Devil's Weed

 

Sometimes it's hard to resist judging a book by it's cover.  The Devil's Weed (Churchill: 7" x 48) looks and smells like a cigar, certainly, but it's even less visually appealing than the Blue Label B2 that I reviewed last week.  At least the one I had was.  The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper was quite veiny and a little mottled.  It was unevenly packed with Dominican long fillers, had a few mushy spots, and was light in the hand besides.

It clipped cleanly and the unlit draw was woodsy and so easy it was like sucking air through a big straw.  It seemed very dry and I was worried that it worried that it was going to burn like, well... dry leaves.

After that unpromising start, the rest came as a pleasant surprise.  The smoke that rose from the foot while toasting was crisp and sweet.  The flavor, which stayed consistent from start to finish, was nothing spectacular or complex, but not bad at all: typical tobacco, woodsy and grassy and fairly smooth, with a very short, sweet finish.  I'd describe it medium-flavored and mild to medium in body.

The burn was fairly slow and very even, and the Devil's Weed billowed out more smoke than any other stick I've ever had.  My deck hadn't seen that much smoke since the last time I grilled store-brand hamburgers.  Thick and white, it hung in the air like a small, sweet-smelling cloud. 

If you're looking for a stick that will look good in your humi, you'll probably want to steer clear of this one.  But if you're looking for an enjoyable, everyday smoke at a great price point, the Devil's Weed might be for you.

Appearance and Construction:  10/15

Flavor:  20/25

Smoking Characteristics:  22/25

Overall Impression:  28/35

Total:  80/100

My Father's Day Present!

Yes, yes.  I know it's August.  Shame on me for taking this long, but for one reason or another I just got around to setting it up and stocking it last week.  It took about two weeks to season and holds humidity very well so far...

 

That's a Cigar Oasis XL on the bottom shelf, set at 65%.

Looks a little empty at the moment, but I hope to correct that soon!

Update: Tatuaje Cazadores Reserva

I had another Tatuaje Cazadores Reserva (Petit: 4" x 40) last night.  As some of you may remember, the last time I tried one of these I came away very unimpressed.  The tastes were overpowering and nondistinct, and downright unpleasant after a while.

Well, I'm sorry to report that my first experience wasn't a one-time thing.  The one I had last night was even worse.  The same tastes, still muddled and overbearing, with construction issues to boot: it burned very unevenly (when you have to touch up a 4" cigar three times you know something's wrong) and it actually went out on me twice.  Since I got them from different people, at different times, and even stored them in different humidors, I have to conclude that this is no fault of my own - unless I have some genetic defect that renders me incapable of enjoying them.

I'm not giving up on Tats altogether - I still have a Miami, an Havana VI and an Ambos Mundos in the humi and I've loved the Cabaiguans I've had.  Maybe I'm just not a Cazadores Reserva kind of guy.  I still see plenty of glowing reviews, but I'm not buying the hype on this one.

If you've had one and not liked it, leave a comment and let me know I'm not alone.

Appearance and Construction:  10/15

Flavor:  10/25

Smoking Characteristics:  18/25

Overall Impression:  16/35

Total:  54/100

Blue Label B2

I received this... understated... stogie as part of my share of a Noobie PIF at Puff.com, specifically from BlackandGold508 (aka Keith).  I use the term "understated" because, frankly, this cigar does not impress with looks alone.  The band is simply a strip of blue cloth, and the wrapper is thick and extremely toothy and not-too-lovingly applied.  Someone who loves to read as much as I do should have known better than to judge a book by its cover, however.

Despite being, well... aesthetically challenged, the Blue Label B2 (Torpedo: 6.5" x 52) is well-made, the oily Nicaraguan Habano wrapper well-stuffed with Nicaraguan and Panamanian long fillers.  It feels heavy, with an even firmness everywhere except near the cap; the top inch or so felt a little loose and spongy.  Unlit, it smells like cedar and pepper, and once clipped, the easy draw tasted like more of the same.

It was only when toasted and lit the inner beauty of this cigar began to show itself.  Along with the cedar and pepper I had been expecting, there was leather, earth, and a l-o-n-g, very sweet hay-like finish.  Very tasty, and more complex than I had expected.  It's what I would call medium bodied, and very smooth for all that flavor.  It smoldered cooly, and gave off a decent amount of smoke.  The burn wasn't razor-sharp, but it was even enough that there was never a need to touch it up.

The flavors intensified throughout the first half, leveling off at just the right spot around the halfway mark and staying there the rest of the way.  It stayed smooth and actually got creamier in the second half.  I've found that some full-flavored cigars tend to get a little bitter or harsh towards the nub, but that never happened here.  Maybe that looseness at the cap helped with that, I dunno.

This cigar was definitely nubber-worthy.

Part of the reason I was so surprised by this cigar was that I made the mistake of looking up the price beforehand:  CI regularly sells 30 of these torpedoes for around $50.  That definitely lowered my expectations.  $1.66 each is an amazing price for these ugly, beautiful smokes.

Appearance and Construction:  11/15

Flavor:  23/25

Smoking Characteristics:  23/25

Overall Impression:  32/35

Total:  89/100

Illusione ~88~

Got this little beauty in a wonderfully generous gift from a fellow poster at BotL named FireDoc83 (aka Matthew).  I had never even heard of the brand at the time, and after staying away for 5 months I caved and gave it a try.

The Illusione ~88~ (Robusto: 5" x 52) is a good looking Nicaraguan puro, with a rich, satiny Colorado wrapper, a triple cap and a plain, almost generic looking black-on-white band.  It's firmly packed with Corojo and Criollo long fillers and unlit it smells woodsy and sweet.  It cut cleanly and the unlit draw is spicy and leaves a peppery tingle on the lips.  The smoke that comes off the foot when it's toasted smells heavenly.

Once lit, there's a big burst of flavor almost immediately.  Leather, coffee, peanuts and a complex mix of peppers.  It's almost too much, but the flavors don't clash or get in each others' way.  The very long finish is just a little bitter, and that's the only bad thing I have to say about it so far.  It's quite smooth and creamy, medium-full bodied, and it gives off lots of thick, white smoke.  The ash is pale and fairly firm, with just a little flaking.

 

After the first third, all the flavors are still there and still strong, but that bitterness has left the finish completely.  It's pure smoking pleasure at this point.  Every once in a while I get a hint of dark chocolate, too, playing nicely with the other flavors.

The Illusione burned coolly and evenly for a little better than an hour.  Once the initial bitterness was gone, it stayed flavorful and smooth all the way down to the nub, which I enjoyed until it was short enough to singe my mustache.  A delightful cigar!

Appearance and Construction:  14/15

Flavor:  23/25

Smoking Characteristics:  22/25

Overall Impression:  33/35

Total:  92/100

Macanudo Maduro

Just tossing up pics for now... trying to get caught up!