FOH International Blind Tasting Competition 2025 Cigar Number 2 Reveal

[El Presidente]

We have a few two for two 

 

[SUP8333]

Going to smoke more D4s from now, was a nice smoke!

[Marco_011t556]

GES Factory D4. It's like you are smoking a CORO. lol 

[JohnS]

It will be interesting to see if @Superhans, @EMC12, @vvvendo1969, @griller can continue their streak with Cigar Number 3.

[wjs]

My draw was poor but I enjoyed #2, which tracks as I rather enjoy D4s. Clearly not enough to call them blind, but CoRo is a hell of a compliment. 

[Montezüma]

Consistency is key!! @Duxnutz

[vvvendo1969]

I am very lucky to hit the mark of Cigar #2 tasting.

Regardless of my prediction being right or wrong, this blind tasting event is really interesting, exciting and challenging for me.

Actually I enjoy this opportunity like a child.

[Superhans]

1 hour ago, JohnS said:

It will be interesting to see if @Superhans, @EMC12, @vvvendo1969, @griller can continue their streak with Cigar Number 3.

Probably 75% of the Cuban cigars I smoke are RASS and D4/D5 so I was confident on 1 and 2. I've tried 3 and 4 and don't have a clue on either. 5 will be a complete punt.

[griller]

1 hour ago, Superhans said:

Probably 75% of the Cuban cigars I smoke are RASS and D4/D5 so I was confident on 1 and 2. I've tried 3 and 4 and don't have a clue on either. 5 will be a complete punt.

While I'm not in the 75% category of smoking RASS & D4/D5 (I smoke a lot of Cuban "farm" cigars & Nudies, too), I was also pretty confident on cigars #1 & #2. I smoked #3 this past weekend & it was a wind tunnel so not quite so confident I'll peg that one. Yet to dive into #4 and #5 so we'll see where my guessing streak ends. If I were a gambling man I'd say now would be the time for me to pick up my chips & leave the table LOL. These tastings have humbled me in the past & I'm sure the last 3 cigars will too...

[LordAnubis]

2 from 2! 😂 Giving yas a head start for my 3-fa. 

[TheDonTX]

So surprised with this one! Wow. Not only is Partagas my favorite but I just smoked a D4 a few days prior. I got nothing Partagas in my cigar #2. I really wouldn't even buy my cigar #2 lol.

Ready for cigar #3 this week! Hopefully I can bounce back. Loving this competition so far! 

[chasy]

I smoke a decent amount of D4, truly thought it was a D4 from the cold draw. Maybe I just got a classic example.

[Ruggerpgh99]

STUNNED

[TacoSauce]

For the record, I did not forget to send my choice for cigar #2. In fact, I sent it in a week early! However, given that my choice was Rafael Gonzales Coronas de Lonsdale, I think Lisa took pity on me and quietly dropped my entry. 

[Bijan]

Another miss for me, though I did think it would be PSD4 or Epi 2 but I went the wrong way. I was hoping this one would be a lock, may well go 0/5.

I'm pretty sure cigar #5 is a Bolivar but it's too fat to be a BPC and too skinny to be a BRC. Not sure if 3 and 4 are Robustos or Hermosos, and that was my mistake on cigar #1.

[Fugu]

Interesting results. While there were a few taking the RASS for a D4 (or D5 - Luca/Fuzz 👏), vice versa, nobody mistook the D4 for RASS. 👍

That gives hope to the ‘concept’ of flavour profiles… 😄

[BlueWS]

6 hours ago, Bijan said:

Another miss for me, though I did think it would be PSD4 or Epi 2 but I went the wrong way. I was hoping this one would be a lock, may well go 0/5.

I'm pretty sure cigar #5 is a Bolivar but it's too fat to be a BPC and too skinny to be a BRC. Not sure if 3 and 4 are Robustos or Hermosos, and that was my mistake on cigar #1.

3 and 4 are exactly the same size as 1 & 2. Cigar 5 is a Hermoso #4. That being said, I'm done. I'm guessing BHK 58 for the last 3. IDGAF anymore.

[Shakey]

I'm well on my way to a perfect 0/5. 🙂

[Bijan]

5 hours ago, Fugu said:

Interesting results. While there were a few taking the RASS for a D4 (or D5 - Luca/Fuzz 👏), vice versa, nobody mistook the D4 for RASS. 👍

That gives hope to the ‘concept’ of flavour profiles… 😄

Maybe a bit of that, but RASS was already out as an option, assuming no duplicate cigars.

Edit: though some may have emailed in all guesses ahead of time, in which case what you said would still apply. 

[Fugu]

Haha, ahh, ok, got it! Thanks @Bijan, didn’t follow the procedure that closely. In that case, the potential gain in knowledge from the whole thing is - hmm, let’s put it - limited. (note to Rob: next time request all results be submitted at once 😅)

On another note. I think the task here is extremely challenging. Contest-cigars are within less than one year from boxing. I bet I am not the only one with the finding that cigars start developing their typical marca-specific profiles (if at all) not before some minimum period of maturing. Would love to see such a blind tasting performed on cigars aged for a minimum of three years. Though, granted, logistically demanding.

[chasy]

Whoever guessed CoRo is amazing. I think this sampler cost ~$150...?

[BlueWS]

2 minutes ago, chasy said:

Whoever guessed CoRo is amazing. I think this sampler cost ~$150...?

$165. Didn't your cigars taste like Coros? All mine tasted like Coros. I must have been slipped the good shit, because I put in Cigars 2-4 as Coros. Maybe I shouldn't have smoked them all at the same time while relaxing in a hot tub at the back of a limo cruising down Sunset Blvd. while drinking Dom 2008.

[chasy]

17 guesses for Bolivar Royal Corona in the first round (RASS got 12). 12 guesses for HDM Epicure No 2 in second round (PD4 got 9).

[Bijan]

1 hour ago, Fugu said:

On another note. I think the task here is extremely challenging. Contest-cigars are within less than one year from boxing. I bet I am not the only one with the finding that cigars start developing their typical marca-specific profiles (if at all) not before some minimum period of maturing. Would love to see such a blind tasting performed on cigars aged for a minimum of three years. Though, granted, logistically demanding.

Last year had I think 3 out of 5 cigars aged. Figuring out which ones were aged was part of the challenge.

[Bendover]

I am pretty sure the cigars used for this context were super fresh, i.e. less than 1 year on them. 

14 hours ago, Fugu said:

Haha, ahh, ok, got it! Thanks @Bijan, didn’t follow the procedure that closely. In that case, the potential gain in knowledge from the whole thing is - hmm, let’s put it - limited. (note to Rob: next time request all results be submitted at once 😅)

On another note. I think the task here is extremely challenging. Contest-cigars are within less than one year from boxing. I bet I am not the only one with the finding that cigars start developing their typical marca-specific profiles (if at all) not before some minimum period of maturing. Would love to see such a blind tasting performed on cigars aged for a minimum of three years. Though, granted, logistically demanding.

I resonate with that @Fugu Pretty sure the cigars used for this contest were fresh, i.e. only a few months on them. Most of the cigars in my batch were somewhat muted except #5 -  so let's see!