How is a cigar going to perform?

[Jeremy Festa]

I just lit this Encantos!

It looked great, felt perfect, smelt great, draw was perfect. But once I lit it, from the first puff, I knew it was going to be epic. And it wasn't until that point that I knew!

I realise not many guys have access to boxes before they buy. Some buy blind, others have developed a trust in Rob's God given ability (or learnt ability through experience) to judge a book by its cover, so to speak. This was an HQ box. But for me, you never really know until the first puff. That is putting aside those cigars that turn on after the first third or half way through.

So my question is, at what point do you really know the cigar is going to be great? Or not?

Cheers

Jer

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hash]

The minute you touch it and hold it in your hand.

[Mckucci]

I can usually tell if a cigar is going to preform well just by holding it and feeling the construction. Checking for knots, loose / firm roll, general construction is typically a good enough indicator.

[joeypots]

Second draw for me. I'm never sure until the smoke in through the nose. And I've had some ugly ass cigars that were epic. RA 898's anyone?

[cdnstogie]

Feel gives a good indication to me along w/ the look. As well as puffing on it w/o it lit and tasting it is another indication.

[cigarbreak]

Look and feel will indicate the quality of the burn. Tastewise the cold draw and the puffs after the first few cm's will give me an idea of how it will perform the rest of the way. I wouldnt pass judgment though on what i'm smoking as i've smoked some cigars that really shined in the last half making it hard to let go but initially made me want to chuck it.

[Maplepie]

First 5-10 draws. If it's mild with the hint of gasoline / dried fruit / ether / holunder flower taste, I know it will be epic!

Know the one I'm talking about?

[Knilas]

I agree with ^^^. Look and feel are a good.indication, but for me its the first 5-10 puffs that tell the tale usually. Altho I've had some that have been stellar at the beginning and totally tank towards the end, and vice versa, so I guess ya never can tell. And that's part of the allure, imo..

[StingMeadery]

20mm in, just as it's warming up.

[Smallclub]

Second draw for me. I'm never sure until the smoke in through the nose.

This.

[DoubleDD]

Second draw for me.

X2

[Jeremy Festa]

Great answers everyone. Cheers. To elaborate further. I think it is the sheer volume of smoke that the ignition created. Caught me off guard. Didn't expect it. Now I love the Encantos, and I am a Por Larranaga *****. But I didn't expect the performance I received last night. Maybe expectation plays a lot into it.

[Jeremy Festa]

Second draw for me. I'm never sure until the smoke in through the nose. And I've had some ugly ass cigars that were epic. RA 898's anyone?

True. Had some stellar ugly looking sticks!

[Jeremy Festa]

First 5-10 draws. If it's mild with the hint of gasoline / dried fruit / ether / holunder flower taste, I know it will be epic!

Know the one I'm talking about?

I think so.

[Optic101]

Touch smell look are key indicator but you never know for sure before you smoke it.

Just a few draws .....

Jer, I am with you with the Encantos.

[sheppsea]

All I can tell before lighting the cigar is whether the cigar is well constructed - I can't see how it is possible to tell the flavour just by feeling it and even the pre-light draw doesn't tell me if a cigar will be epic

I definitely need to get at least a couple of draws in before being able to tell anything

[Maplepie]

All I can tell before lighting the cigar is whether the cigar is well constructed - I can't see how it is possible to tell the flavour just by feeling it and even the pre-light draw doesn't tell me if a cigar will be epic

the more entropic the cigar's foot is rolled, the better it would theoretically burn.

less so on REs, LEs, etc but more so on regular production potential turds like the MC2 and the D4s.

Remember, Sean: everything's an odds game with cigars. the right box code increases the chance of the cigar being good. the right colour increases the chance of it being good. and the foot is something you can use to differentiate. with a very notable curve, you can tell it's rolled by an apathetic (or ignorant) roller and therefore not blended to a tee. that will affect the burn and therefore taste.

But not necessarily. The only way to know is to light it up!!

[Rye]

Every time I pull my punch out, and I have to pick the cap out of a sweet, deep, beautifully deep "Cuban dimple"

Ahh, that's the bee's knees!!

[fabes]

Every time I pull my punch out, and I have to pick the cap out of a sweet, deep, beautifully deep "Cuban dimple"

Ahh, that's the bee's knees!!

This right here. Happened today with a SLR DC. Deep dimple is a nice sight indeed!

[Ryan]

Sometimes with an older, >20 years old, cigar I get a deep savoury cheese aroma from the foot at cold. It's quite specific, I know it'll be a good cigar.

With a young cigar, as others have said, exhaling through the nose on the first few puffs tells me right away how much ammonia there is.

Sometimes that's not so bad, I like fresh cigars too, but the strength of the ammonia has to be at least matched by the strength of other flavours in the tobacco. I suppose the 'richness'.

[TM-US]

I have to give it at least til the second third to really give it a fair shake. Some cigars have started very mediocre and gotten great afterwards.

Case in point, smoked a Cohiba Siglo V recently. It started very bland and mediocre, but after the first third, it tasted like a 1966 with the intensity turned down from 10 to 8. Fantastic second and last third.

[1LegLance]

I know a cigar was great AFTER I smoked it...

If a person was to journal every thought on the look, feel, draw, cold taste, first puffs, first third, burn, middle third and final third/finish they would find so much variation that it was only AFTER the cigar was finished was it truly a great smoke.

So many cigars look great and taste blah, look ugly and smell fantastic and so on.

Besides I have learned over the years to have fewer expectations and more enjoyment.

[cigaraholic]

For me, it's when a cigar hits the flavors I'm looking for and the mouth coating richness I want.

When the vanilla cream kicks in on a Winny or a Cohiba makes me think I'm smoking sugarcane it's a great ride.

Being a PL ***** myself I've destroyed a wee bit of Encantos, when the honey comes in after about a half inch your going to the front.

[LGC]

I know a cigar was great AFTER I smoked it...

If a person was to journal every thought on the look, feel, draw, cold taste, first puffs, first third, burn, middle third and final third/finish they would find so much variation that it was only AFTER the cigar was finished was it truly a great smoke.

So many cigars look great and taste blah, look ugly and smell fantastic and so on.

Besides I have learned over the years to have fewer expectations and more enjoyment.

My thoughts exactly!

If anyone tries to tell you that they can predict how a cigar will smoke, age, etc... they are only guessing. As much as folks try to make it a science, it is not. I treat every single cigar as a coin toss, as to whether it will be good or bad. I tend to enjoy cigars more now and face less disappointment... since I take it less seriously and reduce my expectations of expensive and "rare" cigars.

[CanuckSARTech]

I know a cigar was great AFTER I smoked it...

If a person was to journal every thought on the look, feel, draw, cold taste, first puffs, first third, burn, middle third and final third/finish they would find so much variation that it was only AFTER the cigar was finished was it truly a great smoke.

So many cigars look great and taste blah, look ugly and smell fantastic and so on.

Besides I have learned over the years to have fewer expectations and more enjoyment.

My thoughts exactly!

If anyone tries to tell you that they can predict how a cigar will smoke, age, etc... they are only guessing. As much as folks try to make it a science, it is not. I treat every single cigar as a coin toss, as to whether it will be good or bad. I tend to enjoy cigars more now and face less disappointment... since I take it less seriously and reduce my expectations of expensive and "rare" cigars.

I'm glad some said it. LOL.

I think it's preposterous for some to state that they can/do know that a cigar will be great from only within the first few puffs or so. A cigar can turn mid-way through, or such. Too many variables at stake.

Granted, if you know what you're looking for (aroma at cold, feel, construction, wrapper quality, etc., etc.), then you have higher odds.

Yes, with this, you can HOPE for a great, even epic, cigar. You can expect one. And it can be great until a certain point (but then maybe turn to piss). So you can plan, hope, and expect a great cigar. But you can't KNOW it's great or epic until it's truely done, IMO.