one, but it was VERY badly made. So for now going into my "no thanks" category. If every see one very very cheap, might give it a second chance just because the tobacco inside (what little there was) was that good.

ALERT: AVAILABLE NOW ON CBID (9/2716)

HH-5060

(note this another one where the designation fluctuates. Sometimes is sometimes HH-5060 and sometimes HH-560)

This is a very good cigar and especially nice if you like the bigger (60) ring gauge. Lit and burned beautifully. Perfect draw, lots of lovely smoke and would-not-fall-off ash. Very flavorful - toasty, nutty, savory and good tobacco flavor throughout. More complex and subtle than many Nicaraguan cigars because of the gauge, says full on CI but more medium overall although it would slowly fluctuate. The cbid blurb makes it sound like it might be very sweet but it wasn't. Had a touch of caramel or something where i guess they are getting the "honey" note but it was never anything were you would say it was "sweet" Was great with a glass of dry red wine. Took it down to the nub

I don't usually go for ring gauges this big, but this is a cigar I would make an exception for. $6 on the Mothership, as of this post they are on Cbid for half of that. This is not one that I have seen on Cbid before and, with the number of sticks NOT on backorder or out of stock on CI, if this sounds good to yo, I would grab a few.

I am bidding on these but don't need the whole lot, so be nice!

QB-552

If you are one (like me) that does not usually pick up a maduro wrapper, here is a cigar that would make wonder why more cannot be like this. Too many "affordable" maduros seem to try to live off of the wrapper without much thought as to the filler within. This one doesn't do that. Starts off very dark choc. and espresso, but then the pepper kicked in. Much spicier than I would have ever expected but never wiped-out the strong chewy maduro underneath. Spice lasted for very long time, much longer than many sticks that advertise their spicy character. Overall a strong, chewy flavorful smoke that was complex and evolved and changed throughout while keeping a good balance between the various flavors. Those that dislike a "one trick pony" stick will want to try this one out if you get the chance.

Solid white ash and lots of lovely white smoke. Great draw and lasted a very long time for a "robusto" sized cigar.

Most defiantly a "rebuy"

ET-652( Very interesting salomon shape)

Well after being very impressed with one type of wrapper I that is not my first choice (maduro) I had high hopes for this Connecticut but was disappointed.

When I first took off the cello and gave it a sniff, I had a memory flashback. I had smelled this exact sent before but where. Then it hit me. My grandfather, who had a corner store, would always give me empty Dutch Masters and Murial cigar boxes to put all my stuff in when growing up. This cigar smelled just like those boxes back in the day. Very pleasant memory. The rest of the smoke, not as much.

Not that there was anything wrong with this cigar, no bad flavors, burned well, good draw. It is just that any real taste was not there. I tried to take into account that I am not a mild-Connecticut cigar person and give the cigar the benefit of the doubt, but if you read the reviews above there have been several Connecticut Blendlabs that i have enjoyed thoroughly and recommend because, despite being mild, they had flavor and character.

Not offensive by any means and if someone gave me one i would not refuse to smoke it, but that is no reason to spend money.

NOTE TO ALL BLENDLAB FANS

http://www.cigarbid.com/FORUM/c/posts/652151/And-so-it-ends-where-it-began-maybe  ) this next batch of reviews will be the last. Unless and until there is a legislative or regulatory fix, Blendlabs are not long for this world. CI (and, therefore, Cbid) still has a large supply of many of the most popular ones (including, ugh, the Drew Estate one), and they will continue making some of blends as long as they have the raw material, but they do not intend to submit any of them for FDA approval as they don't sell enough of them to justify the huge fee the FDA is charging.

However, there is still time to stock up either on-line or at the Superstores on many of the blends, so I will review this last batch of new-to-me blendlabs then pretty much close up shop here unless there is any breaking news.

YH-738

Very cool looking lancero shape and a very interesting blend of Nicaraguan and Italian tobacco with an Ecuador Habano/Ligero wrapper.

The first inch of this long, thin, stick was VERY disappointing. The only flavor there was was that of ash. The first inch burned fast as well, so much so that I thought for a bit that this was going to be a 20min smoke. And although I was outside, there was no strong wind and wasn't over-smoking it

After that first inch however, things got much better. Lots of different flavors, some nutty, some dark chocolaty never a super strong smoke despite the ligero claim. After that fist inch, it slowed down a lot and wound being about a 50min smoke.

At the listed $7.00 its a bit steep compared to others you can get at that price, but look for discounts.

CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK ON WEB - AVAILABLE AT SUPERSTORES.

KB-656

A Maduro fan's delight! Incredibly dark and shiny. Looks like a an old mahogany desktop that was just oiled. Prelight smell also delightful.

Lit easily, Did get a wavy burn at one point but self-corrected. This is NOT a "medium-full" smoke as described. Medium at the most and often a bit less than that but always flavorful.

Very typical Maduro flavors cedar, toast, coffee and natural tobacco sweetness but done very well. Not as strong, spicy or as complex as the QB-552, but if you want a great Maduro that is more mild this would be an excellent choice.

Going into my "Buy if price is right" category not because of any flaws, but simply because I like the stronger more complex QB more if I am going to grab a maduro

AVAILABLE ON-LINE STILL, STOCK UP

JC-548

After looking at some of my reviews and me pointing out the blendlabs I like, Jason at the superstore recommended this one. Good call! Interesting blend of Brazilian, Dominican, Nicaraguan tobacco with a Cameroon wrapper. Cameroon wrappers can be hit-or-miss, and this one was very good. Both slightly peppery and salty but not overpowering. Nice complex blend of tobacco flavors throughout. Subtly changed and evolved throughout the smoke but always stayed true to what it started out as. It is listed as "medium" and while I guess that is accurate, it had a lot more flavor than many "medium" sticks.

Burned a lot longer than I thought it would for its shape and size.

$4.50 on the Mothership still, worth a rebuy!

JY-656

A change in reviewing criteria for me! In the past, if I thought that I got a particular blendlab that might have had a "one-off" issue but was otherwise promising, i would put it into the "wait and see" category to buy and try again later. Well, we don't have time for that anymore. With the winding-down of the blendlab program (but there is still hope!) there is no reason to wait on a cigar when 1) there are plenty of good ones to choose from and 2) it might not be there by the time you get around to trying it again!

Now this could very well be unfair to a cigar where I just got unlucky, but that's how it is unless things change dramatically. If I "diss" a cigar you have liked and think I just got a bad one, reply!

Well, that's what we have with the JY-656 It was a good looking cigar and what taste I could get out of it was OK, but it just had significant issues. First the wrapper started to unravel a bit after the cap was cut off. Then it was not an easy light. Then it just didn't burn and draw the way it should. It never felt that it was properly lit. There was never a satisfying puff from this thing. At one point it wanted to tunnel some and then at about the halfway point it hit a hard spot in there that became as hard as a rock. Quite possible, of course, that that hard spot was the reason for the bad draw, but at that point I was done.

Sorry Charlie.

WA-6552

Methinks that my review for the QB-552 has pushed up the price of that sick on good ol' cbid. Understandable since they are that good, but prices here for the QB are getting close to what they are on the mothership so watch out for those shipping charges!

Well, if you like the QB - AND happen to be near the Hamburg superstore - swing in to pick up a few of the WA-6552 Very high quality, high end smoke. Very strong and full (you will need a good toothbrushing before bed!) but never harsh. Burned perfectly and never needed a touch-up. The mothership blurb is perfect on this one "Rich, chewy flavor, Notes of chocolate, dark tobacco, pepper, and espresso. ts strength builds throughout the burn - An ideal cigar for evening." Yup, that describes this one perfectly and well worth the retail price.

Currently showing as out of stock online but they had them at the superstore so keep an eye out on the computer or visit scenic Hamburg PA

FB-554

My main man at the Superstore, Jason, has done a great review of this very good cigar on the Mothership, so give the man some clicks!

http://www.cigarsinternational.com/staff-reviews/453/fb-554/ 

I would add just a few things. The cigar was not tightly packed. It burned great and the draw was wonderful but it did not last as long as you might expect. Would be abut 45 min for most smokers that don't go "nubbin" to the fingertips like I did with this one.

Due to needing to suddenly help somebody move a desk right in the middle of this smoke, I had to put it down and walk away for several minutes. Came back and it was still perfect - no relight or retouch needed. Just pick up and puff. In other words, despite that it was just a little bit (but not too bad) squishy, it was expertly rolled.

Still available at CI.

JC-548

After a week were I smoked mostly full to very-strong cigars, it was nice to have a relaxing evening on the deck with this medium strength gem. First off, it burned beautifully. I often have problems with cigars like this one (and the AF Short-story) getting them to burn evenly after it burns past the "nub" at the front. I always seem to need to touch them up as the burn widens I am sure its my fault being something I am doing, but no problem with this one. Lit easily and burned straight all the way through, Coffee and cream with a mild peppery spice throughout. Lip-smackin." good.

Still available on CI and, as soon as I have a free-shipping order, I will picking up some more

Been a while since a Blendlab review, but between rain and the cold and being on the road a lot, I have mostly been firing up the smaller Blendlabs like the 444's and the 542's that I stocked up on on my visit to the superstore and which have been already reviewed.

Christmas, however, it was 65 degrees and no rain! So in addition to my main treat of the day - a CC Siglo, I lit up one of the Blendlabs that was recommended to my by the guys at the superstore. One of the good things about this one is that it is still showing "in stock" on the Mothership

KF-5555

Beautiful, dark, box-pressed cigar. Note that one of the photos that shows up for this stick on CI is wrong or messed up as it looks nothing like the actual cigar.

Nice pre-light aroma. Some reviews on CI talk of issues with the cap but I didn't have any. Light and draw were perfect. Never needed a touch-up.

At the start it was a typical (but very good) chocolate & dark coffee-ish you get with sticks of this ilk but with a very nice salty/savory overtone on top of it that you don't normally get. Good solid "medium +" at the beginning.

Stayed that way pretty constantly with the salt/savory slowly fading out until a bit past the halfway point were it became noticeably "creamy." I know some hate that description, but its the best work there is for what it was. Many sticks become stronger as it burns down, this one became distinctly milder near the end.

Lasted a good 1.5 hours. Already ordered a few more!

PH-652

This cigar is a bit of a weird duck and a good one to end this journey upon since it results in a good double "reveal" by the end.

You will not find the PH-652 on the Mothership and, unlike some other sticks that no longer show up there, the PH-652 gives no return results on google or any other search. It is a different cigar completely from the PH-650 (which is still available online). The 652 is a torpedo shape tasted quite different.

The first impression was that the cigar smelled nice pre-light but was a bit squishy. The looser pack showed up on the burn which was uneven at times and needed a couple touch-ups. Wrapper was a bit thin. Classic medium Nicaraguan tobacco taste a bit of espresso some very light chewy sweetness at times. In all the blend of tobacco was very good, it was just that it had some burn issues and did not burn as long as you would wish given its size all do to the loose pack.

Throughout this smoke, it kept reminding me of another cigar and it took a long time for me to figure it out. This smoke was very very similar to the La Perla Habana Modaro (purple) version 2,0. For those that have not followed the saga of La Perla, there have been (at least) three iterations of this cigar that I have had experience with.

The first, initial, release was an amazing smoke, well worth the "93" rating (that they still advertise). I never purchased any of this initial release, but did have some gifted to me. They were great!

On version 2.0 of this release they downgraded the packaging (to save money and keep the cigar affordable according to the PR dept.). The cigar was also noticeably looser packed. It still tasted good but the construction had been downgraded noticeably and they were using a lot less tobacco per cigar. Although people who had fallen in love with the initial release railed against this cigar like it was everything evil in the world rolled - loosely 🙂 - into this stick, the fact of the matter is this was a very nice "daily-driver" of a cigar at a very reasonable, indeed even cheap on Cbid, price. At one point you could easily get these for for a couple of bucks (and sometimes even $1.00) per! They were a good deal and it is this version I started buying either on Cbid or special deals elsewhere.

Then came version 3.0. Here the blend of the tobacco had clearly changed and it simply was not that good anymore. Interestingly, the construction on the version 3.0's that I did have was a bit better than 2.0 but it was not worth the money even at rock-bottom prices. The flavor was simply not the same and it was not worth the coin. I do not know if there has been any further changes in the blend or construction since then, as I have not ventured to try one but the reports I have seen have not been flattering.

The PH-652 that I had was very very similar to the Version 2.0 sticks. Good taste, less than optimal packing and construction. Now after this revelation, it doesn't take much to figure out that the "PH" for this Bleandlab stands for la Perla Habana. Thus, I am confidant that the PH-652 is a version of the LPH Morado. It might not be exactly the same retail blend but it was close. Perhaps it was a prototype of the version 2.0 that they eventually starting selling. In any case, a good cigar but one that I would only buy at a pretty good price give the construction and burn.

But there is more! After realizing (duh!) that "PH" on the blendlab meant "LPH" in the real-world. I went back to check out the PH-650 that was reviewed above. Comparing blends and wrappers and shapes, the LH-650 looks like a dead-ringer for La Perla Habana 1515 Toro. The blend, wrappers, and reviews match up. Again, you can't be sure its an exact match, but the PH-650 is either the same as the 1515 or a prototype.

It is also a good cigar but not in my highest tier of Blendlabs, but it was close. The PH-650 does appear on the CI website but it is, alas, "out of stock."

Well, that's all folks. I have exhausted my supply of unreviewed blendlabs. I have a nice large stock of my favorites in the coolador (with the Hearfelt Beads!). As confirmed with the folks at CI-HQ, unless there is legislative relief from the FDA regulations pretty soon, the Blendlab program will be slowly wound-down. It is just not feasible for CI to go through the expense of getting blendlab sticks through the FDA approval process. There won't be any new blendlabs coming out and the rest will be discontinued as the stock and/or tobacco set aside for them runs out over the next year or so. Right now there are only 12 Blendlabs in stock on CI, but they include some very good ones (and the VB!). Therefore, if you find one you like, stock up now!

When was at the Superstore in October, that is exactly what several of us were doing. They had some great deals on bundles and I grabbed several. The old "Blendlab" room (while still about half full of blendlabs) was now the re-named the "Value Vault." It was a pretty sad visit, but it was great talking with the gang. They even went over a number of my reviews and we discussed them in detail.

It has been a fun ride. The great thing about blendlabs was the chance to try out a lot of different blends and styles at good prices (and sometimes amazing deals!) without being influenced by the "Name-Brand." I learned a lot about what I do and don't like (omg, how can people keep smoking those VBs from Drew Estate !?!?!?!?!?) and the importance of things like the pairing when reviewing a cigar.

With the recent U.S. election, of course, there is a chance that the FDA debacle is reversed. NOW is the time to call and email you congressman or senator and to join up with the folks at cigarrights.org (CI is a supporter!). I joined, you should too!

http://www.cigarrights.org/main.php 

At almost 58,000 views, this has been a pretty popular thread, and I appreciate all of the positive feedback and the others that put in their reviews of the Blendlabs.

IF the FDA regs can be rolled back, then I am sure the Blendlab program will survive as well as all of the smaller manufacturers and small-batch blends. IF that happens, perhaps I will revive this thread or start a 2.0 version.

But until then: "Smoke 'em if you got 'em!"

RIP Blendlab - liked the RQ 444....any idea who made them...same shape as short story or special g.....nice for the price.

The story I have heard on the 444's is interesting. At one point someone at AF company was looking expand its short-story line with different and stronger blends, but AF did not have the capacity to do it totally in-house. So they sought out other cigar makers to, in effect, come up with proposals. They were to be in the shape and style of the existing short-story but stronger, more varied tobacco blends. The RQ and RY 444 were, in effect, prototypes of these potentially "new" short-story blends. Had the deal gone through, AF and this maker would have partnered to bring the sticks to market under the AF label.

Apparently, however, Carlos himself nixed the whole thing at some point when he got wind of it. Sounded to me like he hated the whole idea of farming out AF sticks to someone else. Perhaps he didn't like the idea that anybody could improve on an AF idea! I have no idea if he even tried the 444's. Maybe he did and didn't like them. But, for whatever reason, he wound up hating the whole idea. I was told when Carlos visited the Superstore, they actually took down and hid the 444's so he would not see them and they would not offend him!

I really like both 444 blendlabs and have stocked up on them. The AF short-story, of course, is a masterpiece of construction and I have never had a bad one. The 444's, however, IMO, are more flavorful and better tasting than the AF's version, albeit the 444s have more inconsistent construction and sometimes an uneven burn that I never have had with a real AF short-story

They have been putting a whole bunch of 444's on bid here! Got myself a bunch fir $1 per! Other auctions $2 per. Load up!

Smoking the pj-5556 good draw on the one I have, nice spice and earthy notes. Uneven burn though.