Brutus2600 Cigar #5
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Between being out of town for work last week, helping my parents move, a wedding (not mine!), and getting picked for jury duty for a case that will last all week...I've been a little later than my normal Saturday or Sunday review! Well, I had a little while this evening to finally catch my breath, and got to review! So here we go...
DBall's Blind Review #5!
Upon initial inspection, this cigar is about 5 x 34, has a smooth wrapper (albeit not the prettiest I've seen), and feels well constructed with no soft spots and isn't too firm.
Initial light 9:10 - Prelight draw has a burst of hay aroma. It has a tight draw, but not plugged. Upon lighting the cigar, I get a creamy, but spicy flavor. Odd mix, but it's a very smooth and still a slightly spicy cigar. Almost a vanilla hint to it. Draw is still tight, but produces nice amounts of smoke.
First third - The smoke is still creamy, but there is a woodsy, campfire aroma. Hints of leather and a nutty aroma. The ash is a grayish white, and doesn't hold on well, first fell off after about a 1/4" and the burn isn't very even at all.
Second third 9:30 - The power just went out and I had to scramble around to get the internet back up, in the process the cigar went out. Relight didn't leave any unpleasant taste, so I'm not too worried. Ash is still loose, burn is a little better, and the draw has loosened up some. The nutty flavor has grown in strength, while the leather and woodsy aromas have faded, and the vanilla hints are all but gone.
Final third 9:46 - While I haven't felt like I was rushing this cigar at all, it has certainly gone by very quickly. For having burned so quick, it has stayed cool and flavorful throughout. While the flavor hasn't been complex (still hitting on mostly just nutty, woodsy aromas), it has been pleasant. The burn has gone from even, to uneven, and flip flopped a couple of more times. Having just unintentionally licked my lips, the cigar has actually left quite a pleasant, almost sweet, tobacco flavor there that I guess I normally don't notice while smoking.
Finish time 9:58 - Having smoked this in the evening, I would've usually chosen a stronger cigar, as I enjoy my more full bodied cigars in the evening and my lighter, smoother cigars in the morning with my coffee. This would've paired wonderfully with coffee I'm sure. I enjoyed the cigar so much I almost nubbed it, but it was almost burning my fingers and the smoke was getting pretty hot.
Appearance and construction: 1 out of 1.5
Smoke and ash: 1.25 out of 1.5
Burn: 2.5 out of 3 (it burned consistently...just not evenly)
Overall flavor: 3.25 out of 4
Total: 8 out of 10