Friday, January 14, 2011

A Turrent Triple Play Toro (6x54)

I will admit that I have hesitated to smoke this cigar because my previous encounters with this front mark have been poor to say the least. I have always found Turrent products to have all the appeal of a root canal with the exception that a root canal feels better in the mouth. Many of my BOTL's told me that this cigar would change my opinion of Turrent, so I decided that I could no longer dodge the experience.

The cigar itself is very attractive, it has an appealing wrapper that has all the hallmarks of a quality maduro; dark color, nice oils, few veins and a hearty texture. The construction feels a bit tight to me, but I will not know for sure until I can test the draw. The pre light aroma is light, but contains some nice coffee notes. The pre light draw is tight, but shows some nice light chocolate flavors.

The cigar opens with a profile that has me reconsidering my position on Turrent smokes immediately. There are some fabulous flavors of coffee, chocolate and raisin in the opening moments and I am on notice that this cigar could be an early contender for cigar of the year. At the back of the palate there is a satisfying backbone of dark wood that complements the front of the profile in an interesting way. The draw is too tight and I am afraid that it will cause issues later in the smoke. The burn is nice and slow, somewhat attributed to the draw I would say, but sharp.

The first half of the cigar opens a window of disappointment for me. The core profile has transitioned into a more straightforward presentation of over brewed coffee. In addition there is a salty character to the smoke here that I find disturbing. At the back of the palate the dark wood backdrop has morphed into a more earthy presentation that has some loamy ideas floating about. The draw has opened some, but still is too tight for me. The burn continues to be acceptable.

The final half of the cigar continues to decline. The core profile becomes a presentation of bitter coffee and acrid, earthy undertones. At the back of the palate there continues to be an earthy loaminess to the smoke that is not appealing. The tight draw begins to impart heat into the smoke and I am forced to let it go before I normally would.

The finish was short and bitter. If only this cigar could have held the promise of the opening moments, then we would have had a real winner here.

Appearance- 91 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 83 because of the opening moments, after that disaster
Construction- 77 a poor showing draw wise hurts this score
Strength- 87 a nice medium
Overall- 83 another sub par showing from a new cigar

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