Just gonna post a first and last pic to avoid excessive scrolling, especially since we all have the same stick. If you MUST have all the pics, just ask.
Date: 10/25/14
Review: Rasshat Blind Review A
Size: 5 ½ x 50
Appearance/construction: Smooth and semi-oily wrapper with a gorgeous dark chocolate color, and obviously grown in mineral rich soil from the sparkle. Triple capped like a boss! This is a very well-constructed stick, which narrows down the options for my guess substantially. Some rather large veins running through mine, but I dont think it will affect the burn. Also, very firm with very little give on the press. This baby is packed full!
Aroma Pre-Light: Getting hints of wood and spice on the aroma of the wrapper. When testing the foot, a huge scent of black licorice and spice, but very sweet in a way.
Cold draw: Went with a straight cut with scissors to really open the cap and to avoid any potential draw issues; I would hate to have to recut to open it up after lighting. A little resistance on the cold draw, probably a 6/10, and the wrapper just soaked up every molecule of moisture on my lips. There is a heavy spice on my lips, plus licorice, cinnamon and natural tobacco flavors from the cold draw. Also, the spice on my lips and tongue continues to tingle long after the cold draw. Spicy
Light: Lighting with cedar. Quick and easy light, with a razor flat burn. Draw is still a little tight, but Im not too worried yet.
First impression: Not as much spice as I expected after tasting the cold draw. This stick jumps right into smooth, skipping all the bitter nonsense you get in the first half inch of most cigars. Additionally, there is earth flavored coating along the top of my mouth. Dave said it best: buttery.
Aroma Post-Light: The smoke aroma consists of pepper and spice for me, with a hint of burning cedar.
First Third: Ok, after the initial half inch of first impression, Im rolling into the first third with a moderately open draw (8/10) and tons of flavor. The smoke is creamy and smooth, with cinnamon and spice on the tongue and a sweet Irish cream and leather on the retrohale. Still burning mostly even, skewing a bit and then promptly self-correcting at every turn. I need to slow down, Im already starting to cone a bit
but it just tastes so damn good
Well, unfortunately I am forced to patience when I have to help our foot-soldier mail man carry his bag up the driveway. This man walks entire neighborhoods at a time, scoffing at the belligerence and naivety of the mail drivers who deliver their packages from the comfort of their right-side drive government pawn-trucks. He hates all of you. This one is from TeamRandR
wonderful
you people just cant help digging your own graves
Ok, back to the review. Nice tight ash on this stick. Great flavor and burning slow. I take sip of tea (thanks to the mad tea bomber himself) and decide not to rush. Moving into the second third
Second Third: Not much flavor change so far, more of a mellowing of the original flavors. Im not getting as much spice or cinnamon on the tongue and lips, but it is still present, probably due to the softening on the cap as I slobber all over it
. Its hard for bears to dry smoke like pansies. Im chewing on it and its fantastic.
Shut-up.
Im getting the occasional grit when I chew, which is fine. Im beginning to pick up more earthiness and leather in the draw, but still a very creamy and plentiful smoke. The retro is significantly more pleasing than the first third, with sweet tobacco and cedar.
I start into the meat of the stick, the very middle, and this transforms into a pepper show. Still have the buttery goodness and the leather. I swear I just tasted my grandmas homemade sausage gravy for a second
annnnd its gone.
The ash is rock solid, right up until its not. You cant lightly tap it off
either youre going to flick it like a cigarette if its too soon, or it just falls off. Its like each of these cigars has their own personality. This is the hard-ass boss whos really a pushover when you bring him a country-fried steak biscuit
. Not saying thats me or anything
. But my employees did get a half day yesterday
and I did receive a steak biscuit. There is the infrequent light hint of dried fruit on the tongue, but it never stays long.
Moving towards the end of the second third, the flavor still has not changed much for me. The retro is still very delightful and buttery. It is growing in pepper flavor, ever so slightly, draw by draw. The only real noticeable addition to the flavor is caramelized brown sugar. No, not straight caramel. More like when youre making a brown/cane sugar glaze and its toasting on the bottom of your sauce pan, slowly losing solidity as it accepts the truth: that it is about to be drizzled over homemade empanadas and there is nothing to prevent its untimely demise.
Wow
I really ran with that one
. Sorry.
Final Third: Some nice full pepper coming in, while maintaining the sweet brown sugar in the back with leather, butter and more pepper in the retro. The pepper has kicked up a lot in this final third but not to an unmanageable level. Still a very tasty smoke. Smoke production is still plentiful and the draw continues to open up the closer I get to the end. Construction is still holding strong, even with the chew. The cap is still intact and there has been no unravelling of any sort. Burn still incredibly even with the occasional self-correction.
Very full pepper now that is starting to push the other flavors out. The heat still isnt too bad, which is great because Im moving into the nub status. Ive stopped retrohaling since the pepper got really heavy.
Overall Impression/Final Notes: Good cigar. Probably a good post dinner cigar, in retrospect. Im not really sure where to place my chips, although I would not be surprised if this was a high class smoke. Im going to say something from My Father, although Im not sure what blend.
Smoke time: 1h40min
Scoring:
Appearance and Presentation: 18/20
Lighting and Burning Properties: 14/15
Construction Properties: 26/30
Taste Properties: 32/35
Total: 90/100