Giving a Little More Back...

Another outgoing bomb.  This one to another noobie at Puff.com (as if I'm not still one...)

- John Bull (Prime Minister: 7.5" x 54) 
- 5 Vegas Classic (Torpedo: 6" x 54)
- 5 Vegas Cask Strength (Toro: 6" x 52)
- 5 Vegas Gold Maduro (Robusto: 5" x 50)
- A. Fernandez Signature Series (Toro: 6" x 54)
- Gran Habano Vintage 2002 (Robusto: 5" x 50)
- Gurkha G5 Avenger (Torpedo: 6" x52)
- Victor Sinclair Primeros Tabacos (Robusto: 5.5" x 50)

It's weird how giving away something you love can make you feel good...

CI's Practically Giving Them Away!

The term no-brainer get thrown around a lot on the internet, often undeservedly. Last week, Cigars International offered something that definitely qualifies:  3 Cigars for $1, shipped!

- Gurkha Gran Reserve (Robusto #4: 6" x 50)
- Partagas Cifuentes (Diciembre: 5.5" x 49)
- 5 Vegas Classic (Torpedo: 6" x 54)

That's $18.73 (MSRP) worth of sticks for one dollar.  With free shipping!

The offer was only supposed to be good for as long as supplies lasted (and I'm sure they didn't last long!)  but CI accepted orders long after the initial stock was gone.  Great deal.  Great company!

Trekkie Nerdness Finally Pays Off!

Tritones (aka Mike) at Puff.com is a big Trekkie from way back and last week he sponsored a Star Trek contest.  Long story short, I won!  And my prize package arrived today!

- Oliva Serie 'V' (Lancero: 7" x 38 )
- Oliva Serie 'O' (Robusto: 5" x 50)
- Carlos Toraño Exodus Gold 1959 (Toro: 6" x 50)
- Diesel Unholy Cocktail (Torpedo: 5" x 56)
- Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 2nd (Perfecto: 5" x 48)

The Oliva 'O' is the only one I've had before, and I've been dying to try another one!

And my wife said watching Star Trek was a waste of time...  pffft.

Another Delivery!

I got treated so well the last time, I put my name back on Puff.com's Noobie PIF list.  This is what was sent to me by BlackandGold508 (aka Keith):

- Bahia Trinidad (Pancho: 5.5" x 52)
- Blue Label B2 (Torpedo: 6.5" x 52)
- Cohiba Siglo (VI: 6" x 54)
- Devil's Weed (Torpedo: 6" x 52)
- Gran Habano Vintage 2002 (Robusto: 5" x 50)
- Cain Nub Maduro (460: 4" x 60)

Great package, Keith!  Thanks a lot!

Notice the Gurkha?  It's a Master's Select in such bad shape that it was dubbed the DAG (Dry Ass Gurkha) and included as a joke in the package that Keith received.

And Keith was kind enough to pass it on to me.

I haven't decided yet if I'll pass it on or try and resurrect it...

Tatuaje Petit Cazadores Reserva

I've received a couple of these from generous Brothers of the Leaf over the last month or two, and after hearing so many good things about them I finally fired one up last night.

The Tatuaje Cazadores Reserva (Petit: 4" x 40) is a small, but good-looking, cigar.  The Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper is a rich, dark brown - the color and texture reminded me of an ancient football I used to own.  After forcing my cutter through the very tough triple-wrapped cap, the pre-light draw was quite tight and yielded almost no flavor at all.  Both, I assume, due to the closed foot.

The draw improved once it was lit, and the first inch or so was medium-full bodied and fairly smooth, with earth, red pepper and leather flavors that I really had to concentrate to pick out.  The flavors were full but very non-distinct and jumbled together.  The construction was good, with a fast but cool burn that stayed even and produced a nice, pale ash that was just under 2 inches long when it finally fell.

After an unimpressive first half, things went downhill quickly.  The original flavors intensified but still didn't separate, and it took on a woodsy tone as well.  Oak, perhaps.  That's not bad in itself, but it lost its smoothness, and I began to get a bitter, chemical taste in the back of my throat.  I purged it and put it down for a couple of minutes, but it was no better when I picked it back up.

 

I stuck with it for a while, but by the time I snapped this picture, the taste reminded me of the last time I got soap in my mouth.  Just awful.  I gave up on it and went inside and Googled up some reviews.  The first 6 or 8 I read had nothing but great things to say about this Tat, so I'll assume I just got a bad one.  I'll update this post (and hopefully the scores below) when I've worked up the courage to try another.

Appearance and Construction:  12/15

Flavor:  10/25

Smoking Characteristics:  20/25

Overall Impression:  16/35

Total:  58/100

La Aurora 107

I received this delicious little beauty from slave2theaxe (aka Nic) at BotL.org, as part of a wonderful prize I received for winning a "noobiest noob" contest.  Finding myself with nothing to do (yeah, right!) last night, I retired to the patio with a good book and my new little friend here.

The La Aurora 107 (Robusto: 4.5" x 50) is a beautiful cigar, inside and out.  A thick, veiny, oily Ecuadorian wrapper lovingly cradles a firmly packed blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican long fillers.  It feels solid and heavy for its size.  It cut cleanly (I've been using the guillotine cutter almost exclusively lately.  I've fallen out of love with the bullet cutter, since tearing a wrapper trying to use it last month...) and the pre-light draw was a little stiff, but already quite tasty.  Leather, tobacco and a little black pepper on the lips.  Once lit, the tobacco taste really came to life, and the leather increased dramatically.  Lots and lots of flavor, but smooth enough that I'd still consider it medium-bodied.

The first third was more of the same.  Dark but firm ash, lots of flavor, lots of smoke.  Still smooth and creamy, with a nice, long finish.  (In fact, as I sit here typing this - 24 hours, 2 teeth brushings and 2 meals later later - I can still taste it on the back of my tongue.)

Like my high-tech cigar ashtray?  

As I neared the halfway point, the taste shifted slightly;  less pepper, more leather and a slight earthy mushroominess.  The ash got just about two inches long (almost half the length of the cigar) before falling off.

My smoking buddy, Spot.

I was a little unprepared for the last third of this one.  The flavor grew and changed again - the pepper is back, and the leather is still there, but now mingled with cedar and toast - and the body intensified to what I'd call medium-full.  I actually got a little light-headed, but that was my own fault for not eating first.  It even seemed like there was more smoke too, but it was still as smooth as ever, though.

I nubbed it as best I could and wished for more.  This delightful little roller-coaster of a smoke definitely saved the best for last.

Appearance and Construction:  13/15

Flavor:  24/25

Smoking Characteristics:  22/25

Overall Impression:  32/35

Total:  91/100

My Second Trade

Or: "The Vicious Beating I Took from bdc30 (aka Brent) at BotL.org".  Once again, after putting together what I had mistakenly assumed to be a decent package of cigars, I have been schooled.  Look at this stuff:

- Tatuaje Cazadores Reserva (Petit: 4" x 40)
- Tatuaje Ambos Mundos (Robusto: 5" x 50)
- Alec Bradley Family Blend (VR1: 5.5" x 50)
- La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial (Belicoso 5.5" x 52)
- Oliva Master Blend  (Robusto: 5" x 50)
- Tatuaje Havana VI (Nobles: 5" x 50)
- Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 (Consul: 4.5" x 52)
- Xikar Habano Colorado (Robusto: 5" x 50)
- Oliva Serie 'G' (Robusto: 4.5" x 50)
- Pinar Del Rio BOTL Small Batch (Toro: 6" x 46)
- Cain Maduro (Torpedo: 6" x 54)
- CAO La Traviata (Divino: 5" x 50)
Brent, my Brother from the North, I am humbled...

Victor Sinclair Vintage Select

Readers seem to like the self-snapped photos I took in my last review, so I decided I was going to do that from now on.  Unfortunately, none of the photos I snapped last night came out, so once again I'll have to rely on Cigars International's clearly superior photography skills for this review.

The Victor Sinclair Vintage Select (Robusto: 5.5" x 50), gifted to me by Rock31 (aka Ray) at Puff.com, is an enjoyable, but ultimately mediocre, cigar.  It's box-pressed, which I like, but the wrapper was rather veiny, paper-thin and dry-looking, with none of the oily sheen that I prefer.  The simple, elegant band was difficult to remove, and when I did, small patches of wrapper came off with it.  Either too much glue or too thin wrapper.  Maybe both.

I clipped the end and did a test draw:  nice and easy, with a typical tobacco flavor with a little cocoa.  The construction seemed a little loose; it felt light in the hand.  Once lit, the tobacco and cocoa flavors continued, with a little leather and a peppery spice thrown in.  Pleasant, but unremarkable.  The VSVS stayed mild and creamy-smooth all the way through, but the flavors didn't change at all as it burned.  That's not always a bad thing, but in this case I was hoping they would change, or at least intensify and make the smoke a little more interesting.  It had a very short, crisp finish.  The burn seemed a little fast - this one took just under an hour, and I'm a slow smoker - but it was mostly even, and it self-corrected the one time that it needed to.  The ash was very, very pale, but never exceeded an inch before falling off on its own.

In the end, I came away unimpressed.  There was nothing wrong with it, per se (apart from the wrapper issues), but there was nothing overly good about it, either.  Just a very nondescript, plain-Jane smoke.

Appearance and Construction:  10/15

Flavor:  17/25

Smoking Characteristics:  20/25

Overall Impression:  26/35

Total:  73/100

Bombs Away!

Sent off my first outgoing bomb today!  beercritic (aka Joe) at Puff.com is the lucky winner.

- Cuba Libre (Magnum: 5.5" x 55)
- Nica Libre (Torpedo: 6" x 52)
- John Bull (Prime Minister: 7.2 x 54)
- Gurka G5 Avenger (Torpedo: 6" x 52)
- Victor Sinclair "Connecticut Yankee" (Robusto: 5" x 50)
- 5 Vegas Cask Strength (Toro: 6" x 52)
- 5 Vegas Gold Maduro (Torpedo: 6" x 52)

Feels good...