Blind Cigar Review Thread #2

[Kingantz]

I got home from work at a reasonable hour today so I decided it was time set fire to the cigar I got from Kingantz in the Blind Cigar pass. This was a classic robusto size, 5" by what appears to be 50 ring gauge. The wrapper was a darkish brown without too many veins. Preconceptions abound on this cigar and it only made things more difficult for me. Since Greg sent it, I was reasonably sure it was from the ISOM. As soon as I lit it, I felt reasonably sure I could rule out the Habano theory, though. First couple draws were pretty smooth, not harsh at all. My immediate thought was that it was an Illusione 88, but those are 5x52 and I didn't think this cigar was that big. Easy to exhale nasally. It didn't taste like a Fuente to me and I didn't detect the initial Pepin spice blast, so I was a bit stumped. It seemed to leave almost a sweet taste behind. I enjoyed it down to the last inch. My thought was that it could be a Liga Privada robusto and that's what I settled on.


I was wrong. It was a Padilla '68 robusto. Interesting too, because when Jeff, Greg and I were going a GB for the Cohiba Genios, they wanted to do the Padilla '68s as well and I passed because I didn't really care for them when I last smoked them. Shows how smoking blind can fake you out!!!

I have to tell ya, I've smoked a few of these so far and they are downright delicious cigars IMHO. I was very curious to see how you'd like it. Glad you enjoyed it my friend!

 

[NASTY]

What you expect me to be in my fire escape like Nasty :whistling:

LMAO! :laugh: Now that was funny right dere!

Don't be co-signing those dry jokes, Greg

 

[BigJake6904]

Sorry guys, my camera isn't working atm. This is the bandless cigar received from GregSVT...

Pre-light: The cigar has a nice solid construction. It's pre-light draws remind me of a nice cocoa and dark columbian coffee. The draw is perfect, not too tight, and not too loose. It has a very dark, oily wrapper.

First Third: Immediately there was loads of spice with a heavy and rich cocoa flavor. The burn is even, and the ash has a nice medium gray color.

Second Third: This cigar is extremely complex, and seems to mellow out the longer it is smoked. My pre-light assumptions seemed to be spot on, as this is definitely reminding me of a dark, rich and fresh coffee...with hints of cocoa and a mild spice.

Final Third: The complexity here is one like I havent experienced; full bodied and spicy to mellow, and then mellow to potent. The cigar has only ashed 4 times, and the construction is still spot on.

Conclusion: Overall this was a decent cigar. Yes, it was pretty complex. The construction was spot on...but I think with a little age would do this cigar well. It's definitely not an ISOM....though I'm a bit confused as to what it could be.


RESULT: "Greycliff 1666 with a year of age"

Thanks Greg! :thumbs:

 

[GregSVT]

LOL I was hoping to confuse you with this cigar as it's the same size as an Anejo 48 and an SW Maduro so I was hoping you would confuse it with one of those but looks like you didn't fall for that. I didn't like these when I first bought them but after a year they have become outstanding smokes. Since you can pick them up from cbid or CI for pretty cheap I will definitely be getting more soon. Glad you enjoyed it. :thumbs:

I've been meaning to review my blind stick but it's been rainy or hot as hell here so I hope to get to it soon.

 

[b.dawgson]

For the record, this is my first official written review. Hopefully you all enjoy it!


So after a rather long and boring Saturday morning, I finally decided to tap into a great looking cigar received from Greggj77. The stick appears to be a robusto type size. I didn't measure it like a dummy but I'd guess it to be around 5 or 5.5 inches and about 50RG. Sitting outside in my swing I kick back and listen to the birds chirp while watching the family of young squirrels frolic in my trees. It's a bit overcast with a humid 88 degrees tipping the thermometer. The scent of my neighbors fresh cut grass fills the air and I'm ready to have a cigar!


Pre-Light:

This cigar has a cedar sheath with a black nylon foot band. I saw a very similar cigar at the Tinderbox last Tuesday but more on that later.
Construction looks really good. Darker colored wrapper with minimal tooth. Very thin veins running throughout. I did notice a small crack in the wrapper right up the foot for about 3/4" (You can see it in the picture below). The bunch looks good and full and there is very little give when squeezed gently. As you can see in one of the following pictures, the cap looks like it's positioned off center creating a crooked spot to cut on. No big deal IMO.

I decided to go ahead and make my cut a little wonky in attempt to prevent unraveling. Pulled my Xikar and Ronson $3 lighter out of my pocket and got to work cutting and lighting. After cutting, the cold draw produced no noticeable flavors but the aroma from the wrapper and the foot was that of tobacco and slight barnyard hints. The foot was easily toasted despite not being able to see the flame due to it being daylight (I prefer lighting in dimmer light).

First Third:
After toasting and getting the foot going, I see the split in the wrapper growing from the heat I assume. I also see another crack in the wrapper about midway on the cigar. Hopefully the cracks won't inhibit the cigar enjoyment.

Right off the bat I noticed an immediate faint sweetness on the lips and a bit of caramel on the sides of the tongue. The burn line is probably the thinnest burn line I've ever seen on a cigar - not saying much as I've not had that many. The ash is pretty much bright white the first half inch and has a few very very small black dots in it. About an inch into the cigar the sweetness subsides and a woody taste with a hint of light peppery spice begins to take the scene. The peppery notes become rather pronounced when pushed through the sinuses but not unbearable. Right at the end of the first third, the ash falls revealing a nice cone shaped cherry indicating a nice burn.

Second Third:
Burn still remains pretty thin and although gets a bit strange at times, doesn't require any torching to correct. Every few minutes, the wobbles in the burn line seem to straighten out on their own, I don't usually worry too much about the burn. As soon as I declared in my head that I was in the second third of the stick, I got a mocha tinted coffee bean flavor that quickly subsided and returned to the mildly spicy tastes. The body almost picked up to a medium and the peppery notes through the sinuses pretty much disappeared. Toward the end of the second third, a prominent woody taste and aroma really took the stage.

Final Third:
Burn had been getting kinda wonky throughout but wasn't a big deal. The cracks in the wrapper seemed to have no affect on the cigars performance - just made me kinda nervous. The flavors really died off in the last inch of the cigar and the finish did something that surprised me. There was a moment about a minute after i took a nice draw and exhaled that I got a slight taste of fresh fruit like kiwi. It also somewhat reminded me of the same taste you get after smoking a menthol cigarette minus the menthol. Could it have been my inexperienced palate? Sure!

Conclusion:
Overall this was a really good cigar in my opinion. It had some complexity that I haven't really had much experience with. I'd definitely buy this cigar and would love to smoke more! I'd put this stick in the $6-$8 range and would have no problem paying that or maybe even a little more. I really had no idea what the cigar was while smoking it as I'm not experienced at all with cigars. I saw a stick at Tinderbox that had the same sheath and black foot band so I'm going to guess this is the same cigar. Had it not been for the sheath and black foot band, I'd be lost!!!!

Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva robusto is my official guess by way of research only.

This Blind review stuff is pretty fun and it's great to really taste just the cigar (not the name or the price tag). I appreciate you guys letting me participate and look forward to any blind reviews in the future!

Ben

 

[GregSVT]

I got this cigar from Khari and waited till I had enough time to give a thorough review.

Pre-Light: The wrapper smells awesome and the size is about a Corona size. After a clip of the triple cap the draw is about perfect.

First Third: After a light of the foot and a few draws there is a straight tobacco taste with a bit of a peppery spice on the back of the throat. There's also a slight sweetness on the finish but I find the overal taste a bit harsh.

Second Third: A nutty flavor has started to come through with the sweetness still there and a slight cubanesque flavor. The spiceyness has picked up a little but is still pretty good. The harshness has subsided and the flavors have picked up along with the body of the cigar. I'd say it's a medium to medium-full by now. The burn has been all over the place and I've had to correct it a few times.

Final Third: The harness picked back up in the final moments of this cigar and I can really feel the nictone effects. The nutty/sweet flavor is still there and I catch a few cubanesque flavors here and there. The burn did finally settle down though.

Conclusion: I don't think this is a Cuban but if it is it's something I've never tried before...maybe a JLP. My initial thought was it may be a Padilla but with the pepper spice at the beginning and the flavors I was picking up I am gonna guess it's a DPG of some kind.

Survey says: H. Upmann from Cuba, Mag46? I'll have to say I picked up some cuban flavors but for the most part this smoke was a bit harsh and not what I'd consider a typical Habana. I've had one of these and thought it was excellent but this one just didn't do it for me. Well played, Khari.

 

[Kingantz]

Must a been a young one Greg.

What was the age on that 46 Khari?

 

[khari]

Don't know off hand, but it's about a year old.

 

[MOBIG]

I was suppose to go to the beach but the weather was bad, so after heavy rainfall I did the Nasty style and hit the fire escape still with my nut cracker juice but no frying pan. :laugh:
.
The Construction to this cigar is very good. Tightly packed with very little give to the touch the cigar is wrapped in a dark Corojo wrapper with a nice satin-like sheen with a triple cap.

Lighting this sucker up producing a generous supply of thick and flavorful smoke. The first few puffs it hit me with a medium to full range this cigar is predictably strong but has a graceful creamy sweetness to it.

An inch into it smoothes to a creamy base of dark vanilla mocha caramel, toasted nuts and a little spice rich full-flavored cigar. The aroma is very good with a creamy sweet edge that carries through out the pepper picks up a bit, very enjoyable. Overall this cigar is very smooth and very well balanced. The burn was a bit off but that never a problem when you got a lighter to fix it ..

After about ninety minutes the body has spiked full body
I couldn’t decide what cigar it was I even forgot to guess at some point I was to much into it at end I open the envelop to find out it’s a PADILLA 1932 signature.
I enjoyed it very well thanks Looking for knowledge (Mike) :thumbs:

 

[looking for knowledge]

This came from Gary (grateful1) a couple weeks back. With the weather on the high 90’s- low triple digits, I haven’t had the intestinal fortitude to tough out longer-smoking sticks, so I’ve let this one sit in a humidor.

The day was beautiful. Mid-80’s, a slight breeze, and plenty of sunshine let me know the time had come to fire this smoke up. I grabbed a glass of water on the rocks and headed out to my backyard sanctuary.

The mystery stick looks a lot like a Monte' #2. Medium-brown wrapper, some prominent veins, a satin sheen, and firm when squeezed. I picked up scents of grass hay, barnyard, and cedar. My wife came out and asked me to open a jar of garlic, the smelling of anything BUT garlic was over. Clipped the end and found the draw to be very light, and there was not very much flavor.

Post-light, brought tons of thick white smoke and flavors of caramel and cocoa. Yummy! It’s light to medium in body, and does not taste like a CC. I would guess the wrapper is either Corojo or Cameroon, my two favorites. A short way in and hints of leather were added to the creamy goodness. The light draw still produces lots of smoke. Flaky medium-grey ash. Moving more toward a medium-bodied smoke. This stick has a nice after taste that remains while I take the time to put some lamb burgers on the grill. Perfect!

Second third: I have added a glass of red wine to the smoking environment. There is a little spice coming on; pepper at the back of my throat and tongue. The ask does not hold long, and falls off between ½” to 1” at best. The flavor blend, creamy caremal, leather, and a hint of spice are so tasty that I completely forgot about the burgers. I am wondering if the flavor profile is from the wrapper or if there is some age on this stick. It reminds me of AF’s Don Carlos line. Could this be a Don Carlos Beli?

Final third: The spice picks up, and has moved from the back of my throat to the roof of my mouth. Flavor turning to leather, wood, and earthy. Definitely woody (cedar?), with a slight hint of citrus. The cigar remains smooth and creamy. I started picking up that “young” or “smoking too fast” acrid taste, so I slowed down and sipped as I worked toward the nub. Overall, the mystery stick burned evenly, and the draw was easy with little resistance. The flavor was wonderful throughout. If this isn’t an overly expensive stick it will make its way into my line-up. Yummy!

Well, well, well. Not a Monte’ or a Don Carlos. An H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon. Lucky me, I have some of these aging in a cooler that I have not gotten around to trying.

Thanks Gary! This was great!

 

[NASTY]

I saw MOBIG on Saturday and he stated that he demanded a thank you from myself because he reviewed his blind PIF on his fire escape, sort of like an ode to Nasty.

I thank you, Mr. Mobig, for reviewing your blind PIF on your fire escape as I have done many a time. And I also thank you for giving me standing in my case against you.
Based upon the preponderance of the credible evidence you are found guilty of trademark infringement.
It is hereby Ordered that you must cease and desist your fire escape immediately and only use said fire escape for escaping fires.

 

[gahau]

Alright guys!
This is my first ever blind review! I have recently received a package from Ben =)
Please bear with my as my English grammar and syntax sucks LOL
The time of the review was around 10:00 right before a loooong day in a lab =(
I will be smoking this little cigar in back yard, it was cloudy and not hotter then 78F
Here I am laying around all my little preperation

And here is a taste of the surrounding

I first glance I am guessing that this is a Robusto 5 by 50. The wrapper was smooth and with virtually no veins, of a solid construction with a triple caped.

The wrapper gave out a hint of sweet leather tobacco smell, upon sniffing the foot I did not detect any major fragrance different from the wrapper.
Went ahead and cut this stogie with my crappy cutter (cannot wait to get the Palio from Rob)






Here is how I usually review my smokes, I try my best (sorry for my inexperienced taste buds) to describe inch by inch the development of the smoke, take notes and then I rewrite the whole thing in my "Big Book Of Smoke" (extra large Moleskine Journal)


Here goes The initial puff from the stick gave out a strong peppery puff (hurt my nostrils a little) almost the same as a Don Peppin or Tats would have. The draw was very easy, effortless.
Getting further in the first 1/5 the taste profile was of slightly woody taste topped with a peppery nose and followed by a faint spicy aftertaste. I noted that the wrapper was a bit dry upon my lips... But this stick was in my humi for about a week at 69% and 70F. At mid 1/5 the nose developed into a nice semi fruity sweet blended with cedar notes.
At 2/5 the cigar have "calmed" down a notch and I found that I really enjoy its nose more then the actual taste of the cigar ( I usually "back inhale" my smokes). On the other hand the taste was plain boring woody followed that same hint of spices.
I also found that this smoke was best enjoyed cold, if puffed on it too quickly the bitter peppery taste quickly arise and masks all other flavor, and it hurt to "back inhale" but, if let to cool a pleasant sweetness is more accentuated. Sadly the taste, even past the mid 2/5 mark did not taste like its nose...
The ash fell at the beginning of the 3/5, still no evolution in my experience, further down I was getting hints of nuts and some coffee not it never too off =(
I wasn't able to dissect the taste of it, more of a mild woody something, nothing spectacular. However, I really like the nose of this smoke.
At mid 3/5 the smoke "mellowed" out but still a pretty linear with no development smoke.
Here is a recap at the end of the 3/5:
Nose: Mix of a gentle woody sweet, somewhat complex
Taste: A plain woody, cedar flavor
Aftertaste: The woody give away to a faint nuts taste that last a little
One thing that I noticed is that this cigar gave out a generous amount of smoke, great since I enjoyed the "smoke" more then the taste of it... We are good
Even past the mid 4/5 mark this little guy disappointed me... there is nothing that stands out or special about it (IMHO), a uni dimensional smoke that took about 90 mins...
Not a bad smoke just mild, poor in taste and the only thing that saved it from been let to rest in peace early was its nicer nose.
It RIP at a pretty early stage... Certainly did not nub it =(

Verdict: Well I am pretty sure that I have never tried one of these before... I reminded me a not "ripe" Don Peppin, or a better version of a tat P2 or a bit like a Nub Habano, maybe a graycliff striped of its complexity and taste...
I don't know for sure...
I am going to go with a "bad" Grand Habano 3 siglos...

WRONG!

Actual band: Padilla Miami

EDIT: Added Pics

 

[gahau]

Well is are the pics from the actual smoke...
Reached max number of pics...

 

[Franco593]

Nice Job gahau. Never have had a Padilla Miami but have enjoyed their 68' Series.

Good effo :thumbs: rt on the review..well done!

 

[b.dawgson]

I was pretty sure I had this cigar pegged as soon as I opened the package from Jesus (thank you sir!!) But upon comparing the blind cigar to what I thought it was (in my humi) I noticed quite a bit of difference. The blind cigar was longer by about 2mm and the wrapper of the blind cigar was much darker in color(don't know if you can tell in the picture). Being the newb I am, I wasn't sure if this variation would be possible with what I suspected the blind cigar to be.

Anyway, Here's what the comparison looked like.

As you can see, the blind cigar was toothy with what appeared to be a very slight bit of plume and had a wonderful shape to it. There were a few prominent veins throughout but nothing too large. The wrapper was beautiful in color with slight variety in shades. Aroma from the foot was that of natural tobacco and I thought this cigar may be a bit strong. After a long day of working on a computer (tear-down and rebuild) I jumped straight to this cigar ready for a review! I went and got Russel off his chain and went to the swing with a nice breeze blowing and a warm 80 degrees in the air.

Clipping the cap brought a pre-light draw that was perfect and peppery on the lips. I torched up the foot and the cigar came to life with a blast of peppery spice, especially through the sinuses, but that only lasted a few puffs. After that, the first third leant the spice to a slight hint of sweetness in the finish. The medium/full body was just what I needed after messing with technology alll day. Right from the start I was enjoying this stick untill some tar began bubbling from the open cap. I clipped a little more from the cap and it helped quite a bit but didn't remedy the problem. The tar wasn't too bad as I just kept my lips and tongue off of it for the most part.

Around the second third the spice smoothed out extremely well and I caught quite a bit of woodsy or earthy tones that I really was enjoying! About the half way mark the body had definitely crept up to full but it wasn't overpowering at all. Throughout this cigar the ash held for about 1/2" each time and was a nice deep gray color with lots of toothy bumps in it. Toward the end of the second third I was getting a nice bit of a nic kick in the head and back of the throat. Guess I should have ate before this cigar.

The last third stayed pretty full in impact and still had that very dim sweetness to it. There was a much more leathery essence to it toward the end but then it started getting a bit hot. I slowed down quite a bit and got a deep creamyness with a much smaller draw. I had to let this cigar go about 1" cause it was time for some caffiene and dinner and my head was a bit light.


Overall I really liked this stick. Don't know that it would be a go to smoke (I <3 Triunfadors) but it definitely will earn its keep from me and I will find more!

So after scouring the internet looking for another cigar with close to the same shape as this one, I finally gave up and decided to call this a FFOX Petite Lancero all though I'm not sure that there could be that much difference between two cigars of the same genus. Plus I don't think I could handle an OpusX on an empty stomach.

This being my first OpusX, I can't believe it didn't kick me harder! Especially with me not having eaten all day. I'd have to say this either has some good age on it or I'm not near as much of a lightweight as I thought. Thank you to Jesus for sending me this because I've been staring at my other 2 Opus' wondering when I was going to smoke them. I've been waiting for the "right time". I know I know, silly newbs.

 

[NASTY]

I got this Blind PIF from Par 3 cigars (PJ)

I have no pictures because I think it was the day of the fight and I was quite inebriated. I remember this cigar was quite dark and I braced myself for a strong and powerful smoke. The cigar was flawlessly made and it had the right amount of firmness to it. After clipping it, I remember a strong chocolate and rich coffee taste to it. The draw had the right amount of resistance to it.

Upon sparking it up, I was met with a strong blast of pepper and spice. I thought I assumed right on this being a kick ass smoke but the strength subsided a lot. The cigar became tame and burned hot throughout much of the experience. The burn was even and even the ash held on perfectly but the cigar was still burning unusually hot, not that fire is supposed to be colder but you get my drift. I found I had to chase every other draw with some beer, I didn't mind of course.

Overall, this cigar was an average alright smoke on the milder side of the spectrum. Even if it didn't burn hot, I wouldn't have been too crazy for it. Although I wouldn't buy a box of these, I wouldn't mind buying a stick or two.

I was guessing something maduro, maybe along the lines of a Camacho. I was wrong, yet again, it was a Macanudo Maduro. Thanks for the opportunity, PJ

 

[jorel]

I got my blind PIF from Modo22/Ben.

I though I had this nailed. The cigar was well made, really, really dark wrapper - so "pre-light" I was guessing CA0 Maduro or even LX2. But - first light revealed a eye-popping blast of peppery flavor that I thought would be too much for my palate - but quickly settled down. Also - my maduro guess was totally off, as it didn't have the usual "spicy sweetness" I often associate with a maduro. Instead, it was a really delicious flavor that I hadn't remember having. I was trying to guess then either oscuro - or talk myself into the fact that it was the LX2 - but something wasn't just right.

Then - I wanted to think it was the Viaje 50/50 because I sensed a nice change in flavor profile. But - instead of the flavor completely changing - it kept mellowing into a really rich, full-flavored beauty.

The burn was great - and so was the draw. (Forgive my camera - the pics below are in fact of the same cigar!) Stumped - I had to open the envelope. Ahh - the RP Edge Sumatra. I had never tried this before - but seriously since I like 'em strong - I will definitely be seeking this out again!

Thanks again, Ben.

John B.

 

[jayro75]

Got my Stick from Jorel as part of a very generous package. sorry there's no pics but i smoked it at work and had no camera. The weather here isn't conducive to outdoor smoking at the moment. The stick is 5 1/2 inches by about 52 ring gauge with a few veins. It is heavy in the hand and feels a bit overfilled and solid.

I clip the cap and the pre light draw is a sweet shortbread flavor with an easy draw. I eagerly fire it up and the first pulls are very spicy a black pepper flavor on the tongue. This settles down pretty quickly into a woody, nutty flavor. as I progress through the first third the first third the pepper comes back but more as a lingering after taste. I am definitely enjoying this stick.

As I get into the second third it is holding a thick whitish ash that is solid and it has sharp burn although a little lower down the wrapper is starting to unravel. I hope this won't be a problem later on.

The nutty woody flavor is still there yet the peppery spice has died down a little. I can say the shortbread peeks back into the picture for a brief moment before the spice is back in full force.

Unfortunately at this point the wrapper is completely coming apart I'm trying to fight my way through it because the flavors of the smoke are great. Before long the wrapper is burning independently from the rest of the cigar and I make the decision to put it down.

I really enjoyed this stick despite the wrapper problem and would definitely like to smoke it again.

I open the high quality Crane & Co stationary ( nice touch I might add) and the stick was a God of Fire 2006 Carlito Double Robusto.

Thanks for the opportunity to smoke this John.

 

[br174]

I decided to review this stick while getting ready to watch the Pats take on the Dolphins.
This stick has a tripple cap,measures 5.5X 52 or so. Is very well constucted with very few veins and a slight barnyardd smell. I clipped it with my palio and the draw is almost perfect with a hint of wood on a cold draw. I torched the foot and within seconds it was glowing red.
First third the first few draws was of a peppery blast and the nose of this stick was intoxicating. To be honest it smells better than it tastes. A firm white ash was forming and the pepper has mellowed and tastes of wood are coming thru.
Second third. Pepper has subsided and wood and a spice has come thru. The burn and performance of this stick is very good. The finish of this stick is long and I find myself licking my lips. This stick is mild to meduim to me.
Last third. This stick is starting to perform better for me. A slight cocoa taste is coming thru and the spice is subsiding. The stick is not really in my flavor profile that I enjoy. It has a taste that lingers that dosnt really suit me. I don't think I've experienced this stick before so it has me stumped. I'm going to say its a higher end Fuente of sorts. I was way off its a G.A.R. Robusto Grande.
Thanks for the experience.

Brian

 

[Bsneed51]

First of all, sorry no pictures. I smoked my blind stick from Seanholio tonight while hanging at the Outlaw with CP member kcben. The stick was roughly robusto size, with a fairly dark wrapper. Wrapper had no real oil to it, but was very smooth and vein free. Bunching at the foot was good, and overall this appeared to be a well constructed cigar. I clipped the cap with my xikar, and the prelight draw really didn't have much taste. Put fire to the cigar, and the first few draws produced a decent enough amount of a smoke and a very feint tabacco taste, and not much else. This cigar really didn't have much spice, and very muted flavors. As I smoked this cigar through the first 1/3, I really wasn't picking up much of anything from this cigar. If the flavors are subtle, then my palate isn't refined enough to pick them up. This cigar only reminds me of one other cigar I've had before. As I reached the half way point, and knowing I had limited time to smoke tonight I had to put this cigar down since I knew I had more enjoyable cigars in my cigar caddy. This cigar was well constructed, but much milder than I would prefer, and honestly there wasn't much there in terms of flavor. If I had to venture I guess I would probably go with this being a Cusano 18 maduro. I really hope this isn't something I normally enjoy or I'm going to feel like a real ass.

Edit: When I got home and checked the envelope, it was a Macanudo robusto. I have to give them credit for a well put together cigar, but this darn sure wasn't a cigar for me.