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

[DBall]

Ripplingh2o Cigar #4
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Initial Observations - A 6 1/2" x 43RG, Maduro wrapper (IDK, maybe) cigar of the Lonsdale category. Seems tightly packed, with a very slight toothy texture to the wrapper. Looks like a very small, single cap. I will straight cut the head and assume most of the cap will be gone. Hope it won't cause any unraveling issues. As for precut aroma...forget it, my smeller fails (again). I read somewhere your sense of smell & taste wane in your "senior years". But alas, the Mrs. even remarked, "I smell nothing, nothing at all". Pairing with my morning coffee. Toasting now begins at 8:00 a.m.

First 1/3 - Minimal smoke output compared to the previous 3 cigars. Maybe the cigar's length has something to do with how much draw is required for a mouthful of smoke. Even though the draw isn't tight it seems I have to pull a long time to develop a full puff. Burn and ash however are excellent. I printed a Cigar Flavor Wheel to aid me in ID'ing notes and nuances. But for now, it won't provide any help. I'm afraid if I don't continue to sip this cigar that it may go out. Just a very light, wide open draw producing minimal smoke, which is confusing considering it's so densely packed. But the burn continues to be flawless.

Second 1/3 - As feared, the wrapper just below where the cap was, is showing signs of wanting to unravel. Smoke output continues to be light and lackluster. Just not much to expand upon. This is the lightest, weakest cigar I have ever smoked, void of flavor or strength.

Final 1/3 - Hoping for a positive transition of some sorts, but not overly optimistic. Smoke output has improved as I ventured into this final third. I can now take a steady draw and receive a mouthful of smoke. Other than that, nothing else to report. Halfway into this final third the wrapper seriously began to unravel to the point where I just took it off. I was surprised how tissue thin this single layer wrapper was. I continued to smoke the stick down to the nub without further issue. At least it never got hot or ammonia tasting.

Overall thoughts - This cigar basically had no cap because after a very minimal straight cut, it was gone. I found it blasé and lacked anything I look for in a premium cigar. Draw and smoke output were both whisper light for 3/4 of the cigar. Flavor, body, & strength were, to a relative degree, nonexistent. Unfortunately, I found nothing noteworthy about this cigar with the exception of a perfect burn and ash. All in all I can't say it was a bad cigar, it just didn't have any exceptional qualities.

Smoke time: 1 hour. Overall rating: 3 for a razor sharp burn and 2 for a solid ash. So that equals 5.0. On to cigar #5 (knowing it'll be significantly better).

[DBall]

What they smoked:
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1996 Arturo Fuente Seleccion Privada #1 (NC)

AdamJosua Rating: 6.2/10

Ripplingh20 Rating: 5/10

Dammit Adam, you made me do math... 5/10, 5/10, 8.5/10 = 6.2/10

This cigar here is the reason that I changed from having the cigars in 5 finger bags to single bags. The scent of these cigars are very pronounced (at least when I packed them up).

I am really shocked at the difference in flavors, however, I find that many of the vintage NCs I've had share the whole lack-of-flavor thing that Robb pointed out.

I threw one of these blind into a couple different PPP's and got mixed reviews there, as well.

At least you can say you've had a 20 year old NC now...

[DBall]

Onto the final cigar! Any thoughts about this now that you know what it is? Any commentary from the peanut gallery? I'm not used to so little banner on these threads!

[AdamJoshua]

I'm surprised it was so weak, specially that particular maker, even past the the damaged spot when the smoked picked up it was pretty mellow, I don't think I've ever smoked an AF before, I wonder if it's the age that mellowed it or if they used to be a milder stick to start with and only recently they turned into flavor / pepper bombs. Edit: It's interesting that with so little smoke and pow that I got that nicotine stomach going, surprising also because I do smoke 3 or so sticks a day, that stick left me wanting though, so I just fired up an A. Martinez custom lonsdale

Some moving picture fun...

http://vid1093.photobucket.com/album...e/IMG_3371.mp4

[Ripplingh2o]

Originally Posted by DBall

Onto the final cigar! Any thoughts about this now that you know what it is? Any commentary from the peanut gallery? I'm not used to so little banner on these threads!

From my perspective, I was surprised it was a 20 year old AF. I was guessing it was something acquired from Dollar General just to keep us honest.

[Porch Dweller]

Wow, I wouldn't have thought the flavors would have faded so much. Twenty years IS a long time, though.

Good reviews, men! I'm sorry to see you're up to #5 already, as I'm enjoying reading these.

[stearns]

Very interesting, I'm glad that was in there, the reviews are pretty consistent with what I've experienced smoking old AFs. Unless they started out on the strong end of the spectrum, they seem to always lose their kick a little faster than I expected, granted I don't think I've smoked any that are 20 years old but I've definitely dabbled in the 10-15 year range. I always wanted them to be something super special, but it always came out muted. I do have a few Fuentes left from the early 90's, none of the seleccion privadas but there are a few ones buried, I'll try to remember to post up a review whenever I get around to smoking them.

Looking forward to the last review

[Weelok]

Great reviews. On the topic of the AF 20 year old cigar, I wonder what it was like ROTT? Wasn't 1996 during the cigar boom era and that may have had an effect on the tobacco used perhaps? I didn't start smoking cigars until 2005 so that cigar pre-dates my experiences by almost a decade!

[AdamJoshua]

Mirroring what people have said, I again was surprised by the lack of strength and just attributed most of it to my patch job, which I suppose was way better than I assumed.

The second thing is when I see people buying these aged AFs at a premium I really question them, it's not like buying an old Davi or well most vintage CCs

[DBall]

Originally Posted by AdamJoshua

Mirroring what people have said, I again was surprised by the lack of strength and just attributed most of it to my patch job, which I suppose was way better than I assumed.

The second thing is when I see people buying these aged AFs at a premium I really question them, it's not like buying an old Davi or well most vintage CCs

Yeah, these weren't bought at a premium by any stretch of the word (probably not far off from the price of a recent box), but they are from someone I trust and am certain enough of the provenance to have put them in this test. I just thought it would be a fun box to have and throw in things like this or PPPs...

[AdamJoshua]

Well I definitely appreciate the chance to try one. Something you hear about but wouldn't purchase on my own, so no matter what it was a win.

[Ripplingh2o]

Couldn't wait any longer, had to fire up #5. PM'd the review to Dan.

[DBall]

...and now it is on Adam to conclude this 6th installment!

[AdamJoshua]

Visiting my dad in the hospital and meeting up with my brother in AZ so it's going to be another day but seeing as how far ahead of schedule y'all can just deal with it.

[DBall]

Originally Posted by AdamJoshua

Visiting my dad in the hospital and meeting up with my brother in AZ so it's going to be another day but seeing as how far ahead of schedule y'all can just deal with it.

Hahaha... yeah, Robb is moving at a furious pace here but no worries from my side... you are well within the 1/week recommendation.

Hope all is well with your dad, man!

[DBall]

AdamJoshua Cigar #5
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Fifth and final.

Ok so let's see what we have here, looks like it has quite the box press going and about 13.5 cm and a I'm guessing a 42 ring gauge if still rounded. Going to say this is a corona.

No real veins and a nice milk chocolate wrapper, more of a dry sheen rather than oily, as well as a small triple cap, which begs the question of why I wasn't looking for that before, do'h.

I get a strong "fish tank" note on the dry draw, which is snug but by no means too tight.

First Third : Staring out very muted with some cedar and wood shavings notes, with a hint of spice but not a pepper, more of a cinnamon. Nice even burn at this point. I keep expecting some sweetness from this stick, it reminds me of others and I think that's why I am having expectations which I usually don't have, there is a familiarity here. Taking little sips you get much more of the cedar, right off the bat I can tell you there is a more pronounced and friendly set of notes with tiny little sips over those long pulls. ....phrasing. With small sips I can almost pull out some caramel notes... For some reason I find this intriguing.

Half way through the first third and still a good sharp burn, I'm actually more concerned with why there is so much Metallica in my Foo Fighters inspired music stream.

I've noticed that it's a dry smoke, I would be interested to know if that resonates with anyone else, some cigars have that thick creamy smoke that coats your mout, this is opposite of that, even on longer draws with a lot of smoke it's a dry smoke and brings me right back to cinnamon or maybe an allspice but very light.

Second Third : Really trying to enjoy this smoke, trying to turn my brain off and live in the moment, with life's spiral, work, sister and now dad just trying to zone in on this stick and out on everything else. I have a feeling that for someone used to big in your face sticks this would come off as a bit "woody and bland", yet if you take your time with it it's a nice mellow and enjoyable stick, if this falls into that $4 a stick range sign me up for a couple dozen boxes stat.

Final Third : Started a cup of coffee at this point and its overpowering the stick, time for larger pulls and on those pulls picking up a lot of wood and ......something. Still a nice sharp burn, the wood is definite and its oak and cedar, still no sweetness to me, I was hoping the coffee would open that up but there just isn't any that I can identify. I think that something that keep coming across is moss, I don't want to talk myself into anything but it's definite there.

With about an inch to go, three inches if there are any ladies out there ready this, it's finishing up with that earthy / woody strength. Yup I think for review purposes coffee was a miscalculation for the most part, yet for the finish it's working out well. There is actually a touch of pepper on the snork now, just a tickle but it's recognizable, like Benicio Del Toro in a lineup. I also notice no "taste" on the lips, where as at times you get a sweetness or saltiness, really quite plain in that aspect.

Final Thoughts : While not a super distinctive smoke to me I found it enjoyable and not ....hmm... That doesn't stand out, I would say this is my favorite of the 5, this bends the line between "just a smoke" and something that that I could see inserting into my rotation with no problem. Starting to pick up a bit of tar at the end but not notice in the smoke or enough to stain my fingers.

I'd like to thank Dan for the opportunity to show what a noob I am and to try a few smokes that I would have experienced with his generosity. At 2 or 3 a week I don't think 10 would be an issue and again this makes me think I need to be writing more reviews and enjoying my cigars that much more. Thank you again for your generosity and hopefully I'll get to thank you in person one of these days, maybe SoCal next year

Final rating 7 out of 10.

[DBall]

Ripplingh2o Cigar #5
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Back to a Corona style 5 1/2 x 42RG medium brown (EMS?) wrapper. Tightly packed, double cap, nice satin finish. Just looks and feels like a quality stick. Precut aroma lends itself to subtle hints of caramel, chocolate, or cocoa (I'm really trying inmates, this is my last chance). Made a nice V-cut & toasted at 9:00 a.m. along with a second cup of coffee.

First 1/3- Right out of the gate, I am confident to say we'll be concluding this 5-cigar blind taste test with the best or second best stick of the lot. Draw is superb with lots of rich, creamy smoke. With the aid of my Cigar Flavor Wheel, my palate is leaning towards toasted almonds or warm buttery toast (as the crowd goes wild). Medium to full bodied richness void of any spice or peppery notes even thru a slow retrohale. Another perfect burn and perfect ash.

Second 1/3 - Continue to taste a nutty nuance but there seems to be a transition forthcoming as a slight tingle remains on the finish from time to time. For sure, my Connecticuts pale in comparison to this fine cigar.
Call me crazy, but I'm getting tastes of spicy peanut butter (but then I've never had spicy peanut butter before either). The spicy note isn't overpowering, yet it's definitely there. Maybe that's what "white pepper" is all about. I hear that a lot.

Final third - This delectable cigar has become my favorite of the lot. Medium to full bodied, creamy rich smoke, superb draw, razor sharp burn, and full of flavor. The nuttiness has been replaced by a smooth molasses note (see, I'm referring to my Flavor Wheel). This is simply a damn good cigar emboldened with richness which, in its entirety, electrified my palate; I hated to see it go out. I await with baited breath to learn the name of this premium stogie.

Smoke time: 55 minutes. In conclusion then, it comes as no surprise that I'll rate this stick a solid 9.5. Naturally, leaving room for that cigar from Heaven's humidor. Kudos and many thanks to Dan for this most memorable experiment. I hope my fellow inmates have enjoyed my reviews; I tried, with my minimal, Newb experience to provide an honest, entertaining interpretation of my taste-testing adventures. Regards and thanks for permitting me to share my humble opinions and thoughts. Now I'm off to shop around for a larger humidor. Seems the "addiction" isn't the smoking...it's possibly the buying or "winning".

[DBall]

What they smoked
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Early 1980's Romeo y Julieta Corona (En Cello)

AdamJoshua rating: 7/10

Ripplingh20 rating: 9.5/10

First off, I'm super happy I got to do this and especially with you two... great sports and an awesome group of reviews. Congrats, guys, and thanks for playing along!

Now, on to this cigar. Honestly, I've smoked a few of these and my sentiments were pretty much perfectly summed up by Robb's review. I get those flavors, those nuances... I just LOVE this cigar... old RyJ's are just beautiful.

Most times these are reserved for Puff Puff Passes, but I was really hoping to get some unbiased reviews on this cigar I so adore. Adam, sorry you have so much going on with life, man... I've smoked some great cigars in stressful/shi##y times and the magic was just lost on me, too. It certainly doesn't fall into the $4 a stick category, though, Adam... sorry about that.

Thanks again for completing this and now that you know that you smoked a 35ish year old handmade cuban cigar protected by cello against the elements from a box that was factory sealed until about 5 months ago, what do you think?

[AdamJoshua]

Ok I'll give you $5 a stick but for that you have to throw in some stickers and a copy of the newsletter!

On a serious note, I probably should have held off on the review but did want something different to do and not just sit around. It is kind of a neat in a way to see how outside influences affect you when you smoke, I never really thought of it before so that was at least something to take a way, save your good sticks for when you are in a good place, mentally at least.

Thanks again, Dan!

[croatan]

Very fun thread. Good job Dan, Adam, and Robb!