danthebugman
BoM Nov '10
Sunday was the start of what is proving to be an absolutely great week weather wise. While the wife and kid were napping I couldn't resist sneaking out to the deck with a book and cigar. The book...The Search for God and Guiness. The cigar...Don Kiki Brown Label Botella. For Christmas I received a Cuban Crafters sampler from my mother-in-law and since I'm always on the lookout for a decent yard gar, I felt that perhaps something in there would pique my interest. Besides, I hadn't heard all bad things about them.
The Botella is a 4.5 x 54 (at the widest point) figurado. The filler is a Cuban-seed Habano, the binder is a Corojo , and the wrapper is a Sun Grown Criollo. Upon removing the cigar from the cello, I was met with a pleasant tobacco aroma. The cigar itself appears well constructed. The wrapper is a chocolate brown color with no obvious imperfections. The seams are tight and there are some small veins present, but nothing that you'd expect when you think "bargain" cigar. When pinched between the fingers, there is a little give and I cannot find any obvious soft spots.
The cap came without any fuss and revealed a fairly easy draw. Normally with this shape of guitar the cold draw is tight, but opens up after lighting and a few puffs so I was a little worried by the looser draw. Nothing much in the flavor department, just a mild tobacco with a tiny, tiny, hint of sweetness at the end.
The cigar lit easily and was soon billowing thick clouds of smoke. The first few puffs were not impressive, but slowly there started to emerge a light tobacco flavor with some pepper that built on the back of my tongue. The burn, as is the case with any other cigar of this shape I have smoked, was a little wavy to begin with.
A little further in and everything is much the same. The ash that's developing is flowering and not at all tight, but seems strong and not crumbling into my lap.
Unfortunately this is as good as it got. The flavors never progressed into anything other than a bland, light tobacco and once the pepper died down, which wasn't long after it started, I found myself easily loosing interest in the cigar. In fact I began thinking about what else was in the humidor and half way through I chucked it in the ashtray to go retrieve something a little better.
To be fair this seemed to be a pretty well constructed cigar...the draw was nice, the smoke output great, burn was straight for the most part. The flavor just wasn't there. I won't be buying any of these, not even as yard gars.
Dan
The Botella is a 4.5 x 54 (at the widest point) figurado. The filler is a Cuban-seed Habano, the binder is a Corojo , and the wrapper is a Sun Grown Criollo. Upon removing the cigar from the cello, I was met with a pleasant tobacco aroma. The cigar itself appears well constructed. The wrapper is a chocolate brown color with no obvious imperfections. The seams are tight and there are some small veins present, but nothing that you'd expect when you think "bargain" cigar. When pinched between the fingers, there is a little give and I cannot find any obvious soft spots.
The cap came without any fuss and revealed a fairly easy draw. Normally with this shape of guitar the cold draw is tight, but opens up after lighting and a few puffs so I was a little worried by the looser draw. Nothing much in the flavor department, just a mild tobacco with a tiny, tiny, hint of sweetness at the end.
The cigar lit easily and was soon billowing thick clouds of smoke. The first few puffs were not impressive, but slowly there started to emerge a light tobacco flavor with some pepper that built on the back of my tongue. The burn, as is the case with any other cigar of this shape I have smoked, was a little wavy to begin with.
A little further in and everything is much the same. The ash that's developing is flowering and not at all tight, but seems strong and not crumbling into my lap.
Unfortunately this is as good as it got. The flavors never progressed into anything other than a bland, light tobacco and once the pepper died down, which wasn't long after it started, I found myself easily loosing interest in the cigar. In fact I began thinking about what else was in the humidor and half way through I chucked it in the ashtray to go retrieve something a little better.
To be fair this seemed to be a pretty well constructed cigar...the draw was nice, the smoke output great, burn was straight for the most part. The flavor just wasn't there. I won't be buying any of these, not even as yard gars.
Dan
