Hello fellow BOTLS
My name is Rob and I thought a couple of introductory lines are in order before the review. I have been a silent reader of this forum and community for a long time. I hail from Europe, Slovenia to be exact and have been regular smoker for about 5 years. I generally prefer strong, full bodied, full flavored smokes, but smoke milder sticks as well. In the beginning I smoked mostly cheap machine made cubans, which, for the money in general were not bad. But more quality with regards to cubans demands more dough and not in linear capacity but rather in exponential capacity. So now I predominantly smoke premium NC, which, by the way, have caught up with ISOMS regarding over-all quality, but are more affordable, even with all the shipping and taxes, although cubans are also in my rotation, but to a lesser extent. Plus, their machine bunched/hand wrapped stogies have greatly improved as of end 2007, so I try to include them also. As I decided to start reviewing myself, I decided to join your great community and hope to be appreciated member for a long time. Now, enough rant, here goes my review. Feel free to comment, add or correct me.
If anyone is interested, version with photos can be found at http://cigarvault.blogspot.com
(I haven`t found a help section on posting links and am having trouble. Can anyone assist me how to post just a CLICK link?)
ROMEO & JULIETA MILLE FLEURS
PETIT CORONA
Origin: Cuba
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba
Place of purchase: Local B & M
TASTING SHEET RESULTS
SIZE: 5x42
APPEARANCE: very good: uniform brown color with a few minor dark and green specks, veiny wrapper, with nice seams and triple cap, slight box-press with oily sheen
CONSTRUCTION: very good: firm bunch, tight seams, but with a patched head
DRAW: firm
BURN: average to good, tipical thick »cuban« mascara, wavy with problems halfway into the smoke, a couple of touch-ups needed
AROMA: excellent, buttery cocoa and leather
FLAVOR: very good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: leather, earth, caramel, coffee
AFTERTASTE: earth, leather, a touch of cocoa
STRENGHT: moderate
SMOKING TIME: ~ 100 minutes
GENERAL IMPRESSION: average
CUT: Xikar
PRELIGHT: leather earth, floral notes
LIGHT: torch flame lighter, took some time
BEVERAGE: coffee black
1/3:
Upon light, leather opens the show immediately with earth and slightly floral and bitter notes. Nose blow salty leather with a hint of caramel. The smoke is smooth. Nearing second third toasty caramel joins the mix, complementing leather. By now, all bitterness subsided. Very compact ash.
2/3:
Leather still dominates with woody finish and coffee undertones, while hints of vanilla start popping in and out.
3/3:
Leather keeps the centerstage. At this point burn issues start and it shows on the smoke as bitterness returns with wood charr. After ashing a hole reveals itself in the filler, causing problems. Two touch-ups were applied but the smoke just kept going south.
NUB:
Bitter wood. No tar build-up.
This one is from my second box of these. I have half a box left. Based on their performance, I will not purchase a third box. They are not very expensive, but not greatest value for money based on what they deliver. They are okay, but nothing to write home about.
Rob
My name is Rob and I thought a couple of introductory lines are in order before the review. I have been a silent reader of this forum and community for a long time. I hail from Europe, Slovenia to be exact and have been regular smoker for about 5 years. I generally prefer strong, full bodied, full flavored smokes, but smoke milder sticks as well. In the beginning I smoked mostly cheap machine made cubans, which, for the money in general were not bad. But more quality with regards to cubans demands more dough and not in linear capacity but rather in exponential capacity. So now I predominantly smoke premium NC, which, by the way, have caught up with ISOMS regarding over-all quality, but are more affordable, even with all the shipping and taxes, although cubans are also in my rotation, but to a lesser extent. Plus, their machine bunched/hand wrapped stogies have greatly improved as of end 2007, so I try to include them also. As I decided to start reviewing myself, I decided to join your great community and hope to be appreciated member for a long time. Now, enough rant, here goes my review. Feel free to comment, add or correct me.
If anyone is interested, version with photos can be found at http://cigarvault.blogspot.com
(I haven`t found a help section on posting links and am having trouble. Can anyone assist me how to post just a CLICK link?)
ROMEO & JULIETA MILLE FLEURS
PETIT CORONA
Origin: Cuba
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba
Place of purchase: Local B & M
TASTING SHEET RESULTS
SIZE: 5x42
APPEARANCE: very good: uniform brown color with a few minor dark and green specks, veiny wrapper, with nice seams and triple cap, slight box-press with oily sheen
CONSTRUCTION: very good: firm bunch, tight seams, but with a patched head
DRAW: firm
BURN: average to good, tipical thick »cuban« mascara, wavy with problems halfway into the smoke, a couple of touch-ups needed
AROMA: excellent, buttery cocoa and leather
FLAVOR: very good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: leather, earth, caramel, coffee
AFTERTASTE: earth, leather, a touch of cocoa
STRENGHT: moderate
SMOKING TIME: ~ 100 minutes
GENERAL IMPRESSION: average
CUT: Xikar
PRELIGHT: leather earth, floral notes
LIGHT: torch flame lighter, took some time
BEVERAGE: coffee black
1/3:
Upon light, leather opens the show immediately with earth and slightly floral and bitter notes. Nose blow salty leather with a hint of caramel. The smoke is smooth. Nearing second third toasty caramel joins the mix, complementing leather. By now, all bitterness subsided. Very compact ash.
2/3:
Leather still dominates with woody finish and coffee undertones, while hints of vanilla start popping in and out.
3/3:
Leather keeps the centerstage. At this point burn issues start and it shows on the smoke as bitterness returns with wood charr. After ashing a hole reveals itself in the filler, causing problems. Two touch-ups were applied but the smoke just kept going south.
NUB:
Bitter wood. No tar build-up.
This one is from my second box of these. I have half a box left. Based on their performance, I will not purchase a third box. They are not very expensive, but not greatest value for money based on what they deliver. They are okay, but nothing to write home about.
Rob
