Review Contest 3 Cigar #2!!!!
- Thread starter Benzopyrene
- Start date
Tonights mystery cigar is accompanied by a nice glass HC7.
Pre-Light: This is a very densely packed stick. Very firm to the touch.
A quick sniff reveals tobacco and nothing else much. The pre-light draw
Gives off a taste of spice. Its a very dark stick with a slight sheen of oil.
It was a very veiny stick, with one very pronounced vein that you could actually rest your fingers on. Ugly Ugly!
The dominant taste throughout the first 3rd is spice, spice and more spice!
Continuing on, the spice moves from the very front of the mouth, to the back, and pretty much stayed there throughout the smoke.
Into the 2nd and 3rd part of the stick, the spice stayed in the background, but still strong on the forefront. I started getting a VERY STRONG tobacco flavor and that was to remain throughout the remainder of the stick
This stick did not remind me of a CC, and I would be surprised if it ended up being one.
After smoking it for about 35 minutes, a re-light was required, followed up by a few touch ups. The ash was very firm as well. Burn was quite inconsistent.
This stick did not change much in the way of flavor, decently strong, and a dominant flavor of earthy tobacco and not much else.
Appearance..... 6
Ash................ 7
Draw.............. 9
Burn...............5
Smoke............ 4
Flavor/Blend.... 2
Uniqueness...... 2
Finish............. 5
Total Score: 40
Verdict: Not impressed here. Not much flavor change. Wont recommend this one.
Pre-Light: This is a very densely packed stick. Very firm to the touch.
A quick sniff reveals tobacco and nothing else much. The pre-light draw
Gives off a taste of spice. Its a very dark stick with a slight sheen of oil.
It was a very veiny stick, with one very pronounced vein that you could actually rest your fingers on. Ugly Ugly!
The dominant taste throughout the first 3rd is spice, spice and more spice!
Continuing on, the spice moves from the very front of the mouth, to the back, and pretty much stayed there throughout the smoke.
Into the 2nd and 3rd part of the stick, the spice stayed in the background, but still strong on the forefront. I started getting a VERY STRONG tobacco flavor and that was to remain throughout the remainder of the stick
This stick did not remind me of a CC, and I would be surprised if it ended up being one.
After smoking it for about 35 minutes, a re-light was required, followed up by a few touch ups. The ash was very firm as well. Burn was quite inconsistent.
This stick did not change much in the way of flavor, decently strong, and a dominant flavor of earthy tobacco and not much else.
Appearance..... 6
Ash................ 7
Draw.............. 9
Burn...............5
Smoke............ 4
Flavor/Blend.... 2
Uniqueness...... 2
Finish............. 5
Total Score: 40
Verdict: Not impressed here. Not much flavor change. Wont recommend this one.
Benzopyrene
BoM June 08
Nice guys! So Im post call and didnt sleep last night nor much today as I had an engagement, so my review will be up tomorrow evening which gives you all one more night to get this in. Sorry to disappoint!
I enjoyed this cigar with some good ol' H2O. I fired it up around 8:50pm and laid her to rest at around 10:15pm.
1. Appearance-This cigar had rugged appearance to it. It had plenty of veins and was quite dark in color...especially compared to our first blind cigar...but there were no patches or sun spots to be found. The pre-light aroma was filled cedar....there was slight floral note, but the cedar took center stage. The texture or firmness of this cigar was perfect in my mind - the tobacco gave a little, but sprung right back. Not too firm, nowhere near soft. Constuction here seemed real good. -14
2. Ash- The ash on this stick was dark gray in color. It flowered a little, but not to the point of flaking off, and it held for about an inch with no visible threat of falling off. - 8
3. Draw- The pre-light draw was definitely on the tight side and I noted the cedar from the pre-light aroma and some sweet tobacco. It was a little tight, but it opened up a little pretty quickly.- 9
4. Burn- I was a little worried about the burn at the start of this cigar because of the pre-light draw. The first third wavered a little, but it always managed to correct itself. By the end of the first third, the cigar had righted itself to an almost perfect burn. It would still occasionally stuggle around the largest vein, but it always righted itself quickly. In the end, only one QUICK touch-up required. Nice. - 9
5. Smoke- The tight-ish draw limited the smoke production for me. It wasn't greatly impeded, but noticable. Just a little too tight for a perfect score. The aroma of this cigar was very nice. Potent and potentially unappealing to those who do not like cigars with a little more umph to them. But I enjoyed it. - 9
6. Flavor/Blend- Right off the bat I noted LOTS of coffee...perhaps more than I've noted in any other cigar. It also had some pepper, but nothing too strong. For the most part it started smooooooth with some creamy coffee flavors. What a great start. As I progressed further into the first third, the pepper picked up and the coffee was rounded out a little with some cocoa. The retrohale was coffee and spice, but I also picked up earth on the palate on the finish. As the first third concluded, and the second third began, the earth and became more predominant with the coffee and pepper dancing behind it. About half way through, I had a few puffs of buttered toast (I love me some toast! Shut up..with real butter, and good bread, it's a simple pleasure.). The final third amped up the pepper bourght the coffee back. I thought it finished with a good crescendo of flavor. - 18
7. Uniqueness- Like many (it seems), I stuggle with this category. If this something in my humidor, I'm not reaching for it often enough. So it seems unique to me in that regard. Also, it doesn't have a generic or bland tobacco taste to it, so when compared to other cigars, I can see this be unique flavor profile also. I don't know, I don't like the idea of giving this cigar anything less than an eight. So I won't! - 8
8. Finish- The finish on this cigar was A LITTLE bitter, not bad though. Part of the bitterness I thought I was getting might be attributed to a slightly dry finish also. All told, the core flavors resonated well after the cigar was finished. - 12
Total - 87
The slight tight draw, and need to pull just a little harder might have contributed to the minor bitterness and dryness on my palate. If that wouldn't have been the case, this one would have scored even better. I liked this one! Thanks Luke.
1. Appearance-This cigar had rugged appearance to it. It had plenty of veins and was quite dark in color...especially compared to our first blind cigar...but there were no patches or sun spots to be found. The pre-light aroma was filled cedar....there was slight floral note, but the cedar took center stage. The texture or firmness of this cigar was perfect in my mind - the tobacco gave a little, but sprung right back. Not too firm, nowhere near soft. Constuction here seemed real good. -14
2. Ash- The ash on this stick was dark gray in color. It flowered a little, but not to the point of flaking off, and it held for about an inch with no visible threat of falling off. - 8
3. Draw- The pre-light draw was definitely on the tight side and I noted the cedar from the pre-light aroma and some sweet tobacco. It was a little tight, but it opened up a little pretty quickly.- 9
4. Burn- I was a little worried about the burn at the start of this cigar because of the pre-light draw. The first third wavered a little, but it always managed to correct itself. By the end of the first third, the cigar had righted itself to an almost perfect burn. It would still occasionally stuggle around the largest vein, but it always righted itself quickly. In the end, only one QUICK touch-up required. Nice. - 9
5. Smoke- The tight-ish draw limited the smoke production for me. It wasn't greatly impeded, but noticable. Just a little too tight for a perfect score. The aroma of this cigar was very nice. Potent and potentially unappealing to those who do not like cigars with a little more umph to them. But I enjoyed it. - 9
6. Flavor/Blend- Right off the bat I noted LOTS of coffee...perhaps more than I've noted in any other cigar. It also had some pepper, but nothing too strong. For the most part it started smooooooth with some creamy coffee flavors. What a great start. As I progressed further into the first third, the pepper picked up and the coffee was rounded out a little with some cocoa. The retrohale was coffee and spice, but I also picked up earth on the palate on the finish. As the first third concluded, and the second third began, the earth and became more predominant with the coffee and pepper dancing behind it. About half way through, I had a few puffs of buttered toast (I love me some toast! Shut up..with real butter, and good bread, it's a simple pleasure.). The final third amped up the pepper bourght the coffee back. I thought it finished with a good crescendo of flavor. - 18
7. Uniqueness- Like many (it seems), I stuggle with this category. If this something in my humidor, I'm not reaching for it often enough. So it seems unique to me in that regard. Also, it doesn't have a generic or bland tobacco taste to it, so when compared to other cigars, I can see this be unique flavor profile also. I don't know, I don't like the idea of giving this cigar anything less than an eight. So I won't! - 8
8. Finish- The finish on this cigar was A LITTLE bitter, not bad though. Part of the bitterness I thought I was getting might be attributed to a slightly dry finish also. All told, the core flavors resonated well after the cigar was finished. - 12
Total - 87
The slight tight draw, and need to pull just a little harder might have contributed to the minor bitterness and dryness on my palate. If that wouldn't have been the case, this one would have scored even better. I liked this one! Thanks Luke.
Soundwave13
BoM Feb 2010
Great reviews guys & sorry for the 'bum' stick Blooz..
I'm shocked that everyone doesn't immediately know what manufacturer this stick comes from - It took me about 1.5 inches to figure it out, but the profile of this cigar only shows up in one manufacturer - noone else out there makes cigars that taste like these.
Maybe it's just me...
I'm shocked that everyone doesn't immediately know what manufacturer this stick comes from - It took me about 1.5 inches to figure it out, but the profile of this cigar only shows up in one manufacturer - noone else out there makes cigars that taste like these.
Maybe it's just me...
Meh... maybe it was my bum palette last night. I'm still having fun. I swear it seems like I've had this stick before, I've had this exact flavor / blend, I guess just not in this size stick / wrapper.
It's not only yerself, AJ. But Luke asked us not to try and guess.
Soundwave13
BoM Feb 2010
Moro- (I know) I didn't mean to sound that way - and I wouldn't guess, though he asked me my guess in a pm - I'm excited to see how close I was!
I guess I'm just really enjoying this!
:computer:
Benzopyrene
BoM June 08
Okay guys, once again after two weeks and a day of anticipation I'd like to present the second cigar in our review contest..... The La Flor Dominicana Axe Holt's 110th Anniversary cigar! :smokingbo It looks as if a lot of you guys really enjoyed this stick, ad boy am I glad after that first one, which I was sure would be a crowd pleaser, but ended up being a complete dud.
I really had no expectations for this cigar. I have enjoyed the La Flor brand over the years, but lately, they just havent been doing it for me. Pre-light the aroma was refreshingly sweet, and much different than the usual smell I get from my cigars. The wrapper was veiny and oily, although, not as oily as some in the box. The cap was a little off center, and was the only noticeable imperfection on the outside, and the maroon band stood out against the dark wrapper like the red leaves of the fall trees.
The first third of the cigar was very woody and had an almond-like creaminess on the palate. The smoke was thick throughout, and the cigar I was made enjoyable by a good conversation with one of my friends in town from San Antonio who manages a Club Humidor there, and Eric one of the managers at Jack Schwartz. The second third of the cigar was much like the first solidifying it as medium bodied. Throughout the second third were spots of white pepper scattered throughout the same profile as the first third.
The draw was perfect, and made the experience all the more enjoyable. The burn remained relatively even throughout the smoke and only had to be touched up a few times especially during the final third as it began to favor one side. The ash was a light gray that was moderately sturdy and had stacks that were melted together almost as if wax had been run between each penny in a roll.
I found the final third to be much like the first, and although I wasnt tremendously excited about this cigar I found the cigar as a whole to be quite pleasing from beginning to end. It was consistent and smooth, and exactly what I had been in the mood for that evening. I have a few more of these, and I think I will enjoy them all. Dont know that I will be going out to scoop up boxes of these cigars, but I have to say Litto did a good job with this one.
App- 12/15
Ash- 9/10
Draw- 10/10
Burn- 8/10
Flav/Blend- 16/20
Uniq- 7/10
Smoke- 10/10
Fin- 14/15
Tot- 86/100
I really had no expectations for this cigar. I have enjoyed the La Flor brand over the years, but lately, they just havent been doing it for me. Pre-light the aroma was refreshingly sweet, and much different than the usual smell I get from my cigars. The wrapper was veiny and oily, although, not as oily as some in the box. The cap was a little off center, and was the only noticeable imperfection on the outside, and the maroon band stood out against the dark wrapper like the red leaves of the fall trees.
The first third of the cigar was very woody and had an almond-like creaminess on the palate. The smoke was thick throughout, and the cigar I was made enjoyable by a good conversation with one of my friends in town from San Antonio who manages a Club Humidor there, and Eric one of the managers at Jack Schwartz. The second third of the cigar was much like the first solidifying it as medium bodied. Throughout the second third were spots of white pepper scattered throughout the same profile as the first third.
The draw was perfect, and made the experience all the more enjoyable. The burn remained relatively even throughout the smoke and only had to be touched up a few times especially during the final third as it began to favor one side. The ash was a light gray that was moderately sturdy and had stacks that were melted together almost as if wax had been run between each penny in a roll.
I found the final third to be much like the first, and although I wasnt tremendously excited about this cigar I found the cigar as a whole to be quite pleasing from beginning to end. It was consistent and smooth, and exactly what I had been in the mood for that evening. I have a few more of these, and I think I will enjoy them all. Dont know that I will be going out to scoop up boxes of these cigars, but I have to say Litto did a good job with this one.
App- 12/15
Ash- 9/10
Draw- 10/10
Burn- 8/10
Flav/Blend- 16/20
Uniq- 7/10
Smoke- 10/10
Fin- 14/15
Tot- 86/100
Benzopyrene
BoM June 08
Great guess by the way Soundwave you were right on! Guys you are more than welcoem to PM me your guesses just dont do it on the post, and I wont be respoinding until the post goes up, but I like to hear them none the less.
Nice choice Luke. As I noted in my review, it seemed familiar, but not something I have often enough...which I swear is what I thought after nearly every LFD I've had. I'll be gettin' at least a fiver of these based on my experience with the one and most people's positive reviews are encouraging for it's consistency.
No worries, mate. It does read "rougher" than I intended, so pardon me as well for any misunderstanding. Speaking of: Woohoo! I had the LFD part! Never would've guessed which, though. Thanks Luke! It might not appear to be so because of the rating I had, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Benzopyrene
BoM June 08
bump for the poll