Date:* 10/26/14
Review: Rasshat Blind Review B 102614
Size: Looks like a 5.5x44 or 46
Appearance/construction: Semi-toothy wrapper, medium brown in color. Looks like a double cap? Not seeing a third roll. Dry boxed for the night, still a tight roll with little give and rebound. Not too veiny and a seamless roll for the most part.
Aroma Pre-Light: Nutmeg and spice, a touch of chocolate.
Cold draw: Straight cut with scissors. Wood, but not cedar, with some spice. Reminds me of when my dad smokes meat a few times a year, and I think he uses cherry wood but I’ll have to ask. The draw is perfect and easy.
Light: Lit easily and evenly with cedar. Tons of smoke.
First impression: Got a huge hit of spice and bread on the first draw. Faded quickly to a creamy spice, with some bitter citrus on my lips. Definitely going to be a full and flavorful smoke.
Aroma Post-Light: The aroma is cedar and natural tobacco, with some heavy spice that stings the nostrils.
First Third: Alright, moving along past the first quarter inch into the first third, the spice remains heavy but the smoke on the exhale reminds me of fresh bread. The burn is sharp and even and leaves a tight white ash. The consistency in the ash is incredible. I can see the veins actually burnt into the ash.. Not getting any chocolate or nutmeg that I sensed in the pre-light aroma, yet. The smoke is sticky and coats my mouth on every draw. The ash fell off after an inch, but stayed together on the drop. I’m picking up a light cinnamon and very woody/grassy flavor on the retrohale.
Second Third: I’m standing in a brewery. This stick is throwing out smoke bursting with flavors of grain and hops and chocolate. It’s like smoking a pepper chocolate stout. It’s delicious. The smoke is dense and plentiful, with a retrohale that is assaulting all of my senses. Once I dropped into the meat of this stick it’s like all the flavor complexity just crashed through a locked door. I’m getting a lot of cinnamon spice and earth on the tongue and lips. Creamy and roasted grain taking the forefront with all the hops, florals, and tiny bit of chocolate that I mentioned in the background. The burn is still mostly even, just a little slanted, with some self-correcting.
Final Third: The smoke is so spicy and full in this last third, and oh so good. Glad I ate for this review hahah. No heat at all. The toasty grain and creaminess has faded, dropping an octave into the dark earth and espresso, with said spiciness on the tongue and roof of my mouth. The retrohale holding some bitter dark chocolate, but is very dry now. I probably will stop retrohaling soon… well… right now haha. Burn has evened up and is as straight as it was when I lit the stick. Awesome self-correcting, and the taste is incredible. I’ve got some cracking on the wrapper that I really hope doesn’t mess up my smoke… moving into nub status as I type. Where’s my poker…. I can’t stop smoking this baby.
Overall Impression/Final Notes: I think it is pretty clear this was a great stick. Great flavor complexity. Loved the level of spice. Great burn. I loved the smoke production.
Smoke time: 1h50m
Scoring:
Appearance and Presentation: 18/20
Lighting and Burning Properties: 14/15
Construction Properties: 28/30
Taste Properties: 34/35
Total: 94/100
haha. Writing up C now, brother.
