jimmyk26 Cigar #10
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Blind Tasting #10:
Initial impressions - As I pull this cigar out of the bag, I notice a few tears in the wrapper: two near the band area and one around the middle of the cigar. I Grabbed my pectin and did a quick fix on the tear near the middle, this should correct any issues that that tear would cause. I left the other two alone because they didn't look like they would be a problem. Beyond these wrapper issues, the cigar has a nice brown wrapper that is smooth and doesn't show many veins. Construction seems even and I can feel no soft spots. When I bring the 5.5" x 32 cigar up to my nose I smell granola and cinnamon from the wrapper and a very sweet tobacco scent from the foot. The pre light draw is easy and leaves just a light hay flavor on my palate.
Initial puffs - There is a burst of burnt wood and dark cocoa sweetness that quickly transitions into a slightly bitter coffee and wood. The cigar is drawing easy and the smoke is plentiful, I just need to draw slowly so as not to burn the cigar too quickly.
1/3 - This first section is dominated by the wood and bitter coffee that I tasted initially. Despite the burn line being slightly askew, the ash holds for 3/4". The most remarkable aspect of this cigar so far is the very easy draw, with just a little bit of puffing power I get plenty of smoke.
2/3 - As the second third begins, there is a slight transition from the wood and bitter coffee to a grass and cereal with a very light honey note on the finish. The ash continues to hold well and the burn line has straightened out. There isn't much to report on the flavors at this point, I am glad that the cigar has transitioned away from the bitter coffee notes. As this third comes to a close there is a light toffee flavor that is followed by the return of the bitter flavor. This time it comes in with a grassy note to it.
3/3 - At this point I am just wishing that the bitterness would subside, because it is making the cigar difficult to enjoy. I think that the draw is too easy and it is probably causing the harsh flavor. Drawing very slowly to try and counteract the loose draw doesn't seem to help either. Interestingly, I did pick up a very faint banana bread flavor at the beginning of this final third. It didn't last long though. As I approach the end, the cigar is burning pretty hot and I am not getting anything other than heat and bitterness on my palate. I am going to have to put this one down much earlier than I expected.
Final thoughts - Well I don't think that this cigar is going to get a fair rating from me due the loose draw that likely lead to lots of bitter flavors through out the smoking experience. There were some hints of good flavors including cocoa, honey, toffee, and banana bread which leads me to believe that if this cigar was smoking better it might have had a complex and varied flavor profile. Alas, this cigar didn't live up to that potential.
Rating: 5.5 - It had a loose draw, bitter flavors, and only hints of goodness.