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Author
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baboruger
Senior Member
Registered: June 2007
Location: Palatine, IL
Posts: 4147
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Review Date: Mon August 6, 2007
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Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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well made, spicy flavors, great burn
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Cons:
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not really that much
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Well, after the disaster of #122 i was temped to hold off on these blind reviews, but seeing as I still have 7 more to go, I should kick one or two out a weekend. So I picked up #120. This was a nice looking Robusto size cigar.
Pre-smoke
Sent of Wrapper: A nice tobacco sent with some sweet smell mixed in.
Sent at foot: Grassy but with some pepper or spice mixed in. Mild sent at the foot.
Wrapper: Nice toothy wrapper, consistent brown color, with some small veins running around the wrapper.
Feel: The feel was firm with some softer spots near the head of the cigar.
Tongue: I did not get a tingle or anything, but there was a metallic taste or after taste with this.
Flavor on Draw: Nice Cedar flavor mild in the pre-light draw.
Smoke
Taste: Right from the start there was a nice kick of spicy pepper that came through. Not overpowering, but very flavorful. There were hints of cedar within the spice flavor. This flavor is consistent and very nice for the entire cigar. The flavors do get milder towards the head of the cigar. All in all this was a nice tasty smoke that was right in my flavor profile.
Strength of Flavors: Medium to Full flavors in this one.
Feeling: Just a nice relaxing feeling that made me feel like I was smoking a nice luxury cigar.
Sent of smoke: I smoke outdoors so it is sort of hard to tell, but I noticed that there was a peppery aroma.
Heat on fingers and in mouth: None until the end, I smoked this one way down, so that was the culprit.
Draw: Nice Draw, not open all the way, but not tight, just enough resistance to make this almost the perfect smoke.
Finish: Very nice peppery finish that stays with you. It also causes a tingle in my throat and mouth.
Other Aspects of the Smoking Experience: Very nice white ash on this one, fairly even burn, no touch ups were required. While exhaling through my nose, this was not overpowering, but rather nice. I really enjoyed this smoke, I gave it an 8.5 on my sheet, but here decided to round up to a 9.
Can't wait to find out what this one was as I will defiantly put this one into my regular smoking line up. I sort of compare it to the Pepin Cuban Blend, which is saying something in my opinion.
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Say what you mean and do what you say.
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Wingfan13
Senior Member
Registered: April 2007
Location: South Lyon, Mi
Posts: 1521
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Review Date: Wed August 8, 2007
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Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Perfect burn, perfect draw, nice spice
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Cons:
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A little harsh in the end.
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Smoked this one after dinner. The scent of the cigar was mild on both the wrapper and foot. The wrapper has a very slight problem (looks like it is going to unravel) at the foot but this could be from shipping because the rest of the wrapper is nice.
I cut this with my Xikar and lit it with my brand new triple flame Blue Rhino which was unreal. Best lighter I have ever used. This cigar lit up immediately. I got it from Heartfelt. I highly recommend.
Right away I am picking up a lot of spice. It has a very woody flavor. The burn remains perfect. The burn line is perfect. There is a good deal of grey or gray smoke comming out of this one.
The ash is holding on tight and finally falls off about an inch to an inch and a half in. The spice is mellowing a little bit but I still feel it in the back of the throat.
The flavor is either changing or the fact that the spice is mellowing is making me think that. I am down to the last inch or so and this cigar is starting to get a little bit harsh. There isnt any heat just a harsh taste in my mouth.
I really enjoyed this cigar a lot. I would have nubbed it but it was getting a little harsh towards the end and my WE channel show is coming on. Kidding of course.
I would buy more of this cigar. I liked the flavor a lot and loved the draw and burn.
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Pug
Getting Active
Registered: May 2007
Location: Livonia (Suburb of Detroit), MI
Posts: 42
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Review Date: Thu August 9, 2007
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Would you recommend this to someone? No |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 3
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Pros:
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Initial sweetness
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Cons:
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Poor draw, Fading flavor
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Pre Smoke:
Scent of Wrapper: Very strange, almost like a sweet pickling spice.
Scent at Foot: Sweet floral
Appearance: Fairly nice single cap, minor veins.
Wrapper: Olive brown, wrapper splitting at foot.
Feel: Firmly packed with light spring to the touch. No soft spots.
Tongue: No real effect on the tongue
Flavor on Draw: Mild with a hint of spice.
Smoke:
Taste:
Initial: Mild pleasant flavor from the start
1" in: Hint of sweetness and floral
1/3 point: Sweetness fading. Still mild body with less taste
2/3 point: Approaching medium body. Not much smoke or flavor.
Flavor Changes: Initial sweetness faded and was replaced by tastelessness
Strength: Mild
Scent of Smoke: Not evaluated
Heat (hot on fingers or mouth?): None
Draw Quality: Very tight, almost plugged.
Finish: Short and very dry
Other comments: Wrapper did not want to stay intact. Split at foot and in middle of cigar. Head simply started coming apart (and I'm not a chewer). Draw was very tight and did not improve. It was very difficult to get a decent volume of smoke. This cigar would probably have scored considerably higher had it not been such a chore to smoke it.
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Eespidie
Active Member
Registered: April 2007
Location: Tempe
Posts: 434
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Review Date: Fri August 10, 2007
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Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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construction, smooth but flavorful
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Cons:
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a little too mild in the first half for my taste.
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PRE-SMOKE
SCENT OF WRAPPER: not too noticable, just a a light tobacco smell
SCENT AT FOOT: ya know all i could place was sweet until i started looking at the list of flavor words... id have to say it had a sweet tea smell
WRAPPER: consistant, nice construction
FEEL: firm but pliable
TONGUE: maybe i was at this a little too long but i had a slight tingle and a taste of some sort of spices
FLAVOR ON DRAW: again some sort of spice
SMOKE
TASTE: nice wood flavor kicked it off. it really smoothed out going into the 2nd 3rd with hints of some sweet flavor (the tea again???) finishing it off it seemed to build up a pepper taste with the tea and switch to some sort of leather coffee pepper combo...mmmm....
STRENGTH: mild - medium. more mild than medium
FEELING: this one layed me back a little (not too much though)
SCENT OF SMOKE: there was a moment where it had a REALLY strong cedar aroma
HEAT: none until the last inch
DRAW: nice free draw
OTHER ASPECTS: well constructed, solid ash that just hung on like crazy, super even burn. one spot where the ring may have been swelled and split just at the end.
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A cigar is as good as memories that you have when you smoked it. --Raul Julia
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bobbyg29
CL's Mad Cigar Scientist
Registered: April 2007
Location: Mesa, AZ
Posts: 1719
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Review Date: Sun August 12, 2007
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Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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great Cameroon flavors, perfect even burn
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Cons:
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unbalanced at the start, flaky ash
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Blind Tasting Panel #120
5 x 50 Robusto
ATMOSPHERE: Smoked on a hot mid-morning on my patio paired with root beer and the latest Jeffrey Deaver novel.
PRE-SMOKE:
Scent. I picked up a very mild, vegetal/cabbage aroma from the wrapper and a cedar and rich tobacco flavor from the foot.
Appearance: A brownish, green colored wrapper, similar to a dark Bosc pear in color that was oily, and veiny but very smooth. Definitely looked like a Cameroon wrapper. Some loose tobacco could be seen from the foot.
Feel: Perfect give to squeeze throughout.
Pre-light draw: No tingle at all on my tongue after my usual punch cut. Just basic tobacco on the draw.
SMOKE:
Taste & Flavor: This cigar started with a sweet, cedar flavor with a light hint of herbal spice in the background (mostly at the very end of the draw). It became a little more peppery when expelled through the nose. At this point I felt the flavors were a strange combination that was a little unbalanced. After about the first 1”, the sweetness disappeared and the spice came to the forefront with the addition of kind of cabbage/leather flavor. The spice was what I typically get from a Cameroon wrapper: a herbal, green pepper taste that is a little on the bitter side (in a good way). I enjoyed this combination of flavors very much!
Strength: This cigar was full bodied and full flavored for me. I had a little queasiness in my stomach by the end.
Feeling: At first this cigar was a little hard to chew but it softened up nicely. There was a nice peppery aftertaste on the lips from the wrapper.
Scent of smoke: This cigar produced an average amount of bluish-white smoke (there definitely could have been more) that had a grassy, herbal spice aroma.
Heat: A little bit on the finger in the last 1.5”.
Draw & Burn: The draw was very tight at first and required a blade cut. It was still a little tight after this but was acceptable. The burn was razor sharp and did not require a single correction.
Finish: A long peppery and slightly bitter, cabbage finish that left my lips and tip of my tongue tingling.
OTHER:
Ash: Very flaky grey-white ash that held well despite it’s appearance.
Duration: Nubbed in 1.5 hrs.
CONCLUSION: The flavor profile for the majority of this cigar (the unique herbal, green pepper spice and leather I typically get from Cameroon wrapper) and it’s full-bodied strength were definitely enjoyable and fit my flavor profile well. I would like to give it a higher rating but the unbalanced flavors in the first 1”, slightly tight draw, and lack of smoke took a bit a way from the smoking experience. I have a hunch that the weird flavors I experienced at the beginning might have been due to pairing it with a sweet drink (root beer) so I would definitely like to try it again with something else. I would definitely recommend this to those that like full-bodied cigars and Cameroon wrappers.
FINAL RATING: 7.5/10
Cheers!
Rob
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Contributing Author and Resident "Cigar Science Guy", Team Stogie Fresh
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Irish Hawk
Getting Active
Registered: April 2007
Location: Lake Stevens
Posts: 85
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Review Date: Wed August 15, 2007
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Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Good even burn
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Cons:
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Not a enough of it
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PRE-SMOKE
SCENT OF WRAPPER: A light spicy tobacco smell very pleasant
SCENT AT FOOT: Again Mild scent at foot of spicy Tobacco
WRAPPER: This cigar was on steroids strong veins had on little blanch spot on wrapper
FEEL: semi firm
TONGUE: excellent spice taste
FLAVOR ON DRAW: Tobacco spice taste with a hint of cherry wood
SMOKE
TASTE: oh my god I am in heaven what a good mix of taste, sweet and spicy neither overpowering complimenting each other.
STRENGTH: Mild and was consistent throughout.
FEELING:I wished I had more of these I enjoyed the smoke and was hoping I was sent all # 120 but I looked in my humidor and I was disappointed that there was no more #120
SCENT OF SMOKE: Oh my wife really like the scent of this one, I had to walk out of the room and walk in a minute later and I could smell the rich aromantic
sweet spice with a hint of cedar
HEAT:when it got too hot for the fingers when I nubbed it and just stuck a toothpick though it
DRAW: nice firm draw not too much not too little to me it was just what the doctor ordered
OTHER ASPECTS: well constructed, solid excellent ash nice and firm, gray in color.
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"If I paid $10 for a cigar, first I'd make love to it, then I'd smoke it."
-- George Burns
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silentjon
Senior Member
Registered: April 2007
Location: Plains
Posts: 2489
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Review Date: Wed August 22, 2007
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Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Flavor, construction
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Cons:
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No major issues
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Pre-Smoke:
Scent: No dominating scent other that a faint tobacco scent that was somewhat sweet.
Appearance: This robusto was somewhat veiny, but had no construction flaws and overall a very nice cigar.
Smoke:
Taste: This cigar had a lot of flavorful spice to it.
Strength: Medium Bodied.
Heat on the Fingers and in Mouth: None, it remained cool until the end.
Draw: Very good draw.
Burn: It burned fairly even and required no touch-ups.
Overall this was a very enjoyable smoke. It was medium bodied and had a fair amount of spice throughout. It had excellent construction and I had no issues with it. I would definitely smoke this cigar again.
8.1/10.0
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Dirty Dee
Active Member
Registered: June 2007
Location: Oak Park
Posts: 114
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Review Date: Thu August 23, 2007
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Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Complexity
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Cons:
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Aroma of the smoke
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Pre-smoke
Scent of Wrapper: Sweet, honey
Scent at Foot: Rose petals
Appearance
Wrapper: muted brown with lots of veins, consistent color and smooth
Feel: firm with a slight spongy feeling
Tongue: very spicy, sharp bite and tongue tingle
Flavor on Draw: It’s so mellow that I cannot discern a flavor
Smoke
Taste: At first I got an explosion of roasted nuts (pleasant), after the first third it switched to a steak like taste with black pepper, more like a blackened steak, after ½ into it the flavor changed again to roasted corn and black pepper
Flavor Changes
Strength: At the start this cigar gave the impression that it would be mild to medium. It was so smooth. Around a fourth into the smoke the strength ramped up to a much fuller body.
Feeling: Amazement, I was trying to figure out all of the different flavors that were coming from this cigar
Scent of Smoke: Aromatic like cannabis
Heat on Fingers and in Mouth: Not until the last quarter, I got a little heat on my fingers but not in the mouth
Draw: This one had a little more resistance than I prefer but it was not plugged
Finish: long finish with the familiar toasted nuts and pepper flavors
Other Aspects of the Cigar Smoking Experience: A mind blowing experience, this cigar did so much in flavor changes and strength. A very complex smoke, the aroma was not one that I cared for but overall it was a pleasure to smoke this one. This is a cigar that would have normally been thought to be an average cigar but because I was reviewing it and paying extra attention to it. It made me more aware of all it had to offer. I had to touch it up just one time. I loved it. I cannot wait to find out which one this is. I ‘m so intrigued. I will have to get some of these for my humidor.
Final Rating: I rate this 8 – Excellent
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JohnRider
Iowa Statesman
Registered: April 2007
Location: Eastern IA
Posts: 2662
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Review Date: Tue September 11, 2007
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Would you recommend this to someone? No |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Hearty, cubanesque flavors
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Cons:
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A little rough, lacks balance / refinement
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PRE-SMOKE
Scent of Wrapper: Nothing. Not aromatic.
Scent at Foot: Nothing.
Appearance: Corona shape
Wrapper: Somewhat bumpy rough and irregular. Small veins. Not a lot of sheen. Color is slightly mottled, but mostly consistent dark walnut color.
Feel: Fairily consistent, and overall firm. No soft spots noted.
Tongue: Mild tingle. Mildly bittersweet taste.
Pre-light Flavor on Draw: Very faint molasses flavor.
SMOKE
Lit easily, and has a very acceptable draw - just about right.
Noted some spice at light up - what I would describe as a corojo type spice. The cigar is freshly lit and is producing an adequate amount of smoke. The first several draws have a little too much corojo-like spice that I find a bit overwheming and does not roll well through the nose. The draw on the cigar is very near perfect.
At about 1/2 to 3/4 inch smoked, the spicy flavors are starting to tone down (which is a good thing) and some of the other flavors are starting to emerge.
At two inches smoked, I am getting the sense that this cigar is not going to mellow out much more. It is very hearty, and has a definite spicy character to it. It had flavors I would associate with good Nicaraguan tobacco. It has a bit of a roughness in the flavor that I don't care for. It might be described as being slightly harsh or a little rough around the edges. It features similar "cubanesque" type flavors as some of the Don Pepin Garcia cigars I have had, but the blend ends up too spicy and lacks balance or what I call refinement. Other than the spice, I am getting some dry wood/cedar tones and bitter cocoa/coffee. Dark tobacco flavors, but lacks any sweet tones that I think would help balance out the blend.
Smoke is generally pleasant, but not overly smooth. It has a little bit of harsh character. Creates a pleasant aromatic wood/cedar in the room.
Strength: The flavor is medium-full to full.
The feeling (or nicotine strength) is medium. Only a slight nicotine effect.
Scent of the Smoke: Very pleasant and aromatic, not heavy. Smells like dry cedar/wood. I think most people would say it smells good.
Heat on fingers and mouth: Nothing observed.
Draw: Draw was nearly perfect.
Finish: Fairly long and rich finish.
Other: Consistent burn line - no touchups or relights. The "mascara line" is thin, but well defined.
Ash is not flakey and tends to hold on pretty well.
Overall, I would rate this cigar 6 which is Good. Construction overall was excellent - I had no issues at all with the construction. I felt where this cigar was a little weak was on balance. The predominant flavors are very desirable, but it seemed to be lacking something that would balance out all the spicy character and make it taste well-balanced and give it a sense of being well refined.
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Warning: This Post May Contain Cynicism Known To The State of California To Cause Depression, Social Ostracism And Other Reproductive Harm.
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Viper139
Retailer
Registered: May 2007
Location: Carson City, Nevada
Posts: 117
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Review Date: Sun September 16, 2007
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Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Construction, clean sharp burn
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Cons:
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Mild at first but strengthened mid way through first third.
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PRE-SMOKE
SCENT OF WRAPPER: Field Grass, Hay-straw, slight pepper
SCENT AT FOOT: Hay-Straw, slight pepper
WRAPPER: Moderate-high veining, slightly oily
FEEL: slightly firm, good fill overall length of cigar, no soft spots.
TONGUE: Good tobacco oil flavor, hint of pepper.
FLAVOR ON DRAW: Slight sweetness, good tobacco flavor
SMOKE
TASTE: Hay-Straw, Black Pepper, hint of Oak.
STRENGTH: Mild-Moderate, Moderate last third. No harshness throughout.
FEELING: Good blend of flavors, pleasant smoking experience, this cigar I would buy.
SCENT OF SMOKE: Slight Oak, Field Grass, Pepper, Oak strengthened last third.
HEAT: Burned very cool throughout. Smoked it to the last 1/2 inch.
DRAW: Slightly firm draw throughout, very good draw. The draw scored a 9 for me, just how I like them.
OTHER ASPECTS: Good clean burn edge the entire cigar, tight gray ash, good ampount of smoke without having too much smoke.
Finalrating is a strong 7. As I stated I will buy some of these when I find out what they are.
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The Bead Guy www.HeartfeltIndustries.com
Heartfelt Humidity Beads
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Topshelf14
Very Active Member
Registered: March 2007
Location: Old Hickory, TN
Posts: 506
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Review Date: Wed October 3, 2007
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Would you recommend this to someone? No |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 0
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Pros:
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Didn’t get far enough into it to find any
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Cons:
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Serious wrapper issues
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Pre-Smoke
Scent of Wrapper: None discernable
Scent at Foot: Very slight cedar aroma, otherwise rather bland
Wrapper: The sample I received had a chocolate brown, slightly toothy wrapper that had a nice sheen of oils. Unfortunately, the wrapper also had several tears (one at the foot that extended diagonally upward for over a quarter inch and one about a quarter inch below the cap) and a rather large vein that protruded from the wrapper near the middle of the cigar.
Feel: Firm
Tongue: Nothing noticeable
Flavor on Draw: Bland.
Smoke
Taste: What little I could pick up on had a slight nuttiness
Flavor Changes:
Strength: The cigar seemed to fit in the mild profile
Feeling: Disappointment
Scent of Smoke:
Heat on Fingers and in Mouth:
Draw: Like a soda straw
Finish:
Other Aspects of the Cigar Smoking Experience:
I hate to even write this partial review, but as I committed to the tasting panel, I feel obligated to at least share my experiences. As I mentioned above, the cigar I received had several major wrapper issues that caused numerous problems. The tear at the foot expanded once the cigar was lit, eventually causing the wrapper to peel back much like a banana. The two openings further up in the wrapper created a very open draw that didn’t allow me to get much flavor from the small portion of the cigar that I was able to smoke.
Final Rating: Since I wasn’t able to smoke enough of this cigar to give it an honest rating, I’ll have to just call this one “Incomplete.”
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Joe
Nashville Cigar Club
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GoinFerSmoke
Forum Moderator
Registered: March 2007
Location: Salem
Posts: 4980
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Review Date: Sun November 4, 2007
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Would you recommend this to someone? Yes |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 3
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Pros:
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Cons:
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major wrapper problems
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PRE-SMOKE
SCENT OF WRAPPER: light barnyard smell
SCENT AT FOOT: again barnyard smell
WRAPPER: very well constructed excep the wrapper and the head was unravelling majorly
FEEL: nicely firm
TONGUE: Nothing noted.
FLAVOR ON DRAW: hay and wood
SMOKE
This one I did not go far on it really unravelled and I was unable to smoke it.
I give it a 3 for the flavor what little I could get once lit, but the cigar quickly fell apart after that.
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Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything. - Frank Dane
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RodneyFournier
Getting Active
Registered: April 2007
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 87
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Review Date: Tue December 18, 2007
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Would you recommend this to someone? No |
Price you paid? In US$: None indicated
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Good, very mild flavor
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Cons:
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Wrapper was thin and completely came apart
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Appearance: Corona shape
Wrapper: Somewhat bumpy rough and irregular with several imprefections. Very thin wrapper.
Feel: The filler was in great shape, can't say that for the wrapper.
Tongue: Mild.
Pre-light Flavor on Draw: Very faint molasses flavor.
SMOKE
Lit easily, and has a very good draw.
The draw stayed great from start to finish. The burn was very even, but the darn wrapper gave me a lot of problems.
Strength: The flavor is medium.
Scent of the Smoke: Very nice. Smells like dry cedar.
Heat on fingers and mouth: Nothing observed.
Draw: Draw was nearly perfect.
Finish: Fairly long and rich finish.
Ash is not flakey and held really nicely.
Overall, I would rate this cigar 6 which is Good. Construction overall was very good, if only the wrapper would have held together I would have given it an 8.
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Smoke 'em, if you got 'em 
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;)
;)
;)
;)
