- 14 Sticks, 1 night (not an adult film) -

[wine_junkie]

5 hours ago, Derboesekoenig said:

That would have been much more beneficial. Pick a vitola or similar vitola in each marca and pull the bands off and do one of these blind. I wonder if your results will be skewed.

We usually do blind with wine. Especially with big labels...I’m generally disgruntled that a top tier producer has to prove their worth instead of the other way around...no emperors clothing for me...

 

Even though I have access to and drink the best wine on the planet I am constantly searching for price and region alternatives...same with the cigars...I currently have or have en route boxes of Lusitania’s, Monte 2’s, Partagas E2’s, RyJ Anejados, Bolivar Fino’s, Hoyo Double Coronas, Cohiba Especiales, Esplendido’s, y mas!

 

I am in it for the long haul and not just one brand or style. I will definitely do a blind test. Even throwing some NC in there as well. I am a seeker of truth not of trophy’s ?

[Tstew75]

I'm a fan of big tastings including many btls of juice, but def not cigars. Your palate cannot stay fresh long enough to give them an honest assessment.

Another point is that you missed the final 3rd of all of those cigars, many times one of the best parts.

Cohiba for life.

[wine_junkie]

11 hours ago, CanuckSARTech said:

Kinda cool photo to start things off (would look pretty neat printed large format and framed in a man cave). But then I started thinking...was this a Cigar Aficionado taste testing, where not even the first 1/4 or so of a stick is tasted, and you can’t really appreciate the full complexity of a cigar??? What’s the point then?

But even with the added comments that all were smoked 2/3s thru...

I think you did yourself a disservice. Too many intermingling flavours and muddied-together waters, IMO.

Only win I see is for that picture though

To be fair, you DID ask people their overall opinions. You posted it - why get flustered at the various responses?

You say you have boxes of everything, but however, you also initially said you purchased a whole slew of singles to narrow down preferences. So I think my impression (and maybe others’ too) was simply to point out what a group consensus might say is a disservice to your journey. That’s all.

Again, great picture though, and hopefully a fun night with your buddy!


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Haha! All fair points. I’m not all butt hurt on the comments...I have been doing forum stuff forever...I knew I’d have to get the flame suit on after posting this ?

 

But really...the only opinion I did ask for got passed over. People seemed to glaze over my appreciation of each cigar. 
 

Yes, there is huge fatigue in tasting (red wines are the same way...we usually limit the amount of reds we taste in a night)

 

And tasting a crap ton of products in one sitting (even if spitting) usually biases to the stronger wine/cigar/whatever it is. This is why you see very hot, ripe years and bombastic wines get higher scores. It’s not necessarily the best example of the wine it’s just the boldest example of it. This is why I tend towards “off” or colder years...more subtlety, balance, cerebral...

Does the SAR stand for Search and Rescue? If so we used to be in related fields ?

[prodigy]

Prez does a blind contest where he selects 5 sticks, pulls the bands, and offers a prize to the winner. You are lucky to get 2 right. I believe all winners had 4 right. As far as I know, all of these sticks have been regular production so you are already looking at a 1 in 3 or so chance to guess it right. So all these guys around here smoking cigars for 30 years with extreme pallets are lucky to get 2 right when they have a 33.3% chance to guess it right.
 
Imagine doing this experiment blindfolded, tips cut off the perfectos and someone holding the cigar so you dont know the ring gauge. I am willing to bet you have just as much chance as winning the lottery as you do figuring out what you are smoking.
 
With all do respect... the cigar industry's marketing has more to do with flavor than the actual blends. At least with CCs, you are still going to be happy no matter what is underneath that fancy band. Ghurka just applys a real thick layer of lipstick to a pig.

I actually was one of the winners this year. I believe it was a 3 way tie, and I believe we all had 3 guesses correct. I've only been smoking for a couple years, so either my palate is great or I'm very lucky. Probably both!

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[Winoheel]

2002 on is a crap shoot! My experience is one good bottle out of three. No more cellaring white burgundy for me. Buy as needed and drink. Learn to like young white burgundy.


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[wine_junkie]

3 minutes ago, Winoheel said:

2002 on is a crap shoot! My experience is one good bottle out of three. No more cellaring white burgundy for me. Buy as needed and drink. Learn to like young white burgundy.


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Pre 1993 is a crap shoot for me. Had a 96 Coche Corton that was ozidized to hell. Fortunately there was still a ton of acid to help it be semi enjoyable. Kind of like Leroy’s whites...oxidative on the back end but reductive and full of tension. 
 

Nubile young Burg for me and even then...had a 2014 Ramonet Montrachet that already crapped the bed. 

[CanuckSARTech]

On 2/8/2020 at 12:03 PM, wine_junkie said:

Does the SAR stand for Search and Rescue? If so we used to be in related fields ?

Yes.  Civilian SAR-Tech (levels 1-3, instructor for all levels, plus Search Management, and various first aid/medical trainer), since 2003 (volunteer professional here in Canada, similar to volunteer fire), and since 2011, military police officer and TASO (tactical aircraft security officer) and now Air Marshal.

 

[wine_junkie]

19 hours ago, CanuckSARTech said:

Yes.  Civilian SAR-Tech (levels 1-3, instructor for all levels, plus Search Management, and various first aid/medical trainer), since 2003 (volunteer professional here in Canada, similar to volunteer fire), and since 2011, military police officer and TASO (tactical aircraft security officer) and now Air Marshal.

 

Very cool! Met a few Air Marshals when I was doing extraditions for our local department. Sounds like a fun career journey so far...minus all the government BS ?