FOH Blind Cigar Tasting Number 4

[El Presidente]

Post your reviews here

Do not post the cigar....just e-mail me your Pick. As I am in the warehouse next week I probably won't acknowledge receipt of your e-mail but rest assured it is recorded.

Yes it is a Petit Corona/Mareva....that is as much as I am saying

[CanuckSARTech]

LOL. Wisearse!

[nikesupremedunk]

Smoked the 4th cigar about a month ago so don't remember too much details but it was pretty good. The first few puffs had me pondering what it could be, but an inch in I knew exactly what it was. (Although I could turn out to be completely wrong but I'm pretty confident). The cigar smoked pretty well, even to the end it was delicious. Can't wait to find out what it is!!

[Habanos2000]

I smoked #4 a week ago. Thoughts on the cigar from memory are that the wrapper was a bit on the rough side with plenty of visible veins, but a nice even colorado shade and good construction. Flavors from start to finish were pretty consistent with light cedar and a bit of leather although every now and then I was picking up some sweet candy notes.

I have a few PC's in my rotation, but this one was not very reminiscent of any of them. In making my pick, I'll close my eyes, throw a dart and hope for the best.

[sabourin]

Smoking it now - no shortage of flavour. Plenty of cedary, tarry notes. Like it but would prefer to lay it down for a couple of years.

[CanuckSARTech]

3rd Annual Blind Cigar Tasting Competition, Cigar No. 4, "Mareva / Petit Corona" format - final score, 86

Here's my review of the fourth cigar in this year's blind cigar tasting competition....

Reviewed Cigar: Blind Cigar No. 4

Box Date: Unknown (current production)

Factory/Manufacture Code: Unknown

Packaging: Unknown

Price: Never talk money....

Length: 5 1/8", or 129 mm

Ring Gauge: 42

Format: Mareva (petit corona)

Weight: Don't you know it isn't polite to ask a fella this??

Construction/Appearance & Pre-Light: This is a gorgeous little cigar. This thing hits the mareva measurements right bang on. As I’ve mentioned in my previous reviews this year, the cigars from the past two years' worth of competitions always seemed to have a bit of variance – this year's cigars seem more accurate, maybe a sign of better quality control, and/or a slower production pace (ie – they’re more exacting right now)?

Construction seems phenomenally good on this cigar. The first thing that grabs me about this cigar is the wrapper – darker Colorado (maybe with a slight chestnut reddishness to it?), with no flaws at all and tons of oils. This cigar just glistens in the hand. It feels oily and silky, and on the nose…it smells just sexy. Just divine aromas coming off of this thing, from both the wrapper and the foot. Reminds me of the old cigars and tobaccos of the 80’s and 90’s, from back when my maternal grandfather (an old school Dutch man) smoked cigars and pipes, and then when I started to get into cigars in the 90’s. Classic old tobacco smell. Richness and a density to the aromas – hits of rich dense wood burning in a fireplace, molasses with a sea salt edge, some fresh roasted chestnuts, hints of black licorice, perhaps some wet leather in there.

GODDAMN, that’s a busy cigar at cold on the nose!!!!!

I don’t usually get this turned on from the aromas of a cigar at cold aside from PSP Monte stuff from Czar’s, and epic dark and oily Ramon Allones offerings (RASS cabs or oil-rich RA Extras LE boxes). Damn...I feel this cigar is gonna be great!

While the cigar is nicely firm for the size and there are no major hard spots, there is a mildly soft spot right at the head itself, just a half-inch from the cap. No box press to this cigar, and nothing noticeable from where the band was. The foot seems somewhat open on the bunching to the one side. Definitive filler differences, with the folding and blending of the seco, volado, and ligero, and looks wonderfully done.

Noticed that this cigar has an ever-so-slight curve to it. This is something that I usually see with ribbon-wrapped cigars from a cab, with those cigars that are on the outer edge of the wheel, and bent slightly from the tension of the ribbon. Hmmmm...

Time to get this puppy going. Let's see how it performs with fire…

Cut well, no cracking. Perfect draw.

Opening Impressions: After a lighting up and initial draws, on first puffs – wow. Strength. In your face attitude coming from this cigar. Very dishevelled.

First Third: Into the first third, getting bit hits of carbon. Sort of like graphite pencil lead. Quite uneven burn, needing touch ups and relights frequently. Peppery.

Walking on the Halifax waterfront, checking out some toys that I’ll never afford…

Ahhhh.... Starting to get waves of smokey grassiness, with hits of very darkly burnt caramel in there.

Had to go back to my truck for a moment, and noticed that when the ash fell off of this cigar (only about a half inch in), that this cigar has that dreaded “inward cone”. That the inner core of the cigar is burning much faster than the outer layers and binder / wrapper. While it was a beautifully oily and dense cigar, it’s definitively youthful and oil rich – this is one that needs a LOT of time to mellow out and even itself out as well.

Second Third: Right at the start of the second third, went out, needing a third relight. Carbon-like aftertaste still. Burnt caramel seems to have receded into oblivion. Just power and carbon right now. Some of that smokey grassiness still.

Now sitting on the Halifax waterfront, watching the world go by….

A pirate ship even goes by, blasting off it’s cannons at the tourists from a German cruise ship that’s in port. Even the “Theodore Too” tugboat is out cruising around today…

Would have chucked it at this point if it wasn’t for the interest of this tasting competition. This cigar is all youthful power and harshness. Flavours can’t come to the forefront right now.

Just about into the final third, and starting to get hints of cedar wood and sweet beets, actually. Intriguing. The pepper and pencil lead settled down for a moment for those to come forward. And then…

Final Third: Again, another relight from the cigar going out on its own. I can almost taste the dampness, richness and youthfulness of this tobacco in the smoke itself – very harsh and potent. Very unsettled flavours.

Handsome devil...

Everything from before is coming back around again in a giant circle – hits of pencil lead, lots of pepper-leaden burnt caramel. GULP! Accidentally inhaled a puff – stupid, stupid, stupid. Pencil lead taste is in my lungs now. More of the inverted cone to the burning core. Yet another relight (six or seven for this cigar). Smoked this thing to the nub, but definitely still a so-so cigar.

Off across the harbour to the "dark side" for an evening with some of "the boys". Bye bye, downtown Hali. You treated me well, even if the cigar didn't necessarily do so...

Finishing Comments / Overall Impression: I know I’ve said it before with other cigars in these blind tasting competitions, but if this cigar wasn't for the competition, I would have thrown it away at the halfway point.

This thing was a disheveled powerhouse. Mind you – I would absolutely LOVE to see where these would be at in about five years’ time. This thing is made with some potent tobacco to be able to hit that mid-90’s classic point, if it ages well in the coming years. The burn and flavours were all over the place. The carbon / pencil lead flavours were also very off putting for me. I’ve found that cigars made since 2008 or so that don’t have that ammonia-exuding “sick period” instead have this heavy pepper and graphite flavour core when in the first few years after rolling. I’ve really only mostly noticed it on stuff from 2010 up to now, with this harsh flavour in place of a “sick period” per say. Who knows if this is a result of these different tobacco strains in recent years. The quality and potency of the tobacco is there, and the flavours around the background makes it interesting (especially if this cigar is what I think it is). But this needed much more time to become a refreshing and smokable cigar, IMO.

I decently enough have my mind made up about what I think it is (and, have two strong back-up contenders too). Pick sent to Rob. Fingers crossed, ‘cause this year’s comp has definitely been handing me my arse.

Final Score: 86

Total Smoking Time: 1 hr & 10 minutes

Paired Beverage: Coke Zero

Date & Time Smoked: Saturday, September 28^th, 2013, 2:55 pm to 4:05 pm

Thanks for reading my review. Hope you enjoyed it.

Cheers.

[Fuzz]

And here I thought I was imagining the graphite aftertaste. I got it about an inch into the cigar and it never went away.

Mystery cigar #4 was very average. Medium to full, woody and tannic (kinda like over steeped black tea), and that very unsettling graphite aftertaste. Draw was very tight, with several hard spots along the length. Burn was wonky in the second half, with one side of the cigar burning faster than the other (very little wind where I smoked, so I can't blame that).

If this cigar is what I think it is, it a bad example of one of my favourite petit coronas.

[khamy]

I smoked this one the day i received it in the post. I had the package in the car, i was at a poker game, and the scotch was flowing like a river. I remember writing notes on a scrap of paper. I don't remember where i left those detailed notes!

I suspect with how unsuccessful, i've been so far in this competition when i'm trying hard to discern the flavors that my blind stab will probably hit the mark or come much closer then my educated attempts!

Good luck all.

[Coolio]

Interesting to see the posted photos of this cigar, as mine had quite a blotchy wrapper and was quite dark in shade. I couldn't see any hint of box press, but didn't notice a curve as canuck did. I found it quite strong, with lashings of pepper throughout. Also had some creaminess to it and what i thought was a cocoa hint in the first third. I'm at a loss and have had to make an educated guess! I didn't love the stogie, but i didn't hate it. I dont think it's one in my current rotation, but if i'm wrong i will be slightly embarrassed!

[Edwhatever]

3rd Annual Blind Cigar Tasting Competition, Cigar No. 4, "Mareva / Petit Corona" format - final score, 86

Thanks for reading my review. Hope you enjoyed it.

Cheers.

See you're also enjoying this with the cigar Aficionado magazine!

[vondegroot]

Kee-righst! The deadline for #4 has truly snuck up on me! Guess i know what I'm smoking tonight!

Or do we have until Oct 1?

[Rye]

Kee-righst! The deadline for #4 has truly snuck up on me! Guess i know what I'm smoking tonight!

Or do we have until Oct 1?

Uhm, it is Oct. 1rst in Oz! ;-)

[CanuckSARTech]

See you're also enjoying this with the cigar Aficionado magazine!

I'm a sucker - I really enjoy Stanley Tucci, so I wanted to read that. Pretty much skipped over everything else. LOL.

[vondegroot]

Uhm, it is Oct. 1rst in Oz! ;-)

That's quite enough, Mr. RyeBuilt... I dunno if I'll get to smoke it tonight now anyway - these 90km/h winds are a little hindering!

[Rye]

Well, my run of great cigars has been decimated. Stick no.4 was a rough looking beast that had a dull, and bumpy wrapper, with a sizable wrinkly vein running the length of it. I punched it and revealed a good draw, so I had hope as it did smell nice, but I was hit with a mouthful of grit as soon as I lit up. The grit mixed with harsh tannins was enough that had it not been a blind tasting cigar, it would've met the bin, or better the curb followed by a heated stomp session.

It did burn well for the first third, even if it was spewing grit and crackling like a birthday cake sparkler.

Power through Rye...

Charred and burnt tastes are all I can get from this stick so far, and just as I decide to try and purge it, it went out. The charred taste I got when it had snuffed was revolting. Something was very wrong with this cigar. I don't know if it had a piece of binder twine rolled in (I've caught that before lighting in the past) or if it was just dud leaf, but there was no way I was going to bother relighting it again once the burn went completely wonky after the second...

I have to base my guess on this dog-rocket on history of quality I guess.

My dog makes better cigars in my yard everyday...

[gigabyte056]

Out of the four I smoked for this tasting this was by far the worst of the lot.

Ugly wrapper, charred taste and wonky burn, I guessed based on what was the worst cigar I smoked this year by far.

Anyways, cigar number three was great and am looking forward to number 5, this will go down as an experience I would rather forget.

No pictures or review, it doesn't really deserve it.

[dicko]

Overall this was very tannic, as a few other have noted. It did have some saving graces though with some cinnamon spice and earthy flavours. I would say it needed a rest. No idea with this one.

[vondegroot]

Stick burned A-OK for me! But nothing much else going on for it... eeeek.

[Puros Y Vino]

The stick was ugly as sin. The first half was grassy and semi-sweet. The latter half took on earthier tones. Overall, not bad. I narrowed it down to three candidates. Maybe I'll get this one right.

[MarkofStark]

I'm a sucker - I really enjoy Stanley Tucci, so I wanted to read that. Pretty much skipped over everything else. LOL.

I love that mag aswell. Also extremely impressive right up and I may be alittle bias as I am a maritimer aswell and spent some time on the atlantic in my youth.

[Hafner32]

This was by far my least favorite of the blind tasting cigars so far.

The construction was off, requiring constant touch ups and also produced the inverted cone when ashed. I did get that graphite/pencil taste that others have mentioned and got quite a bit of harsh notes as well. Ended up laying it down just past the halfway point. Have no idea what this could me. Made my guess based on construction issues and what cigar I have not had yet because I would be surprised if this is something I currently have in my humidor

[nikesupremedunk]

After reading these replies it seems like I got a good sample! Mine smoked just as well as the first 3..

[Blakes]

After reading these replies it seems like I got a good sample! Mine smoked just as well as the first 3..

Same here, I really enjoyed mine. Lovely little cigar. If I guessed right or not is a whole different story, and judging by how well I done so far I'm not holding my breath! LOL

One thing is I did smoke all 5 of my tasting cigars in the first week I got them... Sometimes I feel you get away with smoking cigars in the first few days after they arrive before the "shock" of the shipping hits them and then they need resting for a couple of months to recover.

[Strada]

Pre:

This cigar was oily with an ok wrapper. The cap and the foot are looking good. At cold, I got some bread and dry tobacco flavors. It has a perfect draw.

1st:

It is at medium body and smooth. This stick is quite flavorful. I get a sweet creaminess from it. Not overly complex but pretty damn good to me.

2nd:

I still have some cream, some wood, coffee beans. It is constant in terms of flavor and body. Again, I am enjoying this!

3rd:

The sweet cream is still there with some fruit acidity. It almost tastes like pina colada lol The last bit taste a bit bitter and acidity almost like an espresso.

This was a surprise stick for me. I would buy a box of these if the price is right. I don't think I have ever smoked one before...maybe it was the sweet motown music I listened that made it so....well...sweet

Good luck to all!

P.s...... I had some pictures but I think I deleted them when trying to clean my camera roll

[Fuzz]

Rob, when are you gonna reveal blind cigar #4?