This is the latest offering from EPC in his new endeavor. I have loved some of the prior smokes, like the Inaugural 2009 and the Short Run so I was anxious to smoke one of these and see what old Ernesto could do with some Connecticut leaf.
The cigar presents well with a nice wrapper, but it seems a bit dry to me and it has some veins that I am concerned about. I feel some areas of tension in the roll and I am concerned about some potential burn issues as the cigar progresses. The texture is somewhat dusty and I am left a bit confused about what to expect, cigars with these attributes typically perform very poorly in all areas. The pre light aroma is light, with floral hints and some notes of dry wheat and oatmeal. The pre light draw is grassy and shows some light nutmeg essence.
The cigar opens with a profile that is decidedly dry and a touch bitter. There are some interesting flavors here, most notably some sharp lemon and other assorted citrus flavors. There are also some dry wood and light spice notes in the mix here, but they are not helping with complexity or depth. At the back of the palate there is a cardboard that is very poor and threatening to define the experience in a very negative way. The burn is off from the start and a big, lopsided, ash is hanging on for life very early in the process. The draw is fine to this point.
The first half of the cigar shows some transition, but it is really nothing to alert the Cigar Hall of Fame about. The profile shows some hints of wheat and grass, but there is nothing particularly interesting here. The dryness of the smoke continues and I am very disappointed that this persists to this point, in my opinion dryness kills an experience. At the back of the palate there are still some papery and cardboard like notes that are not doing anything for me. The burn continues to run amok and I have touched up several times in the first half. The draw continues to perform well to this point.
The final half of the cigar shows some marked improvement, but it will be too little too late. The profile begins to soften in terms of dryness, and some nice flavors of brown sugar and vanilla impress themselves on the palate in fleeting shows of sweetness. The main core continues to be wheat and grass but the other elements are now complementing this area nicely. At the back of the palate the smoke has transitioned into a nice light wood tone that is more interesting. The burn was a mess right until the end. The draw stayed acceptable throughout.
Alas, this cigar showed far too little to late. I am very disappointed in this effort.
Appearance- 87 a moderately attractive smoke
Taste- 83 some nice notes in the end, but sub par for the first two thirds or better
Construction- 73 constant burn issues and retouches galore
Strength- 85 a very middle of the road mild/medium
Overall- 80.75 just not very good
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Dos Familias Toro by Ortez y Turrent (6x56)
I have had some of these slopping around my humidor for some time and I had been hearing mixed reviews from my cigar brethren about them so they were shuffled back to the dark recesses of the singles mix. They rested well and waited for me to make them ash, which just so happened this weekend. I had three rounds of golf scheduled and I knew it would be hot so I selected these for the golf course because they seemed sturdy enough to hold up in the heat and activity.
The cigar itself is huge, at 56 ring we are way beyond what I think is normal or acceptable for a cigar. These smokes are no visual prize, the wrapper is veiny and mottled with some reddish brown colorations that give it a slightly leprous appearance. An examination reveals that they are loosely rolled and packed and I am immediately concerned about combustion issues. The pre light aroma is fruity and full of cedar essence. The pre light draw is light with some nice hints of spice and sweet hard candy.
The cigar opens with a profile that is all dark fruit, spice and anise. I am surprised by some of the early depth and complexity of this profile. At the back of the palate the flavor is all cedar and it has a sharp edge to it that could become overpowering if it continues. The draw is exceptionally loose and I am very worried about heat too soon in this smoke. The burn is lopsided and wonky from the beginning, no touch up is yet required, but there is definitely one in the works here.
The first half of the cigar continues to show a profile of dark fruit and spice. The flavor has a deep and resonating character that I am finding appealing at this juncture. At the back of the palate the cedar has calmed and there are some nice earth and coffee tones that have joined the fray here to provide another level of enjoyment. The draw is an unmitigated disaster, the heat starts to creep in very early on it the smoke and I have slowed it considerably so I can enjoy a very strong flavor profile without killing it. It is by far the most loose draw I have ever experienced. The burn has canoed for an inch and a half at this point and I touch it up to promote evenness.
The final half of the cigar continues to perform well profile wise, but it has slipped. The core is still showing some dark fruit notes, but there is a disappearance of the spicy flavors and the appearance of a curious musty taste that is not nearly as pleasant as early characteristics. At the back of the palate earth and cedar dominate the presentation. Overall there has been some slippage in the profile package. The draw and burn continue to deteriorate rapidly and the heat in the smoke is causing me irritation because I can't smoke any slower and keep it lit.
The finish is a touch short and shows some cedar and fruity remnants that are interesting.
Appearance- 85 very average
Taste-88 a nice profile that slipped in the back half
Construction- 75 a very poor showing in this area (both cigars I smoked had the same issues)
Strength- 87 a nice medium/full
Overall- 83 construction really hurts the score here, I really just don't want to fight with a cigar
The cigar itself is huge, at 56 ring we are way beyond what I think is normal or acceptable for a cigar. These smokes are no visual prize, the wrapper is veiny and mottled with some reddish brown colorations that give it a slightly leprous appearance. An examination reveals that they are loosely rolled and packed and I am immediately concerned about combustion issues. The pre light aroma is fruity and full of cedar essence. The pre light draw is light with some nice hints of spice and sweet hard candy.
The cigar opens with a profile that is all dark fruit, spice and anise. I am surprised by some of the early depth and complexity of this profile. At the back of the palate the flavor is all cedar and it has a sharp edge to it that could become overpowering if it continues. The draw is exceptionally loose and I am very worried about heat too soon in this smoke. The burn is lopsided and wonky from the beginning, no touch up is yet required, but there is definitely one in the works here.
The first half of the cigar continues to show a profile of dark fruit and spice. The flavor has a deep and resonating character that I am finding appealing at this juncture. At the back of the palate the cedar has calmed and there are some nice earth and coffee tones that have joined the fray here to provide another level of enjoyment. The draw is an unmitigated disaster, the heat starts to creep in very early on it the smoke and I have slowed it considerably so I can enjoy a very strong flavor profile without killing it. It is by far the most loose draw I have ever experienced. The burn has canoed for an inch and a half at this point and I touch it up to promote evenness.
The final half of the cigar continues to perform well profile wise, but it has slipped. The core is still showing some dark fruit notes, but there is a disappearance of the spicy flavors and the appearance of a curious musty taste that is not nearly as pleasant as early characteristics. At the back of the palate earth and cedar dominate the presentation. Overall there has been some slippage in the profile package. The draw and burn continue to deteriorate rapidly and the heat in the smoke is causing me irritation because I can't smoke any slower and keep it lit.
The finish is a touch short and shows some cedar and fruity remnants that are interesting.
Appearance- 85 very average
Taste-88 a nice profile that slipped in the back half
Construction- 75 a very poor showing in this area (both cigars I smoked had the same issues)
Strength- 87 a nice medium/full
Overall- 83 construction really hurts the score here, I really just don't want to fight with a cigar
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Arganese CL3 Torpedo (6.875x52)
I will give you a rundown of the circumstances that led me to choose this cigar from the oft perused, but recently much maligned singles trays. It was hot and I was looking forward to a White Sox game on the lanai with some scotch and a smoke. I hate it when the heat claims one of my puros so I often look for something sturdy and less expensive for summer lanai smoking dalliances. This cigar seemed to fit the bill for me, it had the appropriate visage of mediocrity for the circumstances, and I always know that a poor cigar is better than no cigar at all.
The cigar presents in a lopsided torpedo presentation with a wrapper that could only be described as rustic at best and downright cheap at worst. There is a dryness that permeates this cigar from first sight to first touch and I am concerned that exposing it to the heat will cause it to unfurl like a New Year's Eve party favor. The construction seems loose to me, but I don't think it is terrible based on the inspection. The pre light draw is loose and full of cardboard notes. The pre light aroma is grassy and vegetal.
The cigar opens with a profile that can only be described as drying hay. The smoke is exceptionally dry and I find myself heading for the water bottle. There are some hints of sweet spice here, but the predominant flavor is of dry grass and dust. At the back of the palate there are some very slight cedar notes, but they can't get past the dry front of the palate to materialize into anything magical, or even mundane. The draw is too loose, but there are no issues at this point. The burn is acceptable, but the ash is flaky and loose.
The first half of the smoke shows no development at all. The profile continues to be grassy and dry, so dry in fact that my throat is becoming a barren wasteland in need of irrigation. At the back of the palate there are some bitter notes that are creeping in, and some very dry wood flavors that are not very appealing. There is nothing that is redeeming about this smoke to this point. The draw is still too loose and the burn is still flaky and dry.
The final half of the smoke continues it's death march. The profile has plunged to the depths of dryness and the flavor has become acrid and putrid. There are few readily identifiable flavors here, but I am still detecting dry grassy notes. The back of the palate is still showing bitter flavors and not much else that would lead to make any passing comment, either positive or negative. The burn and draw stay the same as noted above throughout the smoke.
The finish is short, bitter and full of dry grass and hay flavors.
Appearance- 82 very rustic and cheap looking
Taste- 73 nothing here worth much of anything
Construction- 75 the draw was too loose and the burn was flaky and messy
Strength- 85 a very non-descript mild/medium
Overall- 77.25 a very poor smoke
The cigar presents in a lopsided torpedo presentation with a wrapper that could only be described as rustic at best and downright cheap at worst. There is a dryness that permeates this cigar from first sight to first touch and I am concerned that exposing it to the heat will cause it to unfurl like a New Year's Eve party favor. The construction seems loose to me, but I don't think it is terrible based on the inspection. The pre light draw is loose and full of cardboard notes. The pre light aroma is grassy and vegetal.
The cigar opens with a profile that can only be described as drying hay. The smoke is exceptionally dry and I find myself heading for the water bottle. There are some hints of sweet spice here, but the predominant flavor is of dry grass and dust. At the back of the palate there are some very slight cedar notes, but they can't get past the dry front of the palate to materialize into anything magical, or even mundane. The draw is too loose, but there are no issues at this point. The burn is acceptable, but the ash is flaky and loose.
The first half of the smoke shows no development at all. The profile continues to be grassy and dry, so dry in fact that my throat is becoming a barren wasteland in need of irrigation. At the back of the palate there are some bitter notes that are creeping in, and some very dry wood flavors that are not very appealing. There is nothing that is redeeming about this smoke to this point. The draw is still too loose and the burn is still flaky and dry.
The final half of the smoke continues it's death march. The profile has plunged to the depths of dryness and the flavor has become acrid and putrid. There are few readily identifiable flavors here, but I am still detecting dry grassy notes. The back of the palate is still showing bitter flavors and not much else that would lead to make any passing comment, either positive or negative. The burn and draw stay the same as noted above throughout the smoke.
The finish is short, bitter and full of dry grass and hay flavors.
Appearance- 82 very rustic and cheap looking
Taste- 73 nothing here worth much of anything
Construction- 75 the draw was too loose and the burn was flaky and messy
Strength- 85 a very non-descript mild/medium
Overall- 77.25 a very poor smoke
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