Paul 79 – Mottled milk chocolate color toothy wrapper, very rough lumpy and bumpy with soft spots everywhere, sweet tobacco aroma on the wrapper, several large stems at the cut foot, good draw with dark fruit and sweetness. First 1/3: malt, pepper, mild bitterness, good amount of smoke, uneven burn line, medium gray flaky ash falls at 1/8”, burn line begins to canoe, flavors fade, medium pepper on the retrohale, mild plus strength, medium body and finish, good draw, bitterness returns, floral and soap notes, canoe corrects and then returns. Second 1/3: Flavors fade again, burn remains horrendous, cigars expands at the burn line and cracks the wrapper, there is an 1/8” void in the filler that causes a burn hole about a ¼” below the burn line, medium strength and body, short finish, burn corrects, oak, dryness. Last 1/3: All the flavors have left the building, smoking air, wrapper begins to unravel. The perfect ending to a very poorly made cigar.
Rob 88 – Let’s see what we have here; a large Churchill stick, with a colorado wrapper. The wrapper has a slight oil sheen to it, and has tight invisible seams. There are a few small veins present, but nothing terribly distracting. There is a meaty aroma coming off the foot of the cigar, and at the other end, a sloppy double cap. The draw is a bit firm, and the stick is of average weight. There are some soft mushy spots in the barrel of the cigar. Let’s spark it up: I am getting a silky, slightly oily mouth feel from the smoke. The initial burn is a bit wavy. Flavor profile is carrying over the meaty pre-light aroma. At the half way point, the meaty-ness has faded off and has been replaced by a nutty profile: both cashews and hazelnuts. There is plenty of smoke present with a smooth texture and long finish. The burn has straightened out, however, the draw is still a bit too firm, and the body of the cigar still has some soft spots. By the end of the stick, the nuts have dissipated, and a tobacco flavor has replaced the flavor profile. A touch of cinnamon is present in the retro hale. Smoke is still smooth.
Jim 89 – A nice long 7 inch churchill medium brown cigar. On inspection I notice several blemish spots on the wrapper. However, it also appears to be rolled quite well as the seams are barely noticeable. A nice draw on the initial light with some immediate nutty flavors with some creamy and very smooth smoke with a slight salted caramel finish. As it heats up there is some baking spices developing and mixing in well with this cigar. Burn is slightly uneven but razor sharp with a firm ash crown. Medium light in strength but some nice body in the flavors balancing out this cigar. At the halfway point I’m getting more of the milk chocolate flavor on the finish. Even with the slight changes, the cigar really stayed consistent through the entire experience down to the nub. I tend to prefer stronger more full bodied cigars, but for a medium light cigar I really did enjoy this one. I would start the night with this one since it is a milder smoke.
Artie 85 – This churchill seems nicely filled and heavy for its size. It’s got a mottled wrapper that is quite toothy, and the cold nose is pungent. The wrapper color is odd…it’s a light brown with a dirty looking, greenish tinge. There are no soft spots and the seams are hard to detect. Bunching looks good. Let’s cut it…okay, the draw is bit tight but manageable. I don’t know if I’m being influenced by the color, but once lit, the initial flavor I’m picking up is actually tart lime!. It’s gotta be the power of suggestion, right? As the stick heats up, the tartness turns to sourness and an earthy quality has started to come into play. Halfway through, this cigar is still sour, but I’m hoping it will develop some creaminess or umami. So far, I’m not liking it so much. As I continue to smoke, I find myself curiously enjoying the cigar…somewhat. At the nub, the sourness has moved to the background, and flavors of dried fruit are present. But all things considered, this is not a cigar I would smoke again.
Will 76 – A 7 X 47 or 48 Churcill with a light tan wrapper with a flat 2 seam cap. This stick had 2 visible holes about the half size of a match head near at the shoulder. The smooth wrapper leaf was very veiny and the filler was firmly packed. A pretty nice looking stick. The cold nose was toasty tobacco with freshly cut hay and the cold draw was the same with a slight hint of white pepper. I put a flame to it and immediately got a creamy wheat-y flavor with a short lemon zest finish. About 5 minutes in and I am getting a weak coffee with milk kind of flavor with a nutty profile, very little smoke and I have to hit it twice to get a decent draw. The burn is fine but the draw is awful so I put a second V-cut to create a big X in the head. The stick opens up a bit but about 25 minutes in the only new flavor is squishy wet newspaper, it’s awful so I set it down for ten minutes. When I return the stick is out so I get my scissors and cut the burnt foot away and blow through the stick, once I relight the horrid flavor returns so I had no choice but to Artie it.
