2015 FOH International Blind Tasting Competition: Cigar Number 1

[bradbrennan]

Happy smoking ladies and gents!

Speaking of ladies, any of the three of you taking a swing at this?!

[bradbrennan]

So how about a post from those in the Blind Tasting that maybe have smoked the first and maybe aren't planning to do a review? Maybe a like/dislike, or 99% sure of the cigar or haven't smoked yet but plan to???

[Habana Mike]

My dog's not in the hunt this year but I'd take a stab at a guess just from some consistency in the reviews so far.....

[bradbrennan]

My dog's not in the hunt this year but I'd take a stab at a guess just from some consistency in the reviews so far.....

Interesting... A blind, Blind Tasting!

[Habana Mike]

Interesting... A blind, Blind Tasting!

I'll send you my guess after you've submitted your guess Brad. Let's see how we do

[bradbrennan]

I'll send you my guess after you've submitted your guess Brad. Let's see how we do

I submitted mine yesterday, fire away, Mike :-)

[bradbrennan]

Don't forget to email me your guess of what the No 1 cigar is

[email protected]

Excited for the results, Lisa do you have a projected day for when you'll be posting?

[Rye]

I think I've forgotten to email in my guess still. I'd best try to remember to do that after work.

[Laynard]

So how about a post from those in the Blind Tasting that maybe have smoked the first and maybe aren't planning to do a review? Maybe a like/dislike, or 99% sure of the cigar or haven't smoked yet but plan to???

No lengthy review for me this round, but I enjoyed the cigar. Not enough to buy a box after it's revealed though. I'm 50% sure I know what it is!

I think I've forgotten to email in my guess still. I'd best try to remember to do that after work.

I just sent mine in. I almost forgot as well.

[tjohn7]

I feel pretty confident in my guess and can't wait to be devastated when I get it wrong haha

[santela]

Hmm, just smoked mine, and noticed some very distinct herbal flavor in the last third, almost Chinese medicine like... I don't think I've had this before, will have to make a pretty much uninformed guess...

[bradbrennan]

Hmm, just smoked mine, and noticed some very distinct herbal flavor in the last third, almost Chinese medicine like... I don't think I've had this before, will have to make a pretty much uninformed guess...

Interesting...don't think mine had any of that, but I have never had Chinese medicine either

[santela]

Interesting...don't think mine had any of that, but I have never had Chinese medicine either

Don't take my opinion too seriously though, I've never been too successful on picking out the flavors...

[Optic101]

Hmm, just smoked mine, and noticed some very distinct herbal flavor in the last third, almost Chinese medicine like... I don't think I've had this before, will have to make a pretty much uninformed guess...

I can relate to this.

[santela]

I can relate to this.

Good, I thought I was alone out here.

[DrunkenMonkey]

This is a new experience for me, the first time I've done a blind tasting. Every time I thought I had a good idea what I was smoking, my brain piped up with "well, couldn't it also be _______?", and I would have to admit to myself I really had no idea. But I will say I thoroughly enjoyed cigar No.1, and I made my guess, and guess is exactly what it was. I'll be interested to see what it was, not so much to see if I was right, which I'm pretty sure I wasn't, but rather to see if it's a cigar I've smoked a lot of, and so it's one that I 'should have' remembered.

[Tino]

Slightly box pressed, sweet spice and fresh tobacco on the pre light. Lots of coffee and nuts on the first third, medium body. Settled down second third, some sweet spice again and less intensity. Flavours ramped up again final third, coffee and chocolate. Showing some youth, not complex but good flavours. Nubbed it, enjoyed it a lot and looking forward to the reveal

[amosnaim]

Hi guys,

Little late with the review, but I already submitted my guess... so no worries.

I gotta say I really enjoyed this cigar, even though I made a mistake and over humidified it (I was abroad and kept the humidity level a bit high at my desktop). Even though, the cigar was gorgeous, a little young but great flavors and even burn.

Smooth smoke, I was getting dark coffee flavors at the beginning, then some buttery touch and sweet spices throughout the smoke. very nice and balanced smoke.

I am wondering how it would smoke if properly humidified, but again I really enjoyed it as it is.

Cheers

[toasterhead]

Hello FOHers,

I let my boxed pressed marevas rest at 65 degrees/65% humidity for about one month, then dry boxed it for one day. Smoked it indoors with a few Colorado members, so we did have some discussion about the possible identity of the cigar.

The cigar didn't smell like much cold and the draw was easy with light tobacco flavors. Carefully toasted the foot and the opening notes were harsh and bitter. This settled down quickly into a one note symphony: medium tobacco flavor with a hard-to-define mineral/metallic flavor. This stayed the same all the way through the one hour smoking time. I did not really enjoy this cigar.

Guess sent,

Dave

[bradbrennan]

Hi guys,

Little late with the review, but I already submitted my guess... so no worries.

I gotta say I really enjoyed this cigar, even though I made a mistake and over humidified it (I was abroad and kept the humidity level a bit high at my desktop). Even though, the cigar was gorgeous, a little young but great flavors and even burn.

Smooth smoke, I was getting dark coffee flavors at the beginning, then some buttery touch and sweet spices throughout the smoke. very nice and balanced smoke.

I am wondering how it would smoke if properly humidified, but again I really enjoyed it as it is.

Cheers

Hello FOHers,

I let my boxed pressed marevas rest at 65 degrees/65% humidity for about one month, then dry boxed it for one day. Smoked it indoors with a few Colorado members, so we did have some discussion about the possible identity of the cigar.

The cigar didn't smell like much cold and the draw was easy with light tobacco flavors. Carefully toasted the foot and the opening notes were harsh and bitter. This settled down quickly into a one note symphony: medium tobacco flavor with a hard-to-define mineral/metallic flavor. This stayed the same all the way through the one hour smoking time. I did not really enjoy this cigar.

Guess sent,

Dave

Great to hear you guys enjoyed those! Edit: oops, misread yours Dave, one for/one not so much thanks for sharing!

[Fumadoro]

Hello FOHers,

I let my boxed pressed marevas rest at 65 degrees/65% humidity for about one month, then dry boxed it for one day. Smoked it indoors with a few Colorado members, so we did have some discussion about the possible identity of the cigar.

The cigar didn't smell like much cold and the draw was easy with light tobacco flavors. Carefully toasted the foot and the opening notes were harsh and bitter. This settled down quickly into a one note symphony: medium tobacco flavor with a hard-to-define mineral/metallic flavor. This stayed the same all the way through the one hour smoking time. I did not really enjoy this cigar.

Guess sent,

Dave

I got a lot of salinity/mineral-ness as well, but I kind of liked it haha!

[fingerburner]

A few of my thoughts on cigar no 1.

Pre-light aroma and cold draw flavours were familiar, mild, and slightly sweet. A bit of mongrel early on that settled into a mild/medium bodied smoke.

Core flavours of gentle toast, nuttiness, and milk coffee.

From the mid point onwards the flavours got a bit grubby and became rather muted.

I certainly enjoyed the first half and whilst a size I rarely smoke, I feel rather comfortable guessing the marca - one which (I think) I smoke plenty of.

Happy to be proven wrong.

Good luck punters!

[tommggeorge]

Submitted my guess a few days ago and thought Id update.

While I enjoyed the process of blind tasting a cigar, I can't say it was to my taste.

Without doing a full review I found it earthy, woody and with relatively subdued barnyard aromas. Nice creamy texture toward the start and some nutmeg notes but quickly got harsh and a bit muddy for me.

Definitely thought it was cigar A but decided it couldnt possibly be that so went for cigar B instead. Immediately wanted to change my mind when a piece of info on the site caused me to think it could be cigar A after all!

Very possibly neither though! Cant wait to see the results.

[inukshuk]

Hi All,

My impressions of cigar #1:

Appearance: dry - not oily, silky sheen, small veins, not too pretty.

Draw at cold: barnyard, nice draw

1st Third: Coffee, medium strength or a bit below. Coffee. Lots of coffee, some cream. A bit of fruitiness, orange cest. Lovely!

2nd Third: smoky. coffee almost gone. Probably smoking too quickly. Some spice, cloves, a bit harsh. Strength at least medium. OK, not as nice as the first third. Quite harsh, actually.

3rd Third: strong. Smoky. Some peanuts. Slight medicinal notes, astringent, a bit bitter, some herbal notes. Not too nice.

If I could buy the 1st third only, I'd get me 5 boxes. The rest wasn't that great. Was done in 50 minutes, did not regret that I had to put it to rest. First 3rd 90/100, overall 82/100. Had some sparkling White Zinfandel with it. No clue what it is.

[bradbrennan]

Great to see all the activity here, and the interestingly mixed feelings!