This cigar has about a year of age on it, as I bought the box in October of 08. The cigar presents with a wrapper that is nearly jet black and has little veining. The construction is firm and supple and the cigar has an oily sheen. The pre light aroma is of coffee and earth. The pre light draw shows notes of rich tobacco and coffee.
The cigar opens with blasts of coffee and tobacco, there is a sweetness at the back of the palate that adds to the overall profile and initial enjoyability. The burn is a bit lopsided and slow, there is some labor to produce the right amount of smoke. The first two inches proceed in the same fashion.
At near the halfway point the profile has notes of coffee, earth, tobacco and cocoa at the back of the palate. There is a slight metallic note in the profile that is detracting from the experience. The burn has stayed a bit slow, but there is less labor to produce acceptable smoke at this point.
The final third of the cigar develops notes of coffee, tobacco and cocoa. There is still a metallic note in the profile that is hurting the score. The draw and burn are the same, and the burn is becoming uneven.
The finish is smooth, but there are still metallic notes in the profile. There are notes of tobacco and earth.
Appearance- 91 an excellent looking cigar, it is a bit ruddy in the roll
Taste- 88 the metallic notes hurt the score, but the profile is tasty
Construction- 90 well made, but there were some issues with the burn
Strength- 87 a nice full bodied presentation, could use some more strength
Overall- 89 an above average smoke
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Nestor Miranda Special Selection Coffee Break
This small rothchild sized cigar presents with a medium brown wrapper that shows some flaws and appears to be toothy and a little dry. The construction of the cigar seems to be acceptable when examined. The pre light aroma is of spice and tobacco. The pre light draw shows some peppery notes and a light sweetness.
The cigar opens with some peppery notes and a bitter undertone that detracts from the opening notes of the smoke. The burn is solid and the draw is smooth and even. The bitterness persists for the first inch or so and it cloys the other notes that may be in the profile.
At the halfway point the profile has lost the bitter notes and developed into a nice medium smoke with notes of wood, light spice, pepper and a graham cracker sweetness. The depth of the flavors is lacking, but the complexity is interesting. The burn and draw have stayed constant to this point in the smoke.
The final half maintains a profile of wood and graham crackers. There is still a peppery note at the back of the palate, but there is some bitterness through the nose. The burn and draw are still performing very well.
The finish is a bit short, but has notes of spice, wood and pepper.
Appearance- 83 not the most attractive offering, but it is made well
Taste- 88 the bitter notes hurt the score, and it could have used more depth
Construction- 87 a slight subtraction for wrapper flaws
Strength- 90 a nice medium/full presentation
Overall- 87 a nice smoke, could have been better
The cigar opens with some peppery notes and a bitter undertone that detracts from the opening notes of the smoke. The burn is solid and the draw is smooth and even. The bitterness persists for the first inch or so and it cloys the other notes that may be in the profile.
At the halfway point the profile has lost the bitter notes and developed into a nice medium smoke with notes of wood, light spice, pepper and a graham cracker sweetness. The depth of the flavors is lacking, but the complexity is interesting. The burn and draw have stayed constant to this point in the smoke.
The final half maintains a profile of wood and graham crackers. There is still a peppery note at the back of the palate, but there is some bitterness through the nose. The burn and draw are still performing very well.
The finish is a bit short, but has notes of spice, wood and pepper.
Appearance- 83 not the most attractive offering, but it is made well
Taste- 88 the bitter notes hurt the score, and it could have used more depth
Construction- 87 a slight subtraction for wrapper flaws
Strength- 90 a nice medium/full presentation
Overall- 87 a nice smoke, could have been better
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente "Queen B"
This cigar presents wrapped in Spanish Cedar, in a sharp torpedo vitola. The wrapper is a dark sungrown vintage and is lightly veined and applied beautifully. The pre light aroma, as expected, smacks of cedar. The pre light draw shows notes of earth and tobacco. An inspection of the cigar leads me to believe that it is well constructed.
The cigar begins with notes of earth and tobacco, there is a light dusting of pepper at the back of the palate. The draw is tight, but produces enough smoke. The burn begins well, but is bit lopsided after about a half inch. The first two inches proceed in this fashion.
At just past the one third point, I encounter a runner in the burn, but I am able to smoke through it without touching it up. The profile has maintained a tobacco character with undertones of earth. The draw is still tight, but producing a nice amount of smoke.
At the midway point there is still no change in the profile and the notes of tobacco and earth dominate the core of the smoke, there is a light cedary sweetness through the nose. The burn is still off, but I am not encountering any reason to touch up. The ash has become flaky and is shedding onto my shirt. The draw opens up a bit and I am able to savor more smoke, however the profile stays the same.
The final half of the cigar shows no added depth or complexity, and notes of tobacco and earth are still prominent. There is another minor run in the burn, but it does not cause any distress. The draw has remained open and smoke is booming out of the cigar.
The finish is a bit short with some bitterness, but there is a lingering earthy note that is bordering on being muddy.
Appearance- 91 a beautifully presented cigar
Taste- 82 the cigar lacks depth and complexity
Construction- 83 the draw and burn issues hurt the score
Strength- 85 a nice Fuente medium as expected
Overall- 85.25 a nice solid smoke
The cigar begins with notes of earth and tobacco, there is a light dusting of pepper at the back of the palate. The draw is tight, but produces enough smoke. The burn begins well, but is bit lopsided after about a half inch. The first two inches proceed in this fashion.
At just past the one third point, I encounter a runner in the burn, but I am able to smoke through it without touching it up. The profile has maintained a tobacco character with undertones of earth. The draw is still tight, but producing a nice amount of smoke.
At the midway point there is still no change in the profile and the notes of tobacco and earth dominate the core of the smoke, there is a light cedary sweetness through the nose. The burn is still off, but I am not encountering any reason to touch up. The ash has become flaky and is shedding onto my shirt. The draw opens up a bit and I am able to savor more smoke, however the profile stays the same.
The final half of the cigar shows no added depth or complexity, and notes of tobacco and earth are still prominent. There is another minor run in the burn, but it does not cause any distress. The draw has remained open and smoke is booming out of the cigar.
The finish is a bit short with some bitterness, but there is a lingering earthy note that is bordering on being muddy.
Appearance- 91 a beautifully presented cigar
Taste- 82 the cigar lacks depth and complexity
Construction- 83 the draw and burn issues hurt the score
Strength- 85 a nice Fuente medium as expected
Overall- 85.25 a nice solid smoke
Brick House Robusto
This is a new cigar from J.C. Newman. The cigar presents well, with a nice medium brown wrapper that has acceptable veining and nice sheen. The roll feels a bit loose, but the cigar shows no soft spots. The pre light aroma is a touch sour, but has notes of cedar and a floral essence. The pre light draw is aromatic and has notes of light spice.
The cigar begins with some notes of cedar and spice, but there is a sour note at the back of the palate that is unpleasant. The draw is loose and the burn is flaky, but otherwise the cigar performs well. The sour notes persist through the first quarter of the cigar and detracts from the experience.
The middle half of the cigar shows a nice profile of vanilla, spice and cream. The flavors are shallow, but I am settling into enjoying the smoke. The draw is still loose, but the burn is acceptable.
The final quarter of the cigar maintains a profile of cream and light spice, but some sour, grassy notes have crept in, to once again detract from the experience. The draw has stayed loose, but the construction has otherwise held it's own.
The finish is middling, with notes of spice and cream, but sour undertones hurt the in the end.
Appearance- 87 an attractive cigar, with a nice sheen
Taste- 83 the sour notes detract from an otherwise nice experience
Construction- 84 the loose draw hurts the score
Strength- 80 an unremarkable medium
Overall- 83.5 an acceptable smoke
The cigar begins with some notes of cedar and spice, but there is a sour note at the back of the palate that is unpleasant. The draw is loose and the burn is flaky, but otherwise the cigar performs well. The sour notes persist through the first quarter of the cigar and detracts from the experience.
The middle half of the cigar shows a nice profile of vanilla, spice and cream. The flavors are shallow, but I am settling into enjoying the smoke. The draw is still loose, but the burn is acceptable.
The final quarter of the cigar maintains a profile of cream and light spice, but some sour, grassy notes have crept in, to once again detract from the experience. The draw has stayed loose, but the construction has otherwise held it's own.
The finish is middling, with notes of spice and cream, but sour undertones hurt the in the end.
Appearance- 87 an attractive cigar, with a nice sheen
Taste- 83 the sour notes detract from an otherwise nice experience
Construction- 84 the loose draw hurts the score
Strength- 80 an unremarkable medium
Overall- 83.5 an acceptable smoke
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve Toro
This is one of the many offerings of Romeo that is available in the marketplace. I have been told by many that this is the best of the offerings from Romeo, but I had never smoked one before. The cigar presents with a reddish hued wrapper that has prominent veins. The cigar is soft and seems to be rolled loosely. The pre light aroma is of dark wood and tobacco. The pre light draw is cedary with floral and herbal notes.
The cigar begins with a medium bodied presentation of cedar and notes of light floral tones, the smoke seems a bit dry to me and it causes a bitter note. The draw is very loose and the burn is lopsided and canoe-like barely an inch into the cigar. The canoe continues to develop and eventually is approx. two inches in length. I touch up the cigar and continue, but I am not happy.
At the half way point another canoe is forming. The draw is still very loose and airy. The profile is showing notes of wood and herbs, but there is a thin papery quality at the back of the palate. I am forced to touch up again when the canoe reaches another two inches.
The final third of the cigar continues to burn poorly and the draw has continued it's inferior ways. The profile maintains flavors of cedar with an herbal essence, but the lack of complexity and depth is disturbing.
The finish is short and bitter with notes of paper, cedar and charred wood.
Appearance- 85 not a bad looking smoke
Taste- 78 lacking in depth and complexity, some thin papery notes hurt the score further
Construction- 72 a horribly made cigar that presented issue after issue
Strength- 80 an unremarkable strength
Overall- 77.25 a supremely inferior smoking experience
The cigar begins with a medium bodied presentation of cedar and notes of light floral tones, the smoke seems a bit dry to me and it causes a bitter note. The draw is very loose and the burn is lopsided and canoe-like barely an inch into the cigar. The canoe continues to develop and eventually is approx. two inches in length. I touch up the cigar and continue, but I am not happy.
At the half way point another canoe is forming. The draw is still very loose and airy. The profile is showing notes of wood and herbs, but there is a thin papery quality at the back of the palate. I am forced to touch up again when the canoe reaches another two inches.
The final third of the cigar continues to burn poorly and the draw has continued it's inferior ways. The profile maintains flavors of cedar with an herbal essence, but the lack of complexity and depth is disturbing.
The finish is short and bitter with notes of paper, cedar and charred wood.
Appearance- 85 not a bad looking smoke
Taste- 78 lacking in depth and complexity, some thin papery notes hurt the score further
Construction- 72 a horribly made cigar that presented issue after issue
Strength- 80 an unremarkable strength
Overall- 77.25 a supremely inferior smoking experience
San Cristobal Lancero
This is a special edition vitola from Ashton (the makers of this cigar, along with Don Pepin Garcia), and as I have stated before this is one of my favorite sizes when it is made right. The cigar is beautiful, containing a dark, rich looking wrapper. The head is finished with a quirky pigtail cap, in line with the tradition of lanceros. The pre light aroma is of deep, rich tobacco and spice. The pre light draw shows notes of tobacco, spice and cocoa.
The cigar begins with a powerful profile of tobacco and muted spice notes. There is a sweetness at the back of the palate that conjures pine nuts. The burn and draw are excellent, and I firmly believe that Pepin Garcia is the master of this vitola. The profile maintains this orientation for the first inch and a half.
At just before the two inch mark, the profile is mellowing out to a nice arrangement of pine nuts, earth and tobacco. The depth of the flavors is excellent, but the complexity is somewhat lacking and I believe that there is room in the profile for more flavors. The burn and draw remain solid and the cigar is performing extremely well.
The final half of the cigar shows notes of tobacco, spice, pine nuts and earth. Again the depth of the flavors is superb, but more complexity would be a nice additive. The burn and draw have been flawless and I would stack the construction of this cigar against any lancero that I have smoked.
The finish is smooth and potent, but a trace of bitterness is present. There are flavors of earth and rich tobacco.
Appearance- 93 an excellent looking cigar, the pigtail cap could be more prominent and the wrapper was slightly veiny
Taste- 91 an excellent profile that had lots of depth, but could have used more complexity
Construction- 96 a fine example of this vitola
Strength- 91 an enjoyable full bodied presentation
Overall- 92.75 an excellent smoke
The cigar begins with a powerful profile of tobacco and muted spice notes. There is a sweetness at the back of the palate that conjures pine nuts. The burn and draw are excellent, and I firmly believe that Pepin Garcia is the master of this vitola. The profile maintains this orientation for the first inch and a half.
At just before the two inch mark, the profile is mellowing out to a nice arrangement of pine nuts, earth and tobacco. The depth of the flavors is excellent, but the complexity is somewhat lacking and I believe that there is room in the profile for more flavors. The burn and draw remain solid and the cigar is performing extremely well.
The final half of the cigar shows notes of tobacco, spice, pine nuts and earth. Again the depth of the flavors is superb, but more complexity would be a nice additive. The burn and draw have been flawless and I would stack the construction of this cigar against any lancero that I have smoked.
The finish is smooth and potent, but a trace of bitterness is present. There are flavors of earth and rich tobacco.
Appearance- 93 an excellent looking cigar, the pigtail cap could be more prominent and the wrapper was slightly veiny
Taste- 91 an excellent profile that had lots of depth, but could have used more complexity
Construction- 96 a fine example of this vitola
Strength- 91 an enjoyable full bodied presentation
Overall- 92.75 an excellent smoke
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Toro y Leon Reserva Especial Torpedo
This is a motley looking cigar, that has a lopsided roll and a rough looking exterior. The cigar seems to be a bit dry, but I can find no other flaws and the roll seems well done and without soft or firm spots. The pre light aroma is full of cedary tones, with a undertone of light spice. The pre light draw hints of light spice as well.
The cigar opens well with fully developed notes of cedar and a hint of light spice at the back of the palate. The burn is solid and the draw is smooth and easy. After about a half an inch the cigar begins to show some grassy notes that detract from the experience.
Just before the half way point the profile is overwhelmed with notes of grass, there is still a cedary core but it is getting lost in the grassy overtones. The burn has stayed solid and the draw is still acceptable.
The final half of the cigar shows some fine notes of cedar, light spice and vanilla. There are still some thin grassy notes at the back of the palate, but they have faded in the late stages. The draw and burn stay strong throughout.
The finish is short and thready. There are notes of grass, vegetation, cedar and spice.
Appearance- 77 this really is an ugly cigar
Taste- 83 the grassy notes hurt the score, but there were some nice notes present
Construction- 88 the cigar performs well, but the lopsided build hurt the score
Strength- 80 an unremarkable medium presentation that needs more power
Overall- 82 this could have been much better, but still has some redeeming qualities
The cigar opens well with fully developed notes of cedar and a hint of light spice at the back of the palate. The burn is solid and the draw is smooth and easy. After about a half an inch the cigar begins to show some grassy notes that detract from the experience.
Just before the half way point the profile is overwhelmed with notes of grass, there is still a cedary core but it is getting lost in the grassy overtones. The burn has stayed solid and the draw is still acceptable.
The final half of the cigar shows some fine notes of cedar, light spice and vanilla. There are still some thin grassy notes at the back of the palate, but they have faded in the late stages. The draw and burn stay strong throughout.
The finish is short and thready. There are notes of grass, vegetation, cedar and spice.
Appearance- 77 this really is an ugly cigar
Taste- 83 the grassy notes hurt the score, but there were some nice notes present
Construction- 88 the cigar performs well, but the lopsided build hurt the score
Strength- 80 an unremarkable medium presentation that needs more power
Overall- 82 this could have been much better, but still has some redeeming qualities
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