So it has been a long, long while since I have written a review here. Contrary to popular opinion I do have a life complete with work, wife, kid and plenty of golf. Well, not as much golf as I would like, but some golf nonetheless. I have still been smoking plenty of cigars, but when you have a blog that is dedicated to reviewing new things in the industry and you make a decision to only smoke old standbys for awhile it just leads to no blogging for a bit. You all have my apologies, which is about as worthless as a Strawberry White Owl.
I have reviewed some of the other Surrogate blends before and I have not really found one that suits me yet. This particular cigar sounds so intimidating, Skull Breaker... I knew a guy once that we called Skull Breaker, I played hockey for many years and he was a teammate. Thank god he was on my side because he was a freaking animal, he even bit off part of some one's ear after a game once. So this particular cigar with this particular name has me heading for ear muffs just in case I need some protection. All kidding aside I was excited to try this smoke because it is touted as a strong bomb that is full of flavor.
The cigar presents well, I will even forgive that it is a torpedo shape which I don't like. The wrapper is a silky smooth thing and it has very few veins. The construction seems very nice to me and I can't detect any areas of concern. Even the band work looks sufficiently menacing. The pre light draw shows some nice hints of anise and coffee. The pre light aroma is spicy and rich.
The cigar opens with a profile that is surprisingly docile for something that had so much hype about being the end all be all in strength. The core profile shows some nice flavors of spice and anise, plus some very fine tobacco flavors, but I would definitely classify it as medium at the outset. At the back of the palate there are some nice earthy presentations that have a slightly bitter tone through the nose. The draw is slightly firm, but it delivers in an acceptable manner, though I am concerned about heat later in the smoke. The burn is right on the money at this point in the smoke.
The first half of the cigar remains a rather tame lamb. I am really shocked by this because I had even spoken to others that thought this cigar was just strength all the way through, I am just not finding it to be the case at all. The core profile still has some nice spice notes, but the anise flavors have given way to a more floral essence and some coffee tones. The back of the palate still shows some earthy tones but the bitterness has ramped up some and threatens to derail the experience. The draw has opened up now and the delivery of the smoke is free and easy. The burn has performed very nicely to this point.
The final half of the smoke picks up the steam a little bit, but it is still just inching into full strength territory for me. The core profile is still spicy, but the coffee flavors are stronger now to the point that they seem almost overwrought to me at this point which leads to a subtle sharpness that I don't care for. The back of the palate is still earthy, but the bitter flavor has really taken over here and begins to border on being flavored like crushed aspirin. The draw is still nice and the burn performs well to the end.
The finish was short and slightly bitter and had hints of earth.
Overall I was not impressed with this offering either. Cigars like this are perhaps why I sometimes go back to smoking the old standbys, these new cigars are a real crap shoot.
Appearance- 91 an attractive smoke
Taste- 83 not impressed with the bitter flavors throughout the smoke and the rest of the flavors were weak
Construction- 87 the draw was tight early
Strength- 85 medium more than full
Overall- 86 very middling
Showing posts with label Surrogates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Surrogates. Show all posts
Friday, April 5, 2013
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Surrogates Crystal Baller (5.75x56)
I continue my reviews of the new Pete Johnson stuff with this cigar. I recently gave the L'Atelier some rave reviews and I thought that Pete was back with that particular blend, the best I've smoked from him since El Triunfador. This cigar is again from the surrogates collection and I am caught laughing a bit, again, at the silly name that has been given to this smoke. I have no idea what it means, and to be frank as I write this full of Turkey and other fixins, I really don't have the mental energy to spend on trying to figure it out. What I can tell you is that this surrogates line has four different blends, I have already reviewed the Tramp Stamp, and I will be smoking and reviewing all of them in the near future.
The cigar presents well, all though it is slightly box pressed and it is well known among my readers and friends that I don't like box pressing as a general rule. There are some prominent veins in this very light brown wrapper and it does not look it's price, it comes off as a touch cheap looking. The band work is very simple and the overall visual impact is somewhat mundane. A quick inspection shows me that there are some loose areas in the bunch and I am worried about combustion at this point. The pre light aroma has some cinnamon notes with some light tobacco essence. The pre light draw is thin, but shows some light wisps of young wood and some floral impressions.
The cigar opens with a profile that is neither deep or particularly complex. The core flavors are some thin wood flavors that have a slight bitterness that I would associate with wet wood. There are also some floral moments in the opening salvo that alternately sweet and slightly grassy. At the back of the palate and through the nose there are some very light hints of pepper and some strange sweet impressions that are reminiscent of mild white chocolate with a hint of bitters. The profile is not what I would classify as poor, but it is not complex or faceted in terms of depth so it leaves me feeling a little bit bereft. The draw is very loose and I am already noticing heat in the draw, so I decide to manage this cigar early on by slowing my progress to avoid scorching the flume. The burn is solid, but rapid at this point, and a loose white ash is forming.
The first half of the cigar actually develops nicely. The core profile beings to show some caramel notes with a touch of cinnamon, there are still some nice wood flavors coming through here as well. These added dimensions are showing some nice balance and complexity that front part of the smoke lacked. The back of the palate continues to show mostly pepper flavors, but there are some nice light chocolate flavors that are hanging on here as well and there is also a presentation of vanilla here as well. The draw is still too loose and the heat is still present, but my management of the combustion is keeping the cigar in line to this point. The burn is slowing nicely, but the ash is still loose and flaky.
The final half of the cigar deteriorates rapidly and I attribute it to poor construction. The core profile begins to show the negative affects of heat, there is some scorching coming through and it is directly correlated to the loose draw and rapid burn I'm afraid. The flavors show some wood and light spice, but the scorching is setting them into the area of being too acrid to be enjoyable. The back of the palate and the nose are still showing some pepper notes, but they too are being muddled by the scorched flavors coming from the poor combustion. The draw is still too loose and the burn can't be slowed any further without stopping the smoke all together. Construction really hurt this cigar.
The finish was short and acrid with burned wood flavors.
Appearance- 86 simple and lacking visual provocation
Taste- 83 some nice notes in the first half, but it was all killed in the last half
Construction- 72 just very poor
Strength- 85 I think a nice medium, but the construction hurts this score as well
Overall- 80.25 very sub par
The cigar presents well, all though it is slightly box pressed and it is well known among my readers and friends that I don't like box pressing as a general rule. There are some prominent veins in this very light brown wrapper and it does not look it's price, it comes off as a touch cheap looking. The band work is very simple and the overall visual impact is somewhat mundane. A quick inspection shows me that there are some loose areas in the bunch and I am worried about combustion at this point. The pre light aroma has some cinnamon notes with some light tobacco essence. The pre light draw is thin, but shows some light wisps of young wood and some floral impressions.
The cigar opens with a profile that is neither deep or particularly complex. The core flavors are some thin wood flavors that have a slight bitterness that I would associate with wet wood. There are also some floral moments in the opening salvo that alternately sweet and slightly grassy. At the back of the palate and through the nose there are some very light hints of pepper and some strange sweet impressions that are reminiscent of mild white chocolate with a hint of bitters. The profile is not what I would classify as poor, but it is not complex or faceted in terms of depth so it leaves me feeling a little bit bereft. The draw is very loose and I am already noticing heat in the draw, so I decide to manage this cigar early on by slowing my progress to avoid scorching the flume. The burn is solid, but rapid at this point, and a loose white ash is forming.
The first half of the cigar actually develops nicely. The core profile beings to show some caramel notes with a touch of cinnamon, there are still some nice wood flavors coming through here as well. These added dimensions are showing some nice balance and complexity that front part of the smoke lacked. The back of the palate continues to show mostly pepper flavors, but there are some nice light chocolate flavors that are hanging on here as well and there is also a presentation of vanilla here as well. The draw is still too loose and the heat is still present, but my management of the combustion is keeping the cigar in line to this point. The burn is slowing nicely, but the ash is still loose and flaky.
The final half of the cigar deteriorates rapidly and I attribute it to poor construction. The core profile begins to show the negative affects of heat, there is some scorching coming through and it is directly correlated to the loose draw and rapid burn I'm afraid. The flavors show some wood and light spice, but the scorching is setting them into the area of being too acrid to be enjoyable. The back of the palate and the nose are still showing some pepper notes, but they too are being muddled by the scorched flavors coming from the poor combustion. The draw is still too loose and the burn can't be slowed any further without stopping the smoke all together. Construction really hurt this cigar.
The finish was short and acrid with burned wood flavors.
Appearance- 86 simple and lacking visual provocation
Taste- 83 some nice notes in the first half, but it was all killed in the last half
Construction- 72 just very poor
Strength- 85 I think a nice medium, but the construction hurts this score as well
Overall- 80.25 very sub par
Friday, November 9, 2012
Surrogates Tramp Stamp (5.25x48)
When you think about a Tramp Stamp all kinds of images flash through your mind. I think of a kinda trashy woman in some low rise jeans with the ubiquitous butterfly tattoo peeking out from above the lowered waist band. Remember ladies, low hanging jeans reveal low hanging fruit. I certainly don't think of a cigar, but now I guess I have to, because L'Atelier and Pete Johnson have struck with what is possibly the worst name for a cigar in recent memory. I mean Tramp Stamp? Come on! Why not White Trash? Crack Ho? The list could go on and on. The name Tramp Stamp certainly does not evoke pleasant thoughts about the smoking experience that is about to ensue. Nevertheless I truck on and try to forget the name.
The cigar presents nicely, with the exception of the band with the little butterfly on it (WTF!) as if it weren't bad enough you named it this way you have to brand it with a Tramp Stamp of it's own? The cigar itself is beautifully done. The wrapper is a rich, dark brown color with few veins and some nice tooth. The construction seems flawless to me, I can't find a single issue anywhere while I inspect it. The pre light aroma has some nice cocoa and rich coffee tones. The pre light draw is a touch thin, but shows some earthy notes with a nice roasted nut quality in the background.
The cigar opens with a profile that lacks power, but does show some nice flavors. The core profile contains some wonderful coffee and hard candy sweetness as the main components, but there is also an excellent earthy tone here that binds the experience together nicely. The back of the palate shows some nice brushes of pepper and wood, but these flavors are little bit too thin for me at this point as I prefer my cigar to have a little more power in this area. The draw is fantastic, very easy to manage and plenty of smoke. The burn is also very solid to this point.
The first half of the cigar develops into something that I did not expect. The core profile becomes a very nice array of flavors that include some nice lightly creamed coffee flavors with some excellent shots of white pepper that keep the palate guessing. There are also some nice hard candy notes that continue on throughout the first half granting some nice balance to the overall experience. The earthy flavors have moved to the back of the palate, and this is really where they belong as this attribute provides a nice platform for most profiles to rest upon. There is also a nice nutty quality through the nose that can't be without mention. The draw is still performing very well at this point and I am impressed with the performance so far. The burn is also very solid.
The final half of the cigar was a huge letdown for me, I thought we were really building into something when it all came crashing down around me. The core profile loses all of it's sweet components in the last half as more stringent mineral notes take over and the pepper becomes almost confrontational in this area of the smoke. I don't mind some in your face moments in a cigar, but this just doesn't work for me at all. The back of the palate still shows some earthy notes, but they are getting lost in some strong notes of charred tobacco that are not pleasant at all. The draw is still dead on for me, and the burn is solid all the way through.
The finish was short and charred.
Appearance- 88 a nice cigar to look at, if you ignore the band
Taste- 85 very average, good in the front part of the smoke and awful in the final part
Construction- 93 wonderfully done, cigars don't perform like this everyday
Strength- 80 medium early on, but as the maker goes for strength in the last half the strength jumps the rails and kills the profile
Overall- 87.25, saved by construction, not really a cigar I would smoke again
The cigar presents nicely, with the exception of the band with the little butterfly on it (WTF!) as if it weren't bad enough you named it this way you have to brand it with a Tramp Stamp of it's own? The cigar itself is beautifully done. The wrapper is a rich, dark brown color with few veins and some nice tooth. The construction seems flawless to me, I can't find a single issue anywhere while I inspect it. The pre light aroma has some nice cocoa and rich coffee tones. The pre light draw is a touch thin, but shows some earthy notes with a nice roasted nut quality in the background.
The cigar opens with a profile that lacks power, but does show some nice flavors. The core profile contains some wonderful coffee and hard candy sweetness as the main components, but there is also an excellent earthy tone here that binds the experience together nicely. The back of the palate shows some nice brushes of pepper and wood, but these flavors are little bit too thin for me at this point as I prefer my cigar to have a little more power in this area. The draw is fantastic, very easy to manage and plenty of smoke. The burn is also very solid to this point.
The first half of the cigar develops into something that I did not expect. The core profile becomes a very nice array of flavors that include some nice lightly creamed coffee flavors with some excellent shots of white pepper that keep the palate guessing. There are also some nice hard candy notes that continue on throughout the first half granting some nice balance to the overall experience. The earthy flavors have moved to the back of the palate, and this is really where they belong as this attribute provides a nice platform for most profiles to rest upon. There is also a nice nutty quality through the nose that can't be without mention. The draw is still performing very well at this point and I am impressed with the performance so far. The burn is also very solid.
The final half of the cigar was a huge letdown for me, I thought we were really building into something when it all came crashing down around me. The core profile loses all of it's sweet components in the last half as more stringent mineral notes take over and the pepper becomes almost confrontational in this area of the smoke. I don't mind some in your face moments in a cigar, but this just doesn't work for me at all. The back of the palate still shows some earthy notes, but they are getting lost in some strong notes of charred tobacco that are not pleasant at all. The draw is still dead on for me, and the burn is solid all the way through.
The finish was short and charred.
Appearance- 88 a nice cigar to look at, if you ignore the band
Taste- 85 very average, good in the front part of the smoke and awful in the final part
Construction- 93 wonderfully done, cigars don't perform like this everyday
Strength- 80 medium early on, but as the maker goes for strength in the last half the strength jumps the rails and kills the profile
Overall- 87.25, saved by construction, not really a cigar I would smoke again
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