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    Hi Everyone, as mentioned in my introduction post, BOTL needs quite a bit of updating, patching and whatever else I might come across. Over the next few weekends BOTL may be unreachable on occasion as I do migrations or updates, etc. Just be patient - we'll be back! I'll generally try to keep these maintenances until later in the evenings.

My Week In Review

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I was asked to post a small blog on another site, so I figured I might as well post here as well to spur a little discussion perhaps. Short thoughts on several cigars - anyone have any and have any thoughts?

  • Cult Classic Robusto - The crew over at Cult Cigars has really taken to social media to get the word out about their cigars. They have a promotion where you can receive 2 free samples just for telling your local B&M about them. I received the Cult Classic from the company back on February 1st, and after a short rest, I finally tried it out. Great construction and draw! I really like a cigar that delivers copious amounts of smoke and the Classic hit the spot. I had to relight once, but that was more of a situation where I got distracted and left the cigar unattended for too long. Flavors were not too strong - a solid medium and perfect for a cool summer day!
  • Sosa Underground Connecticut Delphic - My good friends Arby and Celina and I recently made a little wager on the Floyd Mayweather/Robert Guerrero fight. By luck, I had Floyd pulling off the UD and Arby and Celina sent me a box of the soon-to-be-released Sosa Underground Connecticut Delphics as my winnings! Finally got the chance to try these out and really enjoyed it. First, the size on these is absolutely ideal for me - 5.5x41, I believe - with a perfecto shape. As above, I absolutely love billowing smoke from my cigars, and, again, this cigar delivered with impeccable construction. I smoked this with some coffee early in the morning as I expected it to be a bit more mellow since it was a Conny, but I found it to be a bit stronger than I expected. With an official release date of IPCPR 2013, I'll be curious if these mellow out a bit with time. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience this smoke gave me.
  • Willy Herrera Project "M" - One of the cigars everyone at NJ Cigar Fest received was the WH Project "M". I don't know anything about this cigar other than the fact that I believe it has a Maduro wrapper. I've asked around to find out if this is the Herrera Esteli blend with a maduro wrapper or if this is a one-off production or something we'll actually see, but no one has been able to give me answers. The popular opinion in my local B&M, Barrister Cigars, is that this cigar is fantastic, but the consumers worry that we won't see this as a regular release any time soon. I found it to be similar to the Herrera Esteli, but a bit more powerful - perhaps a solid medium-full - and a bit chocolatey. Of all the cigars listed in this week's review, this was by far my favorite.
  • Illusione *R* Rothchildes - I've heard such amazing things about this cigar - from the construction, to the flavor, to the price point - with some even referring to this as the best cigar Illusione has ever released. For me, it feel incredibly short, but, having only smoked 1 thus-far, I will be revisiting before making a final decision on this cigar. I don't know if it was my frame of mind the day I smoked it, or just a bad stick, or if I let the hype overwhelm me, but there was nothing memorable for me about this experience. Of course, there wasn't anything bad I can say about it - it was just kind of there. I'll track down another sample soon and revisit this, though.
  • Hammer & Sickle La Habana Tradicion Serie Robusto - Finally, on Sunday, I enjoyed a H&S Robusto while watching some great soccer - first USA v GER and then ENG v BRA. I always try to pick up new cigars when I stop in one of my local shops, and back in December, I went into Smoker's Delight and picked up one of these. I finally got to smoke it on Sunday. Interesting smoking experience as it probably gave me the most "grassiness" I've ever received from a non-candela. Not sure how I feel about it as it doesn't seem like a flavor I enjoy much, but I kept smoking so it couldn't have been that bad! ;) Probably not a cigar I'm going to go back to, but if you're a fan of mild cigars with a slight medium kick, its probably worth a try.
 
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Thanks for posting those up, Matt. I haven't tried any of the sticks you mentioned, but I can only imagine how good a Herrera Esteli would be with a maduro wrapper. On the topic of Cult cigars, their marketing strategy actually really bugs me so I have yet to try one and don't think I will bother anytime soon.
 
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You are spot on about the Cult Classic---I got a free one the same way you did and I enjoyed it so I picked a few more up through cbid. A pretty good deal at a 5 pack for only $13.95
 

SDShark

BoM May '14
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Thanks for sharing, Matt! I also was not that impressed by the Illusione Rothchildes. For the price its not bad though.
 
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Thanks for posting those up, Matt. I haven't tried any of the sticks you mentioned, but I can only imagine how good a Herrera Esteli would be with a maduro wrapper. On the topic of Cult cigars, their marketing strategy actually really bugs me so I have yet to try one and don't think I will bother anytime soon.
I should add that I don't KNOW that it is a HE with a Maduro wrapper, I just suspect it. I've yet to hear anyone tell me it is officially - I was kind of hoping someone with more knowledge would fill us in here.
On the topic of Cult, I don't necessarily disagree with you. I've definitely spoken to my local tobacconists about certain brands and my interest in them carrying a brand, but that has been purely based on my interest in a cigar and not me trying to get free cigars. That leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. With that said, I admire the "freshness" of it and a company being innovative in trying to spread the word.

You are spot on about the Cult Classic---I got a free one the same way you did and I enjoyed it so I picked a few more up through cbid. A pretty good deal at a 5 pack for only $13.95
Yeah, at that price, its a good little smoke, IMO. Don't be fooled into thinking you're smoking a Padron Anni or an Opus, but at less than $3 a cigar, its nice to have in the humidor.

Love the work Matt! Would love to see your regular weekly thoughts on your smokes, maybe that will distract you from doing so well in BOTL fantasy baseball!!! Keep it up!!!
LOL. Thanks. I had posted just to see if I could spur some discussion and was a bit discouraged when it didn't get a response. Maybe I'll post another 'Week in Review' tomorrow. And my BOTL team is pissing me off...not a fan of ESPN format.
 
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Thanks for sharing, Matt! I also was not that impressed by the Illusione Rothchildes. For the price its not bad though.
Thank you for saying this. You are the first person I have come across who did not have an overly positive review. The price is fantastic, though, yes, so I'm eager to try it again.
 
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