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Saint Luis Rey - Double Coronas

Ginseng

Banned
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Oct 2, 2005
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8,802
Marca: Saint Luis Rey, Habana
Vitola de salida: Double Coronas
Vitola de galera: prominentes, 7-5/8" x 49 rg
Cigar received: February 15, 2008
Cigar storage conditions: 67% RH, 61F
Cigar smoked: April 12, 2008
Smoking conditions: outdoors on my porch, 65F, partly sunny, light breeze
Accompaniment: water
Code: AEP MAR07

Previous experience with SLR DC: none that I can recall
Purpose of this review: This is the first in a series of reviews of cigars from this cabinet. I will be reviewing a cigar on the 2[sup]nd[/sup], 3[sup]rd[/sup], 4[sup]th[/sup], and 5[sup]th[/sup] anniversaries as well to provide a running record of the development of this renowned cigar.

Prelight Impressions
This cigar is well constructed with a nicely assembled cap and even application of the tawny wrapper. The wrapper looks healthily supple without the appearance of exceptional oiliness or dryness. It is not stretched or torn. The bunch appearance at the foot is reasonable and coupled with a nice, even springiness in the barrel suggests the draw will be acceptable. Cold aroma is leathery tobacco and initial draws prior to lighting reveal a pleasant, earthy, leathery character.

(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...OH_SLRDC01a.jpg)

Initial Impressions
Lightup is uneventful and the foot ignites and burns evenly. The draw is easy-light medium and smoke volume is high. The drawn smoke is heavy on the palate, very dense and oily in texture. The diluted smoke expelled nasally is biting and sharp, quite at odds with overall sensation which is light-bodied, woody, with hints of generic sweetness. Drawing lightly reveals a light leather character with pleasant floral notes and even a touch of aromatic "perfuminess." The medium-gray ash is moderately stiff though it exhibited a fluffy appearance.

Middle Stage Impressions
I ashed and purged at the 1/3 mark. This reveals a toasty character along with the medium-bodied tobacco. The general impression is of a clean flavor that is simple and composed of only one predominant layer. In a word, this is an inoffensive and simple cigar that is not compelling in any aspect. The burn continues to be reasonably straight, requiring almost no touch-ups. The aftertaste is still essentially plain, fresh tobacco and duration on the palate is lingering but not particularly enthralling.

Past the half way mark, the cigar has still not changed or developed in any way that I can detect. At the onset of the final third, the cigar has started to develop a tarry scent from the trailing smoke at the foot. This is also starting to manifest in the drawn smoke. I start to have more difficulty keeping it burning straight or burning at all.

(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...OH_SLRDC02a.jpg)

End Stage Impressions
I allow this cigar to go out shortly after entering the final third. The tarriness coupled with an unchanging, simple and rather dull character results in a cigar that is, in a word, boring.

Overall Judgment
At this point, this was a big, inoffensive but dull cigar. On the presumption that this cigar is expected to age and develop, I would say it has some potential. I base this on the extreme density and oiliness of the smoke. Further, although the overall impression was of a light body, the taste delivered scattered packets of flavor that I'd describe as "bound up" in the sense that undifferentiated flavors were exceptionally intense. I associate these "packets" with the future evolution of additional flavor and aroma notes. In other words, the seeds of complexity.

It is interesting to note that the SLR DC performed pretty much exactly as the SLR Churchills tubo that I reviewed here with the exception of these flavor packets.

I don't usually put a number on the cigars I smoke but if pressed, I'd say for current smoking, no more than 85 and perhaps as low as 80.

Wilkey

PS. I did some additional research by procuring cigars from another cab of AEP MAR07 and a cab from EST NOV07. The other AEP MAR07 cigars smoked substantially the same as this specimen. The EST NOV07, however, was considerably more muted, muddled, and "dumb." Cold aroma was indistinguishable, however, with no hints of ammonia from either set of alternate cigars. I have to wonder if the additional 8 months age had started to pull the AEP code out of the doldrums. If this is the case, then I think it bodes well for the continued development of the cigars under study in this series of reviews.
 
Excellent review! I've had this same SLR and found it very similar in description. Very interested to see how it develops in the series. :thumbs:
 
Great review, Wilkey.... :thumbs:

SLR A's have been a fave of mine and I have a box from 07 that is smoking rather well. Got a cab taking a deeper nap..... :cool:

Thanks again - B.B.S.
 
I think these are the best Cuban DC out there. Too bad you didn't like it.
 
It will be interesting to see if they improve since there is so much room for improvement. I am sometimes amazed at how much some cigars improve with age - more so with an initially weak performer.
 
Good review as usual Wilkey.

The DC takes some time to smoke, not cool when it's not enjoyable.

Brian
 
I've had a couple of these, still one left waiting for a session this summer. I remember them being better than described. Hopefully those will come around for you. I don't remember the box code but I think it was from 06.
 
Nice review Wilkey......sorry it was a bit of a let down. I've got a cab from November '06 that are just starting to get real good. At first, they were exactly as you described; muted and generally dull. Looking forward to seeing what you think of them in 5 years :cool:
 
(Mike33 @ May 11 2008, 11:37 AM) Nice review Wilkey......sorry it was a bit of a let down. I've got a cab from November '06 that are just starting to get real good. At first, they were exactly as you described; muted and generally dull. Looking forward to seeing what you think of them in 5 years
Yep. I knew what the expectations were of this cigar. It is SLR's flagship and early millennial releases were hailed as potential classics. Even so, I tried to go into this smoking experience with no preformed opinions and rate it on its own merits and not against historical experience. This was aided by the fact that this was my first of this vitola in a marca that I do not smoke in any great quantity. It wasn't a "bad" cigar, per se, but a cigar of this size automatically triggers ideas regarding complexity, development, even power. For what it's worth, the in-cab aroma is stunning: rich, organic, barnyard. In a word, everything you'd expect a quality Habanos in 50-ct SLB.

At this point, I've smoked maybe 4 or 5 from this cab with consistent results. For typing and reading on the porch, it's a good stick. Light it, puff it, forget about it. But as a cigar to really engage with, it's just not there...yet.

See y'all in another 365. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Wilkey
 
Nice review!

I enjoy these larger sizes 'fresh'...then, just around the 7-8 month mark, they need to sleep. That's not to say they don't smoke....they can be just a liitle flat.

I've not found this size of a cigar to really come around until a few YEARS.....the 98-2001-2 stock is smoking well.

The newer cigars havn't, and aren't suppose to go into a bad 'sick' period(ammonia), however the blend still has to 'marry'.

I guess I'll have to have a 98 Lusi today! :D
 
Boy, what a great review!
Very thorough, impressive schema, and left me with no questions.
In addition, it makes me want to try the smoke, regardless of the 80 rating.
Well done Wilkey!
 
......."with hints of generic sweetness."

I have found this to be true of many women I have met over the years.
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Well done Wilkey....we have all smoked that very cigar you reviewed many times....even though the band may have had a different name on it.

Perfectly descriptive.
 
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