Blind Review - stick #1
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Slightly spongy but still mostly firm cigar, wrapper has a little bit of mineral sparkle and appears to be stretched tightly around the cigar. Pre-light, the foot has an earthy aroma. Double guillotine cut, it has an easy cold draw with a little bit of sweetness. Looking at the foot, a dark leaf in the center suggests that it might have some strength to it.
1st third - The smoke has a woodsy taste to it, oak? Super smooth retrohale. It's a bit cool, maybe piney and a bit salty? Definitely wood, with just a hint of pepper/spice...
Cigar Inspector's Flavor Wheel has a "Not-Really-Flavor Flavors" section, and I think that "cold" belongs on the wheel. It's been a while since I had that cold sensation from a cigar, although it could be that the temps in my garage just make everything seem cold. Although, I'm also getting "dry" - not the stick itself, but as a Not-Really-Flavor Flavor.
Pepper flavor picks up a bit, most noticeable on the retrohale.
2nd third - I think that the faint salty notes I picked up earlier are more of a salted nuts, somewhere between peanuts and cashews. Detecting a hint of black tea, I make a cup of Earl Grey. This really brings out the tea flavors, for obvious reasons, but it's still predominantly a woodsy/oaky smoke.
At the halfway point, it picks up some kick, and it's getting spicier too.
@Bondo 440 comments above, which makes me start to wonder what it is.
3rd third - It's trying to go out, but relights easily. The spice and strength really continue to surge, as the woodsy notes begin to take a back seat. The amped up spice and strength has me thinking that it's a Garcia stick, so I browse the interwebs, looking for clues...
Despite a few relights, no tar buildup, and taste goes right back to where it left off every time. The burn stayed even the whole time and the draw stayed consistent throughout, and at about an inch to go, I'm calling it nubbed.
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Smoking time - just over 2 hours. (I smoke slow, and the increasing strength kept it that way.)
Overall - if I've ever smoked this before, it's been quite a while. I enjoyed the first half more than the 2nd, but still not a bad smoke at any point. I followed that cup of tea with a beer, but one beer wasn't enough liquid courage to power through the amped up strength of the 2nd half - it had to be smoked slowly.
My guess - I wouldn't have thought this from the first third, but it has too many Garcia-like qualities to guess anything else. My first thought was DPG Blue, but the initial woodsy qualities remind me of the original NC H Upmann, so I'm thinking it was a Sumatra wrapper, which combined with the size and appearance, leaves me guessing - La Reloba Sumatra?
I tried to mix it up a little until you get to the last two?
