Blind ten spot review Part Two

Lou,

Thank you very much for the chance to participate in these reviews. It has been fun for me to get back into these. I look forward to more interaction with you good sir.

Originally Posted by EEE

Lou,

Thank you very much for the chance to participate in these reviews. It has been fun for me to get back into these. I look forward to more interaction with you good sir.

Your very welcome Eric. You put up some excellent reviews, thanks for being involved. I wish a few of the sticks had been more to your liking, but I know that taste is subjective. I have friends that if they like a cigar, I feel safe buying a box, and others that if they enjoy a particular cigar, I still only buy one to try it first.
There is no right or wrong, only your personal preference that matters in the end. I just enjoy seeing people's take on cigars in this type of setting.

[Starscream]

Cigar #9



Construction: 5.5 x42 box-pressed (very square), dark brown wrapper

Pre-light: I honestly forgot to do a pre-light draw.

1st Third: The first bit tasted both bitter and like plain old tobacco. The bitterness remained, but a dark coffee flavor was detectable.

2nd Third: Still bitterness. Dark coffee is behind the bitterness. A nutty flavor is detectable near the end of the second third. Some sort of bitter nut.

Final Third: Still bitter. The nutty flavor is still there, and the coffee returns. Bitterness, nuttiness, and black coffee.

Final Thoughts: The cigar had a bitter taste in the forefront the entire time. The coffee and nutty flavors were nice, but they were behind the bitter flavor. This appearance of this cigar was very attractive, but the bitterness left a bad taste in my mouth.
Would I buy this cigar again? I'd be willing to give it a second shot, as the bitterness may have been exclusive to this single stick.

[Starscream]

Originally Posted by andysutherland

Cigar #7



Construction: 6.5 x 50 torpedo, dark brown wrapper

Pre-Light Draw: Not much flavor detectable

First Third: The first inch was horrid. Bitterness and ammonia is strong. I was tempted to put this stick down, but I figured I would struggle through so I can give it a full review. Ammonia settled down and was replaced by leathery and earthy flavors. I'm not a big fan of earthy flavor, but at least it wasn't ammonia.

Second Third: Very earthy still, but some sweetness is mixed in as well. The sweetness is almost like a Smores bar. Marshmallow and chocolate are detectable. This cigar isn't bad anymore.

Final Third: Marshmallow and chocolate dissapear and the earthy/leatheriness is the only flavor detectable.

Final Thoughts: Although the first third was horrible, the rest of the cigar wasn't bad. I'm not a fan of earthiness, but I did enjoy the marshmallow and chocolate pairing in the second third. Would I smoke this cigar again? No offense meant, but probably not.



EDIT: I would guess that this is the second Gurkha.

Originally Posted by EEE

Smoked my last 2 this weekend.........

#7 (torp)

pre-draw - air, too much, lose draw. Slight tobacco

Initial light: Easy to take hold of the fire, copious amounts of smoke. I get (yes, I'm serious here) the after taste of fruity pebbles cereal. (blech) chalky/sweet

First third - burn is straight, ash is average, very average cigar taste - I actually told my wife as I started this "it's almost like when you first light up a pipe and aren't getting the taste yet - just tobacco" I think the draw was just too loose for my palate's liking.

Second third - for me this was a one dimensional stick, as far as taste goes. "cigar" My wife said that it didn't have much of an aroma either. She is probably a better indicator on the aroma side of my reviews - she often sits with me or goes on walks with me while I smoke and tells me what she thinks (good and bad).

Last third - the stick just isn't eventful. Its fair, and every third/fourth draw I get a pleasant citrusy taste but it never stays. Never had any issues with burn as it stayed straight. The draw stayed too loose for my liking but I would have to have a couple more to see if it was that single stick or something with the make-up of the line.

For me this was barely average which I wouldn't spend more that $3-4 on.

Other than the uneventfulness, it seems almost as if we smoked two different cigars.

[Starscream]

Originally Posted by EEE

#9 (box press)

I instantly think Mayorga when I pull out this small ring gauged box pressed stick. Though I personally don't know if they come in wrappers outside of jet black - which this one wasn't.

Pre-draw - rich tobacco & bitter on the back of my tongue

Initial light - nice. Interesting coffee and dark dark chocolate taste - that definitely coincides with my pre-draw taste.

First third - the ash is super weak on this, falls off at a butterfly's wing flap. Taste has subdued considerably but still get the dark chocolate undertone.

Second third - good burn, horrid ash, becoming less and less chocolate and more bitter.

Last third - purge, draw, ash fall, taste burnt chocolate, repeat ......... though I must have been hypnotized as I literally nubbed this thing down as far as I could go. Hmmm.

Maybe I have two sides of my smoking brain fighting each other on this. One side isn't impressed at all with the ash and just wants to trash it, doesn't like the burnt chocolate -- but the other side finds it interesting and wants to continue to see where it goes......

I'm not sure I'd buy this cigar but definitely would smoke it again if gifted.

Originally Posted by andysutherland

Cigar #9



Construction: 5.5 x42 box-pressed (very square), dark brown wrapper

Pre-light: I honestly forgot to do a pre-light draw.

1st Third: The first bit tasted both bitter and like plain old tobacco. The bitterness remained, but a dark coffee flavor was detectable.

2nd Third: Still bitterness. Dark coffee is behind the bitterness. A nutty flavor is detectable near the end of the second third. Some sort of bitter nut.

Final Third: Still bitter. The nutty flavor is still there, and the coffee returns. Bitterness, nuttiness, and black coffee.

Final Thoughts: The cigar had a bitter taste in the forefront the entire time. The coffee and nutty flavors were nice, but they were behind the bitter flavor. This appearance of this cigar was very attractive, but the bitterness left a bad taste in my mouth.
Would I buy this cigar again? I'd be willing to give it a second shot, as the bitterness may have been exclusive to this single stick.

We had about the same experience with this stick.