lou2row blind review cigar #5

Here we are, coming to the end of another blind review. I would like to thank my panelists; Emjaysmash, Hscmit, Jimbud, Hoyodude, Tj2001cobra, and MarkH for making this all come together.

Emjaysmash
Cigar: no 5
Vitola / Wrapper / Binder: n/a
Drink / Food: n/a
Outside Factors: nice, a bit breezy
Construction: Very well constructed. No noticeable veins. Triple cap was put on well and cut nicely.
Prelight : hay and slight tobacco are noticed.
First Third: Notes of herbal and slight tobacco with a slight sweet cedar finish.
Draw: Free, and a bit loose.
Burn: Excellent. Very straight despite the breeze.
Ash/Smoke: solid ash, with wispy translucent smoke.
Second Third: herbal goes away, dominant tobacco slight wood, creamy finish on palate. Halfway there is a slight cinnamon/nutmeg flavor weaving in and out
Final third: much the same as the second. Slight cedar through the nose. As the cigar ends a bitterness is apparent on the finish.
Strength: Mild Flavor: Mild
Overall Impression: This cigar was not bad, however I found it lacking in any strong flavors. This is a cigar for the subtle smoker who enjoys nuances of flavors. It was decently balanced throughout until the final third when the bitterness overcame the other flavors.
Construction: 9 10
Prelight: 3 5
First Third: 12 15
Draw: 7 10
Burn: 10 10
Ash / Smoke: 9 10
Second Third: 8 10
Final Third: 7 10
Overall impression: 16 20
Total Score: 81 100

TJ2001 Cobra
Cigar: Lou’s Cigar Taste Test. Cigar #5. Thanks again, Lou, for including me!

Vitola / Wrapper / Binder: Looks like a 6 x 48 Toro perhaps? Looks a little skinnier than 50 ring guage. Wrapper is medium brown color.

Drink / Food: Ate some pasta earlier and drinking a Stone IPA.

Outside Factors: As it has been for all of my reviews, it is hot as hell. I am ready for summer to be over. I’d say at least 95 degrees. It’s 10 PM.

Construction: Construction looks good. Not as heavy in hand as cigar #4, but has very minimal veins, a nice triple cap, and no lumps. A slight squeeze also reveals a bit of softness to the cigar, but not spongy. Feels just right.

Prelight : Smells nice. Clipped it with my Palio. Prelight draw is pretty loose. Very barnyard cold draw.

First Third: Tons of smoke and a very east draw. I’m afraid this thing is going to burn up quickly. Definitely spicy on the retrohale. I think my allergies must be jacking with me because I’m not picking up a lot of flavors yet…

Draw: Nice easy draw

Burn: Burns fast, but even with a nice ash

Ash/Smoke: Lots of smoke; brownish gray ash

Second Third: I like the smoke, but my allergies have ruined my pallete. I cant taste much and it is pissing me off. Wish I would have waited to smoke this one but didn’t realize it until it was too late.


Final third: More of the same.

Strength: Seemed like a full strength smoke. I got spice from it but that was all I could figure out.

Overall Impression: I want another one of these to review. Once I see the results, I’ll grab another to see if I liked it or not.
I cant give it a rating.

Jimbud
Cigar: lou2row’s Cigar No. 5 in Blind Taste Test.
Vitola/Wrapper/Binder: 42(?) by 55; medium brown wrapper; triple capped.
Drink/Food: Seltzer water; after dinner.
Outside Factors: About 69 degrees; patio. After breakfast; strong cup of French roast coffee.
Price: Unknown.
Cut: Cheapo cutter that I have really come to like.
Light: Cedar matches

Construction: The wrapper is mat brown. A few pronounced veins. I could be mistaken, but holding the cigar at an angle seems to reveal some plume. A whiff of the foot and I get a very nice smell I associate with Tatuaje. Tough for me to describe it beyond that.

Prelight: The draw seems loose to the prelight draw test. Little taste otherwise other than straight tobacco.

First Third: Just lit it and I already know this is a good cigar. Malty, complex tastes that I need to unravel as I move forward. Instincts tell me Tatuaje. I’m thinking a Havana VI (Hermosos) or an EL T (3). Burn is razor sharp – I could shave with this burn line. Flavors are all Tat to me. Deep, rich tobacco, with malt, deep earth, and barnyard. The smell is sweeter and delicious. Ash is predominantly white. Retrohale is also a smooth, sweet coffee.

Second Third: Light and dark chocolate with espresso coming though. Liking this very much. Draw is loose, but I like it. It is not too loose. Dark black cherry covered in chocolate comes into the picture. Just a bit of white pepper, but ONLY enough to be in the background. Sweet cream in the foreground from time to time. Just a great smoke. I’m dropping ash about every inch.

Final Third: This is, IMHO, shows you can make a full flavored cigar without kicking the smoker in the teeth. Flavor profile continues into the final third. Malt, cream, a touch of pepper and underlying espresso bean predominate. A bit more malt coming through with the pepper.

Overall: Great cigar. I’m virtually certain it was a Tatuaje product. I’ll go with the Havana IV with a back-up guess of an El T. Interesting that smoking this cigar and doing this review made me realize that there are, to my palate, a lot of similarities between the Tat and Padron flavor profiles. Overall, I give this cigar a 95.

hoyodude
Cigar: Cigar # 5 Fish

Vitola / Wrapper / : This cigar seems to be a lonsdale just by looking
at it, though I haven't measured it. I love this size as it's just a
long corona. I could be wrong but that's what it looks like. The
wrapper is pretty smooth, very oily and dark brown.

Drink / Food: Great Divide Denver Pale Ale. Nice smooth beer that
doesn't overpower.

Outside Factors: As a matter of fact I DID notice a few factors while
I was outside....funny....

Construction: Nicely rolled by the feel, no soft or hard spots.

Prelight : This cigar was noticeably NOT smoldering or giving off
much odor at all pre the lighting stage. Kind of just sat there with
it's foot clipped waiting for something to do.
Kidding aside, there was a sweetish cinnamon-like flavor when I drew
on it before lighting.

First Third:This one, similar to the first in this series, is right in
my wheel-house. Flavors are caramely-sweetish tones over a creamy,
leathery base. Off to a great start.

Draw: Perfection.
.
Burn:Very straight burn with powder-white ash that is a bit fragile.
Yeah, whatever. Flavor is king.

Second Third: More of the same but with the addition of a kind of
burnt toast-ish thing added to the mix. Also, the sweetness seems more
intense now. Oh man, I'm likin' this smoke.

Final third: In the end getting more savory/sweet with a little salt
mixed with the cream. Delicious, maybe even decadent.
.
Strength: Medium

Flavor: Full

Overall Impression: I eagerly await finding out what this one was. I'm
pretty sure I recognize the flavor profile but can't really remember
from when. Great smoke right to the thumb-singeing nub, whatever it
was.


Total Score: 90/100

Hscmit
Construction: thinner wrapper with a very rough spots (probably from travel)

Prelight:musky/ barnyard flavors

First Third Little pepper and some floral notes, hint of leather

Draw: good

Burn: pretty good, not razor straight, but not too far off

Ash/Smoke: average amount of smoke, strong enough ash

Second Third: more pepper, still has the leather and the floral undertones, which I would like to become more present, but stay very light, it is a very interesting flavor

Final third: more of the same floral flavors are just light enough to detect, but not strong enough to identify, leather comes on stronger and pepper is ever-present

Strength:med

Flavor: med/ full

Overall: I enjoyed this cigar, it had a pretty unique flavor, but not much complexity, the flavors were good without changing much.

Scoring

Construction: 8/10
Prelight: 4/5
First Third: 14/15
Draw: 9/10
Burn: 9/10
Ash / Smoke: 9/10
Second Third: 9/10
Final Third: 9/10
Overall impression: 17/20
Total Score: 88/100


NOTE SteveH was added after the five were picked, and I only had a fiver of this cigar, so he did not review it.