Well here it is at long last.
Three average guys, from three average walks of life, bring you something brand new, something so far from average it'll make your heads spin! Dos Tres Amigos bring you the New Revised Standard for Cigar Reviews.
This is the first post of a brand new idea, so forgive the title. I'm posting from a ship underway somewhere in the West Pacific and don't have luxury or bandwidth to sit and dream up a better title!
Father Tiresius, Samguss, and Muley have come together (in heart and mind) to bring you the very best in cigar reviews. Here's how it works:
Every so often, all three of us will be reviewing the exact same cigar (type, brand, size, etc) and will post all three reviews in one nice convenient package. This will, hopefully, provide each CP'er with an entertaining, enlightening tool to help aid in cigar choice. Over time, you'll learn which reviewer you most agree with, and which opinions you trust the most. Of course, as with all posts, we welcome any advice to make our posts better and welcome all comments.
So, without further ado: The first (of what will hopefully be many) episode:
I (Muley) provided the first cigar for review. Here's what I knew about the stick that my cohorts may or may not not have known (I didn't want anything to taint their opinion of the cigars, so I didn't fill them in on many details):
These cigars were actually purchased at a price you normally pay for extremely premium cigars because they had been aging in a controlled environment (read: monitored humidor) for approximately one year. (I'll never tell how much I really paid though
I reside in Yokosuka Japan and good cigar dealers are hard to find and dealers that can hold cigars for any length of time are almost non-existant. The one I did find here can be hit or miss, but I had high hopes for these sticks. Shipping took a while too because they were sent from overseas, so the quality may have been affected slightly.
Cigar: La Perla Habana Torpedo
Size : 6.125 x 52
Father T says:
Appearance:
Rustic, somewhat veiny dark reddish brown wrapper. Typical torpedo shape that is blunt at the very tip instead of coming to a point. An attractive cigar.
Construction:
Appeared to be very well made. It was very firm and solid.
Pre-light draw:
I half-expected the draw to be tight due to the firmness of the build, but the draw was perfect. Detected a slight musky taste.
Burn:
Burned straight with a very firm light grey ash. After about a half inch of burn, the wrapper split just behind the blister for about ¾ inch. This didn’t cause any burn problems and it didn’t unravel, reinforcing my opinion of a well-made cigar.
Taste:
Started out grassy, probably needs some age to really shine. Before long a woody flavor appeared as well, but the grassiness never completely disappeared. The cigar was smooth, never harsh, but didn’t develop any complexity. Light-medium bodied.
Overall:
Not a bad cigar, but didn’t blow my head off. Seemed a bit one-dimensional and the flavors never really evolved. But it was an easy and enjoyable smoke. Would like to try one with more age.
Score:
84
SamGuss says:
The feature that hits you first is the aroma. Heady, strong and not so much sweet as - flavorable. The cut with a "V" cutter went smoothly and left a nice clean opening to draw from. This particular cigar has been aging a few weeks in my humidor at this point at 72% humidity - a little high for my usual tastes and from what I understand for ISOM's as well. It lit beautifully though for me and continued to burn evenly until it was nubbed.
The very beginning of the cigar was a little disappointing, luckily this disappointment didn't last but the first two or three drags before developing from a sawdust feel into one more solid and filling. My impression was walnut shells at first. This impression slowly developed - and mind you this was the #1 feature of this cigar for me - it developed slowly over time smoking it (a tad over an hour) which left a very consistant taste and feeling with this cigar.
The taste as it slowly developed turned into a very deep woody flavor with hints of peppery spiciness tht increased in tempo as the cigar smoked down even further.
This cigar was not overly complex with simple flavors - but had what I considered was the most consistant flavoring throughout the cigar without being boring. Indeed this cigar was very full bodied, with a very relaxing air about it that left me sitting content when the cigar was finished.
A strong high 80's I rate this cigar at 88-89 out of a possible 100. High points being the consistancy of flavor and mood throughout the cigar along with a very simple yet not boring taste.
And Muley says:
This is a "pretty" cigar! I am partial to a torpedo to begin with, because they just seem more natural to me.
This is a dark, well constructed cigar with a classic feel and look. Even the label for the La Perla Habana adds to the "classic" ambiance.
The pre-light smell/aroma was nice. Woody and mild with he humidor's cedar present but not overpowering.
The cut (a double blade cutter) was even and straight and the light nearly perfect.
From the "get-go" the burn was even. I must agree that the cigar did disappoint slightly at the beginning. I think all the greatness leading up to the light set my hopes and expectations too high.
The first few drags were flat. Not much taste at all. I did receive a great volume of cool smoke, but there wasn't a hint a flavor present.
The taste came on pretty quickly though. Walnut shells was a pretty good call on SamGuss' part. That describes perfectly the first onset of flavor. But, that flavor didn't last long in my stick - it changed quite quickly.
The taste turned softer and fuller with a hint of light wood and white pepper. I was pleasantly surprised with the shift in flavor and was greatly anticipating the next shift. This stick convinced me early on that it was going to be one of the most complex and enjoyable cigars I've ever had.
The complexity never arrived. From that first real shift to a softer, woodier taste, to the end of the smoke (where I burned my fingers) the La Perla never changed again.
So, here's how I describe it:
Very Attractive
Classic feel and look
Great light
Consistent
Weak start
Quick comeback with another quick shift to follow
Good flavor from about 1/4 inch to the end
2 dimensional, but not really lacking in any one category
Good to the last drop!
Overall score : 86-88 out of 100.
I'd be a proud owner if I had a full box.
This is the perfect utility cigar; You can smoke it daily, you can disply it, you can be proud to hand it off to anyone, and you can enjoy it alone or with others. And, if you buy it online or anywhere other than Yokosuka Japan, it won't break the bank!
And there you have it. This concludes our first episode. Please watch in the future as we try to get this program underway. Please feel free to comment.
Three average guys, from three average walks of life, bring you something brand new, something so far from average it'll make your heads spin! Dos Tres Amigos bring you the New Revised Standard for Cigar Reviews.
This is the first post of a brand new idea, so forgive the title. I'm posting from a ship underway somewhere in the West Pacific and don't have luxury or bandwidth to sit and dream up a better title!
Father Tiresius, Samguss, and Muley have come together (in heart and mind) to bring you the very best in cigar reviews. Here's how it works:
Every so often, all three of us will be reviewing the exact same cigar (type, brand, size, etc) and will post all three reviews in one nice convenient package. This will, hopefully, provide each CP'er with an entertaining, enlightening tool to help aid in cigar choice. Over time, you'll learn which reviewer you most agree with, and which opinions you trust the most. Of course, as with all posts, we welcome any advice to make our posts better and welcome all comments.
So, without further ado: The first (of what will hopefully be many) episode:
I (Muley) provided the first cigar for review. Here's what I knew about the stick that my cohorts may or may not not have known (I didn't want anything to taint their opinion of the cigars, so I didn't fill them in on many details):
These cigars were actually purchased at a price you normally pay for extremely premium cigars because they had been aging in a controlled environment (read: monitored humidor) for approximately one year. (I'll never tell how much I really paid though
I reside in Yokosuka Japan and good cigar dealers are hard to find and dealers that can hold cigars for any length of time are almost non-existant. The one I did find here can be hit or miss, but I had high hopes for these sticks. Shipping took a while too because they were sent from overseas, so the quality may have been affected slightly.Cigar: La Perla Habana Torpedo
Size : 6.125 x 52
Father T says:
Appearance:
Rustic, somewhat veiny dark reddish brown wrapper. Typical torpedo shape that is blunt at the very tip instead of coming to a point. An attractive cigar.
Construction:
Appeared to be very well made. It was very firm and solid.
Pre-light draw:
I half-expected the draw to be tight due to the firmness of the build, but the draw was perfect. Detected a slight musky taste.
Burn:
Burned straight with a very firm light grey ash. After about a half inch of burn, the wrapper split just behind the blister for about ¾ inch. This didn’t cause any burn problems and it didn’t unravel, reinforcing my opinion of a well-made cigar.
Taste:
Started out grassy, probably needs some age to really shine. Before long a woody flavor appeared as well, but the grassiness never completely disappeared. The cigar was smooth, never harsh, but didn’t develop any complexity. Light-medium bodied.
Overall:
Not a bad cigar, but didn’t blow my head off. Seemed a bit one-dimensional and the flavors never really evolved. But it was an easy and enjoyable smoke. Would like to try one with more age.
Score:
84
SamGuss says:
The feature that hits you first is the aroma. Heady, strong and not so much sweet as - flavorable. The cut with a "V" cutter went smoothly and left a nice clean opening to draw from. This particular cigar has been aging a few weeks in my humidor at this point at 72% humidity - a little high for my usual tastes and from what I understand for ISOM's as well. It lit beautifully though for me and continued to burn evenly until it was nubbed.
The very beginning of the cigar was a little disappointing, luckily this disappointment didn't last but the first two or three drags before developing from a sawdust feel into one more solid and filling. My impression was walnut shells at first. This impression slowly developed - and mind you this was the #1 feature of this cigar for me - it developed slowly over time smoking it (a tad over an hour) which left a very consistant taste and feeling with this cigar.
The taste as it slowly developed turned into a very deep woody flavor with hints of peppery spiciness tht increased in tempo as the cigar smoked down even further.
This cigar was not overly complex with simple flavors - but had what I considered was the most consistant flavoring throughout the cigar without being boring. Indeed this cigar was very full bodied, with a very relaxing air about it that left me sitting content when the cigar was finished.
A strong high 80's I rate this cigar at 88-89 out of a possible 100. High points being the consistancy of flavor and mood throughout the cigar along with a very simple yet not boring taste.
And Muley says:
This is a "pretty" cigar! I am partial to a torpedo to begin with, because they just seem more natural to me.
This is a dark, well constructed cigar with a classic feel and look. Even the label for the La Perla Habana adds to the "classic" ambiance.
The pre-light smell/aroma was nice. Woody and mild with he humidor's cedar present but not overpowering.
The cut (a double blade cutter) was even and straight and the light nearly perfect.
From the "get-go" the burn was even. I must agree that the cigar did disappoint slightly at the beginning. I think all the greatness leading up to the light set my hopes and expectations too high.
The first few drags were flat. Not much taste at all. I did receive a great volume of cool smoke, but there wasn't a hint a flavor present.
The taste came on pretty quickly though. Walnut shells was a pretty good call on SamGuss' part. That describes perfectly the first onset of flavor. But, that flavor didn't last long in my stick - it changed quite quickly.
The taste turned softer and fuller with a hint of light wood and white pepper. I was pleasantly surprised with the shift in flavor and was greatly anticipating the next shift. This stick convinced me early on that it was going to be one of the most complex and enjoyable cigars I've ever had.
The complexity never arrived. From that first real shift to a softer, woodier taste, to the end of the smoke (where I burned my fingers) the La Perla never changed again.
So, here's how I describe it:
Very Attractive
Classic feel and look
Great light
Consistent
Weak start
Quick comeback with another quick shift to follow
Good flavor from about 1/4 inch to the end
2 dimensional, but not really lacking in any one category
Good to the last drop!
Overall score : 86-88 out of 100.
I'd be a proud owner if I had a full box.
This is the perfect utility cigar; You can smoke it daily, you can disply it, you can be proud to hand it off to anyone, and you can enjoy it alone or with others. And, if you buy it online or anywhere other than Yokosuka Japan, it won't break the bank!
And there you have it. This concludes our first episode. Please watch in the future as we try to get this program underway. Please feel free to comment.