San Cristobal De La Habana EL Principe LGR NOV-17 (WTRW)

[GVan]

I often dip cigars if I get a wind tunnel as I've found it greatly improves the draw and the smoking experience.  Although I've not thought about how it impacts the taste of the cigar!  After dipping, I let the cigar sit until the wrapper returns to a consistent color - if it still has darker splotches I will wait until these fade -- usually about 15 to 20 minutes.  I've found the biggest change (and improvement) is to the smell of the cigar - Try it!  The wrapper with added moisture always smells incredible to me with a much sweeter tobacco smell wafting into my nostrils. 

Today's test case is a box of SCdlH EL Principe's that I have posted many pictures of here in FOH.  I'm down to 7 cigars left in the box and upon inspection I've found two perfect test cases - one at 7.542 gms. and one at 7.540 gms. -- you can't get much closer to the perfect weight of 7.46 gms.  This will be a cool test!

• SCdlH Principe WET Review - Part B  (10/18 Sunday Morning)

Ok, so I have the perfect test case and then life intrudes!  I decide I'm going to do the test with the wet review first on the lighter 7.540 gm cigar.  After pictures, dipping in cool tap water, CD test, punch and light; I notice one of my lawn sprinklers is spraying the river instead of the grass.  So, I walk down there, set the cigar down carefully on my dock, adjust the sprinkler and turn around in time to see the cigar floating down the river. ? A gust of wind apparently rolled it into the river - I don't think that was what @El Presidente meant about dipping the cigar.  So, back to the box and the closest I have left is one at 6.987 gms.  Start over, dip the cigar in cool tap water, let rest for 20 minutes, punch, the draw is firm yet acceptable, the cigar feels firmer than prior to dipping, the smell off the moist wrapper is wonderful, and it seems to me that the wrapper is slightly darker and shinier than it was prior to dipping.  On the cold draw there is a definite sweetness that makes me take several sips prior to lighting.  The picture below left is prior to dipping and right is after dipping, resting and punching.  When I blow them up on my computer, the right one is slightly darker and clearly has an improved shine - I'm not sure if it's brought the oils more to the surface or if it's just the water.  I had the same impression logged in my notes before I looked at the pictures.

Smoking review - after lighting there was a beautiful light grey smoke coming off the cigar that had a very floral character.  Through the first half it was digestive biscuit with a slight sweetness - I wouldn't call it molasses - more like honey.  As the cigar progressed into the second half I got dark roasted coffee and toasted tobacco.  Throughout the smoke it was mild bodied in strength and very smooth.  Towards the end, the coffee flavor left and it was just smooth tobacco.  I had paired this with just water so I could concentrate on the flavors (and really missed my morning coffee that I usually pair with a Principe).  

Throughout the smoke, there were no touch-ups or relights required.  It always surprises me about "dipping" but, the cigar tends to burn more evenly and slower.  I also feel that the cigar smokes slower meaning I do not have to puff on it as much to keep it lit.  My preference is always to smoke these minutos slowly.  I smoked it past the band and with about an inch left the total smoking time was 64 minutes.  It was a good, smooth cigar even though I did not get any of that molasses but the other flavors kept it interesting - I'd give it 89 points.  

• SCdlH Principe DRY Review - Part A  (10/18 Sunday Evening)

This is the 7.542 gm cigar that has been kept in the same box, stored under identical circumstances except it was returned to the humi at 62% RH for about 7 hours after weighing.  

This too has a firm feel, a slightly more veiny wrapper, same punch cut with a firm draw.  The biggest difference initially is the smell of the cigar - it has a very faint smell like graham crackers.  Also good but not as powerful as the wet version.  Off the cold draw I really don't get much of any flavor - not bad just different.  Cigar lights the same and the first few puffs are really smooth, same light grey smoke coming off the cigar although no floral character, just toasted tobacco.

Funny that the burn on the DRY cigar is a little more wonky and requires several touch-ups.  One touch-up is reflected in the leaf hanging off the left side.  This cigar is medium bodied (it does have a half a gram more tobacco) with a little more tannins on the back of the tongue.  It is not as smooth as the first cigar but it is not bitter just getting toasted tobacco as the only flavor.

At the half-way point it requires a relight.  No dark coffee, molasses or honey just a toasted tobacco flavor.  I would still enjoy this cigar with a morning coffee it's just not one of the best out of the box.  Again I smoke it to just before the band (a little less than the first WET cigar).  I guess I'm just not enjoying it as much as the first.  I had to puff on this a little harder to keep it lit (the outside humidity was less in the evening than in the morning) resulting in it smoking faster - 51 minutes.  I'd give it 84 points!

Conclusion - I'm not sure!  The WET cigar was clearly more complex and had a better burn and better flavors. I routinely dip wind-tunnels and know that it improves the draw and burn.  I never considered if it mellowed the cigar or changed the flavors.  Since I don't believe the moisture impacts much more than the wrapper it would seem to me that it would make a bigger flavor difference in something like a RyJ where a good wrapper is more important but, more testing is required on different Marca's. I have some 2014 RyJ MF's in the freezer I'd like to try this test on when they are ready.

 

 

[Pag]

Very interesting. Have a box from LGR Jun 17 and some have been very floral and sweet. Others have been just toasty tobacco like your dry smoke.
Those floral ones have been outstanding.
Great reviews .

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk