Paul 93 – Very dark, maduro colored, toothy wrapper with a long awl-like pointy head, medium veins, rich tobacco and barnyard on the wrapper, soft spots everywhere, a little lumpy, good draw, dark fruit, five stems visible at the foot. First 1/3: Charry, medium amount of wispy smoke, leather, oak, black pepper, a touch of cedar, medium gray ash, slightly uneven burn line, medium strength, body, and finish. Second 1/3: Long lasting chili pepper on the retrohale, black pepper, deep flavors, smooth. Last 1/3: Medium strength, body, and finish, leather, black pepper, tartness, stayed smooth, nubbed it.
Rob 78 – This is an oscuro pyramid parejo. It has an oily wrapper with minimal veins and no visible seams. Draw has perfect resistance for this shape of cigar. It has a firm pack with reasonable weight. The foot shows a nicely rolled filler with a swirl of maduro leaf. Very pretty. On spark up, there is a huge plumb of smoke on both the draw as well as the cap and foot. Flavor is just tobacco at this point. Now it has heated up and is providing a very squiggly burn line with white ash. Still no flavors however. At the one third mark, there are still plumbs of smoke pouring off, and has become incredibly smooth. Burn has corrected, but still just a tobacco flavor. At the half way point, it is still very smooth, but is providing a slightly oily mouth feel. Without any distinguishable flavors, the stick is beginning to become a bit long in the tooth. However, the smoking experience has been lifted……. an elderly lady just approached me with her entire mouth and nose covered in a handkerchief. She stated “there is NO smoking at this resort!” I smiled and responded with “I guess you are wrong,” pointing to the resort provided ash receptacle next to me. She proceeded to slowly amble off in a huff, struggling to get a breath of breathable air. A completely enjoyable encounter. A tiny whisper of white pepper has entered the fold. At two thirds complete, there is still no change to the lack of flavors with this cigar. My mouth now tastes like an ash filled cigar ashtray, and I am too bored to go any further, so the cigar was ‘Artied.’ (Tossed)
Jim 90 – The appearance of this cigar is a very dark brown meticulously rolled torpedo. I would assume by the color of the wrapper that this is a maduro. I can smell some strong barnyard from the foot of the cigar that hints of the kind of cigar I normally like. The point of this torpedo is as good as I have ever seen one rolled. I actually employed the newly self-discovered Dickman cut as I prepare to light it up. Good cold draw with the taste of earth and raisins. After lighting, initial draws are strong and earthy with a very slight peppery finish. The initial flavors developing are a strong coffee bean followed by a smooth creaminess in the smoke. That slight black pepper finish lingers on the tongue. There is a sharpness in the taste that could potentially go towards harsh but it is actually working right now. The burn has been uneven but consistent so I have not had to level it off. Ash is very white and firm. Draw is great. As I get over an inch and a half into the cigar, the sharpness has actually mellowed. The flavors are blending together more like a classic maduro. Now I am getting more of a strong espresso, with leather and a bit of earthiness. The pepper spice has mellowed even more. From the starting point up to now, a definite improvement from good to great. As I pass the midway point, the strength is growing. The strong espresso flavors are now more dominant. I really wish I had some bourbon to enjoy with this smoke! This cigar held up until the very end. I think it was pretty good but I also think some age on it would make it even better.
Artie 87 – This is a rustic looking, maduro torpedo, with a wrapper that resembles black parchment. It’s more loosely applied than I usually see, and the leaf itself is very thick. It’s got a strong, pungent cold nose with a draw that is wide open. Once lit I get a lot of air with each puff. It’s almost like it’s got leak somewhere. It takes a good inch of smoking before this stick provides enough smoke to get any real flavors. At this point the cigars starts to get some black pepper and earthy, smokey notes. I would guess the wrapper is Penn broadleaf. There is an underlying presence of ammonia, albeit slight but it is distracting from the other flavors I may have otherwise detected. This is a big cigar, but its loose draw makes it burn way too fast. But it is burning evenly. Mid way, a charcoal flavor takes over. There are strong flavors here, but not ones I particularly like. It’s almost caustic. I resorted to a glass (or two) of Michters Unblended America Whisky which made this cigar a lot more enjoyable. The cigar’s aggressive nature punctuated the smooth tongue-numbing effects of the whiskey. Drinking only water gives me of good common denominator for judging the flavor of a cigar, but with a stick that is aggressive, a smooth whiskey does wonders for covering a multitude of sins. The bottom line is that this cigar pairs well with good whiskey, but doesn’t’ stand up on its own. Scoring this is difficult.
Will 83 – 6.25 x 54 Torpedo with a rustic brown wrapper with a fair amount of oil, the cold nose was perfumed soap and pepper, the cold draw was white pepper and all spice. The flavor on initial light is not very pleasant, it’s an oily gamey flavor that coats my mouth but not in a good way. I set the stick down and wit for 5 minutes before drawing again. It’s still lit and the flavor has transformed into a burnt peanut brittle with a short lemon zest finish. Over the next 15 minutes a chocolate lemon drop profile begins to wash out the peanut brittle. This flavor profile holds steady for the next half hour. The ash is very flaky and drops off without any help. At the 45 minute mark the cigar becomes very spongy, the flavor is hot and bitter and I let it go.
