In two different orders I've got two different binders (seems like that's how it is in this biz). I'll be interested to see what the luck of the draw brings you.
Your basic formula will use .5 leaves ligero. It's potent. A basic corona will be what I call 1155. 1 volado(seco), 1.5 seco(viso), .5 ligero. Your basic robusto or equivalent will be 1/2/.5. This has worked for me, with Jorge leaf and the CT wrapper, to produce high-end pro-quality sticks, and is in accordance with long-time Cuban formulas.
Hey, no I haven't yet burned the new batch of different binder. I've got bunches ready and wrappers in the bags and will hopefully roll tomorrow and be ready to test that in 7-8 days. With the first batch, all my blends are burning flawlessly with minimum one week dry box in ~50 humidity. I've never had such consistent burners, across all blends from 3 volados to 3 ligeros. This is with the CT. I only tried a few of the habanos a few weeks ago when they had about one week on them and those sticks weren't burning well at the wrapper level. So I've put my remaining habanos away for a couple months of conditioning to see if the habano will take. But the fillers are all extremely burny in every combo. This is using the tightish "barberpole" entubado.
True. The filler burns marvelously. I rolled a quickiefecto out of Jorge's sotweed Friday night and sparked it midday yesterday. One leaf each of seco, ligero, and viso. Each of these bags contains leaves thin and large enough to be wrappers, had they not been rejected for little holes. I can't say I tested them with an ember, but I feel confident any one of the three would burn a la vela. I was looking to test a bunch with one leaf each which would fit the mold I use for Uppowoc Perfectos. I am used to rolling seco with triple this thickness and stubborn crinkles. This, by contrast, is flat and thin. I found I could make the right sized fistful by using the seco as binder over the other two entubado. Adding the inside cut out of wrapper leaf as a separate binder made too fat a bunch. I wrapped with the outer edge of Jorge's habano. Being just a quickie, the wrapper was not stuck down on a wet board to get the tightest wrap, or anything like that. Nevertheless, I found it easy to work with, and I found that with less than a day of rest it shrank down tight enough on the bunch to make presentable seams. I feel confident that I took a picture; but I can't find the bugger anywhere. Here, instead, is a pic of a quickie parejo which I rolled with the stuff last week.
You see the lumps up near the head of it? That's the inner part of the wrapper leaf cut out for binder. The wrapper has such monster veins that it lumped right thru the wrapper. By using the seco as binder instead, and wasting the inner wrapper, I was able to avoid those unsightly lumps. I burnt this while in the garage fooling around with projects. I could lay it on the work bench, go out to the wood pile and fill a couple totes with firewood and bring them in and when I picked up the cigar the cherry was fully alive and well. Take a puff, go fool with a motorcycle tool kit, come back, perfect burn. This was on a drizzly day to boot. The habano wrapper is the only bit that burnt unevenly. You're prolly right on that it may need a couple months' seasoning before that bit straightens up and burns right.
False. This lligero is not potent. Nor am I a fan of powerful cigars. Using a full leaf ligero, along with a full leaf of each other, I'd class the stick right off the table as savory and mild. I'd classify the nicotine content as middling.
I hesitate to give a flavor profile, because I was eating Cheetos and salami at the time, and drinking Coors. But I'd say nutty, softly aromatic, bite-less, cafe con leche. I don't know the country; but I'm guessing Dominican. It has that roundness to it -- the ability to be full bodied yet mild at the same time. It would play well indoors. I think with some age this would make an excellent every day summer blend. The only down side is that the unlit wrapper is comparatively flavorless on the tongue, and feels like paper. I am used to Whole Leaf Tobacco's Habano 2000, which smells and tastes heartier.
I will probably forge ahead to make a batch of Jorge 111s, box them, and dig in this coming summer.
The only negative I have is that the wrapper, at $65 a pound, is inferior to WLT H2k which I got at $42 (tho the price is up to $49 now). It is relatively flavorless and the Goliath veins prevent you using the inner cut-out as a binder. I dislike wasting leaf. Plus, I think Don gives you more to a bag. Plus it burns more evenly. Once I get a box filled with Jorge 111s, I may wrap a second box wrapped with WLT's H2k. Prolly be even better.
lol.
