Sultan Signature Review Thread
- Thread starter shuckins
- Start date
Same kind of oily, dark, peppery wrapper as cigar (A) . . . whereas the latter started off with heavy doses of chocolate, espresso, and pepper, however, cigar (B) begins with a more toothsome and earthier profile, like eating semi-sweet chocolate with peanuts while inhaling a fistful of mud, the predominant flavors throughout the first half which, as the burn progresses, is complemented more and more by a hint of oak, the sweetness of the cocoa flavor lingering with every puff as the peanut flavor disappears . . . past the halfway point, some leather makes an appearance, which, after taking center stage with a few short bursts, mingles with the oak nicely as the smoke gives off a whiff of almonds while retaining the sweetness that, while serving as a counterbalance to the earthiness of the profile, is a little too insistent for me . . . it would've been nicer if the counter-flavor were the same kind of spiciness found in cigar (A), the sweet sugary note in stick (B) not being a favorite of mine in cigars . . . overall, a very good, smooth smoke, though for my palate Signature (A) was much more enjoyable. . . .
Smoke time: one hour and forty-five minutes . . .
Tomorrow: my notes on cigar (C) and my final assessment on all three Signature sticks . . .
No pics––smoked it at night, and camera takes poor flash photos. You guys know what the cigar looks like anyway. . . .
The stick started off at the first few centimeters with a slightly bitter espresso and dark chocolate and a harshness reminiscent of the way some Padrón Thousand Series begin––a kind of black pepper bite and a barky sharpness . . . I was hoping that the bitterness would fade, but unfortunately, it didn't: throughout the stick, I detected hints of coffee, chocolate, leather, earth, and vanilla, but they were overwhelmed, for the first few inches, by a bitter almond flavor that transformed for the rest of the stick into what I can only describe as a combination of acridity and flintiness, a mixture of that bitter almond and what I would imagine eating pulverized rocks would taste like . . .
I was almost incredulous at how off stick (C) tasted, considering how much I liked (A) and the smoothness––albeit with a little too much sweetness for my palate––of cigar (B). In addition, the construction on stick (C) was terrible––unlike (A) and (B), (C) required some relighting, and tunneled a few times down its length. I thought I may have gotten a dud, but after browsing through some of the other reviews, it seems like some found (C) to be well below the standards set by cigars (A) and (B) as well. . . .
The stick started off at the first few centimeters with a slightly bitter espresso and dark chocolate and a harshness reminiscent of the way some Padrón Thousand Series begin––a kind of black pepper bite and a barky sharpness . . . I was hoping that the bitterness would fade, but unfortunately, it didn't: throughout the stick, I detected hints of coffee, chocolate, leather, earth, and vanilla, but they were overwhelmed, for the first few inches, by a bitter almond flavor that transformed for the rest of the stick into what I can only describe as a combination of acridity and flintiness, a mixture of that bitter almond and what I would imagine eating pulverized rocks would taste like . . .
I was almost incredulous at how off stick (C) tasted, considering how much I liked (A) and the smoothness––albeit with a little too much sweetness for my palate––of cigar (B). In addition, the construction on stick (C) was terrible––unlike (A) and (B), (C) required some relighting, and tunneled a few times down its length. I thought I may have gotten a dud, but after browsing through some of the other reviews, it seems like some found (C) to be well below the standards set by cigars (A) and (B) as well. . . .
My final assessment? Cigar (A) wins. I liked (B) as well, but again, it had a hint of sweetness that overwhelmed some of the other flavors and, while balancing out the profile's earthiness, didn't draw me in the way cigar (A) did. I appreciated how smooth and round cigar (B) tasted, but I like the kind of bold transitions cigar (A) displayed, in addition to the way its spices played off of the rusticity of the woody and dark bean flavors.
Thanks Ron and Yan!
Thanks Ron and Yan!
So, it looks like the "A" is a med-full bodied with tons of flavour and spice. Would you say it was like a Bolivar Coronas Junior or a Diplomaticos 5? How would you compare it to the PSD4? I love all 3 of these cigars and haven't had the oportunity to try the Sultan.
If it's similar, I'll ask my wife to pick up a box of A's as she's visiting Jakarta this month.
YAY ME!!:cbig:
If it's similar, I'll ask my wife to pick up a box of A's as she's visiting Jakarta this month.
YAY ME!!:cbig:
smokemifugotem
BoM July '10
So yeah...so I actually went through the spice cabinet to try to figure out what I have been saying for the last two reviews...hopefully it will help a bit more with this one!
Pre-Light: Seems to have a bit of a stronger flavor to the lips and tongue than the other two cigars. Just like the past two..it has the same spice flavor profile right off the bat. There is a bit of nutmeg, cinnamon, and a bit of a clove flavor to it.
1/3: The first third has a great draw. It has a great spice kick right off the bat with nice burn to the tip of the tongue. The smoke starts billowing out right away and has a great aroma to it. The heat spice and flavors of the clove and nutmeg continue through the first third pretty much non-stop. So fat this is the best third out of the three cigars I have tried.
2/3: The second third begins mellow out and has a nice light smoke that is actually nice to retro hale. I am not usually one to do this...but I do not mind with this stick. Leaves that nice spice and heat in the nasal...quite enjoyable. The last of this third once again begins to pick up with the spice and has just a great taste to it right now. All of the flavors from the past are building up together and are melding great with one another.
3/3: The first of the last third continues on with the great flavor profiles of all of the spices rolled into one. I also am finally picking up a bit of the cinnamon that i tasted in the past 2 cigars. Great timing for it to begin to appear in the cigar. There is a bit of heat build up on this one as it comes to a close...but it is not unbearable. It is paring nice with the spice that is building back up on the tip of the tongue.
All in all I ended up taking this bad boy down to the nub. Before today I would have said B was the winner just because it had a bit more body to it. After reviewing this one....I am going to have to say C is the clear winner. The reason I picked this one is just due to how full bodied the cigar was in the first and third. I really like a fully cigar and A was not on that plain with me. B had its ups and downs...but just did not have as much body as I wanted. C really shined and gave a great flavor from start to finish. The 2nd third dropped off a bit but still had a great flavor!
All around it is definitely a different blend of cigars than anything that I have tasted before. The spices are just unlike anything out there. I really appreciate Ron for organizing this and letting me be apart of it. I cannot wait to read all of the other reviews (have not even looked at them to ensure I did not have any other in put)! I also cannot wait to see which one will come out on top!
Thanks again and I will upload photos in a few! Thanks again gents for reading! Now go pick some up!
Nick
Pre-Light: Seems to have a bit of a stronger flavor to the lips and tongue than the other two cigars. Just like the past two..it has the same spice flavor profile right off the bat. There is a bit of nutmeg, cinnamon, and a bit of a clove flavor to it.
1/3: The first third has a great draw. It has a great spice kick right off the bat with nice burn to the tip of the tongue. The smoke starts billowing out right away and has a great aroma to it. The heat spice and flavors of the clove and nutmeg continue through the first third pretty much non-stop. So fat this is the best third out of the three cigars I have tried.
2/3: The second third begins mellow out and has a nice light smoke that is actually nice to retro hale. I am not usually one to do this...but I do not mind with this stick. Leaves that nice spice and heat in the nasal...quite enjoyable. The last of this third once again begins to pick up with the spice and has just a great taste to it right now. All of the flavors from the past are building up together and are melding great with one another.
3/3: The first of the last third continues on with the great flavor profiles of all of the spices rolled into one. I also am finally picking up a bit of the cinnamon that i tasted in the past 2 cigars. Great timing for it to begin to appear in the cigar. There is a bit of heat build up on this one as it comes to a close...but it is not unbearable. It is paring nice with the spice that is building back up on the tip of the tongue.
All in all I ended up taking this bad boy down to the nub. Before today I would have said B was the winner just because it had a bit more body to it. After reviewing this one....I am going to have to say C is the clear winner. The reason I picked this one is just due to how full bodied the cigar was in the first and third. I really like a fully cigar and A was not on that plain with me. B had its ups and downs...but just did not have as much body as I wanted. C really shined and gave a great flavor from start to finish. The 2nd third dropped off a bit but still had a great flavor!
All around it is definitely a different blend of cigars than anything that I have tasted before. The spices are just unlike anything out there. I really appreciate Ron for organizing this and letting me be apart of it. I cannot wait to read all of the other reviews (have not even looked at them to ensure I did not have any other in put)! I also cannot wait to see which one will come out on top!
Thanks again and I will upload photos in a few! Thanks again gents for reading! Now go pick some up!
Nick
I was just a little surprised when Ron asked me to participate in this review. We had a discussion about about cigar reviews and some of the interesting flavor descriptions. I told Ron then that cigars have different flavors to me but they still taste like tobacco. He argued and convinced me to look deeper and find details in the smoke that I can relate to familiar tastes and smells. I still won't say I am real comfortable doing reviews but I have smoked a lot of different cigars and know what I like.
For my first input I am doing "A" and "C" side-by-side. My wife is also a cigar smoker so she is going to be helping me with this. I other words, we switched back and forth.
We smoked outside in 60 degree 46% humidity with variable winds around 15 mph. I do not think the wind had noticeable affect on the smoke.
"A" has a nice rich brown wrapper with a few small veins. The wrapper does not look oily but rather dry. Although the cigar feels substantial it has some give from the head about 2/3 toward the foot. The foot is very firm. The tobacco smells sweet and spicy.
After cutting with Cuban Crafter's new guillotine cutter the pre-light draw is tighter than I prefer but not unsmokable. After toasting and lighting there is unmistakable tea flavor coming through but it is joined with an unpleasant plastic taste in the background. The smoke is thin and stingy.
Well into the first third of this cigar the ash fell of in my lap. It surprised me because it was only 1" or so. The ash was white and loose.
After the ash fell off goods things started happening. First, the draw opened up. The nice tea flavor persisted and a new flavor joined the mix, peat. You single malt drinkers know what I am talking about. A dram of Lagavulin would go very well here.
Into the second third now with little change. The burn is and has been uneven from the start. In fairness it has not required too much touching up. Although the smoke started out thin, now it is much richer but the draw is getting tight again. The flavors are still tea and peat with just a hint of cherry in the finish. The aroma from the smoke is sweet spice much like the original aroma of the wrapper.
Now we are down to the nub. The cherry flavor is more pronounced and joined by cedar. This is an enjoyable cigar. It is a bit mild for my tastes but my wife really enjoyed it. I do not think I would pick this cigar as my Signature presentation. I think a Signature smoke needs to bring more character to the table.
When I picked "C" up it felt hefty. When I gave it a few gentle squeezes it proved to be firm but not hard. The wrapper is dark and oily and very appealing. It does have a patchy appearance due to different shades of brown. The aroma is rich tobacco and just a little barnyard.
The pre-light draw is perfect and yields a nice tea flavor. After toasting and lighting the first thing I noticed was the abundance of thick rich smoke. I think this is the way a cigar should smoke. I have a terrible time pinning down the flavor however. After a lot of rolling and chewing and retrohaling the smoke it finally dawns on me that it is wood I am tasting. Not cedar, just wood.
The ample smoke continues through the first third. The burn is perfect creating a tight white ash that finally relieved itself at almost 2 inches. I am disappointed that the flavor remains elusive. Just a hint of saltiness is present.
Something is happening in the second third of "C" that is a total shock. I smell dog poop. I mention this to my wife and she smells it too. I even check my shoes but find nothing. We figure it came in on the breeze. A short time later I get another whiff but this time there is no doubt that it came from my cigar.
I realize this is not high praise in a review but it did happen. In maybe three minutes it was over and never happened again. The flavor did not reflect this unpleasant aroma. Also in the second third the burn is very uneven. What had been a tight white ash in the first third is now very loose and gray/brown. The flavor has some pepper and cherry in it.
Down to the nub now and the draw is just a little tighter. Smoke is still plentiful with a sweet spicy smell (much better). The pepper and cherry flavors are bigger now and a purge brings out a wonderful meaty taste.
This cigar was a nice 90 minute smoke. I got up once about two thirds of the way through the cigar and felt it my knees just a little. Nice. I believe Sultan has a winner here.
For my first input I am doing "A" and "C" side-by-side. My wife is also a cigar smoker so she is going to be helping me with this. I other words, we switched back and forth.
We smoked outside in 60 degree 46% humidity with variable winds around 15 mph. I do not think the wind had noticeable affect on the smoke.
"A" has a nice rich brown wrapper with a few small veins. The wrapper does not look oily but rather dry. Although the cigar feels substantial it has some give from the head about 2/3 toward the foot. The foot is very firm. The tobacco smells sweet and spicy.
After cutting with Cuban Crafter's new guillotine cutter the pre-light draw is tighter than I prefer but not unsmokable. After toasting and lighting there is unmistakable tea flavor coming through but it is joined with an unpleasant plastic taste in the background. The smoke is thin and stingy.
Well into the first third of this cigar the ash fell of in my lap. It surprised me because it was only 1" or so. The ash was white and loose.
After the ash fell off goods things started happening. First, the draw opened up. The nice tea flavor persisted and a new flavor joined the mix, peat. You single malt drinkers know what I am talking about. A dram of Lagavulin would go very well here.
Into the second third now with little change. The burn is and has been uneven from the start. In fairness it has not required too much touching up. Although the smoke started out thin, now it is much richer but the draw is getting tight again. The flavors are still tea and peat with just a hint of cherry in the finish. The aroma from the smoke is sweet spice much like the original aroma of the wrapper.
Now we are down to the nub. The cherry flavor is more pronounced and joined by cedar. This is an enjoyable cigar. It is a bit mild for my tastes but my wife really enjoyed it. I do not think I would pick this cigar as my Signature presentation. I think a Signature smoke needs to bring more character to the table.
When I picked "C" up it felt hefty. When I gave it a few gentle squeezes it proved to be firm but not hard. The wrapper is dark and oily and very appealing. It does have a patchy appearance due to different shades of brown. The aroma is rich tobacco and just a little barnyard.
The pre-light draw is perfect and yields a nice tea flavor. After toasting and lighting the first thing I noticed was the abundance of thick rich smoke. I think this is the way a cigar should smoke. I have a terrible time pinning down the flavor however. After a lot of rolling and chewing and retrohaling the smoke it finally dawns on me that it is wood I am tasting. Not cedar, just wood.
The ample smoke continues through the first third. The burn is perfect creating a tight white ash that finally relieved itself at almost 2 inches. I am disappointed that the flavor remains elusive. Just a hint of saltiness is present.
Something is happening in the second third of "C" that is a total shock. I smell dog poop. I mention this to my wife and she smells it too. I even check my shoes but find nothing. We figure it came in on the breeze. A short time later I get another whiff but this time there is no doubt that it came from my cigar.
I realize this is not high praise in a review but it did happen. In maybe three minutes it was over and never happened again. The flavor did not reflect this unpleasant aroma. Also in the second third the burn is very uneven. What had been a tight white ash in the first third is now very loose and gray/brown. The flavor has some pepper and cherry in it.
Down to the nub now and the draw is just a little tighter. Smoke is still plentiful with a sweet spicy smell (much better). The pepper and cherry flavors are bigger now and a purge brings out a wonderful meaty taste.
This cigar was a nice 90 minute smoke. I got up once about two thirds of the way through the cigar and felt it my knees just a little. Nice. I believe Sultan has a winner here.
danthebugman
BoM Nov '10
Nice job Jim :applause:. Reviews and pics are top notch.
Dan
Dan
- Joined
- May 4, 2010
- Messages
- 87
***Signature release delay***
Dear Brothers,
Sorry for out of topic.
Due to the Merapi volcano eruption since October 26 and still on, we would like to inform you that we will delay the signature release (planning on December/January 2011) until further notice. The good news is: they will get more longer aging time before release
Merapi vulcano is 40 kilometres far from Yogyakarta from top of vulcano. Until now, more than 100 people died, and thousands refugees from villages around merapi volcano moved to Yogyakarta city (my home town), last night the hot dust clowds (600 degree celcius) from vulcano just hit villages around 20 kilometers far from Yogyakarta. Today, Yogyakarta is on alert for evacuation respond.
Please continue this test and review and keep me update. I will give any necessary information update if any.
Please sorry for the bad news. Thank you.
Regards,
Frederiko
Dear Brothers,
Sorry for out of topic.
Due to the Merapi volcano eruption since October 26 and still on, we would like to inform you that we will delay the signature release (planning on December/January 2011) until further notice. The good news is: they will get more longer aging time before release
Merapi vulcano is 40 kilometres far from Yogyakarta from top of vulcano. Until now, more than 100 people died, and thousands refugees from villages around merapi volcano moved to Yogyakarta city (my home town), last night the hot dust clowds (600 degree celcius) from vulcano just hit villages around 20 kilometers far from Yogyakarta. Today, Yogyakarta is on alert for evacuation respond.
Please continue this test and review and keep me update. I will give any necessary information update if any.
Please sorry for the bad news. Thank you.
Regards,
Frederiko
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Fourtotheflush
BoM Apr 12'
Good luck to you, your family and friends!
Sultan Signature (B) Review
Again, this is a beautiful looking stick, sporting a dark and oily wrapper that smells like peppered jerkey. This particular cigar didn't have large veins running the length of the cigar and because of this it never required a touch up and never went out; the burn line was also very good.
Into the first third, the cigar puts off flavors of roasted nuts and sweet tobacco. There's a very small hint of spice in the background, but it's very faint. The smoke output at this point isn't optimal, requiring a good tug on the cigar to get even a small amount of smoke.
As it burns into the second third, the Signature (B) opens up a bit, allowing more smoke to be pulled from it. The flavors are still that of roasted nuts with sweet tobacco, though the spice is completely gone by this point. The flavors are a bit muted in this cigar. I'm not sure if it's because of the smoke output or what, but they don't seem to be standing out at all. With the Signature (A), the flavors were very much pronounced and in your face and with the (B) they're more like a background noise.
As the Signature (B) reaches the final third, the flavors are still the same but are accompanied by the bitterness that plagued the Signature (C). Without a doubt, the Signature (B) doesn't come close to being as good as the Signature (A), in my opinion.
The Verdict
Without a doubt, the Signature (A) is the best of the bunch. The flavors of sweet tobacco, pepper and spice were in your face and pronounced, alarming you that you were about to smoke a full-bodied cigar, whereas the Signature (B) was like smoking a less flavorful version of the (A), without any of the pepper and spice. The Signature (C) fell far below the bar set by (A) as the cigar was extremely bitter, and not worthy of having "Ron Stacy" written across its band.
The Winner: Sultan Signature A
I'd actually be interested in knowing which cigar Shuckins preferred...
Again, this is a beautiful looking stick, sporting a dark and oily wrapper that smells like peppered jerkey. This particular cigar didn't have large veins running the length of the cigar and because of this it never required a touch up and never went out; the burn line was also very good.
Into the first third, the cigar puts off flavors of roasted nuts and sweet tobacco. There's a very small hint of spice in the background, but it's very faint. The smoke output at this point isn't optimal, requiring a good tug on the cigar to get even a small amount of smoke.
As it burns into the second third, the Signature (B) opens up a bit, allowing more smoke to be pulled from it. The flavors are still that of roasted nuts with sweet tobacco, though the spice is completely gone by this point. The flavors are a bit muted in this cigar. I'm not sure if it's because of the smoke output or what, but they don't seem to be standing out at all. With the Signature (A), the flavors were very much pronounced and in your face and with the (B) they're more like a background noise.
As the Signature (B) reaches the final third, the flavors are still the same but are accompanied by the bitterness that plagued the Signature (C). Without a doubt, the Signature (B) doesn't come close to being as good as the Signature (A), in my opinion.
The Verdict
Without a doubt, the Signature (A) is the best of the bunch. The flavors of sweet tobacco, pepper and spice were in your face and pronounced, alarming you that you were about to smoke a full-bodied cigar, whereas the Signature (B) was like smoking a less flavorful version of the (A), without any of the pepper and spice. The Signature (C) fell far below the bar set by (A) as the cigar was extremely bitter, and not worthy of having "Ron Stacy" written across its band.
The Winner: Sultan Signature A
I'd actually be interested in knowing which cigar Shuckins preferred...
Sultan Signature B
Construction/Appearance- This cigar feels firm and has a deep brown color. The top half appears as if it were handled with glue.
Burn/Draw-The burn line was even throughout the cigar. The draw was very pleasing, a small tug for plenty of smoke.
Flavor/Aroma- Overall aroma's were sweet and earthy
1/3-There is lots of sweetness along with a hay/grass flavor. The is a chocolate note on top of the sweetness.
2/3-same
3/3-White pepper emerges briefly and then is followed by a flinty/mineral character.
Smoke time- 1 hr 40 min
Overall- 8.1/10
Again, thanks for the opportunity.
Construction/Appearance- This cigar feels firm and has a deep brown color. The top half appears as if it were handled with glue.
Burn/Draw-The burn line was even throughout the cigar. The draw was very pleasing, a small tug for plenty of smoke.
Flavor/Aroma- Overall aroma's were sweet and earthy
1/3-There is lots of sweetness along with a hay/grass flavor. The is a chocolate note on top of the sweetness.
2/3-same
3/3-White pepper emerges briefly and then is followed by a flinty/mineral character.
Smoke time- 1 hr 40 min
Overall- 8.1/10
Again, thanks for the opportunity.
Jfire
BoM 9/9' 9/11' 8/12'
Smoking B right now as well. First half notes:
Noticed the glue as well on the bottom half. Not digging that too much. Prelight draw is good . Lit up and got notes of pepper and sweetness as well. Cigar so far has had to be relight several times. Not a big fan of that either. Seems to be under filled somewhat as well. I got a big blast of black cherry right at the beginning of the 2/3rds mark. Very nice. Half way in now starting to notice cigar is getting hot already due to many puffs per min to keep lit. Lots of smoke though when it stays lit. Not so much bitterness as cigar A though. I'm liking that as well. Will report back in a few.
Ok it's a shame the first half wasn't like the second. Still somewhat disappointed by the loose fill and somewhat poor burn......But. The second half was much better taste wise. Very good ambient aroma. Notes of Floral and spice on the back of the tongue. Cocoa was present and some light hay notes as well. Back half was very tasty and so far cigar B has my vote. Cigar C to finish tomorrow.
Noticed the glue as well on the bottom half. Not digging that too much. Prelight draw is good . Lit up and got notes of pepper and sweetness as well. Cigar so far has had to be relight several times. Not a big fan of that either. Seems to be under filled somewhat as well. I got a big blast of black cherry right at the beginning of the 2/3rds mark. Very nice. Half way in now starting to notice cigar is getting hot already due to many puffs per min to keep lit. Lots of smoke though when it stays lit. Not so much bitterness as cigar A though. I'm liking that as well. Will report back in a few.
Ok it's a shame the first half wasn't like the second. Still somewhat disappointed by the loose fill and somewhat poor burn......But. The second half was much better taste wise. Very good ambient aroma. Notes of Floral and spice on the back of the tongue. Cocoa was present and some light hay notes as well. Back half was very tasty and so far cigar B has my vote. Cigar C to finish tomorrow.
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Hi Folks
I am also not going to post pictures on this one, I found it a solid attractive cigar, The lite was easy but had tunneling throughout even after dry boxing for several days.
The taste was average and no where near as pleasant as A was. There was a green taste to it as the above review stated.
I would buy this cigar at the $2 to $3 dollar range and hope for aging to improve it.
Sorry A was delicious B was wanting IMHO
C coming up soon.
Thanks sorry for such a short review just not much to say.
dave
I am also not going to post pictures on this one, I found it a solid attractive cigar, The lite was easy but had tunneling throughout even after dry boxing for several days.
The taste was average and no where near as pleasant as A was. There was a green taste to it as the above review stated.
I would buy this cigar at the $2 to $3 dollar range and hope for aging to improve it.
Sorry A was delicious B was wanting IMHO
C coming up soon.
Thanks sorry for such a short review just not much to say.
dave
Hi Guy's
Sorry another short review, This one as the others was a beautiful cigar well constructed and lit well, and the flavors were similar as in my review of B except I didn't get the wet or green taste as much, I say the burn was decent but did need a couple of corrections and there was no tunneling.
Better than B for sure but still not a great cigar.
My vote goes to A without any doubt in my mind!
Sorry for the short reviews, I did my best on the one I considered the best The Sultan Signature A
Thanks for letting me try these and if A is the winner I want a box!
Dave
Sorry another short review, This one as the others was a beautiful cigar well constructed and lit well, and the flavors were similar as in my review of B except I didn't get the wet or green taste as much, I say the burn was decent but did need a couple of corrections and there was no tunneling.
Better than B for sure but still not a great cigar.
My vote goes to A without any doubt in my mind!
Sorry for the short reviews, I did my best on the one I considered the best The Sultan Signature A
Thanks for letting me try these and if A is the winner I want a box!
Dave