Placeholder for review...damn cold set in...no cigars for a few days...hoping it clears by Saturday.

My wife is planning something sneaky for my birthday...dropped hints all weekend...dosing Vit C and slamming  Alka Seltzer Cold!

The cuban classic is todays joes daily deal if anybody hasn't picked one up or just need to add a few to the collection.

COTM March '11

Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic (Torpedo)

For your viewing pleasure, the March COTM with some Wild Turkey Rare Breed (man does not live by Scotch alone) and a Colt 1909 .45 revolver... yes that's the original blue!



Wrapper was a little veiny, nothing dramatic, and smelled extremely sweet.  Not really "barnyard" but really sweet... maybe a little nutty.  Clipped with my Xicar and the cold draw was about the same.  Not a super solid feeling cigar, a little give to it, but no real soft spots to speak of.  Not the nicest looking cigar in the world but far from the ugliest I've seen.  Despite the supple feel, the draw was a little hard for my liking.

Toasted her up and BAM!  Immediate hit of the trademark DPG peppery spiciness.  Black pepper for sure for the 1st quarter inch, no mistaking it.  The pepper gave way to some non-categorizable roasty flavors.  Not coffee, not cocoa, not sure what but pleasant and dark tasting.

After that, it was semi-sweet nuttiness.  Down towards the last 1/3 I got a little bit of leather fighting back and forth with the nutty flavor, but it went away pretty quickly.  The cigar burned nicely for the first 2/3 and then I almost had to fight to keep it producing useable smoke, but it never died, even at the nub.  Puffed too hard a couple times and was rewarded with some bitterness, but if managed properly it was a tasty, medium bodied smoke.  No nicotine spins from this one.



Don't think I'll be buying a box but wouldn't turn one down, that's for sure.  A nice cigar... maybe a 7 or 8 out of ten.

In viewing this post, I can see that the Mrs. is right... my hands are dry, rough, calloused, and generally look like shit. I should just get over it and get a F-ing manicure.

Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic

Cigar Construction: A few flaws, the wrapper was kind of messed up on the tip, which I cut off

Burn: burned very uneven, had to correct with lighter half way through
Taste: the pre-light draw was nutty and pleasant, the first half was peppery and slightly nutty, the second half had a nice leathery flavor, through out most of the cigar the smoke was rich and thick  
What you drank and/or ate with the cigar: water
On a scale of 1-10 want did you think of the cigar overall: 6.5/10, it wasn't a bad cigar at all.  I am glad I have another in my humidor.  Its not something I will be buying often though.

OK...now that my lungs are back to working status....

Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic

Cigar Construction: A good looking cigar...as expected from a Pepin
Burn: THIS STICK HAD ISSUES!!  Very uneven burn, had to touch it up many times and at the half way point it started to canoe
Taste: Pre-light draw- walnuts and leather, the first half was full of pepper and no hint of the walnut that I picked up, the second half was solid leather and earth, heavy smoke to start and then thinned out.
What you drank and/or ate with the cigar: ice water
On a scale of 1-10 want did you think of the cigar overall: 4 out of 10.

I was really disappointed with this cigar. Maybe my expectation was too high but I really expected a more complex smoke for a "cuban blend"...not what I had hopes for. The smoke was great right from the start with nice full pepper and then it totally vanished...saying it was mid way was generous but after that first kick the "flavor" was gone and it was just tobacco.
I would not pass these to friends...but since I have a few more, I am going to let them sit for oh, say another YEAR and give them another try...I will be able to wait....[://

I will keep that in mind but I may take you up on that after they nap...pepper disappeared way too fast...like I said, not what I was expecting....maybe that is whay I was so disappointed.
Oh well, there is always next month!

Place holder, my review of the Pepin is gonna come on Saturday.

Adding review: Don Pepin Cuban Classic Figurado

Cigar Construction - It was a god looking cigar, nice and oily.  I was expecting the wrapper to be a bit darker, but still a pretty little thing.
Pre-light draw - Probably the best part of the cigar.  Took a couple draws on it and I really enjoyed the way it tasted.
Burn  - It was uneven at first, but once the first 2 inches burned away it sell corrected.  As I burned through the first inch the draw got extremely tight, to the point where I could barely pull smoke into my mouth.  I cut a little more of end away to increase the amount of air I could pull in and that worked well, but I have never encountered this before.  Next the damn thing kept almost going out, and I was constantly removing ash to re-light the cigar.
Taste - I definitely got the pepper, along with a nice carmel taste, but after a little while the temperment of the cigar started to piss me off along with having to re-cut it, I kind of got a little irritated with it.  Ended up going through about 2/3 of the cigar before I just got tired of it and put it out.
What you drank and/or ate with the cigar - Drank Pepsi and ate some Kettle potato chips.
On a scale of 1-10 want did you think of the cigar overall - 5

It was a good looking cigar that sat in my humidor for 3 months before I attempted to light it up, I would try it again, but only in the hopes that I would find one that wasn't in the middle of its "monthly cycle".

Sooo, anybody got a Murcielago they would be willing to swap with me?  I kinda forgot to buy one this month and my local B&M does not carry them.

I got a bat for ya....IM me and we'll work it out!

Murcielago

Cigar Construction: pretty good

Burn: burned pretty even
Taste: the pre-light draw was spicy, the taste of the cigar was spicy and like burnt nuts
What you drank and/or ate with the cigar: water
On a scale of 1-10 want did you think of the cigar overall: 2/10, this cigar wasn't good at all, i put it out half way though, it was hot and too spicy

Murcielago Belicoso Maduro

5 1/2" x 52 Box Pressed



Cigar Construction: An attractive cigar, very firm and well constructed. No visible imperfections, dark, rich oil-like wrapper...but hey, it IS a Maduro

Burn: Light was easy and the burn was consistent but angular in appearance. I touched it up twice and it returned to that path right away. The ash held firm until the wind took it...nice white ash!

Taste: Pre-light draw- nuts and bitter chocolate, the first half was full of rich, smoothness with tons of thick smoke and still the cocoa or bitter chocolate that I picked up, the second half was more spicy and some cedar (really reminded me of mesquite more). As it got farther along, more spice and the tip of my tongue thought it to be a Hemingway Don Carlos...but too much soft cream in the smoke.

There is where the cap fell apart. I could not take the band off in fear of loosing the wrapper...smoked the damn thing till it touched...happily.

What you drank and/or ate with the cigar: ice water...I wanted scotch but we have an early morning orthopedic surgeon appointment for my son...poor kid broke a bone in his hand Friday night that needed reduced...twice...so no booze for daddy tonight.

On a scale of 1-10 want did you think of the cigar overall: 6 out of 10.

I am happy to have a few more of these. Nice cigar even with the cap/unravelling issues...hopefully a fluke...will try a V-cut next time.

Mucielago belicoso at the range this morning... Thusly I enjoyed it with water.

Nice wrapper, firm, moderately tight cold draw that did open up as it warmed. Cold draw and external aroma of coffee/cocoa.

Very slight spice through the first half of the stick, more a tingly black peppery mouth feel than a flavor. Strong coffee and burnt choccy flavors. I found it a bit harsh, but that could've been because I was walking around with the damn thing sticking out of my face. Cedary woody notes towards the end, richer at the end also.

No burn issues that didn't self correct. Not a bad smoke but not the holy grail.

I give it a 7.  Pic or pics to follow, dunno if I can post em from my iPad 2. Damn this thing is fun.

ETA photomograph.  The seegar is in there somewhere:

Murcielago Belicoso Maduro



Smoked it at my buddy's BBQ yesterday w/ Sweet Tea...



I bought this one back in January and it has been resting for the past few months...



Construction was damn near perfect.  Nice and tight all around, tiny veins, with an oily shimmer to it.  Pre lite draw had a nutty flavor with hints of dark chocolate.  Once I gave it the ol torch, it popped alive into a smooth mixture of nut and spice with subtle hints of cocoa that would peak in occasionally to see what was going on.  This continued throughout the first third.....



The ash was a stiff, consistant white/grey mixture with no burn issues.  Fell off at about the 1 inch mark due to a light breeze and the fact that I was moving around quite a bit while I whooped up on the rest of em in a one sided match of cornhole.



Hadn't noticed I was even in the 2/3rd until the flavor changed and I took another look at it.  Flavor moved to more of a spicy leather with the nuts and cocoa falling into second and third place on my palette.  The ash and burn continued on pace with zero issues....



Got into the final 3rd and the spice really kicked in for me.  Not in a bad way, just more of an overpowering Maduro sort of way.  I like the spicy ligero usually anway, so it didn't bother me too much.  My only complaint is that that's all there was left.  No complexity, no personality, nothing.....just Maduro...



Overall I would say this is not a bad smoke by any means.  If it would smoke the whole way like the first 3rd, I might have given it higher marks.  No burn issues, beautiful construction and decent flavor for over half the smoke.  Then it kinda fell on it's face.  Its hard to rate anything over a 7 if I don't nub it...but lets see what happens...



CONSTRUCTION: 10/10 picture perfect



BURN: 9/10 Stayed lit even between games when I would go inside and grab a drink or use the bathroom



FLAVOR: 5/10 Reminds me of my ex fiance, Real nice in the beginning, but by the end you realize how shallow and empty it really is...



OVERALL (not an average) 7/10  I would recommend one of these for someone to try and get a feeling for how they like them.  I'm sure that there are people out there that would step over their mother to get one, but its just not for me.  I wouldn't mind smoking one again and seeing if I get the same show, but I don't see myself buying a box (or even a 5 pack) anytime soon.



***I apologize for the lack of pictures, but the wife left the camera at home and my old cell phone doesn't take pictures that would have done the construction justice.***

LOL.  Thanks for the review!

Cigar: Tobacos El Triunfador No. 4

Size: 5x48

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Filler and binder: Nicaraguan

Price: $7.28 at the local shop.



Setting: Garage, bout 70 degrees out, 4pm.  Pairing with a Barq's.

Pre-light: This is not the prettiest looking stick. It does come wrapped in cello. Medium size veins and distinct wrap lines. The cigar is fairly very soft and spongy but does have a nice triple cap. Pre-light smell is pleasant of sweet hay and a bit of spice coming off the foot. The cigar clipped easily and has a nice draw with just a touch of resistance. Pre-light flavor is light, with hints of just sweet hay and tobacco.



First third: The cigar lit easily. Initial flavors are kinda charry and spicier than I was expecting. It is producing lots of thick smoke and leaves a touch of spice on the tounge. After a couple minutes the charry taste is going away and settling into a woody sweet kinda flavor. About half an inch in the burn is pretty crooked.  I'm gonna let it go for now and see if it corrects itself. The ash is dark, tight, and compacted though.  Body is medium and somewhat creamy, strength is on the lighter side of medium so far.  The aftertaste is light and pleasant. At about an inch in the ash decided to drop on my lap so I decided to go ahead and correct the burn as it wasn't doing it itself.



Second third: In the second third the spice has really mellowed out, with just a hint of it left.  The flavor is still just that woody sweet tobacco flavor.  It's not really changing up but it is a very pleasant medium cigar so far. After touching up the burn line continued to be wavy but not too out of kilter.  The burn line is thick and the ash continues to hang together, dropping only after an inch or so of length. The smoke continues to be thick and makes for nice smoke rings.



Final third: Getting into the final third the flavors and the spice are starting to pick up again.  The woodsy flavor is fading a tad and a bit of coffee bitterness is starting to come into the smoke, which I think is a nice thing. Body is nice with continued nice mouthfulls of smokes.  As I get to the nub I really have to slow down my smoking as it's getting pretty hot.



Final thoughts: Overall this was a pretty nice, well made, medium smoke. Flavors were pleasant, didn't hit all my buttons, but nice nonetheless. The smoke lasted just about an hour.  For the money though there are lots of smokes I like better. For an overall score I'll give it a 6.5 out of 10.
Liked it: Sure

Reccommend: Sure

Buy again: Probably not, but would definitely smoke another if gifted.

Going to review my #4 El T tonight....

Can't believe that I missed the May review....oops...too many other good sticks in and ready.

Placeholder for Oliva V...gonna be a torpedo....been sitting for a year!!!

Should be very

Let's get this thread back on track.

I never scored July's COTM - La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros - so I have to skip that one.

August is MOW....and we all know how much I despise those nasty little turds from the GODS ABOVE!!!!!
Since I have smoked about twenty in the past few months...do we really need a review on that one???
OK.....FINE......MOW SE Fig......
Pre-light                   Yummy
First quarter            Yummys
Half                         Yummier
Third quarter           Yummiest
The after effect       Oooohhhh Yyyeeeaaahhh

Overall rating 9.8 out of 10
Didn't last long enough but I was very happy all through the smoke.
Paired it with Oban 18.....yes, I know its hard to believe that I would pick a single malt but there ya go.

September is upon us so my well aged - Padron 1964 Anniversary - will be this weekend's treat.

I have a brand new bottle of Edradour Reserve just delivered from overseas (don't tell the Govenor that he didn't get his tax on this one...) to enjoy.
I squeezed the last drops out of my last remaining bottle from my Scotland trip too long ago.

I know it is September 9th, but I hope it is not to late to get in for August
I had a private wrap party last night with Ryan Phillpee,  Anna Paquin, and Powers Boothe.
There is nothing like celebrating the end of a hard show, with a good cigar and that’s what I did. And being that last month’s cigar was Man O’ War which is one of my favorites. I thought it would be a nice way to go.


August cigar was the Man O' War.
I choise to get the Man O' War__Viirtu.  It has been ageing in my humidor for about 5_months now. I got it in a sampler so, I do not remember the cost.  I choice to cut.

Construction: It was well tightly wrapped.

Burn:  excellent, nice even and consistent.  Exactly what we have come to expect out of the Man O’ Wars

Taste:  A nice smooth, Tobacco taste.  Maybe alittle coffee, and alittle eathy.  

What you drank and/or ate with the cigar :  Johnny Walker Black, over ice

On a scale of 1-10 want did you think of the cigar overall: I would go a 9.  I love a nice mild or mild - meduim., and this one delivered.  

Closing Thoughts:  I plain to be adding more of these to my humidor very soon. I let afew people try it, and may have introduced some new people into the world of cigars. It light well, and smoked, and was great all the way threw.
Sorry no pictures, it was one of those kinds of parties.

Review of: Padron 1964 anniversary



Overview: This is the first one of these sticks I have smoked, the reviews all over the net have been high and going in my expectations are a bit high, I will try to beat them back into submission as to not to taint what I get from the smoke..but we shall see. I smoked this while enjoying one of the cooler Aww can saw days, one of the few where you face doesnt melt off when you step outside. Also note: Everyones tastes buds are different, so if you read this and based on this review ALONE (retard) buy a 10 dollar stick and not like it, dont go "Fuck moochin, that fuckin fag dont know his head from his ass.

Cigar Construction: At first glance the stick appears to be quite well constructed, nothing in the way of soft spots or huge blemishes present theirself. There is one section in which the wrapper has come ever so slightly loose, however I attribute that moreso to 'travel wear' over factory defects

The wrapper itself is a very nice oily medium brown with a muted earthy scent reminding me of hay

Burn: This stick was small enough that my usual punch did not work, so I had to use a cutter...which ended up with a small split in the wrapper ~.~, oh well, fucker will still taste the same.

The overall burn of the stick was very even, smooth, with no issues. Smoked like a champ!

Taste: Now for the important shit. The first third of the stick was quite mellow, creamy and nutty with just a lingering background hint of spice and very pleasing and relaxing


Then the middle third hit...holy shit, the flavors ramped up big time, the spice did a steady one two on my face, a complete 180 from the first bit, and a striking full flavor greeted me, lots of spice and coffee, what happened to the relaxing mellow stick from before? Not sure, but I will endevour foreward!


The last third resulted in a return of the mellow flavors from the first third, after brutally raping my face I guess it decided it would be kind and give me a reach around. The creamy, smooth, nutty flavor returned, this time coupled with a tad more spice and just a hint of earthy tones..thinking cedar? Could be wrong, my face was nearly numb at this point from the nicotine rush.



What did you drink with it?: Nothing

A scale of 1-10 want did you think of the cigar overall?: Overall, the stick held a consistant burn, and while the flavors flip flopped during the smoke it resulted in quite a overall pleasing experance. First it lulls you into a nice, relaxed stupor, then rips your balls off, and while you're in a curled up fetal postion it takes a bit of pitty on your mangled form and offers you a bit to bring you back down from the throws of 'what the fuck happened?'. Would I buy another one? No, I wouldnt, but that is not the fault of the stick, moreso my personal preferances in what I want in a cigar. The stick itself does its job well *IF* you enjoy full flavored, complex smokes with highs and lows, but with an overall well designed smoking experiance.

All in all, I give it 8.25/10 thumbs up. While it's not for me, quality in manufacture, design, and overall smoking experiance cannot be denyed.

True!
Nice job.

Well....I was late but got to smoke the '64 finally....

And I was really disappointed!

Construction was great
Pre-light draw was as expected - great
Wrapper - looked flawless

First inch - easy light, soft even smoke, good flavor
Second third - things started to go bad...burn started to go whacky and it even went out literally in between a puff and a drink
At the half - second re-light and a wierd bitter taste started to emerge
Last third - had to touch it up like crazy (nice night, no wind, 72 degrees) and third re-light arrived.
Smoked it till the band and then moved on.

Overall impressions:

Not the best '64 I have smoked and very surprising for a Padron.
Not a horrible experience but I will reach for a '26 next time as I have yet to find one that did not make me very happy!

Echo