Lancero February 2015

[Trackmyer]

Lancero February:
Stick #1: L40 by Drew Estates
Stick #2: 2014 TAA by CyB
Stick #3: 2012 Illusione Holy Lance
Stick #4: DPG Original Blue
Stick #5: Room 101 Master Collection One Mutante
Stick #6: Joya de Nicaragua Antano 1970
Stick #7: Viaje Oro
Stick #8: BLTC Morphine
Stick #9: AVO Heritage
Stick #10: Headley Grange Drumstick
Stick #11: 2014 Illusione Holy Lance
Stick #12: L'Atelier Lancero
Stick #13: Warped El Oso Mama
Stick #14: Cain F Tubo
Stick #15: Warped La Colmena No. 36 Natural Lancero
Stick #16: Room 101 Master Collection Three Mutante
Stick #17: Crux Ninfamaniac Dark (really a Double Perfecto at 7"x33)

I admit, I've been hunting for this cigar for some time. So I was very excited to get my hands on these and give em a whirl. The cigar started off with a good draw and smoke output. But the flavor was a whole nother story. It had a odd, sourish type flavor. For a lack of better words, it tasted like ass. Trying to man it out, at the inch and a half mark, it changed for the worse. Now it tasted like burnt ass. I have to take it to the half way point in hopes that it changes for the better. It took so long to get my hands on this stick, it has to redeem itself. Two and a half inches in and I get a slight dusting of cinnamon on top of the burnt ass. By three inches the foul taste has mostly gone and now it transitioned to cinnamon and toasted tobacco. By the half way mark, it's starting to go funky again, so out it goes. I hate dumpin a stick before finish, but there's only so much Im willing to endure. I will hope this was just a bum stick. But I can say for sure that the lighter version I have will spend quite some time in storage before I want to pull another one of these out and give it a try.

 

[Sirspanksalot]

Sucks yours seemed like a dud bro. I enjoy both the dark and the natural.

 

[Trackmyer]

Sucks yours seemed like a dud bro. I enjoy both the dark and the natural.

The natural will be pulled out eventually to try, but not till I get this stick out of my mind.
If It was a normal stick I try on a whim, it wouldn't be so bad. It's just when you hunt after a stick for months, you don't want it to taste bad when you finally get it. Oh well, at least it wasn't a high dollar cigar.

 

[Sirspanksalot]

The natural will be pulled out eventually to try, but not till I get this stick out of my mind.
If It was a normal stick I try on a whim, it wouldn't be so bad. It's just when you hunt after a stick for months, you don't want it to taste bad when you finally get it. Oh well, at least it wasn't a high dollar cigar.

Mind if I ask what you paid? My BM has pretty much the whole Crux line in stock at all times. Skeeter for 2.99, ninfa for 6, and the actual crux line isn't too expensive either.

 

[Trackmyer]

Mind if I ask what you paid? My BM has pretty much the whole Crux line in stock at all times. Skeeter for 2.99, ninfa for 6, and the actual crux line isn't too expensive either.

I paid $6.99 a stick. Which isn't bad considering that's NY pricing.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Asylum 13 lancero
Appearance: smooth, delicious looking wrapper with few veins and looks almost seamless finished with a very sexy pigtail cap but overall construction appears iffy. Foot smells like straight up barnyard and cold draw reminds me of hay and has slight resistance.


1st 3rd:
Sweet hay, a little cream, earth, and a little spice on the retro. Picking up a little baking spice at about 1". Hoping this evolves some as it's lacking in the flavor dept but I've read everyone else here has been less than impressed so not holding my breath.


2nd 3rd:
There are definitely some construction issues with this stick as my burn is all wonky. Ash holds about an inch which isn't horrible for this vitola. The stick had started to evolve some but not in a positive way. The smoke off the foot smells like hay that's passed through a cows intestinal tract to be honest and the dominant flavor I'm getting is just burnt tobacco. Every now and then I get some cream with baking spice

Final 3rd:
No flavor changes and after it goes out with a few inches left I don't bother relighting.

In summary, this cigar looks like a 17 year old virgin but in reality winds up being a 50yr old town bicycle with the clap. Spend your money elsewhere.

 

[Sirspanksalot]

Guess it wasn't just a dud for us lol

 

[King Kill 33]

Damn, that's too bad on the ninfa. I can understand how burnt ass would be much worse than plain ass.

Really, I have had a handful of each and each has been spot on good so far.

 

[Senor Perfecto]

Day 1: Lost City
Day 2: Fausto
Day 3: La Riqueza
Day 4: Cabaiguan Guapos
Day 5: La Casita Criolla
Day 6: Tat Red
Day 7: Tat Brown, 7-20-4
Day 8: Opus X PL, La Palina Black PL
Day 9: Valeroso
Day 10: Viaje Exclusivo, Tat black PL
Day 11: Snare Drum
Day 12: Pepin Blue
Day 13: La Aurora 107
Day 14: MF #4, BOTL 2012
Day 15: Nat Sherman 1930 8x38 "super lancero"
Day 16: Fonseca Cubano Limitado
Day 17: Caldwell LLTK Jalapeño
Day 18: Edgar Hoill
Day 19: Illusione Holy Lance Candela
Day 20: Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Lancero
Day 21: No lancero!
Day 22: La Aurora 100 Años
Day 23: Padilla Series '68 Corojo



Might be my first Padilla. Definitely my first lance. Specially requested by King Kill for review! Not sure where it came from-- I think it was one of my very first bombed sticks.

Cello removal reveals a fantastic heavy heavy barnyard. Double-barnyard. Especially at the ends. Sweeter and spicier in the middle. If that translates to the way it transitions, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Just for fun, tried a modified French toast using my butane jet instead of matches, but toasted before cutting the cap-- so, no cold draw.

I think it does soften the initial harshness when done properly, as the subtler flavors came right out upon lighting. Cinnamon. Oak. The wrapper tastes savory. Almost umami, like a dark soy sauce.

No idea what this cigar costs, but I assume it's in the low midrange, maybe $8-9.

Getting some cocoa. Good smoke production. There are other dry flavors here that I have yet to identify. I'll wait for the 2nd third.

This never did improve. The cinnamon went away mostly, but it didn't get replaced by anything.

Ranked top to bottom thus far:

Lost City
Opus X PL
BOTL 2012
Don Carlos
Fonseca Cubano Limitado lancero.
La Riqueza
7-20-4
La Aurora 107
Tat brown
MF #4
La Palina Black PL
Viaje Exclusivo
Tat Black PL
La Aurora 100 Años
Pepin Blue
La Casita Criolla
Nat Sherman 1930 8x38 "super lancero"
Snare Drum
Padilla Series '68 Corojo
Valeroso
Cabaiguan Guapos
Tat red
Fausto
Illusione Holy Lance Candela
Edgar Hoill
Caldwell LLTK Jalapeño

 

[sean]

Partyin.

 

[jonnylieberman]

My Father. Decent stick, but didn't light my hair on fire.

 

[sean]

My Father. Decent stick, but didn't light my hair on fire.

That's a bummer, man. You know, with a little age, they get tasty...

 

[jonnylieberman]

That's a bummer, man. You know, with a little age, they get tasty...

Good to know.

I have... 4 more? I think. 3 or 4 more. And these I've had for about two weeks, so... Here's hoping!

 

[sean]

Oh yeah, brother. Let'em hibernate for a season...

 

[jonnylieberman]

Oh yeah, brother. Let'em hibernate for a season...

Like three month? Six?

 

[sean]

The longer the better!

 

[Life in smoke]

The longer the better!

Superlance?

 

[Lomey]

6th lance of the month and my first La Palina. Smelled like manure pre light, which I still find it strange that I will put something in my mouth that smells like manure . Tight draw, but sharp burn. Got a lot of coffee, dirt, and barnyard. Better flavor at the end than at the start. I think these would be very good with a year or so. This one only had about 2 months. Might pick up a couple more for next February.

 

[danmdevries]

Two firsts for me tonight. Finally lit my one and only Herrera Esteli Lancero, and drinking my first Heady Topper.


One thing that I've learned from experience, the HE line taught me best. Wrapper to filler ratio and how much it impacts flavors. I'm still fairly new, and just starting to pin down what I look for in a smoke. But the HE Lonsdale has been a favorite throughout, with the larger rg smokes tasting a bit muted.

This lancero is the Hererra Esteli turned up to 11.

Loads of woody cedar and spice with a finish that goes on forever. Just exhaling through my nose 10 breaths from my last draw brings a refresh of the sweet creamy nutty finish that I love so much in the Lonsdale, and in the Lancero, is incredibly potent.

The draw is perfect, smoke output and body is perfect with a creamy texture you can feel with each draw.

If not for the price, I would buy multiple boxes of these. Can't say I've had many smokes in the $10+ range that I've felt gave $10 of pleasure. This is one of those that delivers, by the truckload. Unfortunately, I can't justify a $10 cigar, so these won't be a regular.

Eta: 1:15 total smoking time, could easily stretch to 1:45 or more for a slower smoker.

 

[jonnylieberman]

I just had to one up the Maserati guy. New Huracan. Wowza.

Anyhow, Stick is Bolivar for Germany. About two inches in -- MAGNIFICENT. I might have to report back later. Just... me likey.