CRIMPS Cigar #8
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Cigar #8 looks to be about a 5” stick with a 42 or 45 ring gauge.
Pre-light. The wrapper has some noticeable, raised veins. The foot starts dark brown and as you move towards the cap, lightens up to a nice peanut butter tan. I also notice just a little oily sheen... just a little. The smell is a stronger nutty smell. Cutting the cap, the wrapper seems very thin, taking very little force to cut. I take a draw and taste nothing more than some straw.
First third. As I toast the foot, I waft a little smoke and can smell a creamy, toast smell. I like it. The first puff is incredibly smooth... cuban cigar smooth. I taste some hazelnut coffee. I love it. I take a few more pulls to fully light the foot. I suddenly hear the wrapper crack. Sure enough, about an inch of the wrapper shows a crack. As I pull on the cigar, the crack continues to grow. I can still pull on it without completely loosing the suction, so I ignore this. This isn't going to stop my experience tonight.
Second third. The wrapper looks like it was wrapped around a bottle rocket that exploded. As the cigar warms up, it starts to expand it would seem. You would think I was smoking an ice cream cone. Cookies and creme, maybe.
The flavor profile is gaining some complexity, tasting a slightly burnt toast and coffee. I taste it on the back of the tongue. Still smooth and creamy. I am really enjoying this.
Last third. I go to the nose and this really confirms the burnt hazelnut smell. Just a little zing, but worth it. The cigar continues to burn straight. The flavors continue, but the burnt hazelnut has picked up. In fact, the burnt flavor has overpowered any coffee or nut taste at this point, which I don't mind. Very little spice. If anything, pulling on the cigar 3 or 4 times leaves the tongue almost numb for a minute.
Final Thoughts. A full flavored, medium bodied stick. The flavors changed from a very creamy hazelnut to a burnt straw. The wrapper blowing up was interesting. Honestly, though, this didn't really affect the smoking experience, which I was worried about. I fell in love at the beginning, but the love affair faded at the end (she had kids).
I give this cigar a 7. I would definitely smoke these again.