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My first review! Capoeira Formado

Dr. Xikar

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Capoeira Formado (Torpedo)

· Strength: Full
· Size: 6.5 X 52
· Shape: Torpedo
· Country of Origin: Honduras
· Wrapper Color: Maduro
· Wrapper Origin: Brazilian
· Wrapper Leaf Type: Mata Fina

Let me begin by saying that (1.) this is my first review ever, (2.) I am still learning to pick up flavors – it’s going well since I started retrohaling, but it’s in progress (3.) If you have any advice as to writing a good review, or proper cigar smoking etiquette for an accurate review, lay it on me. I’m always looking to learn.

So, The cigar is the Capoeira Formado. Thanks go out to Megladon8 (Braden) for sending me this among others that I’m really looking forwards to. I’m pairing it with a Diet Pepsi and Water (Whichever strikes my fancy), and the weather is around 60 degrees F (50 with the wind). Ohio is finally thawing out.

Pre-Light Inspection: The Band is large, but not overly ornate to the point of gaudiness – It looks good in the simple black and gold color scheme. The cigar itself is very well built with minimal give when squeezed, no soft spots or overly hard spots – It’s a very well packed cigar. Veins are quite visible, but this is due to contrast to the wrapper, not size – The veins are very fine, and very smooth, as are the seams.

Cut and Cold Draw – The cap cuts very smoothly under my Xikar X8 cutter (As an aside, I love this cutter. It’s cheap and it’s extremely effective). The draw is exceptional – Just a hint of resistance, and otherwise nice and loose. I’m not getting much in the pre-light flavors (Told you, I’m new), but there is a barnyard-y, hay-y taste that I’ve come to associate with unlit tobacco, and something new – a little saltiness.

Light – Lighting this cigar in two steps, Toasting with a Xikar Axia (double jet torch), then light with slow puffs just over the flame of a Xikar EX (Soft flame) – This is my preferred lighting style: torch-toast, then soft flame light, as it keeps the heat low and doesn’t impair the initial flavors… Just my two cents. Light up took a little effort, but it’s somewhat windy out, so that’s normal

Initial taste/1st 3rd – The smoke output is excellent, and the smoke itself is a little harsh, but tasty. This harshness is peppery, rather than that of a “sick” cigar, and only lasted for the first ¾ inch or so. The initial taste is a bit of a muddled tobacco with hints of pepper and chocolate that fade in and out. The saltiness is still present, but by no means unpleasant. It complements the tobacco taste quite well. Ash is pure white with an appearance akin to baked mud – Wavy cracks running through it. About a half of an inch in, I’m getting a slightly charcoal-ish aftertaste. This, like the salt, is new to me, but still not unpleasant. The retrohale gives a very pleasant taste of milk chocolate, cream, and tobacco. Downright tasty. Ash is a little flaky at the outside, but just in patches – The core holds on well.

As I work past the first inch, the smoke takes on a much creamier profile – The peppery harshness has completely vanished from the mouth and the retrohale. Burn is quite clean, but a little wavy. The retrohale is now less chocolate and more cream: like chocolate milk after all the chocolate settles at the bottom and the top becomes more milky (That’s a weird analogy, but hits the taste dead on for me). Ash fell around one inch and so far I’m loving this cigar.

At this point, a bee has scared the shit out of my dog. Hopefully if you’re still reading this, that’ll give you a laugh – I never expected to be this long-winded.

Burn is still nice and clean – Flavors are flitting in and out – The one constant is cream. This is a very creamy, smooth cigar (Braden, how old is this thing, just out of curiosity?) Chocolate, very mild pepper, and mild vanilla wind in and out through the cream.

Nearing the end of the first third, the chocolate has faded and been replaced with an espresso taste (This cigar is reading my mind and giving me what I want). The pepper, too, has gone away, and the charcoal aftertaste is gone. Every puff gives me a clean, creamy tobacco taste with a tasty espresso shot and a long finish. The chocolate reappears faintly on the finish to wave good-bye.

End of first third, fade to black.

Second Third: Ash has just fallen (it drops every inch or so with a little encouragement as I’d rather not have it in my lap. This portion is not nearly as complex as the first – Still creamy as can be with chocolate and espresso taking turns.

Burning close to the band now, and the burn is still clean, despite the wind throwing my cigar into my lap. A little unexpected twist here – A honey-like taste enters the fray. It’s not too noticeable on the retrohale, but fairly strong in the mouth. The honey and chocolate really play nice together, and it’s not too shabby when the espresso comes back either.

So far, this cigar hasn't displayed a vast array of different flavors, but the flavors it’s had have been my favorites, so I’m not wishing for anything but more of the same.

Nearing the last half inch or so of the second third, the cigar takes a noticeable step up from Medium to Full – I’ve never been nicotine sick to this day (and I’ve had some pretty potent sticks back-to-back) so I can’t speak to how strong it is quantitatively, but it’s definitely ramping up

Burn is still nice and clean, ash is still a tad flaky but overall strong

A nice, powerful leather flavor is starting to weigh in as the second third ends, and that’s another one I love, so I’m quite happy at this point. The honey has vanished, which saddens me, but the leather is strong and delicious, so I say farewell to good friends. The leather tastes like vegetable tanned cowhide (I do leatherworking as a hobby/source of income on the side – When resurfacing leather for strops a lot of leather dust fills the room, and cowhide and horsehide have distinct characteristics. This tastes like cowhide dust.) And that’s not a bad thing – Cowhide has a meatier body to it.

Smoke output is staying strong and thick.

Final Third: This third opens up with the mouth-smoke losing all signs of the cream, it remains smooth, but doesn’t have a milky background any longer – Just the leather. The retrohale has a huge change of pace – A blast of pepper and the chocolate is back to hang out with the leather. Smoke is starting to get hot in the last two inches, so I have to quit puffing so often – Sad because I’m really enjoying myself.

Now it’s purely a smooth leather while the retrohale is leather with hints of milk chocolate.

Nearing an inch and a half, the burn is still wavy, but a very clean line, smoke output is still excellent. I’m down to “sipping” the cigar to keep the smoke from being too hot. The only flavor that remains is the leather, which has become richer and meatier. It dominates both the retrohale and normal exhale. The aftertaste/finish is slow to come, but it’s of a faint milk chocolate that adds the perfect sweetness to the heavy leather.

Down to about an inch and the smoke is now too hot to retrohale, even in sips, but the smoke in-mouth is still a tasty leather with more chocolate creeping in as it reaches the nub. Smoke output and burn line stays strong and clean down to the nub, and I’m going to keep smoking this bad boy as long as I can!

End Smoking Time – Around 1:30 – 1:45
Box worthy? – Yes. Again and again.

I really, really liked this cigar.

Sorry for being so long-winded! I'll try to make them briefer in the future, this is what I get for typing while I'm smoking.

Cheers!
Jeremy
 

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Dr. Xikar

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A lot of it is just too damn big of pictures... I think I'm going to reupload them in thumbnails

Well, it's the pictures, and my writing style. I use too many adjectives and try to make full paragraphs, rather than just noting details and moving on.

Like I said. Work in progress
 
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danthebugman

BoM Nov '10
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Good review, thanks for sharing :thumbsup:. I keep hearing good things about these so maybe have to get some...

A lot of it is just too damn big of pictures... I think I'm going to reupload them in thumbnails
Or just try cropping/resizing them. I see a lot of extraneous space in most of them that could be cropped out :dunno:.

Dan
 

Dr. Xikar

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Good review, thanks for sharing :thumbsup:. I keep hearing good things about these so maybe have to get some...



Or just try cropping/resizing them. I see a lot of extraneous space in most of them that could be cropped out :dunno:.

Dan

Thanks Dan!

I made them into thumbnails - It's still longer/more detailed than necessary, but doesn't look quite so intimidating
 
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Dude, I could not be happier about you enjoying this cigar so much.

As pretty much everyone here knows, these are some of my all-time favorites.

I think you'll really dig the alunos, because they get the ratio of wrapper to filler down really nicely.
 

Dr. Xikar

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I gotta say, it wasn't a showstopper, it did not blow my socks off, or any of those shenanigans... But the flavors were my favorites, in just the right proportions. It was fantastic. It was what I want in a cigar - Relaxing, tasty, and oh-so-right for me.
 

Thegreekone

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*wipes tears from his eyes*

"Our little boy is all grown up!" :rofl:

Nice job, Jeremy!

Don't worry about the details. The more you write the more you will find out what YOUR style of review looks and feels like. I try to honor the cigar and my experience smoking it. That will be different for everybody depending on what is important to you.

I probably mention stuff that most people either don't notice or don't think enough of to write about, dig?

Btw, as a college student *clears throat*, you may want to write in Word and cut and paste into post! :waving:

Well done, buddy!
 
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FireDoc83

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Nice review Jeremy... a little wordy but very good

See there is life after Charlie Sheen got you fired
:headroll:

 

Thegreekone

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Doc, you have to come to Cleveland. Saturdays at our B&M with Jeremy holding court and the look on his face changing as the bourbon comes out and his GF is blowing up his phone.

Priceless.

In all fairness, he is our edged-weapon specialist and I will leave it at that. :thumbsup:

He's in Jr. High (at least everybody thinks so), but he's got skills! :yes:
 

FireDoc83

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Doc, you have to come to Cleveland. Saturdays at our B&M with Jeremy holding court and the look on his face changing as the bourbon comes out and his GF is blowing up his phone.

Priceless.

In all fairness, he is our edged-weapon specialist and I will leave it at that. :thumbsup:

He's in Jr. High (at least everybody thinks so), but he's got skills! :yes:
I am always up for a road trip... I know that's why I do my own shaving :eyebrow:
 

38-50

rg
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Very nice first review there. I get long winded with mine too, but when I do a review now, I try to note the flavor/strength ratio, burn performance, what it was similar to, aging potential, and an overall rating. I try to avoid a detailed play by play of flavors as they are more subjective.

Everyone seems to like these cigars. Nice work Braden for spreading the word on a winner.
 
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