CIgar Review Competition- '06 Connie 1

[DougB]

Very nice-looking cigar. Shiny, glossy wrapper with zero blemishes or errors as far as I can see. It looks like a cigar that I want to smoke. The ring gauge is not too rotund so these don't get too hot or spongy for me. The tobacco is packed well with a fair amount of give to a nice little squeeze. Clipped it to reveal nice, rich tobacco flavor and a somewhat loose draw.

Lighting it is easy. It took off to an even burn right away. The slight looseness to the foot makes me want to take a bite out of it...Initial flavors are a nice orange peel and cream combination. Creamsicle-ish. It gives off amazing volumes of smoke and the backbone of this is all Upmann. I will take an Upmann of any sort with a few years on it any day. They deliver a level of class and style that I enjoy time and time again.

This cab has been a bear. I went through 10 of these that burned terribly and had a wide variety of tastes and flavors. The last 3 that I have had have been just killer. Maybe the back of the bundle is where they hid the gems...

The burn is very even, which is always welcome. Fighting with a cigar, for me, is about as fun as shutting my leg in the car door.

Settling in to the first third, a blast of vanilla moved aside to a discernable charcoal characteristic. The charcoal blast moved aside to a clean, clean finish. Normally when I get the charcoal it usually last to long and the nuances to come are lost, but not here. It was like a bonus shot of campfire.

Woodsy, but not biting, rich but not cloying, toasted tobacco, but not generic. Strong but not a club to the head. Ending up the first third, loads of citrus and cream. This cigar makes me remember some of the flavors that I love so much in a great cigar. There is a discernable twang here, too, that I love every time.

I honestly had no plans on writing a review, but tonight is just one of those nights where I can be still and enjoy a great, quality cigar in perfect weather at the conclusion of a hard-worked week and really 'notice' it. How often are these times really there?

The second third has pulled back in strength, which is welcome. The predictable revving-up of a cigar while it burns down, to me, is a turn-off when it happens. I like surprises.

Rich, toasted tobacco, heavy cream, orange zest, a little nutmeg and a clean, clean finish topped off the second third. Still burning great. Listening to Jeff Buckley's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". Sublime.

Wow this is a clean cigar. Just really lovely as it moves from definitive flavors to the toasted tobacco and clean finish, and then back again. Dried cherry (that's a surprise) and deeply toasted tobacco. You can taste the fermentation. Winding down to the end it is still clean and refreshing while still maintaining the charcoal characteristics. A dichotomy- as a lot of things that I like are.

[CaptainQuintero]

I like it Doug!

I've only ever had one Connie and it was a sour version of the Upmann profile, it kind of put me off them and stopped me from re-trying. Have you experienced it before?