Robusto "B" Reviews/Discussion

[RevSmoke]

This is where reviews and discussion of the 2nd Robusto sent out to the panelist in this thread will be found. http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showth...t=60169&page=4

[Jason]

Aesthetics: 2.9
smooth medium brown medium weight wrapper, no prominent veins, hokey looking cap

Pre-light Construction: 3
a little give, decent wrapper, ruddy looking cap, well rolled and filled

Post-light Construction/How it smoked: 4
draws nice, picks up in spongeyness as it warms up but not detrimental in any way to the smoking

NOTES Flavor and strength – 1st 1/3:
quite a bite in the nose and a distinct corojo or criollo wrapper flavor, don't know if this is correct but the flavor and bite are I associate with these wrappers is there. A little tannic and I'm getting a canned black olive kind flavor
NOTES Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3:
wrapper flavor is taking on a distinct black pepper note and the overall flavor is dry white wood. Nose bite softening up quite a bit
NOTES Flavor and strength – Last 1/3:
tannic, wood and muted overall
Flavor and Strength: 2.9

Aftertaste/Finish: 2.9
not particularly appealing but not bad, nice smooth feel

Aroma: 2.5
a little pharmaceutical

General Comments: underwhelming, a few characteristics mildly offensive but overall smokable, just not a lot to compel me to do so on the regular

Overall score for the cigar: 60.6666666666667

Recommendation: possibly - yardgar

[RevSmoke]

Panelists, please go read this post from the Original thread.

Thanks.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showpo...0&postcount=96

[RevSmoke]

I wonder how these will smoke after a few days in the humidor, resting?

They were in a USPS vehicle from Tuesday 1/15 till they arrived at my place on Friday 1/18. I boxed them on Sunday, 1/20. I put them in my vehicle to mail on 1/21, and they stayed in the vehicle overnight till 1/22 in sub-zero conditions. They were then again in USPS vehicles till they arrived at your home on either 1/24 or 1/25.

These cigars have seen severe temperatures and drastic changes. Do they need some time to settle out? Would it make a difference in the taste?

I do not know, but I would like to think so.

[Jason]

Aesthetics: 3
mottled medium brown, funky cap, some bumps from lumber in the filler/binder, silky, love the mottled look, have had some decent cigars that look like this, good memory

Pre-light Construction: 3
consistent feel, minimal give, wrapper is in on epiece, good draw, expect no smoking problems

Post-light Construction/How it smoked: 4
draws good, nice solid ash, even burn

NOTES Flavor and strength – 1st 1/3:
think (?) this is the cigar I had thought corojo wrapped but getting none of that here, no nose tickle at all. Musty flavor that I associated immediately with a Bucanero I smoked 10 years ago, such a unique flavor the thought came back clear as a bell, interesting
NOTES Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3:
mildest cigar yet, firmly in the medium range,completely unoffensive but not very interesting, mild woody flavors
NOTES Flavor and strength – Last 1/3:
aside from the occassional woody/paper notes, and the musty bit at the beginning not much6 going on
Flavor and Strength: 2.5
medium and a bit monotonous all the way

Aftertaste/Finish: 2.5
bland but not bad

Aroma: 2.4
bland and hints of ammmonia at times

General Comments:
I've smoked them all now and this unlike any of the others, odd

Overall score for the cigar. 58 (tally from above out of 100) 2.5 (overall 1-5)

Recommendation: not a bit dead

[DaBear]

Was gonna try and get this one done today, but I'll wait till later in the week to get started again

[shilala]

In to watch.

[DaBear]

Aesthetics: 2.5/5
First thing I'll mention is when I received the baggie, I noticed one of the sticks was significantly darker than the other two, to the point like it looked like a different wrapper leaf. The color sorter at the factory gets an E for lack of effort. Aaaaaanywho, I decided to make my first one the one that had a chip of the wrapper missing from band removal just to get it out of the way. Not a pretty stick by any means, but not hideous either, just, meh. A number of prominent veins throughout, a touch splotchy, and not exactly the healthiest wrapper. Again just meh, could be worse, could be better.



Pre-light Construction: 3.5/5
Cap clips off easily. A lightly spicy earth aroma from the wrapper. More of that spice and some light tobacco aromas from the foot. Draw is the tightest of the bunch so far, but not overly tight. It has the potential to be a problem down the road. A nice light spice in the prelight draw.

Post-light Construction/How it smoked: /5
A small crack near the cap developed as I lit the stick and I ended up just tearing off the tab of tobacco so it wasnt such a nuisance. This wrapper just keeps falling apart, and I can't blame it all on the band removal, a crack forms by the burn line near the start of the second third, and the crack by the cap keeps getting worse. Its not affecting the draw really, its just a nuisance more than anything.

First Third: 3/5



Some spice on the initial puffs. The spice fades a touch and reveals a nice light earthiness. Fairly mild though. I keep finding a light grassiness trying to find its way in, but its more prominent on the finish. There's almost a Kelner-like mustiness. All the flavors are becoming super muted making this almost bland, and it looks like thats how the first third is going to round out.

Second Third: 3/5



Luckily, the flavors are coming back, with the light spice heading them all off. At this point I'm convinced these are a Kelner stick, albeit one of his lower end ones(not an Avo, Davidoff, etc). Just took one puff too quick and was greeted with a quick flash of harshness, won't be doing that again. Flavors are remaining the same, but they're enjoyable so I can't complain too much. Just entirely one dimensional. The mustiness comes to the forefront to round out the second third.

Final Third: 2/5



More of the same into the final third with no sign of changing. Really nothing to report here in the final third. It gets a touch harsh, and I'm strongly considering putting it down and chalkin this one up to being the dud of the box. Went ahead and laid it down with a bit over an inch left. Lets hope the second stick is better.

Aftertaste/Finish: 3/5
A light sour grassiness initially to the finish. A little sweetness and spice is making its way in at the end of the first third.

Aroma: 2.5/5
Nothing really to report in this department. It was such a light smoke I got no significant aroma.

General Comments:



It honestly wasn't a bad cigar, its just something you'd smoke when zoning out reading a book or watching a game early in the day(as it was fairly mild).

Overall score for the cigar: 2.75/5

Recommendation:
Might Recommend, depends on price point and purpose. This would be a good yardgar or golf stick.

[Jason]

Aesthetics: 3.5
strangely uniform and flat light/medium brown color, decent looking cigar aside from that odd point

Pre-light Construction: 3.5
well rolled, decent cap, anticipate no smoking problems from the construction, took the clipping good and smell is a little medicinal

Post-light Construction/How it smoked: 3.5
draws nice, smokes effortlessly, burn is uneven but not even to cause any problems, 1/4-3/8"

NOTES Flavor and strength – 1st 1/3:
nice nose presence, not a crisp clean 'burn', more muted creamy 'burn'. Flavor has a little bit of medicinal to it that I don't care for but there's a yeast or fresh bread flavor that's entertaining if not tastey.
NOTES Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3:
yeasty, bready, woody, still coming on strong in the nose
NOTES Flavor and strength – Last 1/3:
same throughout - medium/full - full in the nose throughout for certain
Flavor and Strength: 3.3

Aftertaste/Finish: 3
smooth finish, a little tannic like brewed iced tea

Aroma: 3
a little pharmaceutical

General Comments:
Not particularly exciting flavors but unoffensive and an easy smoke.

Overall score for the cigar. 66 (tally from above) 3.3 (my overall score)

Recommendation: possibly

[Jason]

Overall
after smoking 3 of these I'd have to say it's been the consistent best of the bunch for me so far.

While it's not something I'd buy and keep I did come to appreciate it's ease of smoking and unoffensive flavors, not exactly a sterling recommendation but it is what it is. This is an active cigar for me, meaning smoking it while your're doing something and not thinking too much about it, in that case it'd make a nice companion.

[jjirons69]

On to baggie B - I've had two of three. I'm keeping the last until after the big reveal. Below is a goat's palate review of both "B" smokes.

Disclaimer from cigar "A" review - First off, I preface by saying I smoke CCs 90% of the time. Smokes lots of NCs for the past 6 or 7 years, but within the past year or more, CCs have the flavor profile I enjoy most, plus I am afforded more skinny to smaller RG smokes that fit my time allotments. A lot of NCs are heavier and spicier than I enjoy as relaxation smokes.

I'll post both reviews and will average my scores and give a final summary. Pictures include for each event.

Cigar B #1 - After supper, Yuengling Lager as drink, 1 and 1/2 hours, watching Classic Albums - Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon". Punched cut.

Review Format
0.0 - 2.0 = poor/inferior quality
2.1 - 2.9 = fair
3.0 - 3.5 = good
3.5 - 4.5 = excellent
4.6 - 5.0 = superior

1) Aesthetics: the look of the cigar - oily, coarse, smooth, dry, light, dark, pretty, ugly, etc...
Minimal veins, medium brown, not pretty, but not ugly. Not oily-looking

Score for aesthetics: 3.8

2) Pre-light Construction: Roll cigar between fingers - soft spots? loose? tight? dense? lightweight? Well rolled? how does it smell?
Opened the bag and took a whiff - instantly thought "raisins!". Even had my wife smell it and asked her what she smelled - raisins again. Softer roll than cigar A. Double capped. Nice feel to it. Seemed to be well-rolled.

Score for Pre-light construction: 4.1

3) Post-light Construction/How it smoked: Does it draw well, does smoke pull through on its own, do soft spots appear after lighting, burnes evenly? smokes hot or cool? What is ash like? color of ash? flaky or solid?
Punched and had a great, unobstructed pre-light draw. Wetting the cap so I could punch, the taste was really bitter on my tongue. Didn't much care for it, but have experienced the same flavors in other sticks, just not often. Darker grayish ash. Smoked pretty cool, but I don't smoke that fast. The burn was...meh. One side needed a few touchup to keep it even.

Score for post-light construction: 3.4

4a) Flavor and strength – 1st 1/3: What does it taste like? Full-bodied, med. or mild? Does it taste earthy, spicy, fruity, vegetal, sweet, rich, harsh, direct, floral, robust, woody, green (haylike), acidic, salty? Is it pleasant or unpleasant? Does it build in flavor and/or complexity as you smoke it? Is it bland, flavorful, complex? Did it get bitter?
Tip was slightly bitter on my tongue initially. For the first 4-5 draws, a little pepper spice, then died away. Mainly dry flavor profile - hay/grassy. Gray ash. One-dimension for the first third. Got a little soft and went out about the one inch mark. Nothing to write home about so far - 3.0

4b) Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3: Flavor started turning a little woody to tobaccoy. It was burning uneven and needed a couple big touchups. Flavors got a little creamier, but still had a predominate grass/hay foundation. Never got hot, but did develop a flakey ash. Went out again after I ashed. Did have large volumes of smoke. Getting better - 3.2

4c) Flavor and strength – Last 1/3: The best part of the smoke. Got creamier. The woody, tobaccoy flavor overtook the grass and hay. The burned evened out. Still a kind of a monotonous smoke. - 3.4

Score for flavor and strength: 3.2

5) Aftertaste/Finish: aftertaste is the sensation &/or flavor on you palate after each puff, not the taste left after you finish the cigar. Is it heavy - light? Spicy, cedary, fruity, bitter, hot, grassy? Mild - strong? Pleasant or not? Harsh? Medium body and medium palate flavor. The finish wasn't that long. Had a pleasant tobacco flavor after it was over. It was pleasant enough, I think more of a working cigar than a lounger.

Score for aftertaste: 3.3

6) Aroma: What does it smell like? Good - bad? light or heavy? pervasive - mild? floral, perfumed, grassy, harsh, woodsy, overpowering, unpleasant, magnificent? Had a good aroma, not unpleasant or undesirable. Just nothing to really toot your horn about. Middle of the road.

Score for aroma: 3.8

7) General Comments: Are samples consistent? Did you particlarily enjoy of with a certain food or beverage? Did they appeal more at certain time of day? Did it remind you of something? Would you buy them? Sum it up as you would to a friends ("That cigar was awesome!") and give it an overall score.
See summary

Overall score for the cigar. 21.6/30 (or 72/100 for those that like the base 10 scale)

8) Recommendation: Would you recommend the cigar? Pick one of the following and explain:
Not Recommended; Possibly Recommended; Recommended; Highly Recommended See summary

[jjirons69]

[jjirons69]

Cigar B #2 - After supper, Yuengling Lager as drink, 1 and 1/2 hours, listening to random iPod while reading a business model book for work. Punched cut.

Review Format
0.0 - 2.0 = poor/inferior quality
2.1 - 2.9 = fair
3.0 - 3.5 = good
3.5 - 4.5 = excellent
4.6 - 5.0 = superior

1) Aesthetics: the look of the cigar - oily, coarse, smooth, dry, light, dark, pretty, ugly, etc...
Veiny. Large double cap. Dark brown. Sort of ugly, not as shapely as #1.

Score for aesthetics: 3.4

2) Pre-light Construction: Roll cigar between fingers - soft spots? loose? tight? dense? lightweight? Well rolled? how does it smell?
Firm. Again smelled of raisins or dried fruit, unique. Feels dense and well-rolled.

Score for Pre-light construction: 4.1

3) Post-light Construction/How it smoked: Does it draw well, does smoke pull through on its own, do soft spots appear after lighting, burnes evenly? smokes hot or cool? What is ash like? color of ash? flaky or solid?
Punched it and got the thickest plug I've ever seen. I'll bet the plug was 1/4" thick, layered like a pastry. It left a deep hole. Pre-light draw was very free and unobstructive and tasted grassy. Again the cap wetting left a bitter flavor on my tongue. Not a fan. This one smoked a lot cleaner with an even burn and absolutely no relights. I would often let it sit for 5 or more minutes between draws at times and it never thought about going out. The ash held tighter and actually didn't fall until over an inch. No flakiness.

Score for post-light construction: 3.6

4a) Flavor and strength – 1st 1/3: What does it taste like? Full-bodied, med. or mild? Does it taste earthy, spicy, fruity, vegetal, sweet, rich, harsh, direct, floral, robust, woody, green (haylike), acidic, salty? Is it pleasant or unpleasant? Does it build in flavor and/or complexity as you smoke it? Is it bland, flavorful, complex? Did it get bitter?
Again bitter tongue tobacco initially. First several draws were dry with a little pepper spice. Pepper died fast and went to grassy/tea/hay flavors. Kind of dry. However, this guy burned razor sharp. Started getting some tobacco flavors near the first end and the ash held a solid dark. Spotted gray ash. - 3.0

4b) Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3: Still kind of a monotonous smoke. More tobaccoy and not as dry as the first third. Lots of smoke and a nice ash. Flavors not really changing. First ash break at 1 and 1/4 inches. Nice center cone and great burn. The smoke gets creamier near the end - 3.1

4c) Flavor and strength – Last 1/3: Like the first cigar, the last third was the best part of it. Never got hot or bitter. Still sort of one-dimensional with the tobaccoy flavors maybe picking up some wood. Still no relights and a great burn. Near the end the smoke got fuller and more creamier with a little leather tossed in. I like this part way better than the dry, grassy first two thirds. - 4.1

Score for flavor and strength: 3.4

5) Aftertaste/Finish: aftertaste is the sensation &/or flavor on you palate after each puff, not the taste left after you finish the cigar. Is it heavy - light? Spicy, cedary, fruity, bitter, hot, grassy? Mild - strong? Pleasant or not? Harsh? I'd say a medium smoke. Did get a little nicotine jolt out of the last third. I nubbed it as the last draws were the best. I worked this long to get there, might as well enjoy all I could. It doesn't have a long finish at all, which I like. It has a pleasant ending.

Score for aftertaste: 3.6

6) Aroma: What does it smell like? Good - bad? light or heavy? pervasive - mild? floral, perfumed, grassy, harsh, woodsy, overpowering, unpleasant, magnificent? Good aroma, but nothing standout-ish. Mild.

Score for aroma: 3.8

7) General Comments: Are samples consistent? Did you particlarily enjoy of with a certain food or beverage? Did they appeal more at certain time of day? Did it remind you of something? Would you buy them? Sum it up as you would to a friends ("That cigar was awesome!") and give it an overall score.
See summary

Overall score for the cigar. 21.9/30 (or 73/100 for those that like the base 10 scale)

8) Recommendation: Would you recommend the cigar? Pick one of the following and explain:
Not Recommended; Possibly Recommended; Recommended; Highly Recommended See summary

[jjirons69]

And yes, that is a blue Bart Ripp pen for all those out there that have them lying around everywhere.

[jjirons69]

Cigar A Summary:

Overall average score for the cigar. 21.8/30 (or 73/100 for those that like the base 10 scale)

7) General Comments: Are samples consistent? Did you particularly enjoy of with a certain food or beverage? Did they appeal more at certain time of day? Did it remind you of something? Would you buy them? Sum it up as you would to a friends ("That cigar was awesome!") and give it an overall score.
Not as enjoyable as cigar A. I don't care for the grassy/tea-like flavors and I had to get through half the cigar to get to what I consider better flavors. Night and day how each of the two burned. The second burned in a way that it was enjoyable to smoke even it it wasn't a favorite of mine. Like I said, it's a good working cigar, for the links or the water. There's not a lot going on with it, but it does have a great draw and didn't get soggy, hot, or unmanageable.

8) Recommendation: Would you recommend the cigar? Pick one of the following and explain:
Not Recommended; Possibly Recommended; Recommended; Highly Recommended. I wouldn't be quick to recommend, but I would describe what flavors I got from them and let the person decide for themselves. Don't think I'd purchase them.

[RevSmoke]

Jamie is now done with cigars "A" and "B". When everybody gets done with them, the great unveiling can happen.

[shilala]

I know there's been two cigars I've experienced that had a heavy smell of raisins. One was Esteban Carerra Maduros, and the other I can't be sure, but I think was another Rocky Patel stick.
Now that I'm thinking of it, there seems to be another one from much more recently, but I can't conjure it up for the life of me.
Well done, Jamie!!!

[Jason]

Originally Posted by shilala

I know there's been two cigars I've experienced that had a heavy smell of raisins. One was Esteban Carerra Maduros, and the other I can't be sure, but I think was another Rocky Patel stick.
Now that I'm thinking of it, there seems to be another one from much more recently, but I can't conjure it up for the life of me.
Well done, Jamie!!!

I remember getting raisin off of Honduran Sancho Panzas back in the day (more recent experiences have been gross with no raisin at all)

[jledou]

Rubusto B review

Review Format

0.0 - 2.0 = poor/inferior quality

2.1 - 2.9 = fair

3.0 - 3.5 = good

3.5 - 4.5 = excellent

4.6 - 5.0 = superior

1) Aesthetics:

The wrapper to me appeared to be a solid brown, not dark, not light. It looked more dry than oily and had several bumps at places throughout the cigar.

Score for aesthetics: 3.5

2) Pre-light Construction:

The roll was firm without softspots but it was not packed super hard and felt like it was a medium weight on the density. The prelight draws were easy to a little tighter but not a hard draw on any of them. Mainly a grassy flavor on the pre-light draw.

Score for Pre-light construction: 3.7

3) Post-light Construction/How it smoked:

The cigars burned very well and white to light grey ash that tended to be solid but not rock hard. The cigars stayed true throughout and did not get soft or burn hot.

Score for post-light construction: 3.8

4a) Flavor and strength –

All of these samples started off with a woody maybe cedar note that would always move into a soft creamy flavor as it would get closer to the second third of the cigar. I would say they all started off on the mild to medium side. It always seemed like there might have been hints of a peppery spice sitting on the background but could never pick it specifically out.

4b) Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3:

The second third would always see the creamy flavor come through very pronounced. On the second cigar it hit me that what I was really tasting was like a cup of coffee with cream. The woody flavor would always be in the background but the coffee and cream was the prominent throughout. strength here hung around the medium level throughout.

4c) Flavor and strength – Last 1/3:

The final third really continued on the wood, coffee and cream flavors for me. The flavors stayed and didn’t get harsh for me until the very end.

Score for flavor and strength: 4.2

5) Aftertaste/Finish:

Initially I would get a little bitterness on the aftertaste but overall that would tend to vanish after the first third of the cigar and the creamyness would be what would linger from the cigar. The aftertaste didn’t seem like it would linger very long though. Overall a pleasant aftertaste.

Score for aftertaste: 4.0

6) Aroma:

Still struggling with this one - I got a mild wood and tobacco aroma on the little that I got.

Score for aroma: 3.5

7) General Comments:

Not much to some up. These cigars were well constructed and consistent. I enjoyed these and would buy more.

Overall score for the cigar. 4.1

8) Recommendation:

I would recommend these cigars for a large range of people. I felt like they were not overpower and fit a good middle of the road profile as far as strength and flavor.

[Weelok]

Blind Cigar B Review 2
Review Format
0.0 - 2.0 = poor/inferior quality
2.1 - 2.9 = fair
3.0 - 3.5 = good
3.5 - 4.5 = excellent
4.6 - 5.0 = superior

1) Aesthetics
Comments: Smooth wrapper, triple cap. On the wrapper was some crystals glistening which is a huge plus. The cigar wrapper had a slight oily appearance with small veins. The color of the wrapper is an unblemished brown.

Score for aesthetics: 4.7

2) Pre-light Construction:

Comments: This cigar appears to be well rolled with no soft spots. The cigar appears to be firm to the touch but not overly tight. The aroma of the cigar is of sweet hay and tobacco and smells like a well cured and cared for cigar.

Score for Pre-light construction: 4.5

3) Post-light Construction/How it smoked:

Comments: This cigar has an excellent draw being not too loose and not too firm. As the saying goes, this cigar draws just right. Over the life of the cigar, about 70 minutes, only one burn correction was required and it was minor. Second cigar had the same burn time but the wrapper split on the 2nd 1/3 but the split did not cause a burn or flavor problem. Overall, this cigar exhibited very good construction.

Score for post-light construction: 4.0

4a) Flavor and strength – 1st 1/3:

Comments: Medium body to start. The cigar tasted of slight pepper with hay sweet cedar. The hay had a hint of grass but was the pleasant type of grass flavor and not at all green. The hay / grass flavor balanced nicely with the cedar. As the cigar progressed, a bit of white pepper emerges which is a nice addition.



4b) Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3:

Comments: The strength is building to the upper end of medium and I would classify it as Med-Full. Leather has started to come to the fore in the flavor profile as the sweet hay fades a bit. The mix is a well balanced leather, cedar, pepper and grass.

4c) Flavor and strength – Last 1/3:

Comments: Med-Full in strength and the leather flavor is taking front seat however well balanced against the cedar, grass and a bit of pepper.

Score for flavor and strength: 4.5



5) Aftertaste/Finish:

Comments: Short finish on the palate. The lingering flavors are a mild aftertaste of grass and wood. The cedar wood flavor lingers the longest as the pepper settles in at the back of the tongue. In general, it’s a clean finish and fades before the next draw.

Score for aftertaste: 3.5

6) Aroma:

Comments: A wonderful room aroma is left behind of sweet grass, cedar, and white peper. To me, this is an easy aroma that few would be bothered to smell.

Score for aroma: 4.5

7) General Comments:

Comments: I enjoyed this cigar quite a bit although it’s not in the profile of those that I generally smoke. It leaves me questioning as to what it is but I suspect it’s a higher end Dominican. I’m looking forward to finding out what it actually is as it is puzzling me. My guess is the cigar has an Ecuadorian habano wrapper with a mix of Dominican and perhaps some Nicaraguan tobacco?

Overall score for the cigar. 4.5

8) Recommendation:
Comments: Highly recommended