DBall's Newb Blind Taste Test #3

[DBall]

jimmyk26 Cigar #7
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Here is round #7

Initial impressions - Another long and skinny cigar, this stick measures 6" x 28 and is wrapped with a medium brown leaf that shows a few veins and has a couple imperfections and discolorations. To the touch, it appears well constructed with only one slight soft spot and a slight indentation that shadows the band that was once there. The cap is so well applied that it is hard to make out the three layers. Not a beautiful cigar. The wrapper smells of dark chocolate and sweet tobacco while the foot presents an aroma of hay. The pre-light draw is easy with only a slight hint of hay left on the palate.


Initial puffs - There are rich coffee, chocolate and wood flavors in the first few puffs, with a pepper spice running through the nose. There was a little run away burn that seems to be correcting itself.

1/3 - Wow this is smoking quickly. The rich flavors carry right on through into the first third picking up a bit of sweetness and creaminess. Now the burn line has pretty much corrected itself. The ash is droping every quarter inch or so, probably due to the windy conditions were I am smoking right now. Rich chocolate and earth coating my palate and the spice is nice and strong through the nose.


2/3 - It is almost hard to keep up with the thirds of this cigar because it is smoking more quickly than I am used to. The tip did develop a little bit of tar which I cut off, this doesn't seem to have affected the cigar and I'll try to smoke this a bit slower for the rest of the review. For its size, this cigar has been smoking exceptionally well with a surprising amount of smoke for its ring gauge. While the earth and chocolate have remained steadily since the beginning of the cigar, it has picked up a bit of hazelnut and wood on the finish which seems to linger quite a while. I have struggled a bit with keeping this cigar lit, it seems that if I put the cigar down to type it goes out. It has relit easily and has picked up right where it left off each time.


3/3 - For just a brief bit, the cigar presented a slight metallic taste that seemed out of place. It left quickly and doesn't seem to be coming back. Otherwise, this is cigar has been very consistent from start to finish. A smooth easy draw with rich earth and chocolate flavors that linger on the palate, it has a nice bit of sweetness. Other than the need for attention and relights, this cigar has burnt evenly and smoked very well. The wood and pepper spice through the nose have started to linger on the palate. After the spice became more pronounced the cigar started to get a bit bitter and the flavors faded.


Final thoughts - Although this cigar wasn't overly complex, the earth, chocolate, wood, and spice flavors were quite enjoyable. This makes me wonder if the complexity of the smaller ring gauge cigars have limited potential due to the fewer leafs that make up the cigar. Surprisingly thick and rich smoke indicated that this cigar was well constructed and made for a very nice, if short, smoking experience. I think that I wouldn't have had to relight the cigar so much if I wasn't doing the review. I would definitely smoke more of these if I had the chance, but I think that this cigar lacked the complexity to be a great cigar.


Rating: 8.9 - A good cigar that had an enjoyable, straight forward flavor profile.

[DBall]

Brutus2600 Cigar #7
*****************

I woke up nice and early this morning before the heat and the noise of the day. Made a pot of coffee, got everything all situated, and went to go grab DBall's 7th cigar to review. As I was taking it out of the numbered five finger baggy, I made the sad realization that there are only 3 cigars left after this! However, after that, I made the exciting realization that I was still going to get to experience 3 more great cigars!

Upon initial inspection this cigar looks to be about 6 x 32. The construction is only slightly rough, I wouldn't say the wrapper is bad, nor would I say it was perfect either. It is nice and firm without any soft spots, and has nice triple cap on it, and I think I see a little plume as well.



Initial Light 7:40 - The prelight draw brings the taste of sweet tobacco and is a little loose. Toasted the foot, lit the cigar, and off we go! The first draw brought a little spice, hints of cream, and produced big beautiful amounts of white smoke.



First Third - The initial spice I tasted is now developing into a more peppery taste that hits me on the back of my tongue. I'm also picking up hints of leather and another prominent flavor that I can't pin down. The ash is a dark gray with white streaks, and only holds on for about a half an inch. There is this...soured? Almost bitter flavor that purging isn't getting rid of. It's almost like food on the verge of going bad. Very strange and haven't had that in a cigar before. Thank goodness that seems to be fading though.



Second Third 8:05 - The bitterness is completely gone by now. The burn is fantastic, not what I've come to expect from this RG. It's even staying lit and hasn't required any touch ups. This cigar has been overall very mild, flavors being almost hard to discern. I'm still picking up minor hints of leather and grassy notes however.



Final Third 8:35 - I got distracted and let the cigar go out. After a relight it's right back to it's mild mannered self again. I guess that's kind of telling about this stick. While good, it doesn't captivate me like other cigars do. The wrapper is a little loose around the last part and has created a slightly uneven burn, but nothing significant.



Finish time 8:52 - While this stick wasn't exciting, that's not a bad thing, it just makes this mild stick a great early morning smoke. As Jimmy stated earlier in this thread, this whole experience has really changed my perspective on RG sizes, and I've come to appreciate the smaller RG significantly. Something this size is almost more comfortable to me now than a 50+ RG stick. While I'm not sure if I'd actively seek this cigar out again, it is something I could see myself enjoying if I found a good deal on them.

Appearance and construction: 1.3 out of 1.5
Smoke and ash: 1.5 out of 1.5
Burn: 2.8 out of 3
Overall flavor: 2.5 out of 4

8.1 out of 10

[Montano]

I had the pleasure of herfin' with James (jimmyk26) this past weekend, we had lots of laughs and lots of smokes. I was in the last round of the NBTT, so we were talking about how incredibly generous Dan has been !!

[Brutus2600]

Sorry to hear it's been a rough couple of weeks Dan...no worries on the delay.

First cigar that's matched up with my lighter hehe.

Thanks again Dan, this has been a blast so far. Look for review 8 this weekend

[DBall]

Originally Posted by Brutus2600

Sorry to hear it's been a rough couple of weeks Dan...no worries on the delay.

First cigar that's matched up with my lighter hehe.

Thanks again Dan, this has been a blast so far. Look for review 8 this weekend

Dude... that lighter is incredibly cool... LGC is probably my favorite cuban marca.

You guys are almost done... can't wait to see the last 3!

[macsauce13]

Wow great reviews fellas! The different experiences are so interesting! After the first one I wanted to go find some of these asap, and then the second review calmed me back down.

Nice work guys!

[Brutus2600]

Review #8 incoming in about 30 minutes

[jimmyk26]

Yep, #8 is in...this is almost going too quickly.

[DBall]

jimmyk26 Cigar #8
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Initial inspection - This cigar is roughly 6"x 43, another 'big' cigar in this tasting flight. The first thing I notice about this cigar is the peanut butter smell off of the wrapper, it's as if I just opened up a two pack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. As I continue smelling, there is also a slight sweet tobacco scent behind the peanut butter. From the foot I am getting more sweet tobacco and cinnamon. The wrapper has a slightly toothy texture and light brown color; it is a great looking wrapper with very few veins. It also has a great triple cap, it almost looks like a quadruple cap (has that ever been done?). I can detect no soft spots so it seems to be well constructed. The pre light draw is easy and there is cinnamon and spice on the palate.


Initial puffs - There is a rich burnt wood with a strong pepper spice right away. After the initial blast of flavor, the cigar picks up a slight sweetness that seems to linger. The smoke is easy drawing and rich.

1/3 - This first third is spicy and woody with a lingering earth and leather. Surprisingly the draw is the loosest draw of the whole tasting flight, which makes me slightly concerned about how it will perform throughout. The burn has been uneven and the ash is fragile. There is a slight spice and sweetness through the nose that makes me think of those peanut butter cups again. The as soon as the smoke hit my palate, the flavor explodes with spicy, earthy, grassy richness. The burn has also evened out.


2/3 - The second third starts off with rich tangy spice that is just fantastic, yep I think I just got giddy about this cigar <insert big smile on my face>. It is hard to pull out the exact flavors that make up the expereince, but there is a wood spice coupled with a slight chocolate and peanut sweetness that makes way for a slight lingering grassiness. The burn is has stayed pretty even and the ash seems to fall off every 1/2' or so. There is even a bit of caramel sweetness on the finish. The cigar is fabulous right now.


3/3 - The spice has settled down a bit in on the palate, but it is still part of the profile. To use a term from Coffee tasting, I would describe this cigar as bright with poignant flavors. Leather has now made itself known. The ash still seems to be weak and falls off with out much warning. Also of note, it has been pretty windy out today so I have had to do some lighter touch ups, but it didn't seem to affect the flavors or the smoking experience. There is even a bit of a metallic taste that isn't bad but rather enhances the whole complex set of flavors. This cigar continues to deliver powerful and complex flavors all the way to the bittersweet end.


Final thoughts - ...mmm....
Well that pretty much sums it up. I felt like this cigar was almost out of my league, I could pick out the flavor profiles, but there was so much complexity that I am not sure I got everything. Not that I couldn't pick out all of the flavors given more time and cigars, but rather this cigar makes me realize that I still have a lot of work to do to improve my palate. It was a flavor experience that I don't think I have ever had before in a cigar. Start to finish there was rich spice, earth, and sweetness. The only small issue was the easy draw, I would have preferred it slightly firmer. Considering how fantastic the rest of the cigar was, the draw wasn't even really a problem.


Rating: 9.9 - I don't know if I could rate a cigar higher.

[DBall]

Brutus2600 Cigar #8
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Upon initial inspection this cigar looks to be about 6 x 42. The construction is very nice, beautiful smooth wrapper, triple capped, no major veins, and as with most of Dan's other cigars, has some light plume.



Initial light 8: 25 - The prelight draw plays the taste of sweet tobacco with a hint of raisins over my tongue. It's a little tight, but as with my previous experiences, I'm not too worried because they usually open up. Having some draw problems, my first draw doesn't bring too much smoke, but the cigar is flavorful from the beginning, bringing to my attention hints of vanilla, hay, and nuts.



First Third - What smoke I can get is creamy, smooth, and flavorful. I'm getting caramel notes, along with the nutty flavors before. There is virtually no spice or pepper notes on this cigar, it's mild, smooth, and definitely has good flavor. The ash is a nice white/gray, with a very even and sharp burn line. Attempting to massage the cigar a little bit to open up the draw, I feel what appears to be a pretty significant stem that isn't visible, but you can definitely feel it. I'm worried this might be the draw problem, which means I'll have that throughout



Second Third 9:02 - I think the cigar is finally opening up, or at least is opening up enough that I don't have to draw so hard my cheeks hurt. The ash is pretty consistently dropping every 3/4"-1". I'm still getting creamy smoke, with hints of toffee thrown in there on top of the nutty flavors of before. While the good flavors in this cigar aren't screaming in my face, the whispers of toffee there, or caramel here, are really making this cigar enjoyable despite the draw issues towards the beginning. On a side note, I just purged because the cigar was getting a little bitter, and I got a HORRIBLE aroma that smelled exactly skunk. I hope that doesn't return!



Final Third 9:33 - Unfortunately I'm still getting some strong skunk overtones. Not all the time, just occasionally, which being a surprise makes it that much worse. I think it's done doing that now, but for a few minutes there it was quite unpleasant. Unfortunately, the flavor bouquet that I was enjoying so much has seem to all but have disappeared. It's not bitter, or bad flavored, but on the other hand there aren't any flavors to write home (or CA) about either. For all intents and purposes it appears this cigar has flat lined. I guess if a cigar is going to do that however, better the last part than the beginning!



Finish Time 10:05 - While the draw was an issue at the beginning, the cigar was a flavor bomb that made any draw issues immaterial. Burn was phenomenal, I didn't have to touch up or relight this cigar at all. With the draw opening up after the first third it really seemed like this cigar was going to finish strong and become a highlight of my weekend, however with the veritable spray in the face by a skunk and the subsequent disappearance of any flavor, it left me wishing I could've just smoked the first half of the cigar twice. Still, I do take into account that it WAS an enjoyable smoke at the beginning, so I can't let the final impression of the cigar sully my entire experience.

Appearance and construction: 1.2 out of 1.5 (pts off for draw issues/major stem)
Smoke and ash: 1.5 out of 1.5
Burn: 3 out of 3
Overall flavor: 2.6 out of 4 (full pts for the first 2/3rds, no pts for the final 1/3rd)

Total: 8.3 out of 10

[DBall]

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.

[DBall]

Brutus2600 Cigar #10
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This being my last cigar, I'd just like to stop and take a second to thank Dan for this amazing opportunity. I've learned so much about Habanos and more about even myself as a cigar smoker in general. So, having said that, here's my final DBall blind review...

Cigar number 10

This cigar is about 5.5 x 36, has a silky smooth wrapper with light plume on it. The construction is good, with no soft spots and no major veins.



Initial Light 1:19 - The prelight draw leaves a bouquet of flavors, leaving me tasting chocolate, coffee, and caramel. It draws a bit tight, but not overly so as some previous cigars. The initial light brings the taste of more coffee and caramel, although there is very little smoke.



First Third - This cigar is very enjoyable so far, minus the minimal draw making it hard to get any significant smoke. I'm continuing to get hints of coffee, but also a nutty aroma that's almost almond-esque. The smoke is smooth and creamy. The burn, while having started off a little crooked (probably my fault), has corrected itself almost perfectly. The ash is holding on nicely at almost one inch, and for such a small RG cigar, that's nice to see!



Second Third 1:39 - The cigar has opened up a lot more, the smoke is still creamy, and I'm still getting that nutty almond flavor, although the coffee has faded. Light cinnamon notes have started to develop, although they are very subtle. The burn has stayed consistent, ash is a beautiful gray/white, and the delicate wrapper has mostly stayed together except for a small part near the end, which I hope won't end like last time!



Final Third 1:57 - This has been a fairly consistent cigar, not too much development or decline, so I'm still enjoying the same flavors as previous. The cigar has unraveled yet, so I'm hopeful I can nub this cigar like I'm intending to! Not having smoked this cigar fast, but at a fairly relaxed rate, I'm kind of surprised that it's gone so quickly.



Finish time 2:10 - I enjoyed this cigar, but it wasn't one of my favorites of this blind review series. I'm glad it was a good cigar though, because ending with something that wasn't enjoyable would've been, well, sad, lol. Nothing about this cigar screamed "awesomeness" in my face, it was like taking a leisurely Sunday drive down a straight road, not a lot of change, but good and enjoyable nonetheless.

Appearance and construction: 1.4 out of 1.5
Smoke and ash: 1.3 out of 1.5
Burn: 2.8 out of 3
Overall flavor: 3.5 out of 4

Total: 9 out of 10

[DBall]

What they smoked:



2000 Hoyo des Dieux

jimmyk26 score: 9.9
Brutus2600 score: 8.3

Wow... what a difference in scores. These came out of the same box and were side by side.

[jimmyk26]

Yeah, there are a big differences in our reviews! What do you think about these Dan?

[DBall]

Originally Posted by jimmyk26

Yeah, there are a big differences in our reviews! What do you think about these Dan?

Well... I love the 99-01 hoyos... this one is probably my least favorite vitola, however. After your review, though, I may need to revisit it.

[jimmyk26]

Originally Posted by DBall

Well... I love the 99-01 hoyos... this one is probably my least favorite vitola, however. After your review, though, I may need to revisit it.

Awesome, my sample definitely warrants a revisit!

[Brutus2600]

Hah, I'd love to revisit this as well...I think that between draw issues and that horrid skunk smell then the flavor flatline...I don't know. I just don't feel like I smoked the same cigar Jimmy did, despite them coming from the same box.

Two more left and I'm getting pretty excited This has been a phenominal experience so far for sure.

[DBall]

Now I have to start the process of deciding if I do another round... I'm already 60 cigars in! That said, these have been some of my favorite threads... more than worth the cigars, especially with such awesome reviews.

Hell... I even learned something. The first round of newbs bombed the piss out of me... hit me with a Palio. Being a lifelong XiKar user but always wanting to try a Palio, I was stoked. Now, I find myself reaching for the Palio much more often.

Damn newbs converted me (thanks again, guys!)

[Brutus2600]

Number 9 is in! Only one more left

[DBall]

jimmyk26 Cigar #9
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Initial inspection - The first thing I notice on this cigar is the smooth oily wrapper, which is dark and shows only a few veins and dark spots. When I inspect it close up, I do notice two small tears, but I don't think that they'll be a problem. As I admire the nice sheen of the wrapper of this 5.5" x 40 cigar, I confirm that the cigar is evenly packed, has a nice box pressed shape, and is topped with a clean triple cap. The wrapper has a light cinnamon, leather and sweet tobacco smell and the foot offers up a hay and tobacco aroma. The pre light draw is a bit tight and leaves a slight dry tea flavor on the palate.


Initial puffs - Although the cigar is drawing pretty poorly, I am still getting burnt wood, dark sweet coffee, and earth.

1/3 - The cigar starts out rich and smooth with tastes of roasted barley, like the dark malts used in beer making, and dry wood. The cigar continues to suffer from a poor draw; it isn't what I would call plugged, but it is hard to pull enough smoke to get a good mouth full. As this first third progresses, the wood has really come through and brought with it a grassy twang that I am starting to recognize as a characteristic of this tasting flight. The burn line has stayed even and the ash seems to be holding well.


2/3 - As I am starting the second section the burn line has wandered a bit. I think it may be due to the first of the two small tears that I saw in the initial inspection. The flavors continue to preset rich roasted barley, wood, dry cocoa, and a slight grass. It's too bad that the draw continues to be sub par. The burn line seems to be evening out, but the ash doesn't want to hang on any more. As this section is closing out, I taste a bit of nutmeg and very slight wood spice entering the mix.


3/3 - So far this cigar has been pretty consistent with its flavors and the beginning of the final section is no different. Rich and smooth, this cigar has presented enjoyable flavors considering the tighter draw and the cracks that seem to wreck the otherwise consistent burn. I had to touch up the burn with the lighter once, but it doesn't seem to be a consistent issue. As I get in to this finals section, the cigar has picked up a tannic and vegetal flavor that I think indicates it could benefit from some more aging. The cigar also got bitter as it burned through the bigger of the two cracks, but I am attributing the bitterness to the crack no the natural flavors of the cigar. As I suspected after the cigar burned through the crack it was back to roasted barley, wood, and even some leather. As the cigar comes to a close it is presenting a pretty complex and enjoyable profile that includes the best of the first two thirds and some new tastes such as leather, nutmeg, and wood spice.


Final thoughts - Despite the poor draw, I did enjoy the rich and smooth flavors this cigar had to offer. It brought me back to my home brewing days with all of the dark roasted barley I was tasting. For those of you who haven't brewed before, the roasted barley can present a slight sweetness with coffee, chocolate, and cereal flavors. I would definitely try more of these to see if the draw issue was just an occasional issue. The end of the cigar also presented a much more complex and varied experience, I think that maybe with more age this rest of the cigar could be more like the last section.


Rating: 8.5 - Rich and smooth, this cigar did suffer from a tight draw, but that didn't take away from the nice flavors.