Madurolover's Great Blind Tasting

bobarian · 12-07-2008, 12:36 AM

Decided to dual post this as most of my friends are now interred here in the nut house. If I am going to look foolish doing blind tasting's, it might as well be here with my buds!

Received my smokes for the Blind Tasting earlier in the week. Decided to start this evening. As this is a blind tasting, I reached into the bag and grabbed my first stick without looking. #6 is what came out!

A nice approx 6x40/42 long corona. Light colored wrapper, Colorado or Habano seed is my guess. Cut with the Palio and draw was quite tight, so I shaved a bit more off. Still tight but not plugged. Not much from the prelight draw, so I toasted the foot and away we go!

Tight draw made it difficult to place flavors at first. But it did have the smoothness of a CC. Luckily my Henry's Tools are always at the ready and once again they saved a tight stick. After about an inch it opened up to some nice toasty bread flavors. Still very smooth, so I am going to guess this one has some age. Not the fresh grassy/hay flavor of a fresh Cuban. This was a very good smoke. Halfway, the toasted bread flavor picked up intensity. At first I am thinking Hoyo(I had a Hoyo Churchill earlier today), this had similar but more complex flavors. Same size as the Hoyo des Dieux I smoked last night, but that was fresh off the truck. This tasted different from the des Dieux. Smoother and toastier. More like the Punch Corona I had earlier in the week. Not as strong as an RS12, but smoother than the ones I have had recently. Last third was just as good as the first 2/3rd's. Not as strong as a Partagas or Boli, this was more Upmann/Punchy. As I dont have much experience with Upmann's, I will go with a well aged Punch. Thanks for the fantastic smoke, Donnie!

bobarian · 12-09-2008, 02:14 AM

As promised the second cigar was fired up this evening. Blindly pulled #5 out of the bag, a nice approx 4 3/4 x 50 robusto. Dark natural wrapper, had one minor vein running the length of the cigar. Perfect prelight draw with just a bit of resistance. A bit of sweetness came through prelight.

At first I was thinking Pepin based upon the wrapper and construction. But when I fired it up none of the Pepin spice and pepper was noticed. Nice toasty flavors, but I am having trouble placing any specific flavors. My palate may be a bit shot after yesterday's herf. Ash was more gray than the white I usually find in a Nic puro and this was too smooth to be Nic. Not the heaviness of a Honduran either. Did I pull another Cuban? As the cigar progressed through the first half, the nice toasty flavor continued. Too full bodied for a Dominican, so I am solidifying my guess as Cuban. It didnt have the layers of gray and white that I usually get from a Partagas or Boli and it was not quite as full as I usually find those marca's. It's the semi large vein that has me puzzled. But the toasty flavors and smoothness on the nose exhale that has me convinced it is from my favorite island in the Caribbean.

Second half continued with large amounts of nicely aromatic smoke. Still just tasting toasty goodness. No harshness or off flavors. This was a very good cigar. The dark wrapper and vein are making me wonder which marca this could be. The toasty flavors remind me of VR, but I dont think so because of the wrapper. My guess is this is a Juan Lopez #2. Another fine cigar, I can only hope the remaining sticks are as good as the first two I have smoked.

12-07-2008, 12:36 AM	#1
bobarian Cranky Habanophile Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Wine Country Posts: 8,869 Trading: (51)	Madurolover's Great Blind Tasting Decided to dual post this as most of my friends are now interred here in the nut house. If I am going to look foolish doing blind tasting's, it might as well be here with my buds! Received my smokes for the Blind Tasting earlier in the week. Decided to start this evening. As this is a blind tasting, I reached into the bag and grabbed my first stick without looking. #6 is what came out! A nice approx 6x40/42 long corona. Light colored wrapper, Colorado or Habano seed is my guess. Cut with the Palio and draw was quite tight, so I shaved a bit more off. Still tight but not plugged. Not much from the prelight draw, so I toasted the foot and away we go! Tight draw made it difficult to place flavors at first. But it did have the smoothness of a CC. Luckily my Henry's Tools are always at the ready and once again they saved a tight stick. After about an inch it opened up to some nice toasty bread flavors. Still very smooth, so I am going to guess this one has some age. Not the fresh grassy/hay flavor of a fresh Cuban. This was a very good smoke. Halfway, the toasted bread flavor picked up intensity. At first I am thinking Hoyo(I had a Hoyo Churchill earlier today), this had similar but more complex flavors. Same size as the Hoyo des Dieux I smoked last night, but that was fresh off the truck. This tasted different from the des Dieux. Smoother and toastier. More like the Punch Corona I had earlier in the week. Not as strong as an RS12, but smoother than the ones I have had recently. Last third was just as good as the first 2/3rd's. Not as strong as a Partagas or Boli, this was more Upmann/Punchy. As I dont have much experience with Upmann's, I will go with a well aged Punch. Thanks for the fantastic smoke, Donnie!

12-09-2008, 02:14 AM	#2
bobarian Cranky Habanophile Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Wine Country Posts: 8,869 Trading: (51)	Re: Madurolover's Great Blind Tasting As promised the second cigar was fired up this evening. Blindly pulled #5 out of the bag, a nice approx 4 3/4 x 50 robusto. Dark natural wrapper, had one minor vein running the length of the cigar. Perfect prelight draw with just a bit of resistance. A bit of sweetness came through prelight. At first I was thinking Pepin based upon the wrapper and construction. But when I fired it up none of the Pepin spice and pepper was noticed. Nice toasty flavors, but I am having trouble placing any specific flavors. My palate may be a bit shot after yesterday's herf. Ash was more gray than the white I usually find in a Nic puro and this was too smooth to be Nic. Not the heaviness of a Honduran either. Did I pull another Cuban? As the cigar progressed through the first half, the nice toasty flavor continued. Too full bodied for a Dominican, so I am solidifying my guess as Cuban. It didnt have the layers of gray and white that I usually get from a Partagas or Boli and it was not quite as full as I usually find those marca's. It's the semi large vein that has me puzzled. But the toasty flavors and smoothness on the nose exhale that has me convinced it is from my favorite island in the Caribbean. Second half continued with large amounts of nicely aromatic smoke. Still just tasting toasty goodness. No harshness or off flavors. This was a very good cigar. The dark wrapper and vein are making me wonder which marca this could be. The toasty flavors remind me of VR, but I dont think so because of the wrapper. My guess is this is a Juan Lopez #2. Another fine cigar, I can only hope the remaining sticks are as good as the first two I have smoked.