Juan Lopez Obus SML OCT 06; Box 385/1200

[shrink]

Absolutely first-rate review, Steve. Bubble gum, eh? Never heard that one before. But if Rob can discern anchovies, why not?

How would you compare the Obus to other JL's? It doesn't sound like any JL I've smoked, but I've got some coronas on order.

[El Presidente]

Loved the review and I enjoyed the samples I have had. Being a lover of lighter styled cigars with flavour complexity I have arranged for a swap on a few boxes for personal consumption. I think they have excellent potential.

[Colt45]

Great review - thanks!

[Miami101]

I loved the review: also the photos are great.

[Jimmy2]

Those wrappers look like the early 06 Sel #2 that i have smoked and were a great smoke.

[jqmunro]

I smoked one recently in paris from George V cigar shop on rue George V. It wasn't anything special, IMO. Some citrus peel as well as some cedar flavors. Not worth the money that RE's go for.

[stever]

Shrink:

Have only smoked the JL 2s. One from El Prez's 12 DoC and a couple with a few years of age. The Obus appears to be unlike the JL profile that I've experienced thus far, but my experience with this marque is obviously very limited. Definitely need to rectify that.

[asmith]

Great review mate and I agree totally with the 'Bubble Gum' call. I have at times run across this flavour and never had the balls to post it on the forum.

I'm pleased you enjoyed the cigar I will have to get another one off Rob to try in a year to see how that final thrid has developed.

[El Presidente]

» Great review mate and I agree totally with the 'Bubble Gum' call. I have

» at times run across this flavour and never had the balls to post it on the

» forum.

»

That's why you will never make it as a reviewer Smithy :cool:

[Ken Gargett]

» to try in a year to see how that final thrid has developed.

i always love the way thrids develop.

[asmith]

» That's why you will never make it as a reviewer Smithy :cool:

Ayala your palette will never be the equal of mine as you spent too long in Banking with your face buried deep in the trough of corporate sucking up. As a result all your taste buds have been well and truely destroyed.

[asmith]

» » to try in a year to see how that final thrid has developed.

»

»

» i always love the way thrids develop.

How's living with your Mum going Ken?

[Ken Gargett]

» » » to try in a year to see how that final thrid has developed.

» »

» »

» » i always love the way thrids develop.

» How's living with your Mum going Ken?

can't help you. i live in a different state and last i heard, she was travelling around some river in burma or cambodia.

sorry to miss the going-away party (if only rob had thought to hold one). i gather they did have an evening preparing you for your new life. around the humidor, they call it smithy's bum-widening party. how is the new life?

seriously, can't wait to visit.

[asmith]

» i gather they did have an evening preparing you for your new life. around

» the humidor, they call it smithy's bum-widening party. how is the new

» life?

»

» seriously, can't wait to visit.

and it would be the highlight of my life if you were to grace my humble abode.

must say that the thing i miss most about the humidor were your visits.

[stever]

From bubble gum to bum-widening? :rotfl:

Glad to see the humor triumvirate in fine form.

Smithy, glad to see you're actively involved from afar.

[Mike33]

Great review Steve!!!

I look forward to smoking the single I have after reading your review. It does sound like it will be an interesting smoke. Thanks for the review!

[shrink]

must say that the thing i miss most about the humidor were your visits.

Does this mean that after his visits something was missing from the humidor?

Great to see you participating from afar, Smithy. Enjoy the new digs!

[stever]

I purchased some of the Juan Lopez Obus French regional release while visiting Paris over the Christmas holidays, and promised a while back to post a review. Smithy posted a review last month [link]http://friendsofhabanos.com/board_entry.php?id=50986&page=2&category=Habanos+Review+Forum&order=subject&descasc=ASC[/link] and I thought I would follow up with mine, especially given the different box code and box number. I have smoked quite a few since January and have found some samples to be more intense and flavorful than others. Overall, this is a smoke that seems to be improving, at least the ones that I have from the same box.

The cigar is a belicoso and is nicely constructed with a rich brown wrapper with a light oily sheen. At cold there’s an odor of leather, fermented tobacco, cedar and a slight dark berry note. I make a small angled cut and take a few prelight draws to find a medium draw and flavors of sweet scented wood, dark fruit and chewy leather. There’s also a peppery, wet leather taste on my lips.

The cigar lights easily and the first draw reveals exotic aromatic woodnotes and mocha coffee flavor. The body is medium with good smoke volume. By the third draw there’s more of a resinous, aromatic sandalwood / teak oil -like quality to the wood flavors, and an unsweetened cream or perhaps an unsweetened cheesecake flavor starts to build in the background. A few nose exhalations reveal sharp oil-scented woodnotes and I think jalapeno pepper! There’s a nice creamy mouth feel and some sweet tea flavor also coming through.

Definitely an interesting array of flavors and sensations coming from this cigar and I’ve only had about five draws. I have to say that of the Obus’ I’ve smoked thus far, this one is definitely catching my attention. At this point, I’m finding a medium bodied, but very flavorful profile, with a rich aromatic wood and unsweetened cheesecake core, punctuated by a slightly sweet hot pepper flavor, and finishing with a lip-smacking sweet tobacco and leather finish. Not sure, however, about the overall balance of flavors, but what the hell do I know when it comes to Juan Lopez or the French cigar palate for that matter?

At the I” mark a sweet nutty after-taste appears out of nowhere for a few draws and then disappears. The smoke settles down to more of an exotic wood, coffee and toasted tobacco profile, with a lip-smacking sweet tea nuance. There’s a prolonged after-taste of sweet tobacco and rich leather. For a short period near the 2” mark, I encounter a flavor I have never before encountered in a cigar, a strong and prolonged bubble-gum flavored sweetness. My lips also begin to tingle and I suspect that some resin is being produced that is throwing off the flavors. However, unlike most resins, this isn’t bitter or unpleasant and seems to fit the resinous aromatic woodnotes of the cigar. Rather than re-cut the end and disturb the first ash, I wipe off some of the resin from around the opening.

The resin production abates and the smoke settles into a peppery, woody, unsweetened cheesecake profile with a prolonged sweet toasted tobacco aftertaste. The first ash comes off after 2 ½’ and produces a good cone. Very soon thereafter, the wood flavors become stronger and more resinous, and I also detect the emergence of a roasted nut flavor. The sweet bubble gum flavor also reappears for a few draws, but it definitely doesn’t fit in with the other flavors. Come to think of it, I don’t think it deserves a place in any cigar profile, but again what do I know? Perhaps this is the highly sought-after holy grail of flavors that I don’t deserve to appreciate.

I really think the cigar comes together in the last stage. The profile becomes richer, stronger and more balanced. There’s also a heaviness to the smoke reminiscent of good Nicaraguan cigars, like the Padron ‘64s. The unsweetened cheesecake core has pretty much disappeared, but the woodnotes are more round and mellow, and mix nicely with toasted sweet tobacco flavors. The finish is slightly spicy, with sweet cedar and leather flavors, and the smoke has a very nice lush mouth feel.

Definitely a worthwhile hour and fifteen minute smoke, despite some of the occasional odd flavors or flavor combinations. Of the ’06 regional releases, I believe that this is one of the more affordable, and is available in 25 cabs or 10 boxes. My Obus’ have been improving over the last few months. I have not found them to be one-dimensional or light in flavor. I can’t, however, speak to the other box codes or box numbers. How much of a factor either is or should be, I have no idea at this point.