BLIND TASTING REVIEW PAGE

[El Presidente]

Well gentlemen, those who have received their August Blind Tasting Cigars are due to post your reviews and Identify the unbanded cigar.

Smoke and review below this weekend or if you have already smoked the cigar.....commence posting (below) your review & identification of the cigar.

Good Luck!

[El Presidente]

Top :-)

[Ken Gargett]

still waiting??

[Tom Bolivar]

» still waiting??

Maybe someone should inform the candidates that they can open their eyes again for writing the review. Blind only refers to not knowing which cigar you smoke...

:-P

[Tampa1257]

August FOH Blind Taste Testing Review

Vitola: Hermosos No.4

Length: 127mm Ring: 48

This cigar was a nice example of a Hermosos No.4, which is just a tad longer than a Robusto and a couple of rings smaller. Each of these vitolas are often lumped together as Robusto’s as they are so very similar in size. The test cigar had rested a couple of weeks in the humidor waiting for the weekend to perform the required testing.

Upon clipping the cigar, I noticed a ample divot, which has historically provided an excellent draw and on taking a pre-draw I was once again assured that the draw would be excellent! Torching the foot and taking the initial puff of the cigar, my comment was initially grassy, but that quickly subsided into a deep sweet fruity essence. The Fruitiness developed into a core flavor of the cigar and was wonderful. The Oak Barrel woodiness which upon turning into the 2nd third of the cigar was mixed with refined herbal notes and wonderful floral, vanilla, honey and cinnamon flavors. About the time the cigar turned into its final third, the essence of the sweet almost stewed fruitiness with nice rich leather and a discreet spice danced on my palate. This was an excellent cigar. I would say that it was medium in body and medium-full with flavor. I would rate the cigar a solid 4/6 as it is currently a very good cigar and I feel that it has excellent aging potential.

From the Flavors that I tasted, I believe this Taste Test Cigar to be a Romeo y Julieta Exhibición No.4.

[Jimmy2]

Wrapper-Bumpy some veins oily and plume present

Smell at foot cold-Dark Chocolate but not an overly strong smell maybe age tobacco

Smoke-Very thick and creamy so thick you can feel it in your mouth

1st-Wood,some bitterness,lite salt,some hints of fruit,peppermint ,licorice also roasted nuts

Half point-pepper,salted nuts,wood,rich tobacco very sweet and a very long after taste

Down to the Nub-Lots of pepper,wood,nuts,rich tobacco also noted sweet fruit.Also still a long after taste very pleasant.

Strength:

1st -medium

half -medium to full

Down to the nub-full

All in all a great cigar with complex flavors .Great cigar after a heavy meal or with coffee or a scotch.

Rated a solid 89

I will say a R&J Ex #4 but maybe with a little age because the young one's I have smoked were mostly flavored with sweet fruit.

Update after a half an hour after smoking it I have the flavor still bouncing around on the buds have to give a 90 as this cigar was blended perfectly.

[habanohal]

SMoked this one on a day of boredom. It was georgious 75 degrees outside though.

Good looklin HErmosa #4

Light color wrapper, which I am gettin to like these days.

Prelight draw was a bit tight , but very flavorful. Toasted it up and a fruity blast of flavor, almost with a taste of iceing ( from a cake) GO figure.

I dont realize a change in cigars , and not in this one either. A nice slow burn but not to bad for a tight rolled cigar. Very sweet almost like a nutrisweet taste,with a backround of tobacco taste, then an almost lip burning spice on the end ( But it also could have been heat from the nub)

The extra sweetness could of been from lunch and too much soda.

Not really a good rater on cigars but would give a solid 88. It just seems that alot of cigars are all pretty much the same flavor profile.

I am almost %99.99999999999 sure it is ELDM Choix Supreme. What gives it away is the tight draw for which I have never had with RYJ Hermosa #4 ( which tend to be rolled a bit loose)

Thanx again Rob!

[Jimmy2]

habanohal you might be right as I have stated the R&J Ex4 never tasted like this before just a little fruit flavors when in the past sweet fruit always was a dominant flavor throughout.

Another reason if i and Tampa are right it might be aged tobacco and the fruit flavors have mellowed.

Wait and see i can't wait.

[habanohal]

» habanohal you might be right as I have stated the R&J Ex4 never tasted like

» this before just a little fruit flavors when in the past sweet fruit always

» was a dominant flavor throughout.

»

» Another reason if i and Tampa are right it might be aged tobacco and the

» fruit flavors have mellowed.

»

» Wait and see i can't wait.

At first glance I thought RYJ, but apon prelight draw it was debunked, Also with the way the flavors oof a fruit splash danced around for 2 hours after it was finished.

[Tampa1257]

We shall see, I personally have never tasted a Choix Supreme that ever had any type of Fruity core flavors. All the Choix that I have smoked have been very very mild and muted woody almost punch type woodiness but more bland and nondescript. I did not mention it in my review, but had the size of the cigar not been a Hermosos No.4, The cigar reminded me of a RASS because of the core flavor profile. I'll be interested in the determination of the cigar as well.

[El Presidente]

Very interesting gentlemen.

Let's see what the rest of the reviewers have to say before the final unveiling :-D

[jakebarnes]

» Very interesting gentlemen.

»

» Let's see what the rest of the reviewers have to say before the final

» unveiling :-D

Eh, mine will be up. I tried to post it and i got kicked off. Should be up soon.

damn interweb and its technicalities.

[yossie]

Hey jimmy. I might not give my review right you for it since I wanted to smoke Romeo #4. :-D

But your review is great enogh to let me buy the cigar WITH your credit card!

[shrink]

Nice pic, Jimmy. Looks like Juliet is givin' Romeo a 'woody'...

[Jimmy2]

I was always a man to speak my mind and sometimes it gets me in trouble but what the hell here we go again.

But 3 out of 8 reviewers is not acceptable in my eyes by the 1st of September after having these cigar's at least 3 weeks before the due date.

Rob out of your generosity you have these cigar tasting's and most never come in with there reviews on time but will take a free cigar,

I think like me and Tampa and a few others that have been excepted in the past should be tasters every month.

Because we always give a review's on time like professionals.

Its your choice but history will show from the beginnings on this froum who have been time after time team players of your forums.

There are a hand full of us who take your kindness seriously.

And i have to say Thank You.

And all who have posted about me review thank You.

And i would like to THANK Yossie for giving up his spot for me to review this month's Cigar.

Shrink i did that to make some laughs always looking for some laugher good eyes .

[Tampa1257]

Jimmy, After reviewing Rob's fantastic offer for 8 of us to be Taste Testers for the month of August, he included some very specific requirements that had to be done over a "Hard" deadline.

All reviews need to be completed on the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of September. No exceptions. A new post will be made on the Friday prior where all reviews are to be posted.

Rob further makes this very clear with this statement:

If for any reason you cannot smoke them that weekend, do not apply for the tasting. If you are a taster and something has come up on that weekend, it is your responsibility to find someone else in your network to conduct the review that weekend

Lets all hope that the 62.5% of the Taste Testers that have not yet responded, submit their required Blind Taste Test review no later than Labor Day 9/3/2007 (which is another day late at Club Czar as that will be Tuesday.

Please submit your review as soon as possible, the instructions were clear from the beginning.

[El Presidente]

Thanks Jimmy and Tampa.

I am smoking the review cigar now and will post my thoughts without letting out what the cigar is.

The delayed responses may the the result of the Labour Day Weekend (which I should have taken account of). Let's give everyone else until tomorrow.

[jakebarnes]

Hopefully when i press "submit" it won't tell me to log in again... I wised up and typed it in a Word document this time!

Cigar: Blind Taste Test, August

Type: Hermoso #4

Date smoked: September 1, 2007

Beverage: Ice Water

Ambience: Beautiful summer night, out on the patio, listening to Arturo Sandoval.

Construction:

Slightly lopsided, I am sure from its extensive traveling. The cigar has a rich and smooth Colorado wrapper; very few visible veins. A fairly flawless cigar with a firm fan.

Pre-light draw:

Upon drawing the cigar had a sweetness to it that I could not put my finger on. The draw itself was a bit too loose for my liking.

Initial thoughts upon lighting

I mentioned that the draw was a bit looser than I would have liked and as a result each draw produced volumes of smoke without effort. I guess that is better than the alternative of no smoke with lots of effort. The aroma of the smoke was very pleasant and fruity. In combination with the fruitiness, when I put my nose to the lit cigar I noticed a buttery aroma, like that of an old-world German dessert pastry.

Body of the review:

My initial draws of the cigar revealed nuts and grassiness. As the cigar started to take form the grassiness was replaced by the fruitiness I mentioned in my initial thoughts. The fruitiness seemed to me to be a bit like dried berries. When I expelled a bit of smoke from my nose I found the cigar had a slightly peppery characteristic. As the first third of the cigar turned into the second third the dried fruit flavors settled down and began to take a backseat to an English breakfast tea. During the majority of the second third the tea took the front seat with the slight pepper while the fruitiness seemed to tantalize me by dancing in and out without ever fully committing. In the final third of the cigar the fruitiness was barely noticeable as the tea and pepper largely dominated. Also, in the final third, one draw I took was met with an acrid bitterness. The bitterness disappeared as soon as it came, but it took me aback. This cigar is not a finesse finisher as it finished a bit brash for my liking.

Final Notes:

This was a quality Hermoso #4, but I am not sure I would consistently smoke it as it left me wanting for more. More specifically, I wish the fruitiness would have developed more and played a larger role. Furthermore, after my initial examination and smell, I expected some of that german pastry element to come into play. However, while I am nowhere near an expert, the cigar had an aura of youth so these issues I have may be solved with time. Overall, I would give the cigar 3/6 smoke rings.

As for a guess, I would guess RyJ Ex. #4 based on the fruitiness, even if it wasn’t as pronounced.

Thank you again for this opportunity, Rob!

Pete

[jakebarnes]

Very interesting to read the other reviews. I find it kind of neat that Tampa found cinnamon and honey, things I did not. Then again, I may have the palate of a billy goat!:-D

Jimmy, you have a good point about the age. Here I thought the fruitiness may have been muted because of youth, but you say it may be so because of age. I really do not have extensive experience with teh Ex. #4 so I don't really even know what age would or would not do with them.

Though, on appearance alone from lining it up with the other hermoso 4s in my humidor I would have guessed Upmann Conne. #1

[Colt45]

» But 3 out of 8 reviewers is not acceptable in my eyes by the 1st of

» September after having these cigar's at least 3 weeks before the due

» date.

»

I pretty much agree here. I originally made it into this tasting, but realized I was going

to be away, and would not be able to post a review until one day after the posted deadline.

I immediately gave up my spot.

I realize that there are probably many members who don't post that often because they

may feel they don't have much to say / add. Fair enough. There are many long time

contributing members who perhaps post a bit infrequently, but their contributions are

always looked forward to, at least by me.

But there never seems to be a shortage of members when the Czar Crew is giving

something away. Maybe some feel Rob is simply a supplier of goods, and is just a

resource to be used. Perhaps Rob feels the same about us, and the sales, taste tests,

tipping comps, poker tournaments - I could keep listing - are a way to drum up sales, and

make the bottom line.

Call me naive, but I don't believe either or......

[Mike33]

I apologize guys. I went away for the weekend and only had my new laptop. Well, I didn't have my password saved so I could not log in. I tried getting a new one sent, but was told my e-mail was not vaild. So, go figure. Anyways, my apologies specifically to Rob and also to the entire forum. Review follows:

The band less cigar is a Hermoso No.4 vitola. It has a dull brown wrapper with a smooth feel to it. There is a slight box-press noticeable as well. Smell at cold is the typical cuban "barnyard," very pleasing.

The draw is perfect and the smoke is plentiful. Initial flvaors are light coffee bean with some spice. So far, the cigar is medium-bodied with an average finish. About an inch in, dried fruit and toffee notes are present. Reminiscent of a Ramon Allones at this point. Very sweet and has a little tartness to it.

Burn remains good, but not great. Several touch-ups are needed throughout the smoke. Leather and molasses are now dominating the cigar and it has picked up some strength along the way. At the half-way point, it becomes slightly bitter and tannic. It is not horrible, but I believe the cigar is fairly young....maybe a late '06 or early '07 box code. It finishes with more leather and some woody notes. I end up laying it down with an inch left....not a nubber!

Overall: I would give this mystery cigar an 86. Not very enjoyable past the half-way mark. Bitter and quite strong as the cigar wound down. I would venture to guess a RyJ Ex. #4 or possibly an H. Upmann Connoisseur No.1. Whatever it is, it is fairly young or in a sick period. Thanks Rob for this interesting tasting!

[Gryphon]

Unless I missed it, no one mentioned the colour/color of the ash. And no pictures were posted.

Could someone comment?

Thanks

[winelover]

This is really unfunny but I have just lost my entire review as when I pressed ok-submit it told me to log in! Anyway I will try and remember what I said and resubmit.

Size

Pretty sure this is a hermoso no.4 although could not verify as no sticks of same or similar vitola in humi to compare with.

Pre-light

Gorgeous barnyard and rich tobacco flavours to the nose. Cigar firm but still springy to the touch. Wrapper had minor veins but with a nice sheen to it. Cap appears a bit mis-shaped as perhaps it was a bit squahed in transit. Pre-light draw wise, sufficient resistance - great this is not plugged

First third

Lit this cigar with household matches - this was a bad idea. I was immediately hit by flavour of erm... sea salt! This really dominated the first 5 minute of the smoke. Cigar burned razor straight and settled down to straightforward tobacco flavours after a harsh start.

Second third

Cigar seemed much better balanced from the 2/3 point and predominant flavours are of cream, tobacco although it is possible to pick up hay and a hint of fruit. Cigar is continuing to burn straight although a slight touch up was required at one point. Past the half way point cigar has become even smoother and better balance of flavours but peculiarly at the same time as developed in strength. It is now medium-full in body.

Final third

Cigar was developing into a little powerhouse, although I thought I was man enough to take it on after being toughened up by some recent run-ins with the party connie no.1's. Cigar retained same flavour profile as in second third although greater in strength still. Lips are beginning to tingle before cigar disposed of close to the nub.

Overall 87/100

I would have reviewed this cigar lower if it had not been for it leaving me with nicotine coated lips at the end. The core flavours are curious to say the least but not something I'd choose out of choice. Nevertheless worth a smoke and a re-visit on another occasion. I'd say this is an ERdM Choix Supreme although I may well be very wrong.

[GP012]

I'm going to apologize for the delay. As I mentioned, I packed up some 15 cigars to bring to a wedding in NJ on Saturday and for a small (which turned out to be large) herf in PA on Sunday, and somehow I managed to forget the mystery stick. D'oh.

Anyway, it looks like I've been beaten to the punch in terms of the Hermoso #4 size. Nice wrapper, although I had to fiddle with the cap as mine was cracked in shipping and had an unnatural uh, "Fedex press" as well.

I picked up a lot of coffee notes, and some spice here and there. Some kind of sweet taste near the end, although I couldn't put my finger on it. I should be able to get the full review and photos up later tonight.

Also, for the future, was it allowable to smoke prior to the designated "weekend", or is that looked down upon? I almost smoked & reviewed it earlier in the week, but I wasn't sure if that would be kosher. I thought maybe we would be waiting for some special instructions regarding the cigar.

[habanohal]

» I'm going to apologize for the delay. As I mentioned, I packed up some 15

» cigars to bring to a wedding in NJ on Saturday and for a small (which

» turned out to be large) herf in PA on Sunday, and somehow I managed to

» forget the mystery stick. D'oh.

»

» Anyway, it looks like I've been beaten to the punch in terms of the

» Hermoso #4 size. Nice wrapper, although I had to fiddle with the cap as

» mine was cracked in shipping and had an unnatural uh, "Fedex press" as

» well.

»

» I picked up a lot of coffee notes, and some spice here and there. Some

» kind of sweet taste near the end, although I couldn't put my finger on it.

» I should be able to get the full review and photos up later tonight.

»

»

» Also, for the future, was it allowable to smoke prior to the designated

» "weekend", or is that looked down upon? I almost smoked & reviewed it

» earlier in the week, but I wasn't sure if that would be kosher. I thought

» maybe we would be waiting for some special instructions regarding the

» cigar.

No certain days to smoke , just a deadline for tyhe reviews. If it were up to each persone, some would let it rest a year LOL

If it is RYJ , I will be shocked in disbelief. RYJ has a very distint profile. SOrt of the lines of Monty, and Cuaba.