DBall's Newb (and not-so-newb) Blind Taste Test #6

[Ripplingh2o]

Originally Posted by AdamJoshua

First review is in.

Just sent mine also.

[DBall]

Now all we are waiting on is for Adam to give me a 1-10 rating and I'll post it up.

You'd think the newbs would be the ones to not follow directions! Sheesh...

[AdamJoshua]

You forget I now have your address.

[DBall]

AdamJoshua Cigar #1
*******************

Thought what the hell might as well get the ball rolling!

Blind #1

Start Time: 3: 25pm
Ending Time: 4: 34pm

13cm x 42rg

Beverage: Water to start and coffee w/ cream and sugar.

Appearance: Dark brown chocolate with reddish highlights and minor veins, size not withstanding it reminds me of a video I caught Dennis watching at a S.H.I.T. herf.





Cut is a straight cut with the old Havana Club spring loaded cutter

Cold draw has an ever so slight hint of almond.

Location outside while listening to Tom Pettry, 72 degrees, 66% humidity its and partly cloudy.

First Third: Right off the bat in your face, again like Dennis' video of choice.

Only 4 draws in and it has mellowed a hair, the snork was a bit harsh the first could of draws and already it has smoothed out and introduced a bit of citrus, with the almond still lingering.

Note: there is something to be said for sitting on he porch, enjoying a cigar and paying attention to each nuance while Tom Petty sings how "It's Good to Be King". Every time I review a cigar I enjoy it that much more, I notice the things that generally roll off my goat palette and every time I say I should pay this attention to every cigar yet I never do. One lesson Klugs taught me was to take little sips, that one stuck and has payed off with this cigar.



Almost to the end of the first third and the cigar has really settled in. A dirty gray ash that holds about 1/2 inch even with lite tapping and a nice sharp burn that has t needed any touching up.

Second Third: Not sure if it's me or the cigar, I went in expecting a lot of cedar and wood, expectations from the wrapper but what I'm getting from the second third is a bit of sourness and I'm going to shoot from the hip and say apricot, which is odd because I can't say I've had one in years, maybe decades but it is the dominant note so far, fear not the almond is still hiding in the shadows with a little cedar.



Well we are about half way through the cigar and I Think it's time to have some coffee to shake things up a bit, I'm always interested in how cigars act with different beverages and foods, for the remaining reviews I thought I would try some cherries with one, maybe milk and dark chocolate with another and so on.

Final third: The coffee has totally changed the cigar profile, the bitterness of the coffee has overshadowed any citrus and really brought out wood and leather.

I took about a five minute break from the stick, just wanted to clear my impressions as the notes were becoming overwhelming, picking it back up no relight needed and to me the cigar did mellow out, the power of suggestion is powerful indeed, that and the addition of coffee, amazing how the cigar changed.



Spice is starting to pick up near the end with a slight tickle on the snork, with cedar / wood and leather really shining through with a salty residue on the lips, feel free to insert a Dennis watching **** on his phone joke here, oh wait I just did.

The last half inch or so had full load ....phrasing....of bitter chocolate, glad I had a nubber handy, sweet, rich and creamy finish.



I would be remiss if I didn't mention the volumes of smoke throughout and excellent draw.

There is an unmistakable profile to this cigar, someone with more experience would probably be able to name the marka right away, I'm going to go off script and say there is a 1 in 20 chance this is an RyJ although the the construction and wrapper remind me of an LFdC petite corona, can’t wait to find out what it was!

Thanks again, Dan!

Score: 7/10

[DBall]

Ripplingh20 Cigar #1
*****************

Initial observations - 46 x 5.25", slight box press, Habano or Maduro wrapper, tightly packed filler/binder, no noticeable precut aroma, flat cap. Made a clean straight cut slightly below the cap. Toasted at 6:30 pm, pairing with a bottle of water.

First 1/3 - tight draw. Mild woodsy flavor, but nothing really noticeable. Certainly not harsh or peppery.

Second 1/3 - very sharp burn (rotating), nice, long lasting ash. Still a tight draw; no notes or transitioning.

Last 1/3 - seems to be developing a slight sweetness.

Overall - Relaxing, mild stick with no harsh, spicy, or peppery nuances. Only criticism would be, even with a clean straight cut, the draw continued to be tight throughout. Smoke time: 55 minutes.

Rating - Considering I would rate all my Connecticuts at 7.0, I'll give this #1 blind cigar a 7.5.

[DBall]

What they smoked
****************



1998 Fonseca Cosacos

AdamJoshua Rating: 7/10

Ripplingh20 Rating: 7.5/10

Unfortunately, as is the case with habanos, they occasionally suffer from tight draws. Me thinks you may need a draw tool! This was an 18 year old Cuban cigar... I'm fond of these when the mood hits and they certainly can be an 'in-your-face' type of cigar when they draw nicely!

[Ripplingh2o]

My only picture, trying to figure out how to send a pic along with my review to Dan.

[AdamJoshua]

Robb to me the easiest way is to upload your pics to a site like imgur.com then use the link they supplied with the image button (the little landscape picture in-between the link and quote buttons here).

[DBall]

I can't tell you how excited I am for the next 4 cigars... I love watching these things play out. Here's to hoping for no more plugged cigars...


Now that you know what it is... any thoughts, guys?

[AdamJoshua]

Well I haven't smoked that many Fonsecas, it certainly did have a specific profile to me. I think I have a couple that were gifted to me and are sitting around, might have to fire one up and see how it compares to my review, match up the flavor profile that is.

Might copy this over the review section as well. A little more new blood in there.

[Ripplingh2o]

I need to work on further developing my cigar palate and profile. Looking forward to #2 blind cigar; maybe I'll toast it up come Wednesday's MMA.

[icehog3]

Nice job on review #1, Men.

[AdamJoshua]

Originally Posted by Ripplingh2o

I need to work on further developing my cigar palate and profile. Looking forward to #2 blind cigar; maybe I'll toast it up come Wednesday's MMA.

I'm lucky to have found a local group of guys to herf with every week, it helps when someone can point out subtle and sometimes not so subtle profiles to you or hand you a stick and ask you if you taste certain things. I've only been smoking 3 years, usually stick to the mild / medium sticks and usually if something doesn't hit me over the head I don't notice it, I just put a lot of filler in the reviews that's all.


Thanks, Tom!

[DBall]

Robb, a few tips that may help if you feel like trying them:

* Try closing your mouth after blowing out most of the smoke and push the remaining 10-20% out of your nose. You will certainly be able to pick up more flavors that way.

* Feel free to purge (blow air through the cigar to clear out some stale smoke) every now and then. I find that helps me clarify the flavors a bit more.

* Sometimes sipping the cigar (light pulls, like you were drinking water from a straw) helps as it keeps the cigar from getting too hot too fast.

[Porch Dweller]

Well done on round one, gents!

[CigarNut]

Thank you both for the great reviews!

[AdamJoshua]

Originally Posted by DBall

Robb, a few tips that may help if you feel like trying them:

* Try closing your mouth after blowing out most of the smoke and push the remaining 10-20% out of your nose. You will certainly be able to pick up more flavors that way.

* Feel free to purge (blow air through the cigar to clear out some stale smoke) every now and then. I find that helps me clarify the flavors a bit more.

* Sometimes sipping the cigar (light pulls, like you were drinking water from a straw) helps as it keeps the cigar from getting too hot too fast.

Also sipping helps your palate from getting overwhelmed, I find when I personally take big pulls I lose all the nuances.

[mahtofire14]

This is an awesome thread! Really cool to see the different nuances different people taste.

[Adriftpanda]

newbs, I could have told you it was a Cosacos!

Nice review guys, keep it up. I love reading these.

[Gabe215]

Great read