2025 FOH International Blind Tasting Competition Review Thread.

[LordAnubis]

On 6/11/2025 at 8:25 PM, Luca said:

Well, well, well, well, well...finally I get a break in this comp...

Oh...*spoiler alert!!* by the way!

I don’t even think you’re smoking the blind tasting pack from the looks of your guesses. 

[EMC12]

Cigar 3

Slightly easy draw, gobs of smoke

1st third:

Hay/Grass immediately 

Hints of a Rich creaminess that I can’t quite pin down

2nd third:

Woody notes in and out

Creamy latte finish

Baking spices

Last third:

Woody

Hay

Rich creaminess - vanilla?

Baking spices

Medium body

Good rich creamy stick - 89

[DrCaffeinated]

Cigar 4

Pre-Light: Lemon, hay, barnyard funk. Excellent draw. Not the prettiest cigar. In fact, there’s an indent on one side as though it was left laying on something before it went into the box. That or someone had an idea to turn this robusto into a Culebra, then quickly noped out.

1st Third: tastes like nostalgia. I’m old enough to remember when Cuban cigars were great in part because they were bloody cheap (so now you all know I’m at least 5). You’d occasionally pull one out after 6 months and find a beautiful draw and rich-but-delicate flavors and feel smug for having bought 4 boxes for less than $600. That high ceiling combined with low expectations lead to some immense pleasure. This is reminding me of that. No idea why.

2nd Third: I pulled out the last two original release Amazon Basins from deep in my cabinet last night. Mine tasted like it had been aging in a fresh cedar coffin filled with cedar chips and spritzed with cedar perfume. I couldn’t finish it. My wife got chocolate, raisin, and a touch of black grape on hers. Lucky girl. Anyway, this tastes nothing like that.

Final 3rd: There’s that nostalgia again. I think I’ll go grab my Discman and an Ace of Base CD, then pop open a Clearly Canadian (those are back by the way). I wonder if my AOL account still works. Wait. Does my house even have telephone jacks? I’d call the phone company, but I can’t remember the number for Southwestern Bell. Where did I put my YellowPages…

Final thoughts: my cigar says “this is The Good Place,” but my credit card statement just chortles like Ted Danson in a human suit. Oh right, actual flavor notes: great taste, less filling…wonky burn. Somehow, none of my ash made it to the ashtray. Siskel & Ebert give it 1.5 thumbs up.

[Bijan]

On 6/1/2025 at 10:23 AM, Bijan said:

As promised I'll have a go:

1. VR famosos (cast my vote)

2. Epi 2

3. Connie 1

4. RyJ ex. 4

5. Boli PC

We'll see how many I get right this time...

This is what I guessed before the reveals of 1 and 2.

I think given the reveals so far I might amend to Epi 2, short Churchill and BRC for 3 through 5.

So far sticking with the above for #3 and headed to 0/5 but maybe I'll change my guesses for 4 and 5.

[chasy]

3 was tricky. I narrowed down to Ep2 or JL2. I kept flip flopping but eventually committed. We shall see!

[griller]

Cigar #3 

This one was a complete wind tunnel with a burn that needed correction with my torch the entire time. Paired with a tea, then switched to a Riesling (forgot the marque; got some inspiration from Ken), which was on the sweet side & very enjoyable. Made it difficult to really pin down any flavor nuances and lead to a very one-dimensional profile. Body was light medium, with the main flavors detected being cedar, some cream/coffee, and very slight baking spices. Not too confident I really know this one and it definitely isn't in my regular smoking rotation. Maybe an Epi 2, but this is just a guess...

[Montezüma]

7 hours ago, DrCaffeinated said:

 

Love the look of your cigar terrace, can enjoy the vibe from all the way over here across the Pacific!

[vvvendo1969]

On 14th June 2025, Saturday morning in Tokyo where a rainy season has just begun. It is raining and humid today, actually.

CIGAR #3

Stored in ziplock with 69% BOVEDA in my wine cellar keeping 13 degrees Celsius.

Not box pressed. Wrapper color is Claro. The most beautiful wrapper among 5 cigars sent to me. Wrapper is thin, shiny, and a bit oily. Brilliant. Construction seems very good before I light this cigar.

This appearance reminds me of Cohiba Robstos.

<< First 3rd >> pairing with Coke.

Draw is quite tight. First puff. Flower, cedar and the other white-color image wood are emerging. Volume of smoke is not so large because of tight draw. Caramel, nutty and cereal flavor. This cereal flavor is, more concretely, the sweetness of freshly backed bread. Body is medium. Burn is not perfect. The color of ash is light gray. Very good and enjoyable cigar IMO.

At this moment, I think Cigar #3 can be CoRo or JL2 or RyJ Short Churchill or HdM Epi2. 

<< Second 3rd>> pairing with Cuba Libre.

Tight draw is not changed. Flavor is same but getting clearer and more complex. In the middle of second 3rd, subtle citrus flavor coming up. Body is between medium and full. Not so creamy. The most impressive point is sweetness of wheat.

<< Final 3rd >> paring with Japanese beer, Suntory Premium Molts Kaoru Ale.

Draw gets better. Same flavor and sweetness but a faint dark chocolate and espresso nuances also coming up. Body is now full, so so strong nicotine, I feel. The latter half of the final 3rd, a bit harsh taste coming together.

<< Conclusion >>
I am recalling my old memories of smoking CoRo or JL2 or RyJ Short Churchill or HdM Epi2. I compare today’s experience with my past memories. Then, I suddenly remember my impression of JL2 that was very decent sweetness of freshly baked bread. However, I purchased a 25 box of JL2 probably more than 10-15 years ago. That was the last time I smoked JL2. And at that time, wrappers and construction of JL2 were not so beautiful as Cigar #3, very different. So I am not confident about my conclusion at all.

Mr. El Presidente and his team, thank you very much for giving us this really challenging and interesting opportunity.

[Fugu]

6 hours ago, vvvendo1969 said:

That, I call a unique, avantgard-ish ashtray, Sir! 👍😄

[vvvendo1969]

15 minutes ago, Fugu said:

That, I call a unique, avantgard-ish ashtray, Sir! 👍😄

This ashtray, I made by myself from clay therefore the shape is not beautiful, LOL. My little sister is a professional ceramic artist. She selected and put some good glaze onto my ashtray. After that, she put my ashtray into her climbing kiln. Then this ashtray was born from fire of 1300 degrees Celsius. This is the story of my ashtray.

Thank you very much for your paying attention on my ashtray.

[Fugu]

2 hours ago, vvvendo1969 said:

This ashtray, I made by myself from clay therefore the shape is not beautiful, LOL.

I like it. Even though the shape does not appear ‘perfect’, one can see that some well thought out engineering and an artistic approach went into the creation of that piece. Nice craquelure glazing. Send my compliments to your sister!

[chasy]

9 hours ago, vvvendo1969 said:

At this moment, I think Cigar #3 can be CoRo or JL2 or RyJ Short Churchill or HdM Epi2. 

I was at the exact same intersection. Narrowed down to two and then basically flipped a coin.

[SUP8333]

Down with influenza, I can only enjoy Cigar 3 through your posts. Keep them coming.

[ayedfy]

Number 3. Notes of fresh citrus and sweet marmalade at the beginning, before mellowing out into vanilla wafer. Light-bodied, bit of a dip in the middle third, lifting a little towards the end, and developing a slightly savoury herbal note that was hard to pin down but was quite favourable.

The flavours here were pleasant but didn’t excite me all that much, however the construction was immaculate. Easy draw, even burn line throughout. At one point I put the cigar down to head into the bar and buy a round. Ended up having to go back and forth a few times because they didn’t have what one of the guys wanted. Was sure that leaving the cigar alone for 5+min outdoors in winter would need a relight, but came back and it picked right up as if I’d never left. My compliments to the roller.

[BlueWS]

If Cigar #3 is a JL 2 then the Shinto God of Cigars hates me. The box of JL2s I have were sour and gross from 6 months to 2 years. Really sour and the only cigar I've ever tasted a sour note from. I hate sour anything and I'd recognize it immediately. I hate Partagas and would recognize it immediately, which means this is definitely a young JL2 and I picked wrong again.

[Wlu1988]

Can someone remind me when the selection for cigar #3 is due?

[Bijan]

9 hours ago, Wlu1988 said:

Can someone remind me when the selection for cigar #3 is due?

Now-ish, though seems there's a day leeway, with the reveal on Tuesday morning.

[MickVanWinkle]

Cigar 3

This contest reminds me of a golf tournament I recently witnessed - a true test of resilience. Will I have a tantrum in the midst of my failure or will I take a breath and visualize success prior to execution?  

I’ve composed myself and sit outside on a humid evening. Not ideal weather conditions, but that’s hardly my only headwind in this challenge. The wrapper is slightly oily and feels a bit wet, despite holding it in humidor for 4 weeks at roughly 62RH. Although the draw seems optimal, I’m getting bitter notes in the cold draw.  Perhaps a bit of fruit and floral underneath.

The cigar burns relatively well despite the humidity. However, my confidence wanes as I no longer taste the notes in the cold draw. Instead it gives off a bit of clove and spice. As I pass the turn, I note a developing cream and bit of salt (“these pretzels are making me thirsty!”)

At this point in the contest, I’m shooting from the hip, but have submitted my best guess. In the future, I’d love to purchase two sets so that I can go back through after the reveal and try to see if I can identify the error of my ways.

[El Presidente]

6 hours ago, Bijan said:

Now-ish, though seems there's a day leeway, with the reveal on Tuesday morning.

Lisa is immensely tolerant...given she knows she is dealing with males