Phlicker
also know as @PhillyBeerGuy
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2007
- Messages
- 884
Ring Gauge: 50
Length: 6"
Country of Origin: Dominican
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
After several rough days at work, I decided I needed to stop at one of my local B&Ms on my way home from work to relax with a cigar. Which to choose? Well, the night before I opened my "ready-to-smoke" humi and took a look around. Staring me straight in the face was a Cuesta-Rey Centro Fino Sungrown #60 that was given to me by a member of the CF forum in a "Blind 5'er" trade I did shortly after joining that board. Since I'd never had one before and it had been napping for nearly a year in my humidor (plus who knows how much longer in the care of its original owner...one of the other smokes he gave me dated back to '97!), I decided it would be my "victim" the following night.
First, appearance and construction: Overall this was a very good-looking cigar. The year-long nap gave the wrapper a nice sheen: satiny, but not oily. It was very well made, firm and solid throughout, with nary a soft spot. The Sumatran sungrown wrapper leaf (from the Quevedo region in Ecuador) was beautifully smooth and refined, not mottled like other Fuente-Newman sungrown wrappers, and a much lighter color (leaning towards a burnt siena) than I am accustomed to seeing on my SG Cuban Belicosos and the like. The nose was typical Dominican, with no discernible unusual scents. I clipped the well-made cap and fired it up.
The draw and burn were nearly perfect, and remained that way throughout the smoke. I was surprised at first at how mellow the smoke was for the first inch, as I was expecting the typical AF SG "spice". After the first inch, the cigar opened up some flavor-wise, but still no spice! Regardless, the flavor did develop into a wonderfully rich taste. Not strong, but rich, with hints molasses and brown sugar. At about the halfway point I began to feel that twinge spice hitting me in the back of the throat, while the flavor remained the same. I was really enjoying just sitting there at the coffee bar, looking through old copies of CA and watching the news...letting the past couple days melt away. This cigar was not a heavy-hitter by any stretch, but perfect for relaxing with, which is what I was looking for last night. By the 2/3 point, I could really detect the spice of the wrapper at the front of my tongue, and at that point the smoke and flavor developed into a more full-bodied variety, while still on the medium side. I smoked it down to about half an inch, and let it pass on peacefully. At no point did the smoke become harsh (as I find some cigars do when I get them down to the nub). The ash was a firm light-grey, and held on until I tapped it off at every inch and a half or so. I walked out feeling very relaxed, but not overly "buzzed", and the rich aftertaste remained on my palate for the remainder of the evening. Very nice!
"Wrapping" things up, so to speak, this cigar was a treat to behold, very well constructed with an excellent draw and burn. The flavor was rich, but on the medium-bodied side (these are supposed to be more full-bodied than the Centenarios and regular line), and the spice I expected from a sungrown wrapper wasn't there, replaced instead by a very smooth and tasty alternative, but not what I would have looked for in a SG cigar. At $4-5 per, it's a good bang for the buck, and I would definitely smoke one again (I might even buy a box and put them down for a nap), but as an everyday smoke I'd probably opt for an 858 Maduro or Padron 3000 in the same general price point.
Thanks for reading my first CP review. I look forward to posting and reading more of these in the future!
Length: 6"
Country of Origin: Dominican
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
After several rough days at work, I decided I needed to stop at one of my local B&Ms on my way home from work to relax with a cigar. Which to choose? Well, the night before I opened my "ready-to-smoke" humi and took a look around. Staring me straight in the face was a Cuesta-Rey Centro Fino Sungrown #60 that was given to me by a member of the CF forum in a "Blind 5'er" trade I did shortly after joining that board. Since I'd never had one before and it had been napping for nearly a year in my humidor (plus who knows how much longer in the care of its original owner...one of the other smokes he gave me dated back to '97!), I decided it would be my "victim" the following night.
First, appearance and construction: Overall this was a very good-looking cigar. The year-long nap gave the wrapper a nice sheen: satiny, but not oily. It was very well made, firm and solid throughout, with nary a soft spot. The Sumatran sungrown wrapper leaf (from the Quevedo region in Ecuador) was beautifully smooth and refined, not mottled like other Fuente-Newman sungrown wrappers, and a much lighter color (leaning towards a burnt siena) than I am accustomed to seeing on my SG Cuban Belicosos and the like. The nose was typical Dominican, with no discernible unusual scents. I clipped the well-made cap and fired it up.
The draw and burn were nearly perfect, and remained that way throughout the smoke. I was surprised at first at how mellow the smoke was for the first inch, as I was expecting the typical AF SG "spice". After the first inch, the cigar opened up some flavor-wise, but still no spice! Regardless, the flavor did develop into a wonderfully rich taste. Not strong, but rich, with hints molasses and brown sugar. At about the halfway point I began to feel that twinge spice hitting me in the back of the throat, while the flavor remained the same. I was really enjoying just sitting there at the coffee bar, looking through old copies of CA and watching the news...letting the past couple days melt away. This cigar was not a heavy-hitter by any stretch, but perfect for relaxing with, which is what I was looking for last night. By the 2/3 point, I could really detect the spice of the wrapper at the front of my tongue, and at that point the smoke and flavor developed into a more full-bodied variety, while still on the medium side. I smoked it down to about half an inch, and let it pass on peacefully. At no point did the smoke become harsh (as I find some cigars do when I get them down to the nub). The ash was a firm light-grey, and held on until I tapped it off at every inch and a half or so. I walked out feeling very relaxed, but not overly "buzzed", and the rich aftertaste remained on my palate for the remainder of the evening. Very nice!
"Wrapping" things up, so to speak, this cigar was a treat to behold, very well constructed with an excellent draw and burn. The flavor was rich, but on the medium-bodied side (these are supposed to be more full-bodied than the Centenarios and regular line), and the spice I expected from a sungrown wrapper wasn't there, replaced instead by a very smooth and tasty alternative, but not what I would have looked for in a SG cigar. At $4-5 per, it's a good bang for the buck, and I would definitely smoke one again (I might even buy a box and put them down for a nap), but as an everyday smoke I'd probably opt for an 858 Maduro or Padron 3000 in the same general price point.
Thanks for reading my first CP review. I look forward to posting and reading more of these in the future!
