2025 FOH International Blind Tasting Competition Review Thread.

[El Presidente]

I preferred Cigar 2 to Cigar 1, but it wasn't my favourite of the 5. 

Loving the reviews 

[chasy]

I also prefer a D4 to a RASS!

[griller]

Got a free moment to light up Cigar #2 yesterday & the flavor profile suited my palate much more than #1. Draw was perfect, and the burn only required a few corrections from my torch due to a lot of wind in the area. I'm more confident that my pick is going to be correct (than I was with Cigar #1) but who knows LOL. 

So I "think" this is a Partagas Serie D #4. I've smoked quite a few of them over the years, but my last visit with the D4 was an aged sample from 2018 and while I really enjoyed #2 yesterday I'm pretty sure it's not an aged sample. Notes:

1st Third --  I'm getting a sweet spice, sourdough, and what I can only describe as a faint creamy cinnamon on the retro. 

2nd Third -- a slight evolution from the 1st third but a little more boldness in those flavors. Pretty much retro'd the whole cigar & didn't get any of the strong pepper or youth that makes a retrohale unpleasant. Really enjoying this cigar.

Final Third -- Wind was picking up so more burn corrects with my torch lead to creating a charred/burned wrapper dynamic that I picked up. Regardless, flavor profile was pretty much the same.

Overall -- Really liked this cigar, and would love to see the aging evolution with a box if my bank account could afford it. Great now, and will surely develop into something special over time. Whether I'm right or wrong on my guess that this was a D4, this is a cigar I'd like in my rotation.

p.s. - sorry for sideways pics don't know how to fix. Forgot to snap the pic in landscape... 

[vvvendo1969]

Cigar #2

On 7th June 2025 in Tokyo, Japan.

Gentle breeze here in Tokyo late at night but quite humid just before the begging of rainy season in Tokyo.

<< Before lighting a fire >>
Very beautiful construction. Color is between Colorado and Colorado Claro. Not box pressed. Smell like barn in farms.

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

<< First 3rd >>

Pairing with Coke.
Punch cut. First puff. Honey, cedar and the other wood, and herb/spices coming up.

I just feel the key flavor of PARTAGAS that I love most of all the Cuban cigar brands. I am not so confident but I just feel not think. Between light to modicum body. Very creamy and smooth. After taste, I am feeling sweet cedar. Burn is perfect and ash is white.

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

Same flavor but getting stronger. In the middle of the second third, the flavor gets more complex. This is again very good cigar as Cigar #1. I love this.

<< Final 3rd >>
Same paring and I am getting drunk and I am feeling happy LOL.

The flavor is now getting stronger and stronger but no harsh at all.

<< Conclusion >>
The sweetness of this cigar reminds me of both D4 and Juan Lopez No.2. Actually I do not have enough experience in JL No.2 to judge confidently. I finally believe my first impression and conclude that Cigar #2 may be D4.

This blind tasting is very very interesting and I think I can learn a lot from it.

Thank you very much for El Presidente and his team.

 

[DrCaffeinated]

Cigar 3

Blotchy wrapper, but with a beautiful oily sheen. I measure it at exactly 124mm and a 50ring gauge.

Cold draw: lemon, cream, and fresh hay. Perfect draw.

First 3rd: cashew and lemon cream burst onto the scene. My only immediate prediction is I’m going to thoroughly enjoy this cigar. Chocolate creeps in, then totally takes over. A delicate chocolate mousse is driving the show and I’m not mad about it. I’m honestly stumped. Great combustion, even better draw. Coffee, chocolate, cream, and citrus are swirling around my palate. I adore this. Haven’t a clue what it could be. It has elements of Montecristo, Hoyo, Juan Lopez, Upmann, and Partagas…so, of course, it’ll end up being none of those. It actually reminds me a lot of a Davidoff Aniversario Special R. Wouldn’t that be funny. I can’t help but wonder how much of my enjoyment of the cigar is due to the fact that both kids are taking a nap and the wife and I had some special time right before I lit this up. 

Second 3rd: peanut butter toast with just a few sliced almonds sprinkled on top. This continues to impress me. Construction is just perfect. Whoever made my Cigar 1 was clearly going through some things… whoever made my Cigar 3 must have had the same morning I did.

Final 3rd: I find myself thinking less about what cigar this is, and more about how old it is. This tastes like it has 4-5 years on it. I haven’t had much from the ‘24 crop, so if this is a young cigar, I need to be buying a LOT more of the recent vintages. The lemon cream returns (although I’m tempted to call it brioche instead of cream) but the chocolate and peanut butter remain. Beautiful. A thick layer of salt sits on my lips, which I kinda dig here.

Concluding thoughts: both Cigar 2 and Cigar 3 are firmly in my wheelhouse. I have a cabinet humidor that’s half full of Cubans, half New Worlds. Every time I smoke something like Cigar 1 I want to throw my hands up and just go all in on Tatuaje, Davidoff, Padron, Aladino, etc. Then Cigars 2 and 3 come around and I become Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part III, only, you know, nicer.

Guess? Absolutely no clue, but I want more. A LOT more. I’m going to go with a Montecristo No. 2. Silly Cuban quality control: they got the vitola all wrong!