Lancero February 2015

[Senor Perfecto]

Day 1: Lost City
Day 2: Fausto
Day 3: La Riqueza
Day 4: Cabaiguan Guapos
Day 5: La Casita Criolla
Day 6: Tat Red
Day 7: Tat Brown, 7-20-4
Day 8: Opus X PL, La Palina Black PL
Day 9: Valeroso
Day 10: Viaje Exclusivo, Tat black PL
Day 11: Snare Drum
Day 12: Pepin Blue
Day 13: La Aurora 107
Day 14: MF #4, BOTL 2012
Day 15: Nat Sherman 1930 8x38 "super lancero"
Day 16: Fonseca Cubano Limitado
Day 17: Caldwell LLTK Jalapeño
Day 18: Edgar Hoill



I like me a closed foot. After removing the cello-- LOTS of delicious barnyard aroma! This stick might be up my alley. Simple yet (literally) flashy band. Medium brown seamless wrapper. Must be a light pack because it's not weighty. We shall see how the draw is once it gets going (no real cold draw because closed footie).

First impression: this is one spicy meatball. Black pepper plus heat spice. Cinnamon. This is the closest thing to sucking on a firecracker.

Nearly impossible to retrohale. Yowch.

Burning awesome.

Not enjoying the taste. Harsh. Hard to say it isn't complex because I'm not getting much by way of flavor at all. Except this. I swear, on a small retrohale:

Fish.

Raw, fishy, fish. Just a whiff.

At the 2/3 mark: fish again.

This is not my favorite cigar ever. It's giving the LLTK a run for its money.

Ranked top to bottom thus far:

Lost City
Opus X PL
BOTL 2012
Fonseca Cubano Limitado lancero.
La Riqueza
7-20-4
La Aurora 107
Tat brown
MF #4
La Palina Black PL
Viaje Exclusivo
Tat Black PL
Pepin Blue
La Casita Criolla
Nat Sherman 1930 8x38 "super lancero"
Snare Drum
Valeroso
Cabaiguan Guapos
Tat red
Fausto
Edgar Hoill
Caldwell LLTK Jalapeño

 

[Senor Perfecto]

@king_kill_33 what needs a review from what's left here?

 

[jonnylieberman]

@king_kill_33 what needs a review from what's left here?

View attachment 59040

If that "top" one's a real La Gloria Medaille d'Or #1... DO THAT ONE

 

[Senor Perfecto]

If that "top" one's a real La Gloria Medaille d'Or #1... DO THAT ONE

You know it-- it's an Eric from the lance box pass

 

[jonnylieberman]

You know it-- it's an Eric from the lance box pass

So... that's the box I split with him and @drewvonah.

My advice is SMOKE IT DUDE

 

[Trackmyer]

Lancero February:
Stick #1: L40 by Drew Estates
Stick #2: 2014 TAA by CyB
Stick #3: 2012 Illusione Holy Lance
Stick #4: DPG Original Blue
Stick #5: Room 101 Master Collection One Mutante
Stick #6: Joya de Nicaragua Antano 1970
Stick #7: Viaje Oro
Stick #8: BLTC Morphine
Stick #9: AVO Heritage
Stick #10: Headley Grange Drumstick
Stick #11: 2014 Illusione Holy Lance
Stick #12: L'Atelier Lancero
Stick #13: Warped El Oso Mama

Now this is a damn fine example of New School done right. Very tasty cigar right to the nub. Not overly complex but not bland either. Nice evolution of mildly sweet, woody, light spice, light pepper, changing throughout burn. Good cigar, had less than a month. Wish I bought more.

 

[King Kill 33]

@king_kill_33 what needs a review from what's left here?

View attachment 59040

I'd like to hear your thoughts on the '68 Padilla in the top right corner.

 

[Trackmyer]

@king_kill_33 what needs a review from what's left here?

View attachment 59040

I just reviewed the Oso Mama earlier, so you won't be needing that. Might as well send it to me for proper disposal.
Just a thought.

 

[King Kill 33]

Room101 Master Collection 1


Nice smoke. About the same as when I first cracked a box of these about a year ago. Unlike the MC2, these haven't changed much for the better, but they didn't have to as they were good already. A fine burning lancero with great deep chocolate flavors and the odd floral note mixed in. My humidor will be sad when it runs out of these...
Rated:89

 

[King Kill 33]

Immediately following the MC1, I decided I needed more spice. Was looking for a non-lancero sized stick, but got sucked in when it saw a fiver of these I had forgot I picked up several months ago.

OR Cain F

Spice? Check!
Absolute loads of spice in this stick. Not so much that it hurts your feelings, but definitely enough to make the eyes water. Smoked it down to the nub. Amazing (obvious) hints of pepper and cinnamon dominate the smoke of this gangly beast. Long after the smoke is done, the taste lingers on my palate. It's wonderful.
Rated:90

 

[Senor Perfecto]

Day 1: Lost City
Day 2: Fausto
Day 3: La Riqueza
Day 4: Cabaiguan Guapos
Day 5: La Casita Criolla
Day 6: Tat Red
Day 7: Tat Brown, 7-20-4
Day 8: Opus X PL, La Palina Black PL
Day 9: Valeroso
Day 10: Viaje Exclusivo, Tat black PL
Day 11: Snare Drum
Day 12: Pepin Blue
Day 13: La Aurora 107
Day 14: MF #4, BOTL 2012
Day 15: Nat Sherman 1930 8x38 "super lancero"
Day 16: Fonseca Cubano Limitado
Day 17: Caldwell LLTK Jalapeño
Day 18: Edgar Hoill
Day 19: Illusione Holy Lance Candela

And now for something completely different...



Totally unique aroma off the wrapper. Just pulled a fresh bundle out of a new box and pulled off the cello, and it's all melon, creme, chlorophyll. Smelling the foot it just like a good cigarette by comparison: tobacco, high citrus, a bit of barnyard.



With a candela, it's hard to get the idea that this is a "fresh" cigar out of your head. I this case, it's a new box, so they are only as old as ILLUSIONE and their distributor kept them.

It's like smoking a matcha green tea latte. I can't get the "green" out of my head.

I can't tell how I feel about this stick yet. It's so different. I think I'd like to smoke one with verified years on it so I don't have to try to decide if it's fresh, or if it's just the candela.

Verdict: no likey.

Ranked top to bottom thus far:

Lost City
Opus X PL
BOTL 2012
Fonseca Cubano Limitado lancero.
La Riqueza
7-20-4
La Aurora 107
Tat brown
MF #4
La Palina Black PL
Viaje Exclusivo
Tat Black PL
Pepin Blue
La Casita Criolla
Nat Sherman 1930 8x38 "super lancero"
Snare Drum
Valeroso
Cabaiguan Guapos
Tat red
Fausto
Illusione Holy Lance Candela
Edgar Hoill
Caldwell LLTK Jalapeño

 

[Senor Perfecto]

I'd like to hear your thoughts on the '68 Padilla in the top right corner.

I will get to it then! Never had one. Maybe one Padilla ever.

I just reviewed the Oso Mama earlier, so you won't be needing that. Might as well send it to me for proper disposal.
Just a thought.

I only have 2. I've smoked one. It's a winner!

So... that's the box I split with him and @drewvonah.

My advice is SMOKE IT DUDE

This is a wont miss. Along with the two Fuentes. Really looking forward to this, the Don Carlos and the Casa.

I need some sure winners; my last 3 were garbage

 

[jonnylieberman]

I need some sure winners; my last 3 were garbage

I hate garbage. I had a Tat 10 Lance tonight that was DELICIOUS but massively plugged. Rock hard cigar. I was at a non-cigar buddy's house and he didn't really have anything on hand that worked as a poker. Major bummer. I still smoked the entire thing because it tasted so good, but there was barely any smoke. A real shame/tragedy.

 

[Sirspanksalot]

I hate garbage. I had a Tat 10 Lance tonight that was DELICIOUS but massively plugged. Rock hard cigar. I was at a non-cigar buddy's house and he didn't really have anything on hand that worked as a poker. Major bummer. I still smoked the entire thing because it tasted so good, but there was barely any smoke. A real shame/tragedy.

Sucks it happened to a good stick. I never even bother to deal with plugged smokes cause I find it really frustrating

 

[3/5King]

Man... I guess mine needs age -- or something -- but I did dig this stick. Mostly one note through the entire thing, and then just kinda... meh. Smoked it side by side with @drewvonah who was smoking a Holi Lance and the Illusione was so much better. Big let down for me, as the Matilde robusto I had a few months ago was wonderful.

I'd like to point something out here Jon. When doing a review, the flavors and experience described, might only become noticed while smoking the cigar for review and not when just smoking the cigar in passing or while doing anything really, other than reviewing the cigar. A lot of the nuances come out when you are focusing 100% on smoking and describing what you are experiencing. Sometimes you might miss that's subtle change, it might just jump right out at you if you're smoking it and focusing on describing what it is your experiencing and it might go unnoticed if your only paying half attention while doing other things. Second and thirdly, I smoked another the next morning (not reviewing it but chatting in the chatroom) and had the same experience as you, to a point and I think they do need rest. I just wanted to share this in that you might understand a little more about why my review might differ from your actual experience.Thanks for saying something Jon, I'm going to tweak my review style a bit to add what I think the core flavors are that you will taste regardless of how you're choosing to experience the cigar. Maybe this will help? I hope so.

 

[jonnylieberman]

I'd like to point something out here Jon. When doing a review, the flavors and experience described, might only become noticed while smoking the cigar for review and not when just smoking the cigar in passing or while doing anything really, other than reviewing the cigar. A lot of the nuances come out when you are focusing 100% on smoking and describing what you are experiencing. Sometimes you might miss that's subtle change, it might just jump right out at you if you're smoking it and focusing on describing what it is your experiencing and it might go unnoticed if your only paying half attention while doing other things. Second and thirdly, I smoked another the next morning (not reviewing it but chatting in the chatroom) and had the same experience as you, to a point and I think they do need rest. I just wanted to share this in that you might understand a little more about why my review might differ from your actual experience.Thanks for saying something Jon, I'm going to tweak my review style a bit to add what I think the core flavors are that you will taste regardless of how you're choosing to experience the cigar. Maybe this will help? I hope so.

Please do! And please!!! It's Jonny, not Jon.

 

[BenvolioMustDie]

Fourth stick of Lancero February for me is the Liga Privada L40.

Beautiful, seamless dark chocolate wrapper - Check
Razor sharp burn to the nub - Check
Flawless draw throughout - Check
Rich, full, earthy flavours - Check

What's not to love? The price maybe. Still, this was a hugely enjoyable smoke that was smooth on the retrohale with very slight but definite flavour changes all the way through. Loved it.

 

[Mossome]

Crux Cigar's Ninfamaniac Dark
Are we counting these for Lancero February? Technically it's a ninfa vitola 7x33, closed foot and cap. We count PL's, but I'll defer to others for the official ruling.
I've had a head cold for the last two weeks and was dying to get back into any cigar. I knew I was going to be off work early and by a B&M, so I had planned on picking something up for the drive home.
My palate is still really muted, so I was hoping to pick something really bold. I didn't know what to expect from this. The salesman really liked these, so I decided to trust his judgement. I probably wouldn't have picked this up on my own, because the band is a real turn off. The construction, on the other hand, is real top notch. I could hardly pick out any seams, and the tapered ends are razor sharp. It is packed very solid and the draw was almost too tight for my taste.
The first few puffs tasted of dark chocolate and raisins from an oatmeal cookie. Then the spices came to the forefront and reminded me of blackened chicken alfredo. Through the rest of the first half, the spices with every puff built on top of the previous one without subsiding in between, until it felt like I was smoking tobasco. The flavors evened out on the back half. Unfortunately, my half recovered palate isn't able to pick up on any subtle flavors that may have followed, and I got some harshness from a couple of bad re-lights on my part while driving. Not the optimal conditions to review a stick, but I was just happy to finally get back into the game. I still enjoyed it and would probably try another once I'm back to 100%

 

[ChefBoyRG54]

Please do! And please!!! It's Jonny, not Jon.

What are you, 10?

 

[Avvatar]

Please do! And please!!! It's Jonny, not Jon.

Whatever you say, Nny.