Benzopyrene
BoM June 08
Nevermind he's online now!!!!!:smile:
Review contest cigar 1
- Thread starter Benzopyrene
- Start date
You know, if it weren't for the final third I would have liked the cigar. The shift was somewhat jarring -- makes me wonder if I would have used a cutter if I would have a different finish.
Seriously, the early contrasts were nice -- but I couldn't get past that final taste.... I'm sure it would be mid to high 70s with a different ending. But alas, it didn't happen.
Seriously, the early contrasts were nice -- but I couldn't get past that final taste.... I'm sure it would be mid to high 70s with a different ending. But alas, it didn't happen.
Pre light inspection showed a nice, dark oily wrapper. Somewhat veiny. Wrapper appears to be sungrown. The cap on this cigar was poorly made and wrapped extremely uneven. (Big area for points knockdown) Taste on the tongue unlit, showed a smokey, coffee flavor with a mild hint of white pepper. Unrestricted draw also.
After lighting this cigar up, this cigar had a good draw and was rather easily to light after being toasted. Good amount of blue/grey smoke emitted from this cigar. NO issues, other than a small crack that developed towards the shoulder.
First third: As I smoked this cigar, the ash was rather flakey and seemed well packed. A light to medium grey ash developed and remained on the cigar until I ashed it each 2". Coffee, Cedar, white pepper and a hint of flowers (lilac) came through on this one. The flavor was not complex, nor unique.
Second Third: Cigar remained consistent in draw, burn and ash, although the flavor changed towards more flowers than wood. Also, nicotine started to come through, which seemed to detract from the cigars flavor. Still hints of coffee, cedar came through, but poor finsih i this third. Also, cap started unraveling a bit, which is a pet peave of mine.
Final third: This cigar remained simple. Good smoke, good draw and burn, but poor taste. Wrapper unraveled, causing me to smoke bare binder. Got down to about an inch and half, just because I wanted to see how the cigar finished. Should have tossed it sooner than I did.
Overall, this cigar did not impress me. It takes more than good smoke, good draw to impress me. This was a medium bodied cigar that needs some assistance in the wrapping and blending area. (Now watch, this will be a Pepin and I just dissed him.) I probably would not run out and buy another to try, although It might be a fair thing to do to properly evaluate the cigar a second time. Two thumbs down for me!
My scores:
Appearance: 10/15
Ash: 7/10
Draw: 7/10
Burn: 7/10
Smoke: 8/10
Flavor Blend: 14/20
Uniqueness: 7/10
Finish: 9/15
Total score: 69
After lighting this cigar up, this cigar had a good draw and was rather easily to light after being toasted. Good amount of blue/grey smoke emitted from this cigar. NO issues, other than a small crack that developed towards the shoulder.
First third: As I smoked this cigar, the ash was rather flakey and seemed well packed. A light to medium grey ash developed and remained on the cigar until I ashed it each 2". Coffee, Cedar, white pepper and a hint of flowers (lilac) came through on this one. The flavor was not complex, nor unique.
Second Third: Cigar remained consistent in draw, burn and ash, although the flavor changed towards more flowers than wood. Also, nicotine started to come through, which seemed to detract from the cigars flavor. Still hints of coffee, cedar came through, but poor finsih i this third. Also, cap started unraveling a bit, which is a pet peave of mine.
Final third: This cigar remained simple. Good smoke, good draw and burn, but poor taste. Wrapper unraveled, causing me to smoke bare binder. Got down to about an inch and half, just because I wanted to see how the cigar finished. Should have tossed it sooner than I did.
Overall, this cigar did not impress me. It takes more than good smoke, good draw to impress me. This was a medium bodied cigar that needs some assistance in the wrapping and blending area. (Now watch, this will be a Pepin and I just dissed him.) I probably would not run out and buy another to try, although It might be a fair thing to do to properly evaluate the cigar a second time. Two thumbs down for me!
My scores:
Appearance: 10/15
Ash: 7/10
Draw: 7/10
Burn: 7/10
Smoke: 8/10
Flavor Blend: 14/20
Uniqueness: 7/10
Finish: 9/15
Total score: 69
Let me start by saying I was a Recreation Major and composition was not my forte.
Mystery Smoke 1
1. Appearance 13/15
I was very intrigued by the wrapper on this stick. It had a tiger stripped look to it, almost like a deep woods camouflage pattern, but with red and brown. I really liked that and hope it would make for an interesting smoke. As others have said the cap was a little disappointing, but then again you do not smoke the cap. I used my cheap keychain punch with two overlapping punches due to a larger ring cigar. No problems with the punch.
2. Ash 5/10
In the first third of this stick the ash was pealing back in places. I’ll compare this to the look of a twig that has been whittled for kindling. A nice grey color to it, but it only held on for an inch and a half or so. After that seemed weak, but that was most likely from the burn issues explained later. Not real impressive by any means.
3. Draw 8/10 The prelight draw was deliberate, but not tight/hard by any means, just how I like it. A little wood and nut flavors from the prelight as well. I expected this to be a good smoke from the draw and flavors so far.
4. Burn 5/10 I think I may have been nice giving this a 5 out of 10, but I was extremely bummed out at how this burnt. Right off the bat, it lit great and I noticed a slight dip on one side. I figured it was just due to an “over-toast” on that side, and would correct itself quickly. Boy was I wrong. About 15 minutes later, It was off by over an inch. I actually noticed the wrapper on side with the slow burn was lifting off the binder and filler. I was driving and my Xikar lighter ran out of fluid, so a correction wasn’t possible. I did have the window cracked but kept the stick rotated and out of the breeze. I do this all the time with no issues. When I got home, I set it down for maybe 2 minutes to get the wife out the door and by the time I got back it was out, probably a good thing. I refilled the lighter and used a crap-load of butane correcting it. On the re-light, about half way down the stick, it was a little off, but corrected it self with about an inch left. Bummer on the burn.
5. Smoke 8/10
From the first draw I got plenty of smoke, not over whelming volumes, but plenty none the less. Good aroma from what I had before I got on the freeway when it was lingering in the car. Once on the road I had the sun shining through the smoke and noticed the silvery-blue color of the smoke. Really quite beautiful the way the sun shone through it.
6. Flavor/ Blend 16/20
For the first half I had a strong dark chocolate flavor, with some coffee coming through in about an inch. Certainly got better and more smooth as it smoked. After my re-light the flavors came on a little stronger with the nut and leather flavors taking a back seat to the coffee. I really enjoyed the flavors I got in the smoke, no bitterness, not spicy and left almost nothing on the lips. I would smoke a stick with this profile again.
7. Uniqueness 7/10
I will say the wrapper on this was the most unique aspect of this cigar. It was a very cool looking smoke from the moment I first looked at it. Otherwise it was not much different than many sticks I’ve smoked in the past. But I’m giving bonus points for the visual.
8. Finish 13/15
I nubbed this puppy. The end of this smoke had good flavor continued with good amounts of smoke, and never burned too hot. I tossed it as I walked back in the office and it did not leave any lingering flavors or taste in my mouth for long. I wish more smokes were like that. When I smoke I want to smoke, but when I’m done I don’t need to taste it for hours.
Total 75/100
In conclusion, If this would have burnt correctly I would be buying more, the burn really killed it for me. The strength was good definitely a medium bodied stick, I smoked it after a small lunch and never got any overpowering nicotine feel, which is common for me in the daytime. I hope the bad burn is due to it’s freshness and a recent cross country trip, but it needs help. Thanks for reading.
Mystery Smoke 1
1. Appearance 13/15
I was very intrigued by the wrapper on this stick. It had a tiger stripped look to it, almost like a deep woods camouflage pattern, but with red and brown. I really liked that and hope it would make for an interesting smoke. As others have said the cap was a little disappointing, but then again you do not smoke the cap. I used my cheap keychain punch with two overlapping punches due to a larger ring cigar. No problems with the punch.
2. Ash 5/10
In the first third of this stick the ash was pealing back in places. I’ll compare this to the look of a twig that has been whittled for kindling. A nice grey color to it, but it only held on for an inch and a half or so. After that seemed weak, but that was most likely from the burn issues explained later. Not real impressive by any means.
3. Draw 8/10 The prelight draw was deliberate, but not tight/hard by any means, just how I like it. A little wood and nut flavors from the prelight as well. I expected this to be a good smoke from the draw and flavors so far.
4. Burn 5/10 I think I may have been nice giving this a 5 out of 10, but I was extremely bummed out at how this burnt. Right off the bat, it lit great and I noticed a slight dip on one side. I figured it was just due to an “over-toast” on that side, and would correct itself quickly. Boy was I wrong. About 15 minutes later, It was off by over an inch. I actually noticed the wrapper on side with the slow burn was lifting off the binder and filler. I was driving and my Xikar lighter ran out of fluid, so a correction wasn’t possible. I did have the window cracked but kept the stick rotated and out of the breeze. I do this all the time with no issues. When I got home, I set it down for maybe 2 minutes to get the wife out the door and by the time I got back it was out, probably a good thing. I refilled the lighter and used a crap-load of butane correcting it. On the re-light, about half way down the stick, it was a little off, but corrected it self with about an inch left. Bummer on the burn.
5. Smoke 8/10
From the first draw I got plenty of smoke, not over whelming volumes, but plenty none the less. Good aroma from what I had before I got on the freeway when it was lingering in the car. Once on the road I had the sun shining through the smoke and noticed the silvery-blue color of the smoke. Really quite beautiful the way the sun shone through it.
6. Flavor/ Blend 16/20
For the first half I had a strong dark chocolate flavor, with some coffee coming through in about an inch. Certainly got better and more smooth as it smoked. After my re-light the flavors came on a little stronger with the nut and leather flavors taking a back seat to the coffee. I really enjoyed the flavors I got in the smoke, no bitterness, not spicy and left almost nothing on the lips. I would smoke a stick with this profile again.
7. Uniqueness 7/10
I will say the wrapper on this was the most unique aspect of this cigar. It was a very cool looking smoke from the moment I first looked at it. Otherwise it was not much different than many sticks I’ve smoked in the past. But I’m giving bonus points for the visual.
8. Finish 13/15
I nubbed this puppy. The end of this smoke had good flavor continued with good amounts of smoke, and never burned too hot. I tossed it as I walked back in the office and it did not leave any lingering flavors or taste in my mouth for long. I wish more smokes were like that. When I smoke I want to smoke, but when I’m done I don’t need to taste it for hours.
Total 75/100
In conclusion, If this would have burnt correctly I would be buying more, the burn really killed it for me. The strength was good definitely a medium bodied stick, I smoked it after a small lunch and never got any overpowering nicotine feel, which is common for me in the daytime. I hope the bad burn is due to it’s freshness and a recent cross country trip, but it needs help. Thanks for reading.
djs134
BoM May '06
Ok guys, I succeeded in not reading any of the previous reviews before I smoked the cigar and wrote mine. I'll be interested in reading everyone's now that I've posted. So, here we go:
After a busy day at the office and a nice dinner of homemade ravioli, I figured Id go down to the man cave and enjoy a nice cigar. Opening the humidor, the Review Sticks caught my eye and I decided to settle in with a glass of water and spend a little time with the first one. Theyd rested for a couple of weeks and it was about time.
Pulling out the cigar labeled #1; the first thing that struck me was the color. It looked like milk chocolate. A few larger veins which gave this robusto a rustic look but not a bad looking stick all in all. There were no blemishes or patches to be seen, it was just slightly lumpy. Feeling my way around the wrapper, it seemed well packed without any uneven spots that would indicate gaps in the filler or plugs. I noticed that it seemed to have a double cap and made a mental note to be careful when I clipped it since it looked a bit uneven and there wasnt a lot of real estate to work with. The wrapper smelled mildly of worn leather but I didnt get anything of note at the foot.
My trusty Xikar Xi made a nice even cut just at the shoulder leaving the cap intact. The freshly cut tobacco left a slight tingle to the tongue and a bit of a sour sensation. Taking a test draw, I was pleased to find that there was just a little resistance so I was pretty sure I would not have any plugs to worry about. Using a Solo lighter, I toasted the foot until there was a nice even glow. On the very first draw I was rewarded with a nice mouthful of creamy smoke tasting of rich tobacco. Retrohaling that first draw just enhanced the flavor without burning. I dont usually retrohale the first inch or so since it usually isnt all that pleasant, but not with this cigar. I was looking forward to what I would find as I smoked this baby down. So far, so good.
As I smoked down through the first third I noticed a woody flavor became prominent. And as I passed about half way into this part of the smoke the wood took on something of a savory note. The smoke was thick and almost bluish with a pleasant aroma. The ash was light grey with dark grey and black bands. It was also surprisingly weak and flaky. I had to ash after less than an inch. There were burn problems with one side burning faster no matter what I did. At first I thought I was smoking it too fast, but slowing down didnt seem to help. And I naturally turn my cigar as I smoke, so that wasnt the problem. I held off touching it up to see what would happen. As I approached and entered the middle third, the flavors of dark fruit appeared and a slight spice became apparent.
As I worked my way through the middle third, I got a metallic taste that generally tells me of the presence of Connecticut Broadleaf. I usually can taste it right away, so I was a little surprised that I hadnt tasted it until the middle of the cigar. By this time I had to touch up the burn, there was almost a 1 inch difference between the two sides. From there on the flavors stayed pretty much the same; rich tobacco with the hint of dark fruit and spice. The metallic sensation stayed as well.
I had burn problems all the way through the middle third but things evened out as I entered the last third and headed home.
Throughout the 80 minutes or so that I sat and smoked, I couldnt help but think that the flavor seemed very familiar. Ive never really blind tasted a cigar before and Im looking forward to finding out what it was.
Scoring:
1. Appearance- 11/15
2. Ash- 5/10
3. Draw- 8/10
4. Burn- 5/10
5. Smoke- 8/10
6. Flavor/Blend- 12/20
7. Uniqueness- 6/10
8. Finish- 10/15
Total- 65/100
After a busy day at the office and a nice dinner of homemade ravioli, I figured Id go down to the man cave and enjoy a nice cigar. Opening the humidor, the Review Sticks caught my eye and I decided to settle in with a glass of water and spend a little time with the first one. Theyd rested for a couple of weeks and it was about time.
Pulling out the cigar labeled #1; the first thing that struck me was the color. It looked like milk chocolate. A few larger veins which gave this robusto a rustic look but not a bad looking stick all in all. There were no blemishes or patches to be seen, it was just slightly lumpy. Feeling my way around the wrapper, it seemed well packed without any uneven spots that would indicate gaps in the filler or plugs. I noticed that it seemed to have a double cap and made a mental note to be careful when I clipped it since it looked a bit uneven and there wasnt a lot of real estate to work with. The wrapper smelled mildly of worn leather but I didnt get anything of note at the foot.
My trusty Xikar Xi made a nice even cut just at the shoulder leaving the cap intact. The freshly cut tobacco left a slight tingle to the tongue and a bit of a sour sensation. Taking a test draw, I was pleased to find that there was just a little resistance so I was pretty sure I would not have any plugs to worry about. Using a Solo lighter, I toasted the foot until there was a nice even glow. On the very first draw I was rewarded with a nice mouthful of creamy smoke tasting of rich tobacco. Retrohaling that first draw just enhanced the flavor without burning. I dont usually retrohale the first inch or so since it usually isnt all that pleasant, but not with this cigar. I was looking forward to what I would find as I smoked this baby down. So far, so good.
As I smoked down through the first third I noticed a woody flavor became prominent. And as I passed about half way into this part of the smoke the wood took on something of a savory note. The smoke was thick and almost bluish with a pleasant aroma. The ash was light grey with dark grey and black bands. It was also surprisingly weak and flaky. I had to ash after less than an inch. There were burn problems with one side burning faster no matter what I did. At first I thought I was smoking it too fast, but slowing down didnt seem to help. And I naturally turn my cigar as I smoke, so that wasnt the problem. I held off touching it up to see what would happen. As I approached and entered the middle third, the flavors of dark fruit appeared and a slight spice became apparent.
As I worked my way through the middle third, I got a metallic taste that generally tells me of the presence of Connecticut Broadleaf. I usually can taste it right away, so I was a little surprised that I hadnt tasted it until the middle of the cigar. By this time I had to touch up the burn, there was almost a 1 inch difference between the two sides. From there on the flavors stayed pretty much the same; rich tobacco with the hint of dark fruit and spice. The metallic sensation stayed as well.
I had burn problems all the way through the middle third but things evened out as I entered the last third and headed home.
Throughout the 80 minutes or so that I sat and smoked, I couldnt help but think that the flavor seemed very familiar. Ive never really blind tasted a cigar before and Im looking forward to finding out what it was.
Scoring:
1. Appearance- 11/15
2. Ash- 5/10
3. Draw- 8/10
4. Burn- 5/10
5. Smoke- 8/10
6. Flavor/Blend- 12/20
7. Uniqueness- 6/10
8. Finish- 10/15
Total- 65/100
Great reviews coming in! I sort of wish I'd waited a bit longer to smoke mine so I could remember it more clearly while I read these reviews.
Are we going to find out what it was now that everyone's posted? (At least I think everyone has...)
Are we going to find out what it was now that everyone's posted? (At least I think everyone has...)
Benzopyrene
BoM June 08
Wow I think that is everyone! That means all I gotta do is get mine up here! Nice reviews guys!
I doubt that it was a pepin, but I think we will be suprised. I'm waiting for him to post it and then find out I have a box of them and have been raving about how good they are. :eyepoke:
I know it wasn't a Tat! I will bet money on that one! But, I think you are right, it is something we have heard and/or smoked before. Might be an Illus... hehe.. I haven't had one of those yet!! And I know it wasn't a Padron either. hehe
Benzopyrene
BoM June 08
lol, 10 mins guys and mine will be up!
Benzopyrene
BoM June 08
Binder- Ecuadorian
Filler- Dominican
Wrapper- Dominican
Size- Robusto
Length- 5 3/8 x 52
I was really excited about being able to share this cigar with you all. However, when I received them they appeared that they had been stored in less than optimal conditions, as some of the wrappers had an odd pattern to them, and there were a few blemishes on most of them. At any rate, I figured it would be a good smoke to start this review contest with, and I assumed that at least half of you had never tried this cigar before. Anyway, without further ado I present to you the first cigar in our review contest, The Avo LE 05 !!
The wrapper on this cigar was a nice dark, wet earthy color that was veiny and rough in texture. There were a few flaws in the wrapper including a few small blemishes, a small triangular tear along the edge of the wrapper about midway up the cigar, and a cap . Well, lets just say the inspectors were in a hurry to get home on Friday. Pre-light the cigar had a nice supple tobacco aroma, that reminded me of being in the rolling room of a cigar factory, and there was no evidence of any residual ammonia. The ash was a mixture of dark grey and white subtly stacked on top of one another like a viscous fluid being poured onto a solid surface and layering upon itself. It was sturdy and I only ashed the cigar 3 times at each third.
The draw was pristine with just enough resistance to smoke at a gentlemans pace and enjoy the flavors of the thick bountiful smoke. Watching the smoke dance in the wind around me like a child, I couldnt help but enjoy the simplistic nature of it. The burn on this cigar was probably its worst feature. It took a landscaping appearance akin to the rolling hills of Central Texas from the start, and then evolved into more of a mountainous backdrop, at which point I decided to play God and send fire upon the world to make it even again.
The first few puffs of the cigar were filled with a strong nutty core that changed almost instantly thereafter into a leathery foundation. The flavors then began to dual and I could taste them both before the cigar reached a ceasefire and the nutty core took over and mellowed into a medium bodies smoke on my palate and began to develop complexity at about the first inch. The first hints of were that of cocoa and a complex flavor I can only describe as something that reminded me of chewing on raw sugar cane. At the halfway point the nutty core was covered in a flavor that reminded me of hazelnut coffee, and nuggets of dark chocolate. It was really too sweet for me personally, but it was very different than I remembered this cigar. These flavors persisted throughout the second third as well as the finale. It never got hot or harsh, and I almost wished I had smoked this cigar with a cup of tea, as the profile seemed to be of the type that would complement a nice Earl Grey.
Personally, I found this cigar to be very unique. Im not convinced Ive ever had such a sweet cigar before and it definitely intrigued me. As far as what I expected, well, Ive smoked one of these before and it was very full bodied and very leathery without much in the way of anything resembling sweetness, so as you might imagine this was quite a shocker. Well, I hope you all enjoyed rating this cigar, and for those of you who didnt like it Im sorry. I really thought everyone was going to like this one, but it seems the consensus is two thumbs down. If you have some of these bad boys sitting back in your humidor somewhere and cant bring yourself to smoke them after this traumatic experience, then I will happily take them off of your hands. Thanks guys Cheers!
Appearance- 11
Ash- 9
Draw- 10
Burn- 5
Flavor/Blend- 18
Uniqueness- 8
Smoke- 10
Finish- 15
Total- 86/100
Filler- Dominican
Wrapper- Dominican
Size- Robusto
Length- 5 3/8 x 52
I was really excited about being able to share this cigar with you all. However, when I received them they appeared that they had been stored in less than optimal conditions, as some of the wrappers had an odd pattern to them, and there were a few blemishes on most of them. At any rate, I figured it would be a good smoke to start this review contest with, and I assumed that at least half of you had never tried this cigar before. Anyway, without further ado I present to you the first cigar in our review contest, The Avo LE 05 !!
The wrapper on this cigar was a nice dark, wet earthy color that was veiny and rough in texture. There were a few flaws in the wrapper including a few small blemishes, a small triangular tear along the edge of the wrapper about midway up the cigar, and a cap . Well, lets just say the inspectors were in a hurry to get home on Friday. Pre-light the cigar had a nice supple tobacco aroma, that reminded me of being in the rolling room of a cigar factory, and there was no evidence of any residual ammonia. The ash was a mixture of dark grey and white subtly stacked on top of one another like a viscous fluid being poured onto a solid surface and layering upon itself. It was sturdy and I only ashed the cigar 3 times at each third.
The draw was pristine with just enough resistance to smoke at a gentlemans pace and enjoy the flavors of the thick bountiful smoke. Watching the smoke dance in the wind around me like a child, I couldnt help but enjoy the simplistic nature of it. The burn on this cigar was probably its worst feature. It took a landscaping appearance akin to the rolling hills of Central Texas from the start, and then evolved into more of a mountainous backdrop, at which point I decided to play God and send fire upon the world to make it even again.
The first few puffs of the cigar were filled with a strong nutty core that changed almost instantly thereafter into a leathery foundation. The flavors then began to dual and I could taste them both before the cigar reached a ceasefire and the nutty core took over and mellowed into a medium bodies smoke on my palate and began to develop complexity at about the first inch. The first hints of were that of cocoa and a complex flavor I can only describe as something that reminded me of chewing on raw sugar cane. At the halfway point the nutty core was covered in a flavor that reminded me of hazelnut coffee, and nuggets of dark chocolate. It was really too sweet for me personally, but it was very different than I remembered this cigar. These flavors persisted throughout the second third as well as the finale. It never got hot or harsh, and I almost wished I had smoked this cigar with a cup of tea, as the profile seemed to be of the type that would complement a nice Earl Grey.
Personally, I found this cigar to be very unique. Im not convinced Ive ever had such a sweet cigar before and it definitely intrigued me. As far as what I expected, well, Ive smoked one of these before and it was very full bodied and very leathery without much in the way of anything resembling sweetness, so as you might imagine this was quite a shocker. Well, I hope you all enjoyed rating this cigar, and for those of you who didnt like it Im sorry. I really thought everyone was going to like this one, but it seems the consensus is two thumbs down. If you have some of these bad boys sitting back in your humidor somewhere and cant bring yourself to smoke them after this traumatic experience, then I will happily take them off of your hands. Thanks guys Cheers!
Appearance- 11
Ash- 9
Draw- 10
Burn- 5
Flavor/Blend- 18
Uniqueness- 8
Smoke- 10
Finish- 15
Total- 86/100
Benzopyrene
BoM June 08
You ound disappointed Rigil!:smokingme
LoL... Now that explains why I gave it low ratings. I don't like the AVO lines at all. Too mild for me... Great review Luke!!!!