Hot_Sauce
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒ&
For the 3rd cigar in the BOTL 2nd tier blind reviews we have a La Flor DeCano Selectos RMS JUN 2012
The review Panel consists of:
1) Hot_Sauce
2) Srduggins
3) Pbibby
4) calgon
5) Zen Smoker 222
Reviewer No.1
Location: At the local cigar lounge
Drink Ninkasi Tricerahops
Obsrervations: A corona sized cigar with a meduim tan shadded wrapper that looks slighly rough. Don't feel any tight spots or spongy.
Cut: Cut this cigar with my Cuban Crafters cutter. Pulled a couple of pieces of tobacco off that were sticking out.
Pre draw: Slighlty tight
1/3rd Fired this cigar up with my zippo lighter and it is slightly tight. I get a unique spice flavor that I have never tasted in a cigar before. Kind of like a chrismas cookie I've had is the best way I can decribe it. Also taste some sweet grassyness. The strenght of this cigar is a little fuller than I expected. I waould say it's on the fuller side of meduim. Burn is slightly uneven, but nothing terrible.
2/3rd : Still getting that nice spicy flavor with some leather mixed in the grassyness has faded some. Needed to do a touch up at the mid point. The draw is still a little tight and I detect it to be right around the band area. Shove a toothpick up there to loosen the cigar up and it did start to draw a little better. Needed a touch up to even the burn just past the halfway point. Cigar has a dark gray marble ash that holds about an inch before it wants to fall off.
3/3rd: I've been massaging this cigar and it is starting to loosen up some. Get a spicy leathery flavor on the fuller side. I'm now blowing thick smoke out of this cigar. I taste leather, tobacco and a light spicyness on the finish. Smoked this cigar down to about 3/4 of an inch before putting it down.
Final thoughts: I wish I could have gotten this cigar to draw a little better in the begining. The flavor from the start was really enjoyable. Overall it was a pleasant cigar that I could see myself enjoying for a nice change of pace from my regular rotation. I'd score it an 88 out of 100.
Reviewer No.2
Cigar #3
A box pressed long corona 40 x 146
Wrapper Color: medium light Colorado.
Pre-light draw: Tough draw, but if it opens up a little it should be fine. Leather and a light spice like nutmeg.
Construction: A tight draw that needed several gentle pokes and massaging to open up.
First third: Not much smoke due to the tight draw but wonderful flavors of rich earth, leather, graham cracker and a range of pumpkin pie spices with a little burn that comes across as cinnamon. Hard to smoke slowly with the great flavor and tight draw. Just short of medium body.
Second third: Not much change to the flavor, but who cares. Im having to work on the draw which heats up the smoke and diminishes the flavors somewhat. By the half way point, Ive finally got the draw working well and a tea flavor emerges with the other flavors slightly less distinctive. The leather and earth flavors have diminished but a nice hay flavor emerges to complement the graham cracker and more pronounced spice. The earthy flavor returns at the end of this third.
Last third: Sweet earth and spice flavors dominate but it is a good change as the body has also increased with a good draw and plenty of smoke. Towards the end, the flavors have merged together presenting a nice sweet earthiness with a hint of spice. I nubbed this one under ½.
Summary: Great complexity, depth of flavor and plenty of changes to keep it interesting. This flavor profile is right up my alley so I can be somewhat forgiving of the tight draw. Just above medium body. I am reminded of smoking some 10 year old Partagas 898s when I smoked this, so I think this is a ringer with a little bit of age on it from the troubled years. I cant find any Partagas in this size range, so Im going to guess a 2000 H. Upmann Gran Coronas. With a better draw this could have scored several points higher. If this is a second tier smoke, I need to get some of these (and even if it isnt).
93 Points.
Reviewer No.3
Cigar #3 is a nice looking cigar. Rough wrapper to the touch, but looks like pretty decent construction.
The wrapper smells of milk chocolate and hay with a very slight whiff of barnyard. Looking forward to this.
Prelight is TIGHT. This is very very tight. I'm praying that this gets better as we go. I do get some creamy hay and some twang but mostly just a tired jaw.
1st: earth and cream come out first. Followed by floral notes and some graham cracker. Unfortunately this thing is not responding to massaging or a clip. I'll try a poker and see what happens.
2nd: TENT PEG. Damn. This is what I was afraid of. This cigar had a lot of potential but it is finding the ash tray early. Plugged.
Reviewer No.4
Prelight: Rustic light brown wrapper. Aroma is cedar and hay.
First third: Creamy sweet smoke followed by notes of citrus, salt, and a light spice. Very pleasant.
Second third: the spice picks up and the aforementioned flavors meld into a nice vanilla sweetness.
Final third: the spice in in full force with a bit of harshness. With slight hints of vanilla.
Final thoughts: I enjoyed this cigar as it is one of my favorite cheap cubans. the light flavors combined with a medium bodied smoke make this perfect for the hot afternoons here in Florida. I am interested in seeing how these develop That is if I can keep from smoking them.
Reviewer No.5
Unavailable for now
Will edit in when I get it
The review Panel consists of:
1) Hot_Sauce
2) Srduggins
3) Pbibby
4) calgon
5) Zen Smoker 222
Reviewer No.1
Location: At the local cigar lounge
Drink Ninkasi Tricerahops
Obsrervations: A corona sized cigar with a meduim tan shadded wrapper that looks slighly rough. Don't feel any tight spots or spongy.
Cut: Cut this cigar with my Cuban Crafters cutter. Pulled a couple of pieces of tobacco off that were sticking out.
Pre draw: Slighlty tight
1/3rd Fired this cigar up with my zippo lighter and it is slightly tight. I get a unique spice flavor that I have never tasted in a cigar before. Kind of like a chrismas cookie I've had is the best way I can decribe it. Also taste some sweet grassyness. The strenght of this cigar is a little fuller than I expected. I waould say it's on the fuller side of meduim. Burn is slightly uneven, but nothing terrible.
2/3rd : Still getting that nice spicy flavor with some leather mixed in the grassyness has faded some. Needed to do a touch up at the mid point. The draw is still a little tight and I detect it to be right around the band area. Shove a toothpick up there to loosen the cigar up and it did start to draw a little better. Needed a touch up to even the burn just past the halfway point. Cigar has a dark gray marble ash that holds about an inch before it wants to fall off.
3/3rd: I've been massaging this cigar and it is starting to loosen up some. Get a spicy leathery flavor on the fuller side. I'm now blowing thick smoke out of this cigar. I taste leather, tobacco and a light spicyness on the finish. Smoked this cigar down to about 3/4 of an inch before putting it down.
Final thoughts: I wish I could have gotten this cigar to draw a little better in the begining. The flavor from the start was really enjoyable. Overall it was a pleasant cigar that I could see myself enjoying for a nice change of pace from my regular rotation. I'd score it an 88 out of 100.
Reviewer No.2
Cigar #3
A box pressed long corona 40 x 146
Wrapper Color: medium light Colorado.
Pre-light draw: Tough draw, but if it opens up a little it should be fine. Leather and a light spice like nutmeg.
Construction: A tight draw that needed several gentle pokes and massaging to open up.
First third: Not much smoke due to the tight draw but wonderful flavors of rich earth, leather, graham cracker and a range of pumpkin pie spices with a little burn that comes across as cinnamon. Hard to smoke slowly with the great flavor and tight draw. Just short of medium body.
Second third: Not much change to the flavor, but who cares. Im having to work on the draw which heats up the smoke and diminishes the flavors somewhat. By the half way point, Ive finally got the draw working well and a tea flavor emerges with the other flavors slightly less distinctive. The leather and earth flavors have diminished but a nice hay flavor emerges to complement the graham cracker and more pronounced spice. The earthy flavor returns at the end of this third.
Last third: Sweet earth and spice flavors dominate but it is a good change as the body has also increased with a good draw and plenty of smoke. Towards the end, the flavors have merged together presenting a nice sweet earthiness with a hint of spice. I nubbed this one under ½.
Summary: Great complexity, depth of flavor and plenty of changes to keep it interesting. This flavor profile is right up my alley so I can be somewhat forgiving of the tight draw. Just above medium body. I am reminded of smoking some 10 year old Partagas 898s when I smoked this, so I think this is a ringer with a little bit of age on it from the troubled years. I cant find any Partagas in this size range, so Im going to guess a 2000 H. Upmann Gran Coronas. With a better draw this could have scored several points higher. If this is a second tier smoke, I need to get some of these (and even if it isnt).
93 Points.
Reviewer No.3
Cigar #3 is a nice looking cigar. Rough wrapper to the touch, but looks like pretty decent construction.
The wrapper smells of milk chocolate and hay with a very slight whiff of barnyard. Looking forward to this.
Prelight is TIGHT. This is very very tight. I'm praying that this gets better as we go. I do get some creamy hay and some twang but mostly just a tired jaw.
1st: earth and cream come out first. Followed by floral notes and some graham cracker. Unfortunately this thing is not responding to massaging or a clip. I'll try a poker and see what happens.
2nd: TENT PEG. Damn. This is what I was afraid of. This cigar had a lot of potential but it is finding the ash tray early. Plugged.
Reviewer No.4
Prelight: Rustic light brown wrapper. Aroma is cedar and hay.
First third: Creamy sweet smoke followed by notes of citrus, salt, and a light spice. Very pleasant.
Second third: the spice picks up and the aforementioned flavors meld into a nice vanilla sweetness.
Final third: the spice in in full force with a bit of harshness. With slight hints of vanilla.
Final thoughts: I enjoyed this cigar as it is one of my favorite cheap cubans. the light flavors combined with a medium bodied smoke make this perfect for the hot afternoons here in Florida. I am interested in seeing how these develop That is if I can keep from smoking them.
Reviewer No.5
Unavailable for now
Will edit in when I get it
