half full monty
Member
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2004
- Messages
- 654
The setting:
Christmas Day and the olfactory is on vacation as well. Sinus issues have dulled the senses. Turkey is in the oven, it's 60 degrees outside and I have some time to kill, but not with an expensive, complex smoke. I just smoked a JR Alt EL a couple of days ago, and the box of 1958 Epi's in the bottom of my cooler came to mind.
I bought this box at JR's in Statesville last summer for $10 off the $82 for 50 count price tag. So for under a buck and 1/2 it fits the profile. They have been sitting for six months and this is the first one out of the box I'll try.
This is a Nic-made stick, with Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper and binder, Honduran and Nicaragua fillers. Vitola is 5 x 51.
First look is a Colorado brown wrapper with typical black mottling. A closer look shows hints of a pink hue indoors, in direct sunlight it changes to almost orange. The wrapper itself is smooth with the thinnest of black veins running throughout.
The outward appearance of the stick is somewhat uneven and follows the bunching of the tobacco. A look at the foot reveals tightly bunched leaves in various directions, but not heavily compressed. Double cap is well defined with little separation from the wrapper.
Overall, it is well-constructed, but not perfect, 7 on a 10 scale.
Nothing real distinctive on the nose, partly because of the sniffer being under capacity, until sniffing the foot. This reveals a familiar Honduran filler scent. The Honduran filler is more pronounced after clipping for the pre-light draw. A sweet, Honduran, orange ginger spice, no Cuban anise or cocoa whatsoever. Draw is very easy, almost too much so.
Lights easy, easy draw, lots of smoke. Cocoa sweetness with a pepper finish that lasts a good fifteen seconds. Good flavor profile that starts off medium plus and mellows off after 1st inch.
Inch through and the woody taste becomes more consistent. I thought I tasted more of the nic filler, a different sweetness, more vanilla than cocoa. There is no grassiness to this stick, although the sharp bite at the furthest reaches of the tongue indicate it's youth.
Burn was uneven through the first half and followed the bunching of the tobacco. Second half burned in a straight line. Never had to touch it up.
I was surprised at how this smoke became smoother as it burned down, but also more one-dimensional, pretty woody with a pepper finish.
Although the initial appearance of the wrapper was neither oily nor toothy, the oils emerged as the wrapper warmed.
Sipped french-pressed Caribou French Roast coffee with less than a teaspoon of sugar as an accompaniment, and this may have been why the smoke seemed to mellow.
Overall - this smoke fit the bill. Enjoyable burn while relaxing on Christmas Day, and didn't feel bad about smoking a high-end something that I couldn't fully enjoy.
Christmas Day and the olfactory is on vacation as well. Sinus issues have dulled the senses. Turkey is in the oven, it's 60 degrees outside and I have some time to kill, but not with an expensive, complex smoke. I just smoked a JR Alt EL a couple of days ago, and the box of 1958 Epi's in the bottom of my cooler came to mind.
I bought this box at JR's in Statesville last summer for $10 off the $82 for 50 count price tag. So for under a buck and 1/2 it fits the profile. They have been sitting for six months and this is the first one out of the box I'll try.
This is a Nic-made stick, with Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper and binder, Honduran and Nicaragua fillers. Vitola is 5 x 51.
First look is a Colorado brown wrapper with typical black mottling. A closer look shows hints of a pink hue indoors, in direct sunlight it changes to almost orange. The wrapper itself is smooth with the thinnest of black veins running throughout.
The outward appearance of the stick is somewhat uneven and follows the bunching of the tobacco. A look at the foot reveals tightly bunched leaves in various directions, but not heavily compressed. Double cap is well defined with little separation from the wrapper.
Overall, it is well-constructed, but not perfect, 7 on a 10 scale.
Nothing real distinctive on the nose, partly because of the sniffer being under capacity, until sniffing the foot. This reveals a familiar Honduran filler scent. The Honduran filler is more pronounced after clipping for the pre-light draw. A sweet, Honduran, orange ginger spice, no Cuban anise or cocoa whatsoever. Draw is very easy, almost too much so.
Lights easy, easy draw, lots of smoke. Cocoa sweetness with a pepper finish that lasts a good fifteen seconds. Good flavor profile that starts off medium plus and mellows off after 1st inch.
Inch through and the woody taste becomes more consistent. I thought I tasted more of the nic filler, a different sweetness, more vanilla than cocoa. There is no grassiness to this stick, although the sharp bite at the furthest reaches of the tongue indicate it's youth.
Burn was uneven through the first half and followed the bunching of the tobacco. Second half burned in a straight line. Never had to touch it up.
I was surprised at how this smoke became smoother as it burned down, but also more one-dimensional, pretty woody with a pepper finish.
Although the initial appearance of the wrapper was neither oily nor toothy, the oils emerged as the wrapper warmed.
Sipped french-pressed Caribou French Roast coffee with less than a teaspoon of sugar as an accompaniment, and this may have been why the smoke seemed to mellow.
Overall - this smoke fit the bill. Enjoyable burn while relaxing on Christmas Day, and didn't feel bad about smoking a high-end something that I couldn't fully enjoy.
