Sunday, July 29, 2012

CAO-MX2

Brand-CAO
Blend-MX2
Vitola-Belicioso (7x56)
Paired with-Coke Cherry
TV/Movie/other-Reddit

I received this cigar in a trade with one of my fellow Redditors, and it was sitting in my humidor for about 2 weeks before I smoked it. It has a jet black maduro wrapper and is a quite chunky 7x56 torpedo. Pre-light smells were oak and chocolate. Those same flavours are present upon first light, with a slight spice as well. After a few draws, the spice is still there, but there is a very predominant coffee aftertaste. Burn is fairly consistent as well. The ash was a fairly light gray colour, and held on for about an inch and a quarter before falling off. Right into my lap. 

The chocolate flavours came back at the end of the first third, as well as a pleasant earthiness. The burn was still very straight. By the halfway point, this thing had turned into a smoke bomb. Smoke all over the place, and it had a very nice smell to, smelling sweet and woody. A slight sweetness had also creeped into the taste as well. The oaky flavours were still there but fading, revealing the chocolate flavours and spice beneath. Overall, the taste stayed consistent from the 1/3 point through the halfway point.

A little bit after the halfway point, the sweetness disappeared, and the burn went a bit odd on me. The oaky flavours returned and stayed there, along with the spice and a new leatheriness. Eventually, with about 1.5 smokable inches left, a bitterness began to emerge, and I put it out at that point.









Final verdict-heavy, full bodied smoke. Oak and chocolate notes with a sweetness in the second third. Very solid burn for the most part with a slight bitterness at the very end. Great smoke. 91/100

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

5 Vegas-Classic

Brand-5 Vegas
Blend-Classic
Vitola-Torpedo (6x54)
Paired with-Minute Made Lemonade
TV/Movie/other-Family Guy

I bought this cigar off of Cigars International's MMAO program. It had been sitting in my humidor for about 2 weeks before I smoked it. It is a very pointy torpedo, and I chose to cut it with my V-cutter. Immediately after lighting, my palate was greeted with very prominent oaky overtones and creamy, latte like undertones. The burn at this point is a touch jaggy, but fairly straight otherwise. One thing came across immediately: this thing is a smoke bomb. There was an immense amount of smoke from this cigar, and I like that in a smoke. Upon retrohaling, there is a very slight hint of pepper.

About an inch in, I had to correct the burn a little bit with my dual torch lighter. The coffee flavours have vanished in favour of a leathery tone. The ash was still hanging on at about an inch and half, and it was a medium gray colour and flaky. Tastewise, the cigar has remained fairly the same, with the addition of some spice and a little bitterness. At about an inch and a half, the taste got very bitter, and I had to put if out.










Final verdict: oaky overtones and coffee flavours, a medium body, and a creamy finish. A couple burn issues and a bitter end darken the overall experience. Not a bad cigar overall. 81/100


Sunday, July 22, 2012

Quesada-Seleccion Espana

Brand-Quesada
Blend-Seleccion Espana
Vitola-Corona (5.5x42)
Paired with-Barq's Root Beer
TV/Movie/other-Minecraft

Once again, I received this cigar in a trade with one of my fellow Redditors. It has a medium tan wrapper, and comes bound in a cool looking wrapper. The gold leaf center was a nice addition. It sat in my humidor for about a month and a half. I chose to cut this cigar with my trusty v-cutter. Upon lighting with my single torch lighter, my palate was met with peppery sweet overtones with a cedar undertone. The burn was quite wiggly at the start. The ash was a dirty gray, and was not flaky in nature. About a half an inch in, a slightly weird but refreshing taste of citrus (orange?) creeped in.

About an inch in, the burn was still wiggly, but not bad enough to warrant torch intervention. Woodier notes began to emerge and the ash seemed to still be holding strong; I was wrong on that last part though, because it fell off about 3 minutes later. The medium body really began to shine through in this part of the cigar, and the cedar begins to really shine through as well. The burn evened out, and the citrus notes made a return for a few puffs. The pepper was still there, though it was dulled quite a bit. At this point, it went out, and required a relight. Afterwards, there were some very tasty notes of oak mixed in with the cedar.


The burn, at about 2.5 inches in, had gone fairly caddywompus on me, but I waited and sure enough, it evened out. The peppery notes were hanging on, and the whole cigar in general had smoothed out and become more mellow. The ash had darkened and become a bit flaky; however, it hung on a lot better than before. Towards the 1.5 inch remaining mark, it began to get bitter, and I put it out at that point.








Final verdict: cedar and pepper notes, with a sweetness that coats the palate. Bitter end, and a few burn problems. Overall, not too bad. 80/100


Saturday, July 21, 2012

Hoyo De Monterrey-Dark Sumatra

Brand-Hoyo De Monterrey
Blend-Dark Sumatra
Vitola-Espresso (4.5x50)
Paired With-Coke
TV/Movie-The Detonators

I received this cigar in a trade with one of my fellow Redditors. It came wrapped in a cedar spill, which was a very nice touch and one of my favourite additions to a cigar. It had been aging in my humidor for about a month and a half. I chose to cut this cigar with my standard V-Cutter. Upon lighting, an immediate spice met my palate, which fade after a few draws into heavy wood overtones.

The burn got a bit off kilter at the very beginning, but after about half an inch, it was as straight as a razor. The ash was a medium gray. A gripe that I had about this smoke was that it did not give off  a lot of smoke, but that did not ruin the experience for me. After about an inch, new hints of cocoa and sweet cinnamon come into play, which are very enjoyable. There is still a very solid taste of cedar, but it is not overpowering.

The ash was still holding on throughout the 1.5 inch mark. The spice returns for the second third, something I was not expecting. Right after I tasted that, the ash fell; it hung on for longer than I thought it would. Espresso hints creep into the stick as well. The burn started to be a little cockeyed as well, but nothing too bad, as it kept correcting itself. Cocoa flavours get much stronger towards the nub. An inch left on this cigar, it starts to burn a touch hot. I put it out at that point.


Final verdict: some tasty cocoa notes, with very prominent wood and cedar notes. A few burn issues, but nothing to be too concerned about. All and all, a fairly good cigar. 85/100