HDM Epicure No. 1: MAE FEB-14 (TTRW)

[StogieSteve23]

HDM Epi 1 Tubo: MAE FEB-14 (TTRW)

Opening Remarks: Enjoyed a lovely Saturday full of easy day drinking, sunshine and cigars.  Went to a nice little beach bar for lunch followed by the dog beach in the afternoon.  The water wasn't quite as blue as normal but still a great temp and minimal seaweed floating around. Didn't have a beach umbrella for the day so I had to improvise.  Used a large golf umbrella and an old bungee chord that was in the trunk of the car. It worked perfectly! 

Cold draw: Perfect restriction, cedar, pasta w/ butter 

1/3:  Used the torch (normally a soft flame guy) for the wind and toasted the foot slightly too much on one side of the wrapper but no harm no foul. White toast with butter, stale graham cracker, pound cake and honey, honey biscuits on the retrohale. Draw and construction is perfect, with the burn line remaining pretty sharp despite the wind.  

 

2/3:  Big taste of fresh McDonald's French fries?! This lasted for just a puff or two.  Burn and draw still great while buttered toast and vanilla cookies are dominant flavors.  White chocolate mint for about two puffs then back to fresh baked goods.  At this time a relight is needed before the final third. 

 

 

3/3: More baked goods, reminiscent of my mom or grandfathers fresh baked bread. Minimal sweetness but a nice savory flavor.  The best way to describe it is a fresh Kings Hawaiian Roll with nutmeg infused butter.  Cedar and dark chocolate show up for the last 5 or so puffs.  Roached the damn thing.  Super enjoyable beach smoke for a hot day.  

 

 

Closing Remarks:  An hour and a half of pure smoking pleasure.  Nice baked goods throughout, slight sweetness throughout and a very well constructed cigar.  Due to the wind I had to relight a couple times but I don't fault the cigar for that.  Combustion and draw were spot on allowing me to smoke it down to the nub. 

Burn: 4/5 (Very good - touch up/relight needed a couple times but only because of the wind)

Construction: 5/5 (Excellent draw, temperature control and smoke production)

Flavor: 4/5 (Satisfying – honey baked goods - nutmeg - cedar/chocolate at the end)

Smell: 3/5 (Fresh cedar and dried tobacco but hard to tell to much with the wind)

Wrapper: 4/5 (Smooth/Velvety – small veins)

Overall Score: 20/25 = 80 (Was a lot better than this though - docked points for things I couldn't control like wind)