tomthirtysix
Wishing I was as cool as Phil
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2006
- Messages
- 7,024
Arturo Fuente Short Story "Maduro"
Filler: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
A few months back, some threads had been posted with members re-rolling cigars with new wrappers to get a different taste perspective. I thought this was a pretty cool idea, so why not take one of my Short Stories and slap a Maduro wrapper on it?
I dug through my humi and found a Chateau Fuente Maduro buried inside. I figured this would make a good sacrifice: the maduro wrapper looked to be on the thicker side, thus making it easier for me to re-apply. I sat down at my kitchen table and took the wrappers off the Short Story and the Chateau Fuente, and went to work re-wrapping. After I was done, I put the cigar back in my humidor to rest a while before I found a good time to fire it up.
Well, five months later, I found a good time. I was planning on going to Shea to watch the Mets game, but a very cloudy morning kept me home. I sat in my living room watching, and when the game was over, the Mets had sole possession of first place for the first time since mid-April. Time to head out back and light this baby up!
I left this picture the full size it uploaded as so you can get a good look at the re-roll. When I got to the head of the cigar, there was some wrapper left. So, instead of trying to make some semblance of a cap. I figured I would just twist it up and make my own version of a pigtail cap. There was a big vein that ran down one side of the cigar, but I think the re-roll job came out pretty good.
As luck would have it, I forgot my cutter inside. So, I just snapped the pigtail off, and lit the foot. The immediate taste was of plenty of cocoa. I'm guessing that's the wrapper making its presence felt right away. After the first couple of draws, once the cigar started to burn past the nipple bottom, I sat back in the yard enjoying my "creation."
Look at that burn! Yeah, I was enjoying myself. Up until this point, there was plenty of cocoa sweetness. The draw was somewhat tight, and the cigar was burning very slowly. That was fine with me... I had the day off, was sitting in the sun in the backyard, and enjoying the day.
Right after this picture, the cigar seemed to come alive! It was almost as if it knew it was showtime. The draw opened up, and the thick cloud of smoke was full of white pepper. I don't know what happened, but I wasn't complaining. It started to burn a little faster, but not too quickly.
The first ash drop. Oh well... I was halfway hoping I could keep the ash on until closer to the band. At this point, the white pepper was gone, but the smoke remained thick. A pleasant mix of leather and cocoa was present now.
I like this pic. Glad there wasn't too much wind so some of the smoke hung around for the photo op. Slowly, the leather faded away, and the cocoa became more prevalent. She kept an even burn, and with about an inch or so left, the ash fell again.
I wasn't giving up on it yet, though. Still plenty of cigar left to be smoked. And I sat back in the chair, enjoying the cocoa goodness until the very end (where it looked closer to something from my college days).
One... last... draw... before... it... dies...
Overall, I enjoyed the hell out of this. Was it because of the actual difference the wrapper caused, or was it because I had a hand in actually making the finished product? I'm guessing it has more to do with the latter. It burned well. Tasted great. And I had a good reason to take some time out and enjoy a smoke.
The biggest lesson I learned, though... never half-ass the cap. As you can see in a couple of the pictures, the foot was kind of...open. I probably could have gotten at least another draw or two out of it had I taken the time to figure out how to do a cap. And the next time I re-wrap this cigar, I think I might try it with an 858 Maduro wrapper. Maybe even throw an 858 Candela Wrapper in there, too, if I can find one.
Filler: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
A few months back, some threads had been posted with members re-rolling cigars with new wrappers to get a different taste perspective. I thought this was a pretty cool idea, so why not take one of my Short Stories and slap a Maduro wrapper on it?
I dug through my humi and found a Chateau Fuente Maduro buried inside. I figured this would make a good sacrifice: the maduro wrapper looked to be on the thicker side, thus making it easier for me to re-apply. I sat down at my kitchen table and took the wrappers off the Short Story and the Chateau Fuente, and went to work re-wrapping. After I was done, I put the cigar back in my humidor to rest a while before I found a good time to fire it up.
Well, five months later, I found a good time. I was planning on going to Shea to watch the Mets game, but a very cloudy morning kept me home. I sat in my living room watching, and when the game was over, the Mets had sole possession of first place for the first time since mid-April. Time to head out back and light this baby up!
I left this picture the full size it uploaded as so you can get a good look at the re-roll. When I got to the head of the cigar, there was some wrapper left. So, instead of trying to make some semblance of a cap. I figured I would just twist it up and make my own version of a pigtail cap. There was a big vein that ran down one side of the cigar, but I think the re-roll job came out pretty good.
As luck would have it, I forgot my cutter inside. So, I just snapped the pigtail off, and lit the foot. The immediate taste was of plenty of cocoa. I'm guessing that's the wrapper making its presence felt right away. After the first couple of draws, once the cigar started to burn past the nipple bottom, I sat back in the yard enjoying my "creation."
Look at that burn! Yeah, I was enjoying myself. Up until this point, there was plenty of cocoa sweetness. The draw was somewhat tight, and the cigar was burning very slowly. That was fine with me... I had the day off, was sitting in the sun in the backyard, and enjoying the day.
Right after this picture, the cigar seemed to come alive! It was almost as if it knew it was showtime. The draw opened up, and the thick cloud of smoke was full of white pepper. I don't know what happened, but I wasn't complaining. It started to burn a little faster, but not too quickly.
The first ash drop. Oh well... I was halfway hoping I could keep the ash on until closer to the band. At this point, the white pepper was gone, but the smoke remained thick. A pleasant mix of leather and cocoa was present now.
I like this pic. Glad there wasn't too much wind so some of the smoke hung around for the photo op. Slowly, the leather faded away, and the cocoa became more prevalent. She kept an even burn, and with about an inch or so left, the ash fell again.
I wasn't giving up on it yet, though. Still plenty of cigar left to be smoked. And I sat back in the chair, enjoying the cocoa goodness until the very end (where it looked closer to something from my college days).
One... last... draw... before... it... dies...
Overall, I enjoyed the hell out of this. Was it because of the actual difference the wrapper caused, or was it because I had a hand in actually making the finished product? I'm guessing it has more to do with the latter. It burned well. Tasted great. And I had a good reason to take some time out and enjoy a smoke.
The biggest lesson I learned, though... never half-ass the cap. As you can see in a couple of the pictures, the foot was kind of...open. I probably could have gotten at least another draw or two out of it had I taken the time to figure out how to do a cap. And the next time I re-wrap this cigar, I think I might try it with an 858 Maduro wrapper. Maybe even throw an 858 Candela Wrapper in there, too, if I can find one.
