REVIEW: JR “Pepperbox” (by Plasencia). 4.25 x 4 cigars, bundled together like a pepperbox pistol. On sale last week, so I only paid $43 delivered for a box of 10 (they’re currently $65).
Form factor: (6/10) A very cool “four-barrel” concept, but not well-executed. It’s an awkward thing to smoke, owing to the square shape and roughly 60-size ring. I couldn’t even fit my Xikar around the head to cut it, and was too lazy to go digging for a punch. So I improvised with Old Reliable
(she’s a Benchmade):
Draw: (5/10) Very loose. There’s an enormous channel running down the entire center where the four cigars meet, which creates a wind tunnel. It’s like sucking on an empty paper towel tube.
Smoke production: (6/10) Unimpressive volume on the first 2/3; improved somewhat on the final third.
Flavor: (4/10) Quite unremarkable. Lots of pepper and grass on the first third, but not much else. I was hoping for a wide variety of flavors and transitions but was left wanting more. The middle third wasn’t bad, with a few pops of sweet malt mixing w/some pepper. I gave up shortly after the start of the final third, due to my palate falling asleep. Just plain “meh.”
Body: medium-full.
Burn and construction: (7/10) It burned fairly even and the outer wrapper held together nicely. Only one re-light. Mercifully, it burned fairly fast at ~1 hour total from start until I decided to call it.
Verdict: (5/10) Not nub-worthy, let alone box-worthy. Oh well.
Form factor: (6/10) A very cool “four-barrel” concept, but not well-executed. It’s an awkward thing to smoke, owing to the square shape and roughly 60-size ring. I couldn’t even fit my Xikar around the head to cut it, and was too lazy to go digging for a punch. So I improvised with Old Reliable
(she’s a Benchmade):
Draw: (5/10) Very loose. There’s an enormous channel running down the entire center where the four cigars meet, which creates a wind tunnel. It’s like sucking on an empty paper towel tube.
Smoke production: (6/10) Unimpressive volume on the first 2/3; improved somewhat on the final third.
Flavor: (4/10) Quite unremarkable. Lots of pepper and grass on the first third, but not much else. I was hoping for a wide variety of flavors and transitions but was left wanting more. The middle third wasn’t bad, with a few pops of sweet malt mixing w/some pepper. I gave up shortly after the start of the final third, due to my palate falling asleep. Just plain “meh.”
Body: medium-full.
Burn and construction: (7/10) It burned fairly even and the outer wrapper held together nicely. Only one re-light. Mercifully, it burned fairly fast at ~1 hour total from start until I decided to call it.
Verdict: (5/10) Not nub-worthy, let alone box-worthy. Oh well.
