ApexAZ Cigar #10
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7/4/2012
Well it's Independence Day and the weather here in Phoenix is unusually nice. It's overcast and has been raining off and on this morning, which has given us beautiful 80 degree weather. Given the holiday and the rare nice weather, it only made sense to wrap up Dan's blind taste test by smoking number 10. I don't really have anything to drink so H2O it is.
Pre-light
This cigar is about 5 1/2" long and has a ring guage around 38-40. It has a nice and smooth natural wrapper with very small veins and a triple cap. Although somewhat light, the construction appears and feels solid and I can't really feel any noticeable soft spots. There are a couple very minor tears in the wrapper, but I don't expect them to cause any issues.
The pre-light draw seems a little tight, but not unsmokable. Scents from the foot and wrapper are musty tobacco. Flavors from the draw bring out a light semi-sweet floral tobacco flavor.
1st Third
This cigar started out with some medium bodied flavor right off the bat. The smoke is very smooth and has an earthy cedar taste to it. A little deeper in I get a toasty nutty flavor. So far it has been mild in strength, medium in body and not quite as sweet as some of the others that came before it. The burn is excellent and the ash drops after about 2/3". The draw is slightly tighter than I prefer, but it's workable.
2nd Third
25 minutes into the cigar I reach the 2nd third. The flavor and strength of the cigar continue to be medium and mild, respectively. The cigar still has a musty, earthy type flavor, except instead of cedar, I'm now tasting more coffee and caramel. It is developing more of a sweetness, but not as sweet as some of the previous cigars in the BTT. The burn is still good, the ash drops consistent and the draw is still a little tight.
Final Third
50 minutes have passed and the cigar hasn't really changed drastically. It's still medium bodied and the flavors haven't really developed into anything different from the 2nd third. If anything, the cigar has become less sweet. I still get some musty, earthy flavor and more coffee with less caramel.
Conclusion
This cigar had more of an earthy profile (if that makes any sense). It wasn't very creamy or sweet. I liked it well enough and give it a 7/10. Thanks, Dan!
Score: 7/10
Total smoke time: 75 minutes
Dan -- I can't thank you enough for the opportunity to try some of these cigars. To sample all of these cigars, and then write about them has been a wonderful experience. Being able to comment on them without any preconceived notions was very cool and helped to bring some things into perspective for me. Specifically, I learned that people should "Smoke what they like, like what they smoke". Thank you so much for sharing some great cigars. It was a really great experience.