ApexAZ Cigar #6
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5/5/2012
Tonight it's cigar #6 from Dan's blind taste test. I'll be pairing it with a double of Shieldaig 18 and a Perrier water. My pallet has been acting funky lately, but so far it seems limited to the Nicaraguan cigars I smoke regularly. The CC's have not been a problem so far and my allergies are not giving me trouble today, so we'll see how it goes!
Pre-light
This cigar is about 5 1/4" long and has a ring guage around 38 - 40. It has a smooth natural wrapper with small veins. Unlike the other CC's before it, this one seems to only have a double cap. The construction is good, but the cigar feels slightly hard. The smell is very similar to the last one. Just a manure and tobacco smell.
The pre-light draw is a little bit tight, which makes sense given how hard the cigar feels, but seems to be good enough for smoking. Flavors before toasting remind me of tobacco and loose tea.
1st Third
On the first 2 draws the draw is good and the smoke is smooth. Things were somewhat flavorless to start, but I'm starting to get some muted sweet cream. The burn is perfect and the ash dropped on it's own after about 2/3 of an inch. Strength and body are both mild.
2nd Third
After about 35 minutes I'm into the 2nd third of the cigar. Overall, it hasn't had a lot of flavor. It is smooth and sweet, but the flavor is somewhat muted. Muted flavors of sweet cream, coffee and leather come and go. The burn and draw both continue to be excellent. The strength and body are both more mild-medium now.
Final Third
65 minutes in and I'm progressing into the final third. The flavors are less sweet now and more like caramel. I still get a slight amount of leather, but not as much coffee. There's some other flavors I am unable to classify. The cigar is much tastier in the last third and I'd say the strength and body are more medium-full now. The burn continues to be perfect. With about an inch left, it's too hot and bitter so I called it quits.
Conclusion
I enjoyed this cigar more on the 2nd half. The first half was somewhat bland to me. I give it a 7/10. I think a recurring theme is starting to emerge here: I'm very used to the full flavored nicaraguans. These milder smokes take a while to develop for me. The one thing that I absolutely love about some of them is how sweet they are. Once they come into their own, they really are delicious. Some are just a bit on the mild side. Once again, Dan, thank you for the opportunity to experience it!
Score: 7/10
Total smoke time: 105 minutes