When these cigars first came onto the market a couple of years ago I lined up to get them, you see they only made 24000 cigars for this release and I just had to have some. I bought three boxes without ever having tried them, a rarity for me as far as box purchases go because I never buy something I have not tried. I have since smoked only four of these rare beauties and it seems that every time I fire one up something better and new is going on.
Every cigar is placed in it's own coffin and wrapped in cello beneath a cedar overlay, the presentation lets you know that something special is about to take place. The box itself is numbered and the lacquer and visual presentation is stunning, again an indication that someone has taken a great deal of pride and care in these cigars. Each cigar is hand made by Don Pepin and his son Jaime, it is not often you can hold something made by a master. Like a Rembrandt in art or a Stradivarius violin, this cigar to me represents the pinnacle of the cigar world. I have smoked some bad Pepin's before, but they are so few and far between that I really consider him the master of the art form currently. The cigar itself is wonderful to look at. The quality is readily apparent, there are no flaws in the wrapper and the construction is supple and forgiving in all the right places. The cap is expertly applied and I can't find a single issue in the smoke at all to this point. The pre light aroma is full of texture, showing cedar, spice and dark fruit notes. The pre light draw has huge blasts of cocoa and pepper and evinces wistful memories of other Pepin blends like Cabaiguan and the Pepin Blue.
The cigar opens with a profile that is rich and lush and full of palate treats. The core profile is a sublime mix of white pepper, floral sweetness, some sharper cedar notes and some fine blasts of cocoa and coffee. Depth of this sort is not achieved in a cigar often so I am taking in every aspect of the performance. At the back of the palate there are some excellent earthy tones that are mixed with a bready finish that is hard to place and adds some sweetness to the mix. The draw is absolutely perfect, the mouth feel is incredible and the draw has just enough resistance but provides cloud after cloud of ample smoke. The burn is right on the money to this point as well.
The first half of the cigar loses some depth, but the complexity remains as the flavors that linger on continue to develop into a more full bodied experience. The core profile is now a presentation of cedar that has dulled nicely and shows an undertone of vanilla cream, this is coupled with a wonderful coffee note that tickles the back of the palate and makes it yearn for more. While simple, this combination of flavors is so subtle, yet deep, that the palate and brain need to sync up some in order for the flavors to register. The back of the palate shows some light floral sweetness and slight earthy tone is here as well. The sweetness could be tempered some by a show of pepper or spice, but I am not finding it distracting to this point. The draw continues to perform in an exceptional fashion, the effort is so little that I forget I am smoking for awhile as I quietly draw on the cigar. The burn is still very solid.
The final half of the cigar shows a level of refinement I have not experienced in some time. The core profile becomes more subtle still as it moves into more vanilla cream than cedar. While the coffee notes are still present I am I little put off by how sweet the cigar gets in the last half. I would like some pepper or spice to ramp up the flavor a little bit. The back of the palate is also sweet, and it is becoming cloyingly so. The earthy flavors have given way to a more plain note of wood, but there is a clover like flavor and sweetness coming through here. Again I am finding the cigar to be too sweet in the final stretch. The draw and burn are flawless.
The finish was long and smooth showing cedar and cocoa flavors as the predominant factors.
Appearance- 100 you won't see a cigar more beautiful
Taste- 92 some very sweet notes late in the cigar hurt the score
Construction- 100 I don't give this out very often, but this cigar performed exceptionally
Strength- 93 a nice medium/full
Overall- 96.25 a classic cigar
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Pura Sangre Churchill (7x52)
I am back in the pocket with a review of something new to the market. This cigar has some back story about being some famous maker's personal blend and blah, blah, blah, blah... I never put any stock or faith into these garbage stories about a cigar's lineage for two reasons. One, I'm not that dumb, these companies have marketing people and if you think I am gifted in the arts of metaphorical embellishment you should meet some of those folks. Two, I could give a crap about a cigar's particular bona fides, I want to smoke it and see for myself what it is all about I don't really care where it came from. These companies can fill a brochure with rhetoric about cigar greatness and you know what? Most of these verbally oversold cigars send me running for the vomit bag. Enough said about the current marketing of cigars.
This cigar was given to me in sample form in an individual cardboard coffin, the cigar wrapped en cello. After I fight it out of the packaging, it was a bit tight in the cardboard coffin, I am ready to get started. The cigar itself is bold looking. The wrapper is hearty and dark, it has some prominent veins, but after closely inspecting them I believe they are just on the surface and shouldn't cause too many problems. The construction seems too tight to me and I am hoping it does not cause any issues with the performance. The pre light aroma is odd, it seems almost wet to me, like wet earth with some spice. The pre light draw is tight but shows some earthy flavors.
The cigar opens with a profile that is all earth; dark, loamy and wet earth. This is not a flavor that you want in a cigar at anytime in my experience and I am not pleased with this opening salvo. The flavor that is present seems heavy to me and it coats the palate in a smoke remnant that seems almost humid or swampy. At the back of the palate there are some mineral flavors that are showing up and maybe a touch of anise. No matter how I cut this opening it is just not good. The draw is tight and I am getting smoke, but it is not the usual level that I expect or have become accustomed to. The burn is solid to this point, which is the only quality worth anything at this point.
The first half of the cigar continues to wallow in the deep end of the pool of disgust. The core profile is still heavy and wet smacking of loamy earth. There might be some woody notes trying to creep in here, but they are smacked down repeatedly with the blanket of wet earth that holds down the whole experience. The back of the palate is still showing a metallic mineral flavor and there are still some anise and other spice notes here, but they can't stand up and really do anything for this cigar. The draw is still too tight, but I am getting more than I was earlier. The burn is still the highlight of the smoke at this point.
The final half of the cigar is actually not awful, but it is still bad. The core profile has become more woody, but there are still some hints of the wet earth that are coming through here. I catch maybe just a bit of coffee here and there, but I wanted so much more. The back of the palate still shows mineral flavors, but there are more spice notes coming through now and the anise flavor is definitely on the verge of being a star but never gets home. The draw stays too tight for me throughout. The burn performs well to the end.
The finish was short and harsh with scorched earthy flavors.
Appearance- 88 a nice looking cigar, the positives ended there
Taste- 77 just too many inferior flavors here
Construction- 81 the tight draw throughout the cigar hurt this score
Strength- 80 not sure if this is medium or full, but there is nothing complementary to the profile in the strength
Overall- 80.75 a very inferior cigar in my summation
This cigar was given to me in sample form in an individual cardboard coffin, the cigar wrapped en cello. After I fight it out of the packaging, it was a bit tight in the cardboard coffin, I am ready to get started. The cigar itself is bold looking. The wrapper is hearty and dark, it has some prominent veins, but after closely inspecting them I believe they are just on the surface and shouldn't cause too many problems. The construction seems too tight to me and I am hoping it does not cause any issues with the performance. The pre light aroma is odd, it seems almost wet to me, like wet earth with some spice. The pre light draw is tight but shows some earthy flavors.
The cigar opens with a profile that is all earth; dark, loamy and wet earth. This is not a flavor that you want in a cigar at anytime in my experience and I am not pleased with this opening salvo. The flavor that is present seems heavy to me and it coats the palate in a smoke remnant that seems almost humid or swampy. At the back of the palate there are some mineral flavors that are showing up and maybe a touch of anise. No matter how I cut this opening it is just not good. The draw is tight and I am getting smoke, but it is not the usual level that I expect or have become accustomed to. The burn is solid to this point, which is the only quality worth anything at this point.
The first half of the cigar continues to wallow in the deep end of the pool of disgust. The core profile is still heavy and wet smacking of loamy earth. There might be some woody notes trying to creep in here, but they are smacked down repeatedly with the blanket of wet earth that holds down the whole experience. The back of the palate is still showing a metallic mineral flavor and there are still some anise and other spice notes here, but they can't stand up and really do anything for this cigar. The draw is still too tight, but I am getting more than I was earlier. The burn is still the highlight of the smoke at this point.
The final half of the cigar is actually not awful, but it is still bad. The core profile has become more woody, but there are still some hints of the wet earth that are coming through here. I catch maybe just a bit of coffee here and there, but I wanted so much more. The back of the palate still shows mineral flavors, but there are more spice notes coming through now and the anise flavor is definitely on the verge of being a star but never gets home. The draw stays too tight for me throughout. The burn performs well to the end.
The finish was short and harsh with scorched earthy flavors.
Appearance- 88 a nice looking cigar, the positives ended there
Taste- 77 just too many inferior flavors here
Construction- 81 the tight draw throughout the cigar hurt this score
Strength- 80 not sure if this is medium or full, but there is nothing complementary to the profile in the strength
Overall- 80.75 a very inferior cigar in my summation
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Esteban Carreras 211 Torpedo (6.75x52)
As Esteban Carreras is the new manufacturer sponsor of the show I co-host, I thought it only fitting that I take a crack at smoking and reviewing their latest blend. It is well known that I am no fan of torpedoes, so this cigar already has some strikes against it. I have enjoyed almost all of the blends from this manufacturer before, with the exception of the Connecticut offering, so I am thinking this one might be worthy of some praise as well. Alas, one can never tell until flame hits leaf.
The cigar is nice looking, aside from the vitola, it is a very light brown and it is not festooned with crazy band work or other gadgetry that makes me want to toss my lunch. Instead this cigar gets credit for being simple and elegant in appearance as it only has a small band around the foot of the smoke. It is presented, box and small band, in white. I have always heard that white is a danger color in the cigar industry, but I think it is regal looking, besides who can argue with the success of Davidoff or Illusione? Both of those cigars are presented with white bands and they do well. Sometimes this industry makes me giggle. The wrapper looks nice, but the cap is sloppy and there is one very large vein in the middle third that is giving me the hairy eyeball as I give it the same. The pre light aroma is bready with some vanilla tones. The pre light draw shows cedar flavors that border on being sharp.
The cigar opens with a profile that is unexpected but not necessarily profound. The flavor core has some nice notes of sweet vanilla and some floral tones, but the presentation seems thin to me at this point and I am straining to find something deeper. The back of the palate contains a dry cedar tone that is leeching moisture from my mouth and threatening to derail the experience. There is also a dusty texture to the smoke that leaves a filmy coat of cedar remnant on the tongue. This is not the most pleasant open to a cigar that I have ever head, but neither is it the most unpleasant which is all I can say in the way of an endorsement at this point. The draw is a bit tight, as I find most vitolas of this nature to be, but it is not causing me any huge concerns. The burn is solid in the opening third.
The first half of the cigar does show some development. The core profile becomes a more deep and concentrated presentation of vanilla, bread and some floral tones and they have a nice balance, all though I would like some spice to take down some of the sweet impressions here. The back of the palate continues to show a strong cedar presence, but there is a nice crisp tobacco note here that is taking some of the sharpness out the cedar notes. The draw continues to be slightly laborious, but I am trudging onward like a good cigar soldier. The burn is still sharp and there are no areas on concern it that arena.
The final half of the smoke is flat. I really look for development in the home stretch and this cigar just does not deliver the goods for some reason. The profile is locked in stasis. The core maintains vanilla, bread and light floral tastes and I still find myself yearning for some spice to punch up the interest and take out some sweetness, but it never arrives and I end up with a smoke that is too sweet for me. The back of the palate again sharpens into a strong cedar presentation, but at least this time it's not as dry as on the first pass. The draw does open up in the final third, which is nice, but I would have liked it to happen much sooner. The burn is acceptable right to the end.
The finish smacks of cedar and leaves the palate a little bit too dry for my tastes.
Appearance- 87 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 86 just too short in the complexity and depth department, but there were some nice flavors here
Construction- 84 the draw was too tight for me
Strength- 88 a very nice medium
Overall- 85.75 slightly above average, but not my favorite blend from this manufacturer
The cigar is nice looking, aside from the vitola, it is a very light brown and it is not festooned with crazy band work or other gadgetry that makes me want to toss my lunch. Instead this cigar gets credit for being simple and elegant in appearance as it only has a small band around the foot of the smoke. It is presented, box and small band, in white. I have always heard that white is a danger color in the cigar industry, but I think it is regal looking, besides who can argue with the success of Davidoff or Illusione? Both of those cigars are presented with white bands and they do well. Sometimes this industry makes me giggle. The wrapper looks nice, but the cap is sloppy and there is one very large vein in the middle third that is giving me the hairy eyeball as I give it the same. The pre light aroma is bready with some vanilla tones. The pre light draw shows cedar flavors that border on being sharp.
The cigar opens with a profile that is unexpected but not necessarily profound. The flavor core has some nice notes of sweet vanilla and some floral tones, but the presentation seems thin to me at this point and I am straining to find something deeper. The back of the palate contains a dry cedar tone that is leeching moisture from my mouth and threatening to derail the experience. There is also a dusty texture to the smoke that leaves a filmy coat of cedar remnant on the tongue. This is not the most pleasant open to a cigar that I have ever head, but neither is it the most unpleasant which is all I can say in the way of an endorsement at this point. The draw is a bit tight, as I find most vitolas of this nature to be, but it is not causing me any huge concerns. The burn is solid in the opening third.
The first half of the cigar does show some development. The core profile becomes a more deep and concentrated presentation of vanilla, bread and some floral tones and they have a nice balance, all though I would like some spice to take down some of the sweet impressions here. The back of the palate continues to show a strong cedar presence, but there is a nice crisp tobacco note here that is taking some of the sharpness out the cedar notes. The draw continues to be slightly laborious, but I am trudging onward like a good cigar soldier. The burn is still sharp and there are no areas on concern it that arena.
The final half of the smoke is flat. I really look for development in the home stretch and this cigar just does not deliver the goods for some reason. The profile is locked in stasis. The core maintains vanilla, bread and light floral tastes and I still find myself yearning for some spice to punch up the interest and take out some sweetness, but it never arrives and I end up with a smoke that is too sweet for me. The back of the palate again sharpens into a strong cedar presentation, but at least this time it's not as dry as on the first pass. The draw does open up in the final third, which is nice, but I would have liked it to happen much sooner. The burn is acceptable right to the end.
The finish smacks of cedar and leaves the palate a little bit too dry for my tastes.
Appearance- 87 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 86 just too short in the complexity and depth department, but there were some nice flavors here
Construction- 84 the draw was too tight for me
Strength- 88 a very nice medium
Overall- 85.75 slightly above average, but not my favorite blend from this manufacturer
Monday, May 21, 2012
Oliva Master Blends 3 Robusto (5x50)
Travelling for work has kept me from entertaining all of you with hard hitting reviews recently, I am just being kept down by the man it seems. Some of you may be surprised to see that I have chosen this particular cigar to review. I usually keep my reviews to new items and boutique trends, but if any of you listen to the radio show I co-host every Saturday (shameless plug coming), on 1280 AM in the Sarasota area or on wtmy.com, you know that my partner and I often talk about something called a cigar evolution. I have long held that most cigar smokers go through periods of refinement in their palate and often find themselves enjoying cigars they thought they never would, or enjoying a cigar that they had tried before but discarded as not for them. This process is what I call the cigar evolution and in nearly 24 years of cigar smoking I have had several personal evolutions of my own. I hold up the cigar being reviewed here as evidence of said evolution. I have smoked these before and I was not able to get my head around the super premium price for what I considered an average cigar. In recent years my palate has begun to appreciate more subtle flavors and less strength as I search for cigar nuance so I figured giving this cigar another try might be interesting.
The cigar presents very well, I have always thought these were some very attractive smokes. The wrapper just bathes the senses in a warm glow of finely tuned tobacco that looks dark and rich. There are some prominent veins here, but I don't feel as though they will be an issue. An inspection of the smoke does not show me any areas of concern and the construction looks and feels sturdy without being too tight. The band work is nice to look at as well, so I will give it a nod in the visual department. The pre light aroma is full of rich tobacco and coffee essence. The pre light draw has some subtle cocoa flavors and some light mint that I find very interesting.
The cigar opens with an opus of flavors that I do not recall experiencing in my prior Master Blends endeavors. The profile is awash with bold textures and flavors of tobacco, coffee, cocoa, dark wood and mint. I am stunned by this early profile extravaganza and I am wondering how I could have missed this when I smoked it before. At the back of the palate there is an earthiness that is heavy but not overwhelming, and while it lacks complexity, it can stand alone as the flavor in the backdrop and serves as a wonderful platform for the early flavors. The draw is a little tight for me, but I am drawing a decent amount of smoke so I am not overly concerned. The burn is solid and a crisp gray/white ash is forming nicely.
The first half of the cigar continues to be a paragon of my cigar evolution virtues. It is subtle, balanced, complex and flavorful and I am realizing that I could not have enjoyed this smoke two or three years ago because I was a dolt, an ignoramus if you will, about the intricacies of the cigar world. The core profile is booming right along while showing coffee and cocoa as the main actors in this cigar aria, but there is a fantastic rip of dark wood that keeps laying in some rustic qualities to a cigar that wants to show off so much refinement. At the back of the palate the earthy flavors remain, but there are some fantastic runs of pepper here as well that is knocking up the spice quotient into the full bodied range. The draw is still a bit too tight for me, but I am moving along with eager longing for the last half. The burn is still very solid and there is not a single issue.
The final half of the cigar actually sags a bit for me, but after the open and the first half it really had nowhere to go but down or it may have gotten a 99 or 100 from me. As it is, it is still a fabulous smoke that I enjoy right to the end. The core profile becomes a less subtle array of flavors as some strength is brought into the mix. There is a slight flavor of tannin here that could be mineral in nature, but there are still some excellent coffee flavors coming through. At the back of the palate there are still some nice earth tones and the dark wood is showing through here with some pepper remnant that I would have like more of. The draw stays just a hair tight to the end for me, but it will not lead to a huge downgrade from me. The burn is solid to the end.
The finish was full of pepper and dark wood for many minutes. This is a prime example of cigar evolution at its finest in my book.
Appearance- 93 a very nice looking cigar
Taste- 95 an excellent array of flavors, particularly in the first half
Construction- 92 some tightness in the draw leads to slight reductions
Strength- 97 a fabulous medium/full that complements the flavor profile in a profound way
Overall- 94 a near classic experience and a wonderful cigar
The cigar presents very well, I have always thought these were some very attractive smokes. The wrapper just bathes the senses in a warm glow of finely tuned tobacco that looks dark and rich. There are some prominent veins here, but I don't feel as though they will be an issue. An inspection of the smoke does not show me any areas of concern and the construction looks and feels sturdy without being too tight. The band work is nice to look at as well, so I will give it a nod in the visual department. The pre light aroma is full of rich tobacco and coffee essence. The pre light draw has some subtle cocoa flavors and some light mint that I find very interesting.
The cigar opens with an opus of flavors that I do not recall experiencing in my prior Master Blends endeavors. The profile is awash with bold textures and flavors of tobacco, coffee, cocoa, dark wood and mint. I am stunned by this early profile extravaganza and I am wondering how I could have missed this when I smoked it before. At the back of the palate there is an earthiness that is heavy but not overwhelming, and while it lacks complexity, it can stand alone as the flavor in the backdrop and serves as a wonderful platform for the early flavors. The draw is a little tight for me, but I am drawing a decent amount of smoke so I am not overly concerned. The burn is solid and a crisp gray/white ash is forming nicely.
The first half of the cigar continues to be a paragon of my cigar evolution virtues. It is subtle, balanced, complex and flavorful and I am realizing that I could not have enjoyed this smoke two or three years ago because I was a dolt, an ignoramus if you will, about the intricacies of the cigar world. The core profile is booming right along while showing coffee and cocoa as the main actors in this cigar aria, but there is a fantastic rip of dark wood that keeps laying in some rustic qualities to a cigar that wants to show off so much refinement. At the back of the palate the earthy flavors remain, but there are some fantastic runs of pepper here as well that is knocking up the spice quotient into the full bodied range. The draw is still a bit too tight for me, but I am moving along with eager longing for the last half. The burn is still very solid and there is not a single issue.
The final half of the cigar actually sags a bit for me, but after the open and the first half it really had nowhere to go but down or it may have gotten a 99 or 100 from me. As it is, it is still a fabulous smoke that I enjoy right to the end. The core profile becomes a less subtle array of flavors as some strength is brought into the mix. There is a slight flavor of tannin here that could be mineral in nature, but there are still some excellent coffee flavors coming through. At the back of the palate there are still some nice earth tones and the dark wood is showing through here with some pepper remnant that I would have like more of. The draw stays just a hair tight to the end for me, but it will not lead to a huge downgrade from me. The burn is solid to the end.
The finish was full of pepper and dark wood for many minutes. This is a prime example of cigar evolution at its finest in my book.
Appearance- 93 a very nice looking cigar
Taste- 95 an excellent array of flavors, particularly in the first half
Construction- 92 some tightness in the draw leads to slight reductions
Strength- 97 a fabulous medium/full that complements the flavor profile in a profound way
Overall- 94 a near classic experience and a wonderful cigar
Friday, May 4, 2012
San Lotano Connecticut Toro (6x54)
I have reviewed the other San Lotano blends and I held the Connecticut back for a couple of reasons. First, I did not hear great things about this cigar, which was very surprising considering how much positive buzz there was about the Oval and the Habano blends. When I hear bad things I sometimes hesitate and hold a review until some of the negatives have died out and I can take a fair look at the cigar. The second reason, and really the more important one, is that Connecticut blends are usually not my favorites. If you look back over the history of this blog, Connecticut cigars have really not done well in my tastings (with the exception of Oliva and Pedro Martin).
This cigar presents nicely. The wrapper is silky smooth and has some light dusty characteristics in the texture that make me think of velvet. There are very few veins here, and I am liking what I am seeing so far. An inspection of the cigar reveals no areas of concern, as the bunch and roll seem to be very well done to me. The pre light aroma is bready and it has a nice sweet hint of cedar. The pre light draw has some light white pepper tones, but does not show much else.
The cigar opens with a profile that has more depth and complexity than I expected. The core profile has some wonderful hints of bread, cinnamon, vanilla and cedar. The overall impressions of this mix of flavors is very favorable and I am very happy with the profile dynamics that are being shown so early. At the back of the palate there is only one flavor, white pepper, and I don't feel like it has enough glue to hold this profile together for long but for right now it is ok. The draw is a little too tight for me early on, but it is not causing any performance issues at this point. The burn is solid at this point and a sturdy ash is forming.
The first half of the cigar shows some flavor retreating and I find myself disappointed by this development. The core profile is really showing some hard cedar flavors at this point and there is a strange sweet spice that takes some reflection to place, but I finally decide it is like a hard cider. At the back of the palate some pepper flavors continue, but there is a papery finish to the smoke here and it takes away from the experience. The draw is loosening some, but I still feel like it is too tight for my tastes, there is just the slightest bit of labor involved. The burn is right on the money and I don't anticipate any issues.
The final half of the cigar continues to slide downward in my view. The profile becomes more cedary still and that flavor becomes sharp and somewhat bitter. The cider essence has gone away at this point and that makes the sharp cedar flavors all the more in your face at this point. The back of the palate is still showing some light wisps of pepper, but the papery flavors are still present at this point. The draw is still too tight to the end of the smoke, but the burn was solid throughout.
The finish was papery, but had a strong cedar flavor as well.
Appearance- 91 a very nice looking smoke
Taste- 86 some very nice early flavors, but the last half took away some valuable points
Construction- 87 the draw was too tight, but the burn was exceptional
Strength- 88 a very nice mild/medium that could have used more pop
Overall- 87.5 slightly above average, could have been excellent with less flavor loss late in the smoke
This cigar presents nicely. The wrapper is silky smooth and has some light dusty characteristics in the texture that make me think of velvet. There are very few veins here, and I am liking what I am seeing so far. An inspection of the cigar reveals no areas of concern, as the bunch and roll seem to be very well done to me. The pre light aroma is bready and it has a nice sweet hint of cedar. The pre light draw has some light white pepper tones, but does not show much else.
The cigar opens with a profile that has more depth and complexity than I expected. The core profile has some wonderful hints of bread, cinnamon, vanilla and cedar. The overall impressions of this mix of flavors is very favorable and I am very happy with the profile dynamics that are being shown so early. At the back of the palate there is only one flavor, white pepper, and I don't feel like it has enough glue to hold this profile together for long but for right now it is ok. The draw is a little too tight for me early on, but it is not causing any performance issues at this point. The burn is solid at this point and a sturdy ash is forming.
The first half of the cigar shows some flavor retreating and I find myself disappointed by this development. The core profile is really showing some hard cedar flavors at this point and there is a strange sweet spice that takes some reflection to place, but I finally decide it is like a hard cider. At the back of the palate some pepper flavors continue, but there is a papery finish to the smoke here and it takes away from the experience. The draw is loosening some, but I still feel like it is too tight for my tastes, there is just the slightest bit of labor involved. The burn is right on the money and I don't anticipate any issues.
The final half of the cigar continues to slide downward in my view. The profile becomes more cedary still and that flavor becomes sharp and somewhat bitter. The cider essence has gone away at this point and that makes the sharp cedar flavors all the more in your face at this point. The back of the palate is still showing some light wisps of pepper, but the papery flavors are still present at this point. The draw is still too tight to the end of the smoke, but the burn was solid throughout.
The finish was papery, but had a strong cedar flavor as well.
Appearance- 91 a very nice looking smoke
Taste- 86 some very nice early flavors, but the last half took away some valuable points
Construction- 87 the draw was too tight, but the burn was exceptional
Strength- 88 a very nice mild/medium that could have used more pop
Overall- 87.5 slightly above average, could have been excellent with less flavor loss late in the smoke
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)