ApexAZ Cigar #9
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6/25/2012
Well it's been a pretty crazy few weeks and I haven't had a lot of time to do any blind taste test reviews. Today I'm going to tackle #9 to the best of my ability in greater than 100 degree heat. I also noticed that I really can't smell the cigar. Although my allergies seem fine today, I decided to take a zyrtec followed by a dose of flonase several hours prior to this review.
Pre-light
This cigar is about 5 1/4" long and has a ring guage around 38-40. The natural wrapper has a smooth feel to it with small veins throughout. The appearance is a little rough around the edges, particularly around the triple cap. The cigar feels heavy and very dense.
The pre-light draw seems tight, which I half expected given the solid feel of it, so I decided to leave it out for several hours before attempting to smoke it. I don't really taste anything noteworthy on the draw.
1st Third
Initial flavors from the first couple puffs are musty cardboard. The smoke is smooth, but not very flavorful. Within the first 10 minutes, the cigar went out and required a relight. The flavor is starting to develop into a semi-sweet wood/cedar flavor. It's freaking hot outside and I'm guzzling my perrier. I will have to switch to water soon. The flavors continue to sweeten and the burn/draw are both excellent.
2nd Third
20 minutes in and I'm into the 2nd third of the smoke. Flavors are developing nicely into a richer, sweeter and creamier medium bodied profile. I'm really starting to enjoy it. Hints of cedar are still present, but mostly now I just taste sweet cream. This thing is tasty and I'm hoping I don't melt in the heat before I can finish enjoying it. The draw and burn are both excellent and the ash has been dropping periodically after about an inch or so.
Final Third
I dip into the final third after about 45 minutes. The smoke is still medium bodied and medium strength. The same flavors are present, only stronger. I get some very slight hints of chocolate, but overall it's more of a sweet cream with some cedar. The draw and ash were perfect through the entire cigar.
Conclusion
All in all, this was a really good cigar! It was mild, but had great flavor. I give it an 8/10 Thanks, Dan!
Score: 8/10
Total smoke time: 65 minutes