Jeff's quest...

This is not much of an addition to add to this already fun filled thread, but you two are a blast to watch. Thanks for letting us be in on the fun. I have been laughing to myself for a bit now.

jlada said:

Cigar #10 was actually a Gran Habano Corojo #5.

Insanely cheap, underrated, and an awesome knock-around smoke that you don't mind panning if something comes up. Nice review, Greg! I really enjoy this cheapy.

Don't tell anyone, though. I like the beauties that fly under the radar - much like the Padilla 68.

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Wowsers! Fantastic smoke this was. This is only the second Gran Habano I've had, both being excellent smokes. These could definitely very easily be a new go to smoke. Thanks Jeff!

Stick No. 11​

Spring has definitely hit here in the south with everything blooming and yellow pollen from the pines coating everything. We wait all winter for warmer weather to finally get here, and then it’s allergies and mosquitoes! Usually in the beginnings of early Spring, we get a few weeks of absolutely gorgeous weather with no bugs, however this year we’ve already got swarms of mosquitoes. Ah well, at least it’s time to get out the house!

Stick No. 11 is a nice looking Lonsdale with light brown wrapper and noticeable veins throughout. It has a good weight to it and a slight give when squeezed with the exception of one spot right below the head. Rock hard. I punch the cap and the cigar is plugged. Drawing very hard, I can manage to get just a tiny bit of air through, so go ahead and torch the foot hoping with some warmth through the tobacco, it’ll loosen up.

I’m able to get a small amount of smoke through after several puffs, however not enough to really enjoy the cigar. I grab my smaller draw tool and go to work, poking and twisting down into the head. I only go about an inch and a half and then give the draw another try. It’s still very tight, however better than it was, so I decided to go with what I had.

Taking a slow, long draw, I’m getting a perfect amount of spice on the back of the throat with the smoke itself being a mild to almost medium body. The flavors I’m getting are that of earth, leather, roasted nuts, and what seems like a black licorice taste. There’s a nice finish that is quite lasting on the palate. After exhaling through the mouth and nose, there seems to be a lingering vanilla bean.

The burn is sharp with a dark gray ash forming that holds well until time for the second ashing, which falls off on its own (luckily not on me). I’m able to get just enough smoke out although the draw is still very tight. I massage the cigar since it’s warmed up some, hoping it may loosen up more, however it’s not working. I find there’s also a very hard spot right in the middle as well, which is where I didn’t push the draw tool through. I’ve a feeling once it gets past that spot, the draw will really open up well.

I have to admit, I am quite stumped so far with what the hell this cigar is. I’m getting a very good vanilla bean taste with roasted nuts, however there are other flavors as well that I’m just not able to pinpoint as it seems they keep changing, making for a very complex smoke. Maybe it’s the very tight draw that’s causing these changes, I’m just not sure.

Making it past the halfway mark, the draw didn’t get any better, it actually seemed to tighten up even more. However, plenty of smoke still came through and flavors were incredibly good with a prominent vanilla bean on top and an earthy, woody flavor underneath. I’m still detecting that black licorice in there as well. There’s a very good, lasting finish.

With the exception of the tight draw, this was an excellent smoke. At the end, the body picked up to a good medium body. There was a sharp burn with delicious, complex flavors throughout this smoke and a nice, lasting finish. I’m going to say this was Cuban with my initial thought a Cohiba, however towards the end of it, I could swear it tasted Bolivarish. Whatever it was, I’d love to have a box or two!







NASTY NASTY NASTY FREAKIN' POLLEN!!!

#11 was actually a Wolter's Bolivar Gold Medal.

Glad you liked it . Unfortunately, gonna be a little hard to get any more. I really enjoy BGM's - great medium smoke.

I've been extremely busy for the past month. Plus, I've had some nasty congestion/cough/bleh going on. I'm finally over it and have a couple days off. Time to review some cigars!

I grabbed a fresh cup of Medellin Madman from Mr. Jerry and off I went.

Cigar Number 7​

D'oh.

I got about 3/4" and spilled my cup of coffee on it. Not even enough time to get into the good part of the cigar. Initial thoughts were smooth, creamy, medium bodied. Reminded me of a nice Dominican.

Sorry, Greg

Cigar Number 8​

Preconceptions:

Between 5"-6"
Probably a mid 40's ring gauge.
Light brown, hairline veins. Smooth.
Triple cap.
Light in the hand - some give on squeeze.

Pre-light:

Woody, musty, twinge of sweetness.

Beginning:

Mild. Smooth, bit of sweetness. No spice at all. Very woody. A dry finish that doesn't last very long.

Draw is a bit tight, but not enough to be annoying. Burn is very even.

In the middle:

The sweetness dissipates towards a more pronounced wood/earth profile. The body DEFINITELY picks up, but not abruptly. Its a rather slow, casual change towards medium bodied. Quite a nice finish in the middle - very smooth and it coats the mouth with a somewhat musty wood character. Exhaling through the nose offers a pleasant warmth.

Ash is very solid, burn even.

The end:

The sweetness makes an encore on the wood/grass profile. Still reminds me of a campfire. I get a slight bitterness at the end, but nothing overpowering.

Guess:

The mildness and musty character I noticed at the beginning made me think it had some down time. After smoking it through, I am unsure. The body DEFINITELY picked up - but it snuck up on me. I will say that the flavor profile didn't evolve much, but the amount of flavor/body definitely changed.

I liked this cigar, but wouldn't go out of my way to find a box. I'd say this is Cuban, nothing incredibly fancy. Maybe $5-$7. Gonna throw out Monte and HdM as marcas it reminds me of the most. Pretty enjoyable stick. I'm going to stick to my intial thoughts and say it has a least a few years down time.

Thanks, Greg! Good stick.

Edit for pics:

Cigar 8 Picture 1
Cigar 8 Picture 2
Cigar 8 Picture 3
Cigar 8 Picture 4
Cigar 8 Picture 5
Cigar 8 Picture 6

jlada said:

#11 was actually a Wolter's Bolivar Gold Medal.

Glad you liked it . Unfortunately, gonna be a little hard to get any more. I really enjoy BGM's - great medium smoke.

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WTF?? A Wolters?? Now that is freakin' fantastic man! Yeah, I guess I would like to have a couple few boxes of those... :laugh:

Thanks Jeff! Awesome!

I'll reveal your last two smokes this evening when I'm home.

Just wanted to chim in that I hate pollen, that picture made me sneeze. Finally getting over, my algergies that I get every year.

David

jlada said:

I've been extremely busy for the past month. Plus, I've had some nasty congestion/cough/bleh going on. I'm finally over it and have a couple days off. Time to review some cigars!

I grabbed a fresh cup of Medellin Madman from Mr. Jerry and off I went.

Cigar Number 7​

D'oh.

I got about 3/4" and spilled my cup of coffee on it. Not even enough time to get into the good part of the cigar. Initial thoughts were smooth, creamy, medium bodied. Reminded me of a nice Dominican.

Sorry, Greg

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Cigar Number 7 - Ramon Allones Specially Selected 2005 (cab of 50) - $6ish per stick​

Man, I hate that you spilt ya coffee on the smoke. Tis a shame as these are smoking really nicely right now.

Edited because I'm blind as hell! That's the right one.

jlada said:

Cigar Number 8​

Preconceptions:

Between 5"-6"
Probably a mid 40's ring gauge.
Light brown, hairline veins. Smooth.
Triple cap.
Light in the hand - some give on squeeze.

Pre-light:

Woody, musty, twinge of sweetness.

Beginning:

Mild. Smooth, bit of sweetness. No spice at all. Very woody. A dry finish that doesn't last very long.

Draw is a bit tight, but not enough to be annoying. Burn is very even.

In the middle:

The sweetness dissipates towards a more pronounced wood/earth profile. The body DEFINITELY picks up, but not abruptly. Its a rather slow, casual change towards medium bodied. Quite a nice finish in the middle - very smooth and it coats the mouth with a somewhat musty wood character. Exhaling through the nose offers a pleasant warmth.

Ash is very solid, burn even.

The end:

The sweetness makes an encore on the wood/grass profile. Still reminds me of a campfire. I get a slight bitterness at the end, but nothing overpowering.

Guess:

The mildness and musty character I noticed at the beginning made me think it had some down time. After smoking it through, I am unsure. The body DEFINITELY picked up - but it snuck up on me. I will say that the flavor profile didn't evolve much, but the amount of flavor/body definitely changed.

I liked this cigar, but wouldn't go out of my way to find a box. I'd say this is Cuban, nothing incredibly fancy. Maybe $5-$7. Gonna throw out Monte and HdM as marcas it reminds me of the most. Pretty enjoyable stick. I'm going to stick to my intial thoughts and say it has a least a few years down time.

Thanks, Greg! Good stick.

Edit for pics:

Cigar 8 Picture 1
Cigar 8 Picture 2
Cigar 8 Picture 3
Cigar 8 Picture 4
Cigar 8 Picture 5
Cigar 8 Picture 6

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Cigar Number 8 - H. Upmann Mag 46 2007 - $8ish per stick​

Very close on the guesses my friend. I don't believe these have actually reached their smoking potential as yet. Still have a somewhat fresh tobacco taste going on. With a couple few more years, I think they'll be really good. Great job on the review!

Waiting... I'm confused. You said 7 was a RASS and posted VR?

???

jlada said:

Waiting... I'm confused. You said 7 was a RASS and posted VR?

???

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Okay, so I'm blind as hell. Uploaded the wrong photo, you already smoked the VR.

Fixed now!

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY.

I'm going to review the last two cigars a bit differently, because I was out in the yard doing work and whatnot. Sorry, I only got pics of the cigars, no progression. My camera isn't cooperating with turning on (fresh batteries and everything... I'm confused...) so I'll upload them later.

Cigar Number 9​

Preconceptions:

Rough looking.
Probably between 5"-6". Low 40's gauge.
Very light in hand.
Seems a bit box pressed.
Very flat head, triple cap.
Light brown wrapper.

Pre-light:

Musty paper, but mild.

How it smoked:

Mild. Very musty paper/cardboard profile in the first 1/2" or so. Got some straight tobacco in the middle, but still very musty. No spice, no sweetness throughout the entire cigar.

Pretty straight forward through out the whole stick. Musty/cardboard/bit of grass profile. Got somewhat acrid in the last 1.5" so I panned it.

Guess:

Everday Cuban. I'm guessing with some serious down time. Perhaps a bit past it's prime? If it's not old, I'm guessing it's an "off" stick or simply something I'm not a fan of. I couldn't fathom a guess on marca. Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy this stick that much. The finish left my mouth rather dry, the flavors were muted/musty, and there wasn't much change in the profile.

Cigar Number 10​

Preconceptions:

Probably 5".
Upper 40s gauge.
Medium brown - smooth wrapper. Construction is amazing.
Very odd looking cap - almost looks like a quadruple cap - there seems to be a triple cap and then a patched cap over it. Very bulbous, almost goofy looking.
Firm roll, medium weight in hand.

Pre-light:

Very smooth straight tobacco with a twinge of sweetness.

How it smoked:

Medium, remarkably smooth, billows smoke. The profile is incredibly unique with many different flavors, but nothing dominant. There's no spice to be noted, but wood/sweet tobacco/nuts. I normally don't say I taste weird stuff - but I could of swore I tasted raisins.

Flavor profile switched up a bit as it came down the middle/end, but it remained incredibly smooth, never got acrid.

Burned very even.

Guess:

Great smoke! The profile reminded me of nothing I have smoked before. I would definitely like to have more of these, but my guess is it's a custom roll. The profile was just too unique for me to peg a marca I'm familiar with.

What a lovely smoke to wrap up the blind cigars! I'd rate this near the top of the 10 I've smoked, but number 9 near the bottom.

jlada said:

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY.

I'm going to review the last two cigars a bit differently, because I was out in the yard doing work and whatnot. Sorry, I only got pics of the cigars, no progression. My camera isn't cooperating with turning on (fresh batteries and everything... I'm confused...) so I'll upload them later.

Cigar Number 9​

Preconceptions:

Rough looking.
Probably between 5"-6". Low 40's gauge.
Very light in hand.
Seems a bit box pressed.
Very flat head, triple cap.
Light brown wrapper.

Pre-light:

Musty paper, but mild.

How it smoked:

Mild. Very musty paper/cardboard profile in the first 1/2" or so. Got some straight tobacco in the middle, but still very musty. No spice, no sweetness throughout the entire cigar.

Pretty straight forward through out the whole stick. Musty/cardboard/bit of grass profile. Got somewhat acrid in the last 1.5" so I panned it.

Guess:

Everday Cuban. I'm guessing with some serious down time. Perhaps a bit past it's prime? If it's not old, I'm guessing it's an "off" stick or simply something I'm not a fan of. I couldn't fathom a guess on marca. Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy this stick that much. The finish left my mouth rather dry, the flavors were muted/musty, and there wasn't much change in the profile.

Cigar Number 10​

Preconceptions:

Probably 5".
Upper 40s gauge.
Medium brown - smooth wrapper. Construction is amazing.
Very odd looking cap - almost looks like a quadruple cap - there seems to be a triple cap and then a patched cap over it. Very bulbous, almost goofy looking.
Firm roll, medium weight in hand.

Pre-light:

Very smooth straight tobacco with a twinge of sweetness.

How it smoked:

Medium, remarkably smooth, billows smoke. The profile is incredibly unique with many different flavors, but nothing dominant. There's no spice to be noted, but wood/sweet tobacco/nuts. I normally don't say I taste weird stuff - but I could of swore I tasted raisins.

Flavor profile switched up a bit as it came down the middle/end, but it remained incredibly smooth, never got acrid.

Burned very even.

Guess:

Great smoke! The profile reminded me of nothing I have smoked before. I would definitely like to have more of these, but my guess is it's a custom roll. The profile was just too unique for me to peg a marca I'm familiar with.

What a lovely smoke to wrap up the blind cigars! I'd rate this near the top of the 10 I've smoked, but number 9 near the bottom.

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Eh, I kinda like these smokes although they are rather old and musty. I find a slight citrus taste with faint hints of vanilla, at least as long as they're not plugged completely.




I kinda thought I might getcha on this last one. I've smoked a few of these with a few years on them and find them excellent smokes. I'm really liking the No. 4 Opus and also the No. 46 Anejo as of late. Deeelicious!

Very, very odd tasting Opus. Tasted nothing like the last couple years of Opus I have. Excellent smoke, though. Interesting that thought it was one of the best and I much enjoy Opus when I know what I'm smoking.


Ready for the next 10, Greg?


Edit: Also interesting to note that I specifically mentioned raisins, and that should have set off the alarms for me - I taste raisins in a lot of Fuentes - Anejo/Opus/DC EdA. Lemme know if you ever wanna get rid of some of those .

jlada said:

Very, very odd tasting Opus. Tasted nothing like the last couple years of Opus I have. Excellent smoke, though. Interesting that thought it was one of the best and I much enjoy Opus when I know what I'm smoking.


Ready for the next 10, Greg?


Edit: Also interesting to note that I specifically mentioned raisins, and that should have set off the alarms for me - I taste raisins in a lot of Fuentes - Anejo/Opus/DC EdA. Lemme know if you ever wanna get rid of some of those .

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I'm ready for the next 10, definitely! You?

Kingantz said:

I'm ready for the next 10, definitely! You?

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You know it!

They'll be off within the next couple days! Oh the places my palette will go!

How did I JUST find this thread!? What fun, I was thinking "Hmm... when they're done I should ask Jeff if he wants to play" and then BAM, last post "next 10 on the way" hahaha.
Chris