Brutus2600 Cigar #4
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Upon initial inspection, the wrapper is nice and soft, looks to be about 5 x 44, and there appears to be some light bloom on the cigar. Having said that, it has a very poor looking wrapper. It has significant veins, discolored, and looks to be ready unravel as soon as I light it.
Initial light 9:40 - Prelight draw leaves the taste of hay on my tongue. Initial light is a little difficult because I can barely draw this cigar. It's a very mild cigar, and along with that, mild flavors. I'm picking up some of the prelight hay taste, and a little leather. After a few more draws on the cigar I get a nutty taste as well. All of these fleeting, nothing lingering on my palate long.
First Third - The burn started a little uneven, but it looks like it might be correcting itself. I can never get the burn even to begin with on these shape cigars anyway. The draw is opening up a little, and so are the flavors. I'm getting some hints of spice along with the previous nut and hay aromas. The ash is a brownish gray, and while it looks precarious, it's holding firm even with a light tap.
Second Third 10:02 - After the picture I rolled the ash off not wanting to risk it falling on my laptop, corrected the burn just a little, purged, and took a puff. While the flavors have been consistent, the smoke is developing into a very thick, creamy smoke. What had been thin, weak smoke before the draw opened up is very enjoyable now. No matter how much touch up I do, this cigar will not burn evenly. No one part is getting away from the other, but it's just a jagged line across the burn area. The flavors have definitely changed in this last little bit, mostly tasting a woody/nutty aroma with some minor vanilla hints thrown in (which I haven't tasted before in a cigar).
Final Third 10: 22 - In this last little bit of the cigar, ironically enough, after my last ash and touch up the cigar's burn is finally even. The smoke is still nice and creamy, with the woody/nutty aroma sticking around. The vanilla was fleeting and might have even been my imagination, but it's not there anymore.
Finish time 10:36 - With my initial thoughts that the cigar would unravel, I was wrong about that. The burn however was quite uneven throughout most of the cigar, and draw was an issue the first third of it. Overall the flavor of the cigar was mild, with just hints at what different flavors I described. The smoke was delightfully thick, and probably my favorite part of the cigar. While I wouldn't seek this cigar out to purchase, I might smoke it again if I wanted a mild stick, although it would be in line behind a few other mild cigars I enjoy. So far, this has been the least favorite of my cigars in this blind taste test
Appearance and construction: .75 out of 1.5
Smoke and ash: 1.5 out of 1.5
Burn: 1.5 out of 3
Overall flavor: 3 out of 4
Total: 6.75 out of 10