Most of you already know that I am no fan of the torpedo, it is just a size that does nothing for me. This cigar continues to my boutique journey of late, a journey that I am considering nixing in favor of some smokeable cigars. This particular smoke was given to me by a friend after he picked some up in Dallas over Super Bowl weekend. I admit that I had never heard of this smoke, so I did some research and found that it is a very boutique offering that has some insertion into the discount cigar houses.
The cigar itself is quite a densely packed log. The wrapper is dry and shows some areas that are rough and bumpy, like chicken skin (the chicken reference at this point becomes very apropos later in the smoke). The construction is firm and I am concerned about potential draw and burn problems. The pre light aroma is wickedly full of harsh and sour wood notes. The pre light draw is also sour, but imparts some light spice onto the palate.
The cigar opens with a profile that is mostly non-descript. There are some light spice notes and some ideas of dark wood and earth in the foreground, but they are not particularly interesting, deep or complex. At the back of the palate there is some hint of a wood flavor, but there is an odd metallic taste here that is very off putting. The draw is too tight for me at this point and I am considering cutting off the torpedo part and making my own parejo. The burn is ok, but a touch slow on one side and I fear that a runner may be forthcoming.
The first half of the cigar really does nothing for me. The profile is weak and lacking in depth, complexity and flavor. There is a very pedestrian presentation of grassy flavors with some wood and earth mixed in, but the overall impression is poor. At the back of the palate the metallic taste has transitioned into a mouthful of pennies, or at least that I what it tastes like to me. The draw is still suffering and the burn has gone full run, which requires me to make some touch ups.
The final half of the cigar is a keening death bell and I can't wait for this disaster to come to a close. The profile becomes so dry and bitter that I now know what Elaine meant in Seinfeld while when smoking the Producto Del Peru she said it was like smoking a chicken bone. Chicken bone fits here as well, the cigar is just really poor. At the back of the palate there are some shows of earth and tobacco flavors, but the dryness from the front is ruining any possibility here. The draw and burn were below average throughout.
Another real rocket my friends...Stay away from this one, far....far....away...
Appearance- 87 a somewhat attractive smoke
Taste- 72 some very poor qualities here that led to little redeeming value
Construction- 77 burn and draw problems equal a low score
Strength- 85 a middling middle
Overall- 78.25 bad, bad, bad, bad, bad....
Monday, February 14, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Los Blancos Nine Robusto (5x52)
So I continue my off the beaten path journey with this cigar, another one that I can't find all that much information on. I found it at a great B&M in Tampa that always has every cigar you can think of. I can't even find a fellow BOTL that has heard of this smoke, much less one that has tried it. After smoking it I can see why there is little buzz.
The cigar itself seems thinner that the 52 ring gauge that has been assigned to it, but the wrapper is hearty looking and oily. There are some prominent veins, but the rest of the construction appears to be solid. There are three separate bands on this smoke, which I find a bit excessive, and labor intensive (at some point someone will have to explain the purpose of the band at the foot). The pre light aroma is a strange mix of weak coffee and floral notes. The pre light draw is showing some sour earth flavors and not much else.
The cigar opens with a profile unlike anything I have ever experienced in 22 years of cigar smoking. The core has some floral flavors, but there is a foul perfume like undertone that is sickly sweet and taking away from anything else that may be trying to poke through. At the back of the palate the perfumy taste in overwhelming and I am in the early stages of preparing myself to launch this rocket before it fouls my palate for the rest of the evening. Alas, I am a trooper and make the decision to march on like so many lambs to the slaughter. The draw is not particularly remarkable, I would say very middling at best. The burn is a touch wonky, but I don't think it will be any trouble as the smoke progresses.
The first half of the smoke could only be described as bad and weird. The floral notes continue, but the sweetness of the smoke it so syrupy that it takes away from the rest of the experience. I would liken this to too much frosting on a cake, at some point it is all just too much sugar. This cigar is just too much flora and sweetness for me. At the back of the palate the perfume flavors are still assaulting my mouth and again I find myself in the process of getting mentally ready to chuck this piece of cigarbage. Yet again though I persevere, I have a duty to the readers of this blog to continue the struggle, in the hopes that none of you make the mistakes I have. The draw opens up slightly and there is some heat that creeps in. In an effort to keep that particular demon out of my way I slow down the smoking, which only prolongs my agony. The burn has leveled out with no issues.
The final half of the cigar lacks in redemptive qualities. The profile continues to be floral and sweet, but now there is the added hindrance of some weird tartness on the palate that I can only liken to very strong citrus with hints of pepper. At the back of the palate there are now some sour notes of vegetation that continue to send this cigar into the lower depths of my personal cigar hell. The draw and burn both deteriorate here as well. The cigar become hot and a runner in the end puts the final nail in the coffin for this less than stellar smoke.
The finish is sweet, tart and acidic with citrus essences.
This journey to the nether parts of the cigar making world is so far disappointing, but I continue on, hoping always to find the next great smoke.
Appearance- 87 busy band work and prominent veining detract from the impact of this smoke
Taste- 73 very, very poor
Construction- 81 some heat and late deterioration preclude a score any higher
Strength- 85 a very middling medium
Overall- 80 another cigar misses the mark
The cigar itself seems thinner that the 52 ring gauge that has been assigned to it, but the wrapper is hearty looking and oily. There are some prominent veins, but the rest of the construction appears to be solid. There are three separate bands on this smoke, which I find a bit excessive, and labor intensive (at some point someone will have to explain the purpose of the band at the foot). The pre light aroma is a strange mix of weak coffee and floral notes. The pre light draw is showing some sour earth flavors and not much else.
The cigar opens with a profile unlike anything I have ever experienced in 22 years of cigar smoking. The core has some floral flavors, but there is a foul perfume like undertone that is sickly sweet and taking away from anything else that may be trying to poke through. At the back of the palate the perfumy taste in overwhelming and I am in the early stages of preparing myself to launch this rocket before it fouls my palate for the rest of the evening. Alas, I am a trooper and make the decision to march on like so many lambs to the slaughter. The draw is not particularly remarkable, I would say very middling at best. The burn is a touch wonky, but I don't think it will be any trouble as the smoke progresses.
The first half of the smoke could only be described as bad and weird. The floral notes continue, but the sweetness of the smoke it so syrupy that it takes away from the rest of the experience. I would liken this to too much frosting on a cake, at some point it is all just too much sugar. This cigar is just too much flora and sweetness for me. At the back of the palate the perfume flavors are still assaulting my mouth and again I find myself in the process of getting mentally ready to chuck this piece of cigarbage. Yet again though I persevere, I have a duty to the readers of this blog to continue the struggle, in the hopes that none of you make the mistakes I have. The draw opens up slightly and there is some heat that creeps in. In an effort to keep that particular demon out of my way I slow down the smoking, which only prolongs my agony. The burn has leveled out with no issues.
The final half of the cigar lacks in redemptive qualities. The profile continues to be floral and sweet, but now there is the added hindrance of some weird tartness on the palate that I can only liken to very strong citrus with hints of pepper. At the back of the palate there are now some sour notes of vegetation that continue to send this cigar into the lower depths of my personal cigar hell. The draw and burn both deteriorate here as well. The cigar become hot and a runner in the end puts the final nail in the coffin for this less than stellar smoke.
The finish is sweet, tart and acidic with citrus essences.
This journey to the nether parts of the cigar making world is so far disappointing, but I continue on, hoping always to find the next great smoke.
Appearance- 87 busy band work and prominent veining detract from the impact of this smoke
Taste- 73 very, very poor
Construction- 81 some heat and late deterioration preclude a score any higher
Strength- 85 a very middling medium
Overall- 80 another cigar misses the mark
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sencillo Limited Edition Double Robusto (5.75x52)
This is a very boutique offering that I could not find much information on, but while at a favorite B&M recently I looked for some off the beaten path smokes and settled on some of these.
The cigar is very nice to look at with a medium brown wrapper that is smooth, there is a dusty texture to the wrapper as well. A quick inspection reveals no issues or areas of concerns. The pre light aroma has a barnyard quality. The pre light draw shows some thin presentation of grass and cinnamon.
The cigar opens with a profile that is neither bad or good it is, very simply, mundane. The flavors are not deep or complex but consist of some grass and light wheaty flavors. At the back of the palate there are some hints of balsa wood, but not much else. The draw is excellent at this point and I am impressed with how easily it produces smoke. The burn is also very sharp, but seems to be burning a bit too fast.
The first half of the cigar transitions from mundane to wretched. The profile has taken on flavors that should never be present in a cigar. There are blasts of tannins, acid, charred grass and sour vegetation. At the back of the palate there are some horrible notes of wet earth. The draw is still excellent, but I wish it were not. The burn continues to perform nicely as well.
The final half of the cigar continues a journey into cigarmageddon. The profile continues to show acidic and charred flavors that are leaving a bitter aspirin taste at this point. At the back of the palate some of the woody notes have returned, but they are lost in the mess of wet earth flavors that are permeating the mouth. The draw and burn stay excellent.
The finish is short and acidic.
When you smoke off the beaten path sometimes you will have some winners and losers. To call this dog rocket a loser is an insult to self respecting losers the world over.
Appearance- 91 a nice looking cigar, if only it could talk and tell you to run away...
Taste- 70 my lowest possible score here, this ranks amongst the worst that I have smoked
Construction- 92 sadly this was excellent
Strength- 70 not sure what to rate this other than bad
Overall- 80.75 which is high due to construction
The cigar is very nice to look at with a medium brown wrapper that is smooth, there is a dusty texture to the wrapper as well. A quick inspection reveals no issues or areas of concerns. The pre light aroma has a barnyard quality. The pre light draw shows some thin presentation of grass and cinnamon.
The cigar opens with a profile that is neither bad or good it is, very simply, mundane. The flavors are not deep or complex but consist of some grass and light wheaty flavors. At the back of the palate there are some hints of balsa wood, but not much else. The draw is excellent at this point and I am impressed with how easily it produces smoke. The burn is also very sharp, but seems to be burning a bit too fast.
The first half of the cigar transitions from mundane to wretched. The profile has taken on flavors that should never be present in a cigar. There are blasts of tannins, acid, charred grass and sour vegetation. At the back of the palate there are some horrible notes of wet earth. The draw is still excellent, but I wish it were not. The burn continues to perform nicely as well.
The final half of the cigar continues a journey into cigarmageddon. The profile continues to show acidic and charred flavors that are leaving a bitter aspirin taste at this point. At the back of the palate some of the woody notes have returned, but they are lost in the mess of wet earth flavors that are permeating the mouth. The draw and burn stay excellent.
The finish is short and acidic.
When you smoke off the beaten path sometimes you will have some winners and losers. To call this dog rocket a loser is an insult to self respecting losers the world over.
Appearance- 91 a nice looking cigar, if only it could talk and tell you to run away...
Taste- 70 my lowest possible score here, this ranks amongst the worst that I have smoked
Construction- 92 sadly this was excellent
Strength- 70 not sure what to rate this other than bad
Overall- 80.75 which is high due to construction
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Tatuaje Anarchy (6x54)
I had long heard about this cigar and knew that it could only be found at the Smoke Inn stores in SE Florida. Instead of jumping on a box I tool my time and patiently waited until I would be in the area so I could buy a few singles before I splurged on an entire box. Well yesterday I was at the The Great Smoke (as an aside if you have not gone to this event it is a must) and I wandered into the Smoke Inn and found three of these bad boys, sadly someone jacked my other two so I only get to review the one that I got to smoke.
The cigar is intimidating to look at. It is big, dark and has an aggressive, modified salomon shape that makes it look angry. The wrapper is dark and oily with few veins and clings to the cigar like a wet blanket. The head is finished with a three layered curly pigtail that is difficult to cut through. The cigar seems firm to me and I am concerned about possible draw implications. The pre light aroma is a heady mix of cinnamon, tobacco and pepper. The pre light draw is strong and leaves a tingly sensation on the lips and tongue, showing some signs of anise and wood.
This cigar opens with some initial blasts of anise and wood that are nearly overpowering for so early in a smoke. At the back of the palate there are scads of pepper and earth flavors, but the presentation of all the flavors seems erratic to me. The burn is a bit lopsided to start, but is not showing any signs of trouble, just the usual salomon burn crazies. The draw is a touch tight, but it is not causing any undue stress at this point.
The first half of the cigar continues to be a little schizophrenic for me. The core profile is alternating between some excellent pepper and wood notes, to extremely overwhelming blasts of anise that are killing the palate with some weird licorice like remnants that are not appealing. The complexity is just not here as these straightforward presentations become too erratic to judge effectively. At the back of the palate there are some presentations of earth and coffee, but they have a scorched aftertaste that is impossible to overlook at this point. The burn has evened out nicely and the draw is improving at this point.
The final half of the cigar is amongst the strongest that I have ever smoked. The power here really takes over the experience and it is really strong just for the sake of being strong I think, an attribute that I really don't care for. The core profile morphs into a presentation earth and pepper, but there are tannins and metallic flavors brought about by the strength that hurt the flavors. At the back of the palate there are some fleeting notes of cinnamon and brown sugar, but they are quickly veiled by the metallic notes that permeate the entire smoke in the back portion. The burn and draw remained acceptable throughout.
The finish was long, but held metallic flavors for far too long, no one wants to feel like they have been sucking on a penny and this cigar made me feel just that.
In the end there is something apropos about the name Anarchy as the name betrays the chaos exhibited by the smoke. Additionally, in the ultimate form of Anarchy, someone had stolen my other two smokes. Long ashes my burglarious friends, long ashes, hopefully you enjoy them more than I did.
Appearance- 91 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 80 and that is generous
Construction- 88 some early burn issues, but nothing that knocked this to below average
Strength- 82 full to extra full in the last half, it did nothing to help the profile
Overall- 84.75 at $10 per stick I would not smoke another one
The cigar is intimidating to look at. It is big, dark and has an aggressive, modified salomon shape that makes it look angry. The wrapper is dark and oily with few veins and clings to the cigar like a wet blanket. The head is finished with a three layered curly pigtail that is difficult to cut through. The cigar seems firm to me and I am concerned about possible draw implications. The pre light aroma is a heady mix of cinnamon, tobacco and pepper. The pre light draw is strong and leaves a tingly sensation on the lips and tongue, showing some signs of anise and wood.
This cigar opens with some initial blasts of anise and wood that are nearly overpowering for so early in a smoke. At the back of the palate there are scads of pepper and earth flavors, but the presentation of all the flavors seems erratic to me. The burn is a bit lopsided to start, but is not showing any signs of trouble, just the usual salomon burn crazies. The draw is a touch tight, but it is not causing any undue stress at this point.
The first half of the cigar continues to be a little schizophrenic for me. The core profile is alternating between some excellent pepper and wood notes, to extremely overwhelming blasts of anise that are killing the palate with some weird licorice like remnants that are not appealing. The complexity is just not here as these straightforward presentations become too erratic to judge effectively. At the back of the palate there are some presentations of earth and coffee, but they have a scorched aftertaste that is impossible to overlook at this point. The burn has evened out nicely and the draw is improving at this point.
The final half of the cigar is amongst the strongest that I have ever smoked. The power here really takes over the experience and it is really strong just for the sake of being strong I think, an attribute that I really don't care for. The core profile morphs into a presentation earth and pepper, but there are tannins and metallic flavors brought about by the strength that hurt the flavors. At the back of the palate there are some fleeting notes of cinnamon and brown sugar, but they are quickly veiled by the metallic notes that permeate the entire smoke in the back portion. The burn and draw remained acceptable throughout.
The finish was long, but held metallic flavors for far too long, no one wants to feel like they have been sucking on a penny and this cigar made me feel just that.
In the end there is something apropos about the name Anarchy as the name betrays the chaos exhibited by the smoke. Additionally, in the ultimate form of Anarchy, someone had stolen my other two smokes. Long ashes my burglarious friends, long ashes, hopefully you enjoy them more than I did.
Appearance- 91 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 80 and that is generous
Construction- 88 some early burn issues, but nothing that knocked this to below average
Strength- 82 full to extra full in the last half, it did nothing to help the profile
Overall- 84.75 at $10 per stick I would not smoke another one
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