An interesting review

[Çnote]

https://developingpalates.com/reviews/cigar-reviews/team-cigar-review-bond-roberts-linea-d-no-01-109/

 

[griller]

Thanks for sharing this review, @Çnote. After reading it, I'd say your description of "interesting" is spot on. Definitely respect fellow smokers being willing to put themselves out there and share their personal opinions about a cigar and the flavors they are perceiving. Doing so reveals their biases too, which isn't an easy thing in this judgmental world. So props to the Developing Palates crew for reviewing this cigar and sharing their personal opinions with the world. With that being said...

I have no clue what Aaron is talking about when he describes the flavors of this cigar along the lines of "construction paper" and "cardboard". WTF is he talking about, and please tell me he wasn't into some whacky shit during his teen years. I've tasted some cigars that I would rate as straight up bad, and thought I picked up a hint of cardboard before, but this is a hint I have NEVER picked up with a BR 109. I haven't read Aaron's previous reviews to get any insight into his cigar preferences, but I can only assume that maybe he's more of a pepper bomb/punch you in the face maduro kind of guy. No slight against that in the least, but maybe he's not the guy this cigar is targeting I guess.

Just color me stunned that "construction paper" and "cardboard" would appear in a tasting review of the BR 109. Didn't see that coming...

[BrightonCorgi]

I didn't find any fault with their reviews.  Each had their own perspective, and I get what they're saying.  It's a smoother cigar than the other lines and I think that is reflected in general across the reviewers.

[Gemini_Man]

Im with @griller on that point. Surprised no one mentioned the pleasant salinity which starts each 109 I smoke. Alas, palates do what palates will.

[Cigar Surgeon]

3 hours ago, griller said:

I have no clue what Aaron is talking about when he describes the flavors of this cigar along the lines of "construction paper" and "cardboard". WTF is he talking about, and please tell me he wasn't into some whacky shit during his teen years. I've tasted some cigars that I would rate as straight up bad, and thought I picked up a hint of cardboard before, but this is a hint I have NEVER picked up with a BR 109. I haven't read Aaron's previous reviews to get any insight into his cigar preferences, but I can only assume that maybe he's more of a pepper bomb/punch you in the face maduro kind of guy. No slight against that in the least, but maybe he's not the guy this cigar is targeting I guess.

Just color me stunned that "construction paper" and "cardboard" would appear in a tasting review of the BR 109. Didn't see that coming...

Aaron is definitely not into pepper bomb cigars. His favourite cigars are nuanced, complex, layered. 

With that said he's the toughest scorer on the panel. 

For 2026 as we move to a blind panel, Aaron is out because he's doing the blind cigar backend work. 

[KCCubano]

34 minutes ago, Cigar Surgeon said:

Aaron is definitely not into pepper bomb cigars. His favourite cigars are nuanced, complex, layered. 

With that said he's the toughest scorer on the panel. 

For 2026 as we move to a blind panel, Aaron is out because he's doing the blind cigar backend work. 

Not a huge sample size but everytime I check out a Developing Palate review, Aaron always ends with "not a cigar I see myself returning to". Lol

[Cigar Surgeon]

1 minute ago, KCCubano said:

Not a huge sample size but everytime I check out a Developing Palate review, Aaron always ends with "not a cigar I see myself returning to". Lol

It's true. The running joke when we go to a tradeshow, or Aaron is doing the Thursday show with Coop, is that he doesn't even like cigars. 

What is one of his favorite cigars of all time? La Escepción Italian Regional 2011.