Robusto "A" Reviews/Discussion

[RevSmoke]

This is the place for reviews and discussion of the cigars sent to the panelists from this thread. http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showth...t=60169&page=4

Hope you enjoy.

[DaBear]

Aesthetics: 2/5
This ain't a pretty cigar by any means, lots of knots, and a couple prominent veins. The big thing is this looks like the top inch and a half of the stick was dipped in a very thin pectin. It really just does not look attractive at all, and from what I could see its the same with the other two samples. You can see the discoloration on the picture here.



Pre-light Construction: 4/5
There's a couple soft spots on the stick, but the cap comes off cleanly and the draw is good. Prelight draw gives me licorice. A light tobacco scent on the foot. The wrapper really lacks any aroma at all.

Post-light Construction/How it smoked: 3.5/5
Burn starts off a bit uneven, but its straightening itself out. Into the second third the burn just doesn't want to straighten out, but its nowhere near as bad as the D sample. One thing I do notice is it is burning real fast compared to the other two. I got about 90 minutes out of both C and D, but this one I'll feel lucky to get over 70 minutes with. The burn has found a way to straighten out luckily here at the halfway mark.

First Third: 4.5/5



Initial light greets me with graham cracker, that backs off and leaves a rosemary like spice. Its reminding me a bit of my mom's rosemary potatos(olive oil, black peper, and rosemary, plus the obvious potatos cut into roughly steak cut fries and baked in the oven). The rosemary then backs off and leaves just black pepper. Not a bad way to start at all. A light sweetness is working its way in toward the end of the first third.

Second Third: 4/5



The sweetness has stopped working its way in and the flavors seem to be settling on a peppered steak. I don't know who makes this stick, but its good. I can say for sure its not a DPG or a Jaime as the spice is very different from what I get from them. The spice changes at the halfway mark into something I can't put my finger on, but its nowhere near as good as the black pepper I was getting. Luckily that weird spice is short lived as the graham cracker works its way back in. I would say this one might be an AJ blend or possibly a Gran Habano from the profile.

Final Third: 3.5/5



Everything becomes rather subdued into the final third, with a dry earth moving its way in. The cigar is also getting a bit hot. The graham cracker is coming back yet again, though it is a bit sweeter than it had been earlier. That weird spice I got earlier is coming back into play as I get to the nub. I put it down a bit early as the stick is getting a bit too hot and harsh for me

Aftertaste/Finish: 3.7/5
The graham cracker I got on the initial light is proving quite prominent in the finish, though a little bit of the black pepper is hanging around. The black pepper becomes more prominent in the second third. The finish is just like I took a spoonful of black pepper here toward the final third. Into the final third the black pepper backs off almost completely, leaving just a light sweetness.

Aroma: 3.5/5
A bit more pungent an aroma than the C or D samples, but not off putting by any means.

General Comments:
Overall a solid stick. In the $7-$8 price range its worth the money, wouldn't go too much more than that. There was a bit of complexity to the stick but it was fairly 2 dimensional, just shifting between the graham cracker and black pepper almost the whole way through.



Overall score for the cigar: 4/5

Recommendation:
Recommend, though only for those who like a good dose of pepper.

[Jason]

Aesthetics: 3.5
good looking cigar, light med brown, silky wrapper, nice cap, probably triple but I'm half blind anymore

Pre-light Construction: 3.5
tent peg, if this was Cuban I'd be shaking in my boots but knowing it's an NC I know I can probably expect a good draw and lotta smoke from it

Post-light Construction/How it smoked: 2.9
draws well, good volume of smoke, running down one side about 3/4"

NOTES Flavor and strength – 1st 1/3:
graham cracker to the mouth, white pepper to the nose
NOTES Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3:
pepper in the nose is quite heady, forced to let more go out the mouth, I'd say full nose smoking and medium mouth
NOTES Flavor and strength – Last 1/3:
graham cracker and odd dried shellfish shell, like glucosamine
Flavor and Strength: 2.4

Aftertaste/Finish: 2
ash

Aroma: 3
NC sour, typical and pleasant enough

General Comments:
eeehhhh, 'sOK but going on the side of offensive for being boring, borderline flavor and bad finish

Overall score for the cigar: 57.6666666666667 (tally from above) 2.2 (my overall score)

Recommendation: not

[RevSmoke]

Hey Bear, thanks for the pics. It is appreciated. Gives something for people to look at.

[RevSmoke]

Panelists, go read this post in the original thread. http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showpo...0&postcount=96

Thanks.

[RevSmoke]

I wonder how these will smoke after a few days in the humidor, resting?

They were in a USPS vehicle from Tuesday 1/15 till they arrived at my place on Friday 1/18. I boxed them on Sunday, 1/20. I put them in my vehicle to mail on 1/21, and they stayed in the vehicle overnight till 1/22 in sub-zero conditions. They were then again in USPS vehicles till they arrived at your home on either 1/24 or 1/25.

These cigars have seen severe temperatures and drastic changes. Do they need some time to settle out? Would it make a difference in the taste?

I do not know, but I would like to think so.

[jjirons69]

All right - I've had two of baggie A. I'll keep the last until after the big reveal. Like I said, I have the palate of a hyena, but as always, I'll give it my best. Haven't read the other reviews posted in front of me yet, so this is totally on the fly. Hopefully I make you proud, Scott, since you got me in this. I can be your 43 year-old son.

First off, I preface by saying I smoke CCs 90% of the time. Smokes lots of NCs for the past 6 or 7 years, but within the past year or more, CCs have the flavor profile I enjoy most, plus I am afforded more skinny to smaller RG smokes that fit my time allotments. A lot of NCs are heavier and spicier than I enjoy as relaxation smokes.

I'll post both reviews and will average my scores and give a final summary. Pictures include for each event.

Cigar A #1 - Before supper, Yuengling Lager as drink, 1 and 1/2 hours, watching the History channel in the garage, supplement heat via Mr. Heater propane heater while lounging in my stadium chair. Punched cut.

Review Format
0.0 - 2.0 = poor/inferior quality
2.1 - 2.9 = fair
3.0 - 3.5 = good
3.5 - 4.5 = excellent
4.6 - 5.0 = superior

1) Aesthetics: the look of the cigar - oily, coarse, smooth, dry, light, dark, pretty, ugly, etc...
Well rolled, some veins. No so much oily, but dark, yet not maduro dark, maybe sun grown. Easy on the eyes. Nice double cap. Holds together well. One small, tiny split near the end, but nothing to really write about.

Score for aesthetics: 4.0

2) Pre-light Construction: Roll cigar between fingers - soft spots? loose? tight? dense? lightweight? Well rolled? how does it smell?
Feels dense and well rolled. According to my flavor wheel, it's sweet, barnyard, with a smell I smell frequently, but don't know how to describe it. Not tobacco-y, maybe aged grass or hay. Typical NC. Very pleasant.

Score for Pre-light construction: 4.5

3) Post-light Construction/How it smoked: Does it draw well, does smoke pull through on its own, do soft spots appear after lighting, burnes evenly? smokes hot or cool? What is ash like? color of ash? flaky or solid?
Lit well, has a great, easy draw. No soft spots, burned as even as you would want a cigar to burn. Minimal touchup throughout the entire smoke, maybe 3 or 4 because I'm OCD. Ash is whitish to light grey. Holds together for an inch or more. Never fell off, I knock it off. No hot cone after ash dump. Ash reminds me of a Nicaragua stick.

Score for post-light construction: 4.5

4a) Flavor and strength – 1st 1/3: What does it taste like? Full-bodied, med. or mild? Does it taste earthy, spicy, fruity, vegetal, sweet, rich, harsh, direct, floral, robust, woody, green (haylike), acidic, salty? Is it pleasant or unpleasant? Does it build in flavor and/or complexity as you smoke it? Is it bland, flavorful, complex? Did it get bitter?
Initial light - good tobacco flavor, little pepper on the back of the throat then an overall mouth tingle from spice. Spice is medium, not overbearing, which I can't stand. Smooth and leathery, some wood. After about 3/4" the pepper subsides. With spice gone, turns pleasant and enjoyable. Not a lot of surprises, kind of one-dimensional so far. Not hot nor bitter at all. Medium- 4.0

4b) Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3: Starting turning toward cocoa, yet not bitter. Still not hot. More sweet. Still get leather and wood. Got a little nicotine buzz, but hadn't eat in 3-4 hours. Has a short finish and flavors disappear between swallows of beer. Spice may come a go just a little every now and then. Still not complex and one-dimensional. - 4.0

4c) Flavor and strength – Last 1/3: Best part of the stick. Burning great, razor sharp. Sweet chocolate, not harsh nor bitter. Nearer the end got toffee and the last third was devoid of spice. Never got hot. Stayed medium the entire time. Last third was creamier in flavor and the finish got longer. While the flavors did change a little, they rotated around the wood, leather, cocoa circle, so it stayed pretty consistent throughout the entire stick. No nasal. Enjoyable, solid smoke. - 4.2

Score for flavor and strength: 4.1

5) Aftertaste/Finish: aftertaste is the sensation &/or flavor on you palate after each puff, not the taste left after you finish the cigar. Is it heavy - light? Spicy, cedary, fruity, bitter, hot, grassy? Mild - strong? Pleasant or not? Harsh? Initially spicy and woody. Not particularly heavy, medium to full nearer the end. Pleasant, never strong. Typically maduro-like flavors except for the occasional flare of spice. I liked it.

Score for aftertaste: 4.1

6) Aroma: What does it smell like? Good - bad? light or heavy? pervasive - mild? floral, perfumed, grassy, harsh, woodsy, overpowering, unpleasant, magnificent? Good aged hay to light barnyard smell. No perfume, no floral at all. Pleasant.

Score for aroma: 4.1

7) General Comments: Are samples consistent? Did you particlarily enjoy of with a certain food or beverage? Did they appeal more at certain time of day? Did it remind you of something? Would you buy them? Sum it up as you would to a friends ("That cigar was awesome!") and give it an overall score.
See summary

Overall score for the cigar. 25.2/30 (or 84/100 for those that like the base 10 scale)

8) Recommendation: Would you recommend the cigar? Pick one of the following and explain:
Not Recommended; Possibly Recommended; Recommended; Highly Recommended See summary

[jjirons69]

[jjirons69]

Cigar A #2 - After supper a couple of night later, Apple Pie Moonshine as drink, 1 and 1/2 hours, listening to random iPod in the garage, Reading Midnight Lunch, supplement heat via Mr. Heater propane heater while lounging in my stadium chair. Punched cut.

Review Format
0.0 - 2.0 = poor/inferior quality
2.1 - 2.9 = fair
3.0 - 3.5 = good
3.5 - 4.5 = excellent
4.6 - 5.0 = superior

1) Aesthetics: the look of the cigar - oily, coarse, smooth, dry, light, dark, pretty, ugly, etc...
A little veiny, with a couple of larger than normal veins going the length of the stick, barberpole-style. Small blemish from the band removal process, but it never frayed and smoked right through it without an issue. Not quite as solid feeling as the first, but no slouch either. Dark brown, possibly a maduro, darker than a sun grown. Hard to tell from the looks. Not dyed.

Score for aesthetics: 3.8

2) Pre-light Construction: Roll cigar between fingers - soft spots? loose? tight? dense? lightweight? Well rolled? how does it smell?
Well made. Not soft nor loose, yet not quite as dense feeling as the first one. Smelled of dry hay or horse manure, but not in a bad way, reminds of a barnyard. Pleasant in a way.

Score for Pre-light construction: 4.0

3) Post-light Construction/How it smoked: Does it draw well, does smoke pull through on its own, do soft spots appear after lighting, burnes evenly? smokes hot or cool? What is ash like? color of ash? flaky or solid?
Punched cleanly, no cracks. Looks to be double-capped. Easy draw and easy to smoke. Not much effort to get lots of smoke, just like the first one. For only sitting a few days, it was surprisingly easy to smoke. The ash again was white to like grey and was solid. Sill think here's a lot of Nicaragua in this stick. Did not flake and held it's own. Never got hot during the hour and a half smoke.

Score for post-light construction: 4.2

4a) Flavor and strength – 1st 1/3: What does it taste like? Full-bodied, med. or mild? Does it taste earthy, spicy, fruity, vegetal, sweet, rich, harsh, direct, floral, robust, woody, green (haylike), acidic, salty? Is it pleasant or unpleasant? Does it build in flavor and/or complexity as you smoke it? Is it bland, flavorful, complex? Did it get bitter?
Took the flame well and lit perfectly. Flavor wheel gives a leather, earthy, woody flavor. A little creamy. First several puffs then spice in the back of the throat then on the tongue. The APM washed it away each time. Again, just enough to get a feeling of spice without the blast that I don't enjoy. I don't like to be punched in the mouth by my smokes. After 1/2", spice dies to nothing and leather, wood, and cocoa take the wheel. - 4.0

4b) Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3: Smoking well. Burned just fine, but not quite as sharp as the first. It was still well-behaved and I only touched it up because it wanted me to. In the middle of the second half the spice comes and goes. Not a nasal smoke at all. Creamy, rich medium smoke with continued leather, wood, and cocoa. Dare say toast flavors popped in. Not overly complex, just a consistent one-trick pony, but hey, those kind of smokes are appreciated. - 4.1

4c) Flavor and strength – Last 1/3: Flavors are more creamier now. Never got hot nor bitter, even with the cocoa flavors. Spice is all but gone. Again, the finish is longer now and goes well with the APM. Warm, creamy, leather, wood, and cocoa. After a swallow of drink while reading, maybe a long finish of Cocoa Crispies or something like that. Continues to burn great and that means a lot with some of the sticks I've had. Flavors are forever hidden or trapped if the stick won't burn properly. A good smoke. - 4.2

Score for flavor and strength: 4.1

5) Aftertaste/Finish: aftertaste is the sensation &/or flavor on you palate after each puff, not the taste left after you finish the cigar. Is it heavy - light? Spicy, cedary, fruity, bitter, hot, grassy? Mild - strong? Pleasant or not? Harsh? It was medium to med-full. Spice initially for half a dozen puffs then every now and then in the middle. Mild spice, though. Maybe cedary, but the leather dominated the most of the flavors for me in the after tastes. Went well with my drink and the full stomach made it an uneventful nicotine ride. Short finish in the begin building to a longer, sweet finish at the end.

Score for aftertaste: 4.2

6) Aroma: What does it smell like? Good - bad? light or heavy? pervasive - mild? floral, perfumed, grassy, harsh, woodsy, overpowering, unpleasant, magnificent? Typical dark NC smells. The first thing that pops in my head is a barn when I smell the stick. Not grassy nor floral. Never overpowering. Very pleasant

Score for aroma: 4.1

7) General Comments: Are samples consistent? Did you particlarily enjoy of with a certain food or beverage? Did they appeal more at certain time of day? Did it remind you of something? Would you buy them? Sum it up as you would to a friends ("That cigar was awesome!") and give it an overall score.
See summary

Overall score for the cigar. 24.4/30 (or 81/100 for those that like the base 10 scale)

8) Recommendation: Would you recommend the cigar? Pick one of the following and explain:
Not Recommended; Possibly Recommended; Recommended; Highly Recommended See summary

[jjirons69]

[jjirons69]

Cigar A Summary:

Overall average score for the cigar. 24.8/30 (or 83/100 for those that like the base 10 scale)

7) General Comments: Are samples consistent? Did you particularly enjoy of with a certain food or beverage? Did they appeal more at certain time of day? Did it remind you of something? Would you buy them? Sum it up as you would to a friends ("That cigar was awesome!") and give it an overall score.
Overall a solid 8 out of a 10. It was a very good and enjoyable after dinner smoke. The ride was enjoyable and the little changes with the spice made you pay attention. Without the spice, it would have been a one-dimensional, potentially boring adventure for the die-hard NC smoker. I typically just smoke NCs during activities (golfing, fishing, etc.) where the smoking act dominates the flavor-gathering aspect of smoking. I lounge with CCs and work with NCs, so I often don't pay much attention to my workhorses. Cigar A did remind me of a Nicaraguan maduro in so many ways, i.e. ash color, leathery flavors, and spice. The flavors were balanced and enjoyable. Would I buy them? - probably if I were splitting them with buddies and got a good deal. I didn't dislike them, but I wouldn't seek them out. To one of my friends I'd say, "A great little enjoyable robusto that smokes really well."

8) Recommendation: Would you recommend the cigar? Pick one of the following and explain:
Not Recommended; Possibly Recommended; Recommended; Highly Recommended. To all my inner circle guys, I'd highly recommend. Smokeability takes this cigar to that level. It's effortless to smoke, tar doesn't ooze from the punch giving bitter lip and tongue flavors, stays lit for 5-10 minutes left unattended, burns as well as you'd want and also gives an enjoyable flavor profile, while not sucker punching you in the face.

[Jason]

Aesthetics: 2
this one's a bit ugly due to some wrapper fractures

Pre-light Construction: 2
aforementioned wrapper problems are going to give me a bit of hell I reckon, cut rough and flaked a bit. Feels well filled, even and firm otherwise

Post-light Construction/How it smoked: 3
draws nice, burns even, fracture noticed around foot and one about halfway have joined so the wrapper is split about halfway but I'm talking tender to it and it's not getting out of hand so far. second third it's becoming a bit of a mess with the wrapper, I meditate and pray consistenly as I'm really liking it and decide to not knock ash anymore as it does damage every time.

NOTES Flavor and strength – 1st 1/3:
hey hey! got an absolutely great flavor presenting here but I have to chase it a bit. A very aromatic wood note that's approaching a men's cologne kind of vibe that very pleasant but it's only there and the end of the inhale and just beginning of lettting it out the nose where it gets stamped out by a bit of a peppery bite
NOTES Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3:
the aforementioned flavor was fun to chase and sample through the first third and was consistently there in spades but in the second third it's toning down to wood, still aromatic and very pleasant. Floral note showing up on the end of exhale and briefly on the finish. Nose bite has almost entirely disappeared, very smooth and dry but still what I'd call a creamy feel (weird though as it's "dry")
NOTES Flavor and strength – Last 1/3:
got a full inch of wrapper on one side not making contact with burn so I hit it with the flame and lo and behold, stronger aromatic wood, leads me to believe this wrapper has a lot contribute, makes me wanna stamp my feet and cry a little as it's been unravelling. Getting past the wrapper issues and fully into the final third and it's still plugging away with the lovely wood, a bit of licorice and spice, maybe a white pepper coming on and a bit of bite back in the nose. Loving this smoke.
Flavor and Strength: 4.7
Flavors great and variable on the timing of their delivery made this an extremly intersting smoke! "Strength" I would say medium but flavor would be full.

Aftertaste/Finish: 4.5

Aroma: 4.3

General Comments:
While not up there with my favorite smokes ever it's just down to flavor preference. The flavors here were very very nice however, just not perfectly to my taste but very intersting and complex, a lot of variation

Overall score for the cigar. 68.3333333333333 (tally from above) 4.6 (my overall impression)

Recommendation:highly depending on consensus

[jledou]

Rubusto A review

Review Format
0.0 - 2.0 = poor/inferior quality
2.1 - 2.9 = fair
3.0 - 3.5 = good
3.5 - 4.5 = excellent
4.6 - 5.0 = superior

1) Aesthetics:
These cigars had a dry medium brown wrapper with some darker brown spots maybe water spots. This was not the most beautiful but not super rough or veiny. Marks off mostly for me based on the consistency of the color over the length of the wrapper.

Score for aesthetics: 3.5

2) Pre-light Construction:
These cigars were a little light but still mostly firm throughout without being hard. The first cigar had a couple small soft spots and the second cigar had a soft spot about the size of my finger about ⅓ of the way up from the foot. The draws were light to medium light on all three samples. Overall good construction for the most part on all three samples. Prelight draw had a light grassy smell/taste.

Score for Pre-light construction: 3.7

3) Post-light Construction/How it smoked:
All three samples smoked well, even the small soft spot did not affect the burn throughout nor did the wind affect the burn in the final two samples. All three started off cool and got warmer when they got down into the final third. Ash was not rock hard but never had any problems with a flakey ash.

Score for post-light construction: 4.0

4a) Flavor and strength – 1st 1/3:
The first third started off with a dry woody flavor and a bitter undertone. The retrohale was light and offered more of the same flavors. I would put these at a mild to medium bodied cigar.

4b) Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3:
The flavors on all three cigars would transition into a cedary taste and the bitterness would move to the aftertaste as if moved into the 2nd 3rd. On the third sample there was a small hint of creamyness in the background.

4c) Flavor and strength – Last 1/3:
The final third became hotter on all three samples. In the first sample I had a lingering hint of a sweatness and some earthy background but never a pronounced note. Cedar and bitter flavors continued in the final third.

Score for flavor and strength: 3.0

5) Aftertaste/Finish:
The aftertaste was not strong or overpowering in these but I could not get paste the bitterness of the aftertaste. I normally get this from a type(s) of Dominican tobacco.

Score for aftertaste: 2.5

6) Aroma:
Aroma is the hardest category for me because I shut down on room aroma as I smoke a cigar. The little that I got from this was a woody tobacco smell that was light and not over powering for me.

Score for aroma: 3.5

7) General Comments:
The bitterness for me was to much to overcome on this cigar. I felt overall it was a good cigar I just know that I get that bitterness from certain tobaccos and can’t get past it. The flavor profile kept making think of the Leon Jimenes or something similar.


Overall score for the cigar. 3.2

8) Recommendation:
For me I would not recommend these to most unless I knew someone prefered a Dominican blend without the spicy character.


More info on the cigars:

Smoking times:
1 - 55 min
2 - 45 min (wind aided)
3 - 35 min (sever wind aide) - interestingly enough the burn was not any hotter on this one when compared to the others

Beverage: flavors stayed consistent with both the beer and water
1&2 - water
3 - Miller light

Pictures
1:

2:

3:

[Jason]

Overall

Realized I forgot the sign-off at the end of the "A" review so I'm end to tie a bow on it.

I was neutral on one, high on the other and the third I smoked without thinking too much about it, but enjoyed it. I'd possibly recommend this cigar based on samples 2 and 3, I'd definitely give it another shot once I found out what it was. Smoke #2 of this batch was memorable, an honor shared with only one other sample of the lot (D1) to my tastes.

I thank the honorable Reverend for the opportunity to sample some cigars I don't normally smoke and for enforced deep reflection, always good to stop and smell the roses

[shilala]

Well done, guys.
I'm finally getting caught up reading these, and you're making me a proud papa, Jamie.

[Weelok]

Blind Cigar A Review
Review Format
0.0 - 2.0 = poor/inferior quality
2.1 - 2.9 = fair
3.0 - 3.5 = good
3.5 - 4.5 = excellent
4.6 - 5.0 = superior

1) Aesthetics

Comments: This cigar has an oily, bumpy wrapper with small veins. The color of the wrapper is a dark brown. It’s not the prettiest of cigars in general.



Score for aesthetics: 2.5

2) Pre-light Construction:

Comments: A few soft spots at the foot but nothing that concerns me. As I smell the foot, I detect a very light smell of cedar but not an overly strong smell to this cigar. The wrapper is a bit thin and on one of the cigars the wrapper was peeling a bit where the band had been pulled off. It looks more like the band had been adhering to the wrapper and not nicked while being removed. I flicked off some of the stray pieces and it doesn’t look like it will affect the burn at all.

Score for Pre-light construction: 2.0

3) Post-light Construction/How it smoked:

Comments: This cigar has an easy draw with a fairly even burn. The smoke is cool while the ash is a consistent gray color that holds together well.

Score for post-light construction: 4.5

4a) Flavor and strength – 1st 1/3:

Comments: This cigar has plenty of smoke and the taste is of sweet cedar with a bit of light pepper. As the cigar progresses through the first third, some leather creeps up. The body is in the low end of medium. The sweetness on the cigar reminds me of a broadleaf maduro but is not overly sweet and sits in the pleasant category.

4b) Flavor and strength – 2nd 1/3:

Comments: As I enter the 2nd 1/3, the body of the cigar picks up a bit but the cigar only hits medium body. The flavor profile is of sweet cedar with leather and a bit of red pepper. As the cigar progresses through the 2nd 1/3, some earthy tobacco flavors pop up.

4c) Flavor and strength – Last 1/3:

Comments: The last third moves the cigar into the upper end of medium but that’s as much body as the cigar achieves. The flavor settles into a sweet cedar with leather, a bit of red pepper, and some basic earthy richness.

Score for flavor and strength: 4.6



5) Aftertaste/Finish:

Comments: This cigar evolved as it progressed. The first third the finish was short and tasted of sweet cedar with a bit of pepper. The second third the length of the finish increased and was a mixture of sweet leather. The last third the finish lengthened and became quite long to the point that it stayed on into the next draw. The taste of the finish was cedar, leather and earthy tobacco ending with a pepper zing.

Score for aftertaste: 4.5

6) Aroma:

Comments: The aroma is sweet cedar and general tobacco. Pretty light an inoffensive. My nose does tingle a bit and want to sneeze if I breath the wafting smoke from the foot.

Score for aroma: 4.5

7) General Comments:

Comments: This was a fantastic cigar. I enjoyed the progression and the flavor profile was right where I tend to like a cigar. There was a great balance of flavors and a nice mouth finish.

Overall score for the cigar. 4.7

8) Recommendation: Highly Recommended

Comments: This cigar is the best of the batch for my flavor profile. I would prefer this cigar in a toro size as I’d like more time in the last 2/3’s of the cigar. As it was, the robust was a 60 minute smoke which is about right for a robust size in my opinion. It’s hard for me to say what this cigar reminds me off as nothing really sprang to mind. It’s been a while since I’ve smoked an Avo Maduro but that is what comes to mind as I smoked this cigar. The wrapper is a bit thin so I don’t think it’s a Connecticut broadleaf as a wrapper. Perhaps this cigar has a Connecticut broadleaf binder and the wrapper is a habano? I’m obviously guessing but this cigar isn’t one I generally smoke so a little out of my realm of experience.

[RevSmoke]

With 4 reviewers done, and not knowing where the last reviewer is, it is time for the great unveiling and my review. I couldn't do mine blind, but here it is.

Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente – Sun Grown
4 1/2 x 50 Rothschild
0.0 - 2.0 = poor/inferior quality
2.1 - 2.9 = fair
3.0 - 3.5 = good
3.5 - 4.5 = excellent
4.6 - 5.0 = superior

1) Aesthetics: A sort of pecan colored wrapper with slight veins and a bit of oil, a decent looking cigar.

Score for aesthetics: 4.3

2) Pre-light Construction: Well-rolled, no soft spots. (As I took these out of cellophane and removed the bands, this is the one cigar that had many of the bands sloppily applied, often with some of the glue adhered to the cigar. If it had been begun to be smoked with the bands still attached, they would have loosened with the heat and not been a problem.)
Score for Pre-light construction: 4.5 (but subtract one for band attachment)

3) Post-light Construction/How it smoked: These burn evenly and draw fairly easily. It produced a solid white/grey ash that needs to be coaxed off at about an inch and a half.

Score for post-light construction: 4.8

4a) Flavor and strength: I don’t do 1/3s. I love these. It begins with cedar, spicy, sweet caramel. It develops some white pepper, is fairly complex, but it is more medium bodied, but the flavors are very rich. I like these as a morning smoke, great with a cup of coffee. While it remains fairly consistent throughout, the early flavors remain the same taking prominence and fading back, a very nice interplay of complexity.
Score for flavor and strength: 4.8

5) Aftertaste/Finish: Again the cedar and caramel seem most prominent. They linger ephemerally for a bit and then fade.

Score for aftertaste: 4.6

6) Aroma: Love the room note of this smoke, very sweet with hints of cedar and coffee.

Score for aroma: 4.8

7) General Comments: Except for the bands giving me issues, this is a great smoke. It isn’t a powerhouse, but very nice.

Overall score for the cigar. 4.6

8) Recommendation: A few of these can usually be found in my humidor, a great smoke for a beginner or in the morning.

[RevSmoke]

Originally Posted by RevSmoke

With 4 reviewers done, and not knowing where the last reviewer is, it is time for the great unveiling and my review. I couldn't do mine blind, but here it is.

Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente – Sun Grown
4 1/2 x 50 Rothschild
0.0 - 2.0 = poor/inferior quality
2.1 - 2.9 = fair
3.0 - 3.5 = good
3.5 - 4.5 = excellent
4.6 - 5.0 = superior

1) Aesthetics: A sort of pecan colored wrapper with slight veins and a bit of oil, a decent looking cigar.

Score for aesthetics: 4.3

2) Pre-light Construction: Well-rolled, no soft spots. (As I took these out of cellophane and removed the bands, this is the one cigar that had many of the bands sloppily applied, often with some of the glue adhered to the cigar. If it had been begun to be smoked with the bands still attached, they would have loosened with the heat and not been a problem.)
Score for Pre-light construction: 4.5 (but subtract one for band attachment)

3) Post-light Construction/How it smoked: These burn evenly and draw fairly easily. It produced a solid white/grey ash that needs to be coaxed off at about an inch and a half.

Score for post-light construction: 4.8

4a) Flavor and strength: I don’t do 1/3s. I love these. It begins with cedar, spicy, sweet caramel. It develops some white pepper, is fairly complex, but it is more medium bodied, but the flavors are very rich. I like these as a morning smoke, great with a cup of coffee. While it remains fairly consistent throughout, the early flavors remain the same taking prominence and fading back, a very nice interplay of complexity.
Score for flavor and strength: 4.8

5) Aftertaste/Finish: Again the cedar and caramel seem most prominent. They linger ephemerally for a bit and then fade.

Score for aftertaste: 4.6

6) Aroma: Love the room note of this smoke, very sweet with hints of cedar and coffee.

Score for aroma: 4.8

7) General Comments: Except for the bands giving me issues, this is a great smoke. It isn’t a powerhouse, but very nice.

Overall score for the cigar. 4.6

8) Recommendation: A few of these can usually be found in my humidor, a great smoke for a beginner or in the morning.

Yes, I do recommend them - highly.

[DaBear]

Whelp, that explains the weird spice I kept getting, I've always found Fuente's sungrown wrapper to have an odd twang to it. Not a bad thing necessarily, just different

[Jason]

this review tickles me a little, after I finished these reviews I purchased some fuente sungrowns, remembering I used to love them and thinking these may have been them, or at least something that reminded me of them. Nice to find an old reliable that I still like! Not as consistent as I'd wish for stick to stick but that is nothing unusual in my opinion, one of my cigar peeves