Had a Tierra Del Sol robusto (cigarbid.com) after work. Medium bodied and a little harsh. Great burn and draw. 5/10.
Happy Thanksgiving-
Joe
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Review: MATASA 30th Anniversary Perfecto
History: Manual Quesada opened his MATASA Cigar Factory in 1974. They made a Dominican version of Fonseca. They now make blends for Fonseca, Cu-Avana, Casa Blanca, Cubita, Nat Sherman and others. They had an article in Cigar Aficionado Magazine about him and his family. Manual's nephew and two daughters are huge players in running the company and will most likely take over the company. If I remember correctly, the kids blended next cigar, the 35th Anniversary.
Anyway, the 30th...was a perfecto 5.7 x 24. The wrapper was Hershey chocolate brown, smooth as silk, oily with a par wrapper construction. Pre-light was a hint of spice and good draw. After lighting I new I was going to really like this cigar. The spicy/pepper was absent, but a great draw gave generous amounts of white smoke. This was a complex cigar. Great tobacco flavor with hints of cream. Medium bodied that finished full. About an inch into the cigar, something that I never experienced in a cigar before started to happen and continued until about half way---resin started bubbling/oozing out of the center of the head of the cigar. It wasn't enough to run off of the cigar, but it was odd. (Have any of you had this happen before?) I wiped it off after a while. Unfortunately, the resin was a taste was in the middle of the flavors for the rest of the cigar. It wasn't bad, but I'd love to try this cigar again (was a single purchase off of cigarbid.com) to see if this happens again and if not to really see what this cigar has to offer.
8/10 (with a potential of a 9.8/10)
Take care-
Joe
Anyway, the 30th...was a perfecto 5.7 x 24. The wrapper was Hershey chocolate brown, smooth as silk, oily with a par wrapper construction. Pre-light was a hint of spice and good draw. After lighting I new I was going to really like this cigar. The spicy/pepper was absent, but a great draw gave generous amounts of white smoke. This was a complex cigar. Great tobacco flavor with hints of cream. Medium bodied that finished full. About an inch into the cigar, something that I never experienced in a cigar before started to happen and continued until about half way---resin started bubbling/oozing out of the center of the head of the cigar. It wasn't enough to run off of the cigar, but it was odd. (Have any of you had this happen before?) I wiped it off after a while. Unfortunately, the resin was a taste was in the middle of the flavors for the rest of the cigar. It wasn't bad, but I'd love to try this cigar again (was a single purchase off of cigarbid.com) to see if this happens again and if not to really see what this cigar has to offer.
8/10 (with a potential of a 9.8/10)
Take care-
Joe
Monday, November 23, 2009
Review: Ashton Churchill 7.5" x 52
The Classic Ashton Churchhill Dominican with a Connecticut wrapper looks like something you would see featured on the cover of a magazine. It is a large cigar and the wrapper is smooth, free of veins and the color of caramel. It is a mild to medium cigar which is not normally my favorite profile, but this was great at 3:30 AM driving to Callaway County, MO to go deer hunting. Smooth like silk and with a short finish. If you have 2 hours to spare, this would not be a bad choice to pass the time with.
I do wish it had more punch, more pizaz, but like I said, it WAS early. If this had more spice and a fuller bodied profile, my humi would be full of them. That said, I can't fault it for being mild but at the same time, I just can't pull the triger on the perfect 10. Yes, it is almost that good. 9.73258745899/10
Matt
I do wish it had more punch, more pizaz, but like I said, it WAS early. If this had more spice and a fuller bodied profile, my humi would be full of them. That said, I can't fault it for being mild but at the same time, I just can't pull the triger on the perfect 10. Yes, it is almost that good. 9.73258745899/10
Matt
Friday, November 20, 2009
Review Gurkha Vintage Shaggy Toro 6 x 50
The Gurkha Vintage Shaggy Toro is an interesting looking cigar. It has a dark as night maduro wrapper with an open or "shaggy" foot at the end. Supposedly this is to make lighting and maintaining an even burn easier. I would have to agree with that. This was one of the easiest burning Gurkha's I have had.
The flavor starts out heavy with earth and coffee and mellows to a thick bready flavor. Burn was extremly easy with a decent draw. Medium bodied but I could have smoked this all day. Very smooth.
Besides the shaggy foot the most interesting thing about this was the band. Instead of the famous gold Gurkha band, there is a copper band. Very striking against the dark maduro wrapper. 8.5/10
Matt
The flavor starts out heavy with earth and coffee and mellows to a thick bready flavor. Burn was extremly easy with a decent draw. Medium bodied but I could have smoked this all day. Very smooth.
Besides the shaggy foot the most interesting thing about this was the band. Instead of the famous gold Gurkha band, there is a copper band. Very striking against the dark maduro wrapper. 8.5/10
Matt
November OCCS Meeting
Meeting Host: Rich
Date: Monday, November 30th
Location: Growler's Pub
Time: 5:30 ish
Adam
Date: Monday, November 30th
Location: Growler's Pub
Time: 5:30 ish
Adam
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Your 2009 Top Pick
What is your top pick cigar of 2009? This does not necessarily have to be a cigar that was released this year--it just has to be one that you tried for the first time this year.
Mine? I'd have to say the Nica Libre. What a great smoke!!!
Adam
Mine? I'd have to say the Nica Libre. What a great smoke!!!
Adam
Friday, November 13, 2009
Best Win on Cigarbid
To the best of your knowledge, what is your best win on cigarbid?
Mine, I would have to say the Man O War Robusto for $49.00. That was a steal.
Matt
Mine, I would have to say the Man O War Robusto for $49.00. That was a steal.
Matt
Monday, November 9, 2009
OCCS--1 Year Ago This Month
Meeting Date: 11/21/08
Meeting Location: Growler's Pub
Featured Cigar: Alec Bradley Maxx Traditional (8-8.5/10)
(pre-blog reviews)
Additional Smokes Reviewed:
> Oliva G (8-9/10)
>Indian Tabac Cameroon (no rating)
>CAO Brazilia (no rating)
>CAO Maduro 10th Anniversary Perfecto (9.5/10)
In Attendance: Jeff, Matt, Joe, John, Jeff
Adam
Meeting Location: Growler's Pub
Featured Cigar: Alec Bradley Maxx Traditional (8-8.5/10)
(pre-blog reviews)
Additional Smokes Reviewed:
> Oliva G (8-9/10)
>Indian Tabac Cameroon (no rating)
>CAO Brazilia (no rating)
>CAO Maduro 10th Anniversary Perfecto (9.5/10)
In Attendance: Jeff, Matt, Joe, John, Jeff
Adam
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Rocky Patel Renaissance Review
Enjoyed a Renaissance toro this morning on my walk with the dogs. Beautiful day and I hope you all are enjoying some form of activity outside as well.
Appearance:
Striking cigar. A darkish brown/reddish Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The band on this stick is very elegant as well. Double capped with small veins and zero noticeable seams. As always RP knows how to put out a top notch made cigar.
Construction:
The cut was perfect, as the first cap went almost a half-inch down the cigar to allow for no error. Again, beautiful and seamless. The burn and draw were perfect throughout as well.
Flavor:
First inch of the cigar offered a good amount of spice with woodsy flavor in the background. The remainder of the cigar, the woodsy flavor was the main flavor, but not strong, with hints of charcoal, cream and charred wood. These other flavors never popped out, as I wish they would have. This was a medium bodied cigar that was very pleasant to smoke.
Afterthought:
My only wish is that the flavors would have been more pronounced. This was a freebee at the last RP event at JRs (buy 3 get 1 free). After searching the web, MSRP is $8.xx for the toro. A little too much for this cigar, in my opinion, but maybe after aging one for a while the flavors would be more pronounced. Overall a very relaxing and pleasant cigar.
7.5/10
Take care-
Joe
Appearance:
Striking cigar. A darkish brown/reddish Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The band on this stick is very elegant as well. Double capped with small veins and zero noticeable seams. As always RP knows how to put out a top notch made cigar.
Construction:
The cut was perfect, as the first cap went almost a half-inch down the cigar to allow for no error. Again, beautiful and seamless. The burn and draw were perfect throughout as well.
Flavor:
First inch of the cigar offered a good amount of spice with woodsy flavor in the background. The remainder of the cigar, the woodsy flavor was the main flavor, but not strong, with hints of charcoal, cream and charred wood. These other flavors never popped out, as I wish they would have. This was a medium bodied cigar that was very pleasant to smoke.
Afterthought:
My only wish is that the flavors would have been more pronounced. This was a freebee at the last RP event at JRs (buy 3 get 1 free). After searching the web, MSRP is $8.xx for the toro. A little too much for this cigar, in my opinion, but maybe after aging one for a while the flavors would be more pronounced. Overall a very relaxing and pleasant cigar.
7.5/10
Take care-
Joe
Friday, November 6, 2009
Inventory
What is everybodys inventory right now? I have one home humi and one work humi. I have my kick around smokes at my work humi (about 75) and my home humi (300 + 25 in the drawrer underneath with some humipacks) has the good stuff under lock and key (so don't get any ideas Adam).
Man, I need to smoke more.
Matt
Man, I need to smoke more.
Matt
What are you smoking today?
I plan on smoking a Don Lino Afrifa Tembo, 7.5 x 50, after work. I just received two singles from cigarbid. I've never smoked a stogie this size before and it looks like a rough and tough cigar. Ever had one?
What are you smoking today?
-Joe
What are you smoking today?
-Joe
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
REVIEW: Diesel Unholy Cocktail Torpedo 5 x 56
Just received a 10 pack of these from cigarbid.com. I was immediately impressed with the weight of this cigar--almost unreal for its size, and I noticed the bands are positioned the foot of the cigar (just like the Edge). Dark, leathery wrapper; prelight was sweet; and I could immediately tell this was going to be a spicy smoke. The cigar was indeed spicy from start to finish, almost over-powering at times. It didn't necessarily start off as a full strength smoke, but it certainly finished as such. A tremdously pepper & spicy cigar. This guy runs right along (if not a bit before) The Edge. 10/10
Adam
Adam
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
How do you refresh your tastebuds?
Jeff brought up a subject at the last OCCS meeting that I found very interesting. He told me that he heard that having a soda between cigars is a good way to clear your palate, or refresh your tastebuds if you will. I find that when I smoke multiple cigars in a row, I can't get the true taste or full taste of any cigar after the first one, especially when I smoke the cigars back to back as on OCCS meeting nights. I realize that it could be my personal issue, but Jeff's suggestion made me think that I'm not as wierd as I initialy thought (maybe anyway). Do you all have this same problem? If so, what are your remedies?
-Joe
-Joe
October OCCS Meeting and El Baton Review
Another fine night of cigars and friends at Growlers. I hope our picture makes it into Cigar Aficionado. Cigars were plenty and even a cooler/humidor made an appearance. Good to see that everyone made it to another meeting, and Rich's first as an OCCS member. Also, happy birthday to Matt! I think he turned either 27 or 49, but not sure. John hosted this one and he brought an El Baton cigar as the cigar for the night.
El Baton is made by the J.C. Newman Company and I believe we had the double toro at 6 x60 (correct me if I am wrong). It is a Nicaraguan puro with a corojo wrapper. This was my second cigar of the evening after enjoying a delicious Oliva G maduro toro. I've heard great things about the El Baton, so I was eager to try. The El Baton started out as a smooth smoke and finished the same way. Even burn, no touch ups or corrections needed. The draw was good and cool all the way to the end, as was expected of the large ring gauge. The flavors I experienced were leather, earth and a tad bit of spiciness. Not sure of the price point, but I hear this is a good value cigar. I will definitely try again. I followed up the El Baton with a RP Sun Grown 6 x 60, which was also excellent.
El Baton rating=8.5/10
Take care-
Joe
El Baton is made by the J.C. Newman Company and I believe we had the double toro at 6 x60 (correct me if I am wrong). It is a Nicaraguan puro with a corojo wrapper. This was my second cigar of the evening after enjoying a delicious Oliva G maduro toro. I've heard great things about the El Baton, so I was eager to try. The El Baton started out as a smooth smoke and finished the same way. Even burn, no touch ups or corrections needed. The draw was good and cool all the way to the end, as was expected of the large ring gauge. The flavors I experienced were leather, earth and a tad bit of spiciness. Not sure of the price point, but I hear this is a good value cigar. I will definitely try again. I followed up the El Baton with a RP Sun Grown 6 x 60, which was also excellent.
El Baton rating=8.5/10
Take care-
Joe
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)