half full monty
Member
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2004
- Messages
- 654
The setting:
8:52am Sunday morning. Sun’s out drying the residue of last night’s rain, the first in a week. The tomato plants are glistening as the sun hits them. The bright orange flowers on the squash plants contrast against the green bushy plant. The macbook says it’s 66 degrees in Charlotte, but I’m guessing it’s closer to 75, with just a hint of a breeze. A chorus of birds this morning, including a brilliant red cardinal darting through the trees.
The smoke:
La Aurora 1495 Series, 1994 Cameroon wrapper
Aesthesics:
Corona cigar, 44x5. Single cap that bunches over the edges like a bottle cap. Typical cameroon-brown wrapper, however, not nearly as toothy as I seen on others. Smooth wrap, with a noticeable candy stripe from the color gradations in the wrapper.
Construction:
Cuts nice, no unravel. Draw is good, favors the tight side. nice roll that shows the viens both on top and underneath the first layer of wrap. Not much flavor pre-light. Grassy tobac taste.
Flavor & Strength:
Lights well, burns nice, firm but smokey draw. First couple draws push the limit of sinus tingling to burn. Can definitely taste the Cameroon, but the filler dominates the profile. The marketing literature for this cigar notes a Cameroon wrapper from 1994 surrounds the 1495 binder and filler. I’m already thinking they should have used this wrapper for the preferido blend, but we’ll see how it goes.
First inch in and this is a savory, woody cigar. All woodsy overtones, no sweetness or cocao. The dark coffee with a dash of sugar could be contributing to that as well. Perfect burn 1/3 into this at 9:25. Ash is firm and pointed and so light it is almost white. I definitely pick up the nutty overtones of the cameroon wrapper, immediately subdued by the domincan filler, a younger less subtle tobacco flavor that draws similarities to an Avo grassy/floral filler.
As the female cardinal shoots by, I pause to take aim at a tree rat (aka squirrel) inching its way towards our now overburdened plum tree. Hundreds of ripe, juicy red plums make for too tempting a treat for those varmints, easy pickens for the Daisy pump action.
Wow, ok, half way through this thing opens up. An almond nuttiness dominates the profile, harsh overtones are subdued and it’s drawing like a champ. Can’t let this one get too hot.
A steady stream of golfers now at the 16th hole, winding down their sunday morning rounds. Hawk screams from about 200 yards away. He was hunting in the backyard woods yesterday. Man this is really a nice smoke now. Very subtle leather background to a nutty middle and a lingering pepper finish, Again, a completely savory smoke, no sweetness to it. Still a perfect burn at 9:43. For a cameroon, this is a much stronger profile than the CR Stanford Cameroon, but the wrapper is definitely coming through and is now the dominant flavor.
Sure enough, the Radio Shack wireless thermo-hygro shows 77.7 degrees and 67% RH. A good 2/3rd through and it’s looking like the best might behind me with this smoke. Still very good, but the filler has lost some of it’s smoothness as the remaining leaves have macerated in the smoke from the last hour.
Almost went out as another varmint came by. Ah, spoke too son. A re-light of the outer circle highlights the cameroon flavor of this cigar. This is a solid finish for this cigar. A heavier tobacco flavor leaves a tingle on the lips, a sure sign she is winding down. about an inch and 1/2 left at 10:12, well over an hour into this Dominican corona, and now I am reminded of the familiarity of this cigar. The La Aurora Choix Supreme made for the Manhattan Davidoff shop in Midtown. I would have to say, the current specimen I’m smoking is a superior cigar that does a better job of highlighting the cameroon wrapper.
Less than an inch left and it is history. Last draw burns the back of the throat and it is time to go.
Overall:
Overall the setting and the experience is relaxing and brought out the best this smoke had to offer. I’m not Googling availability on these, but I would definitely enjoy another one. 7.5 on a 10 scale. The filler blend on these could be tweaked or aged for my tastes.
8:52am Sunday morning. Sun’s out drying the residue of last night’s rain, the first in a week. The tomato plants are glistening as the sun hits them. The bright orange flowers on the squash plants contrast against the green bushy plant. The macbook says it’s 66 degrees in Charlotte, but I’m guessing it’s closer to 75, with just a hint of a breeze. A chorus of birds this morning, including a brilliant red cardinal darting through the trees.
The smoke:
La Aurora 1495 Series, 1994 Cameroon wrapper
Aesthesics:
Corona cigar, 44x5. Single cap that bunches over the edges like a bottle cap. Typical cameroon-brown wrapper, however, not nearly as toothy as I seen on others. Smooth wrap, with a noticeable candy stripe from the color gradations in the wrapper.
Construction:
Cuts nice, no unravel. Draw is good, favors the tight side. nice roll that shows the viens both on top and underneath the first layer of wrap. Not much flavor pre-light. Grassy tobac taste.
Flavor & Strength:
Lights well, burns nice, firm but smokey draw. First couple draws push the limit of sinus tingling to burn. Can definitely taste the Cameroon, but the filler dominates the profile. The marketing literature for this cigar notes a Cameroon wrapper from 1994 surrounds the 1495 binder and filler. I’m already thinking they should have used this wrapper for the preferido blend, but we’ll see how it goes.
First inch in and this is a savory, woody cigar. All woodsy overtones, no sweetness or cocao. The dark coffee with a dash of sugar could be contributing to that as well. Perfect burn 1/3 into this at 9:25. Ash is firm and pointed and so light it is almost white. I definitely pick up the nutty overtones of the cameroon wrapper, immediately subdued by the domincan filler, a younger less subtle tobacco flavor that draws similarities to an Avo grassy/floral filler.
As the female cardinal shoots by, I pause to take aim at a tree rat (aka squirrel) inching its way towards our now overburdened plum tree. Hundreds of ripe, juicy red plums make for too tempting a treat for those varmints, easy pickens for the Daisy pump action.
Wow, ok, half way through this thing opens up. An almond nuttiness dominates the profile, harsh overtones are subdued and it’s drawing like a champ. Can’t let this one get too hot.
A steady stream of golfers now at the 16th hole, winding down their sunday morning rounds. Hawk screams from about 200 yards away. He was hunting in the backyard woods yesterday. Man this is really a nice smoke now. Very subtle leather background to a nutty middle and a lingering pepper finish, Again, a completely savory smoke, no sweetness to it. Still a perfect burn at 9:43. For a cameroon, this is a much stronger profile than the CR Stanford Cameroon, but the wrapper is definitely coming through and is now the dominant flavor.
Sure enough, the Radio Shack wireless thermo-hygro shows 77.7 degrees and 67% RH. A good 2/3rd through and it’s looking like the best might behind me with this smoke. Still very good, but the filler has lost some of it’s smoothness as the remaining leaves have macerated in the smoke from the last hour.
Almost went out as another varmint came by. Ah, spoke too son. A re-light of the outer circle highlights the cameroon flavor of this cigar. This is a solid finish for this cigar. A heavier tobacco flavor leaves a tingle on the lips, a sure sign she is winding down. about an inch and 1/2 left at 10:12, well over an hour into this Dominican corona, and now I am reminded of the familiarity of this cigar. The La Aurora Choix Supreme made for the Manhattan Davidoff shop in Midtown. I would have to say, the current specimen I’m smoking is a superior cigar that does a better job of highlighting the cameroon wrapper.
Less than an inch left and it is history. Last draw burns the back of the throat and it is time to go.
Overall:
Overall the setting and the experience is relaxing and brought out the best this smoke had to offer. I’m not Googling availability on these, but I would definitely enjoy another one. 7.5 on a 10 scale. The filler blend on these could be tweaked or aged for my tastes.
I had a 1495 at the SC Sit Down herf and it was really good! Thanks for the review!
