2007 Saint Luis Rey Double Corona Forum Group Review

[GTS21]

Had a chance to smoke the SLR DC yesterday. I'll get my review up asap!

[jay8354]

Saint Luis Rey Double Corona 5 yr tasting review

Intoduction:

My previous experiences with the SLR DC is the half cab I first ordered from Czar. This cigar was one of the most profound smokes. It seems to be better when enjoyed with company of like minded friends. Last experience was when Rob came down to Sydney.

This SLR will be paired with a bottle of 2003 Hollicks Nectar.

After a very frustrating week and one of the worst afternoons when I only got home after 10.30pm, all I can think of was the fact that I was going to smoke this cigar to bring me to a happier mood. My good friend Fuzz dropped by to do a side by side comparison with a SOL Jun 05 SLR DC. So we retired to my front of the house to be under cover in the car port, when the weather was chilly and showers.

Cigar:

When I first received the cigar by post, it was a creature of excellence. However, after not checking the humidor for 1 week, something happened. The cigar had a big ugly split in the wrapper in the middle. I checked the desktop and it was holding a stable 63F and 65.5RH. All other cigar are not affected…

I checked the cigar fully and deemed it to be acceptable for the fire treatment. Though I have to admit that it was visually one ugly smoke. However, all other aspects of SLR DC came forward in the rest of inspection. Wrapper was Colorado shade, silky smooth, not a lot of oils. Construction was the highest standards with no hard spots. Aroma was of light tobacco with traces of honey notes.

Cut the cap with the Palio and tested the Pre Light Draw. Draw was just a little tight which is my preference. the flavours were bready and a slight sweetness.

Torched the foot and flavours were of latte coffee, butter bread. Very stayed the same throughout the 1st third. The burn were very good, slow and even. Ash was a medium grey and held together well.

This was the same until the 2nd third, from here I detect a sweet spiciness that seems to me like sweet paprika. The DC’s aroma were still very creamy, light sweetness and hints of cocoa. But that touch of spice adds a new dimension to the profile and complexity that it was lacking before. The burn now is a little uneven, though I attribute this to outdoor smoking. Also, it was approaching the crack in the wrapper which is making a mess of the burn. Frequent touch-ups needed.

The last third was a disappointment to me, as the DC youth starts to show with the tannic greenness (I have no other words for it) coming to the forth. Pepper is now coming to the forth but youth is now overwhelming the more subtle flavours in the background. Burn have even out again with slight tunnelling.

In conclusion, IMHO this is a mild flavour cigar that have good smoke volume with a light mouth feel. The problem for me with this cigar is lack of age. Even though it is approachable now, the balance in the flavour profile s not yet there. It needs at least 3 years of resting before the youth of the cigar is gone. Even then, Fuzz was smoking a 3 yr SLC DC and he still could pick out the tannic aftertaste in the later stages of the cigar

I think of this as a 85 out of 100. A 3.5 out of six if you will.

I am interested on how it will be in the next 4 stages of this experiment if my guess pans out.

[Tom Bolivar]

Dear all

Here is my go with this year’s Saint Luis Rey Double Corona.

When I received the cigar I knew this one is going to be a though one to do a review. The cigars wrapper and part of the binder had some huge cracks in them as it probably was jolted or bend while in transportation.

Other to the nasty cracks the wrapper looked very nice and was even a bit shiny after his long travel to Europe. The smell was rich, just like I would expect it from a SLR DC.

About four days ago I finally found the time to smoke it and cut its head. The draw was very loose and I knew it will not draw. I torched the end any way but as expected no smoke made it into my mouth when I drew on it.

Sadly I had to cut the cigar literally in half. Something I have never done before. But I wanted to do a review here. It was a shame to throw away half of this DC made up of such beautiful tobacco, but a man has to do what a man has to do.

I torched my Petit Double Corona again and there it was. From the first puff on it was "present". Nice tobacco aroma, smooth but complex. A tad bit sour like I know my SLRs. But again I was really surprised how this cigar immediately caught my attention.

At first with the first one or two centimetres (usually this would be the middle of the second third) the smoke in my mouth was smooth and cold and above all it was kind of silky. This refined silkiness stayed until the end and it was so noticeable that a re-known Swiss vendor that was present when I was smoking this cigar commented on the smooth smoke coming from it.

After about the first centimetre I’ve noticed a subliminal ginger bread like taste which I always long for when I smoke a SLR DC. The ginger bread stayed for a while only to be converted into a more flavoursome mixture of toasted bread and spicy tobacco which stayed until the end of this most unusual smoke.

All in all I found it to be a spectacular Regios. LOL

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this cigar especially after the surgery I had to perform. But most of all it was never aggressive, not even for one puff. This I found to be amazing considering its age.

Since I am not familiar with the 100 points score nor the “n out of 6” I’m a bit in difficulties here. But considering mostly taste I would give it a 4.5 out 6.

From a handcraft perspective I would even give a better rating but I believe handcraft/tinkering are no aspects in those scores, right?

Thank you, Rob and all who have made this possible. Looking very forward to next years smoke!

Regards,

Tom

[CIGARHead]

Way to make the best of the SLR "Deuce PC", Tom!

Great reviews thus far fellas:clap:

[El Presidente]

Great recovery Tom

[Ginseng]

I have been on antibiotics the last few days and my sense of taste and smell have been progressively disappearing. I'm afraid that I'm going to be the laggard here. It's either smoke the cigar or knock down this sinus infection and since I don't prefer surgery, antibiotics it is.

I'll monitor things and hope to be back in shape in the next two weeks or so.

Sorry gentlemen.

Wilkey

[El Presidente]

» I have been on antibiotics the last few days and my sense of taste and

» smell have been progressively disappearing. I'm afraid that I'm going to

» be the laggard here. It's either smoke the cigar or knock down this sinus

» infection and since I don't prefer surgery, antibiotics it is.

»

» I'll monitor things and hope to be back in shape in the next two weeks or

» so.

»

» Sorry gentlemen.

»

» Wilkey

Don't worry about it Wilkey....get well

[asmith]

» I can tell you that cooking the team BBQ at Czar house is a nerve wracking Lisa and Diana are Nazi’s on how they like their steak cooked.

The truth be know Rob almost lost his arm as he placed the food on the table. Like three Zimbabwean opposition supporters they dived into the BBQ food as if it was the last meal they may ever see. Rob took a step back and had a quick count to check all fingers were still attached.

It was like I had never really left the place, the jokes were still there, the abuse was still there, the only difference being Lisa greets me with a massive hug now, never got them when I worked there?

As Rob has pointed out above flavours are what we discuss in the afternoon. I also felt there was a hint of mint in the first third. The youthfulness of this cigar really showed through with its greenness and final third of cut grass.

It didn't take me on a flavour journey that I was hoping for and I want more power but it did leave me intrigued to where it will head in five years. Rob predicted sweet honeycomb and nougat. The lack of strong spice shepherds me towards a coffee and floral mild/medium cigar in five years.

While sitting there with a glass of Cuban rum and this SLR DC, I kept on asking myself "Why again did you leave this Smithy?" Thank you Rob for the cigar and Lisa, Diana and Mini Smithy for the laughs.

[El Presidente]

» While sitting there with a glass of Cuban rum and this SLR DC, I kept on

» asking myself "Why again did you leave this Smithy?" Thank you Rob for

» the cigar and Lisa, Diana and Mini Smithy for the laughs.

You left because we initially peddled you as our "handicapped" cigar packer in order that no-one would ever dare complain. When you fronted me and said it was somehow demeaning ....we then peddled you as ***.

There is little thanks in this world

[Ken Gargett]

»

» You left because we initially peddled you as our "handicapped" cigar

» packer in order that no-one would ever dare complain.

i think that is what hillary would call having 'misspoke'.

When you fronted me

» and said it was somehow demeaning ....we then peddled you as ***.

i think that is what is known as the truth.

[Trevor2118]

» Between now and the 31st of March, find an opportunity to conduct your full review. I initially set it down for the final weekend of March.

One day late for the smoking (but now done), with the review coming tomorrow.

[Mel]

Well ****! I wrote my reveiw then looked at the "format". I did not even come close to all the work that Rob wanted from me but here is what I wrote.

After work alone in the smoking room. No drink. No pictures. No food. just a cutter and a fire.

I will start by saying that the SLR DC is one of my favorite double coronas and I am pleased to be in this group smoking these great cigars. I have smoked several year classes of these and was really fond of the 02’s. They were the bomb right Ken?

I had to smoke mine Monday evening as the weekend was to full of turkey hunting and a DC was to long of a cigar for the daytime events. My cigar had a very light wrapper of a claro grading and was without spots or blemishes. The stick was not overly heavy in the hand and had some soft and hard areas when given the squeeze test, which gave me some concern. The draw was good but I upgraded it to excellent after lighting it up and having so much smoke with very little effort.

The cigar started out bright, strong and very alive with burnt caramel and earth. There was a distinct brackish brown seawater taste on the lips and I was a likin it. At mid way a bitter bite developed and was somewhat distracting but I pushed on. After another half in she bitter smoothed out and was replaced by a little pepper spice and salty old leather.

The last third was quite smooth considering the youth and rough spots of the middle and I smoked it very short. The burn was excellent all the way and the fears of uneven roll with the hard and soft areas were unfounded. It was a good cigar scoring an 88 but was not the classic the SLR DC that I have seen before. Time will tell if it will become one.

Rob I will study up on your marching orders and possibly do better next time, if I don't you can come right over here and belt my clacker.;-)

[GTS21]

The pics...

The review...

**I want to state up front that I probably didn't give this cigar much of a fighting chance as I smoked it outside on a very cold evening (notice the progression in the pictures from bare hand to partial glove to full glove). No doubt in my mind that the temperature affected the performance of the cigar.**

Previous experience: I can't say that I have much experience with SLRs, though I'm a fan of the tubed churchill. Given the hype, I felt compelled to stash away 04, 05 and 06 cabs (can't locate an 01 cab)

Drink: Nestle Pure Life flavored water, "Lemon Splash"

Movie on portable DVD: Dawn of the Dead 2004 remake

Setting: Out on the deck, sun going down, getting colder and colder and colder.....light breeze

Initial thoughts: This was a very pretty cigar to look at, nice shiny wrapper with a solid feel. Moderate amount of veins and minimal tooth. No noticeable soft or hard spots, felt quite uniform throughout. Typical barnyard odor prior to lighting.

Pre light draw was pleasantly firm. Just on the firm side of perfect, which was a pleasant surprise for me as I've had trouble with DCs in the past. Straightforward sweet tobacco flavor on the pre-light draw.

Ash & burn: medium colored ash, very flaky. The burn started off straight and became more and more crooked as the cigar burned down. Several touchups were required to keep things as even as possible.

First third/2nd third/Final third: I'll lump all three thirds together as I can't honestly say I detected many changes throughout the cigar. Likely the cold of the evening and the choice of movie (see above) didn't help my concentration (zombies are scary, zombies that run fast are extra scary).

I detected cocoa, vanilla, pepper, graham cracker, at various times throughout the smoke. Never overwhelming, even with a fair amount of nose exhalation. At most a mild to medium -bodied smoke. Not one-dimensional, but not blowing me away with complexity either. Satisfying but clearly young and full of potential. Short to medium finish, doesn't linger too long.

This cigar would have benefitted quite a bit from a better smoking setting. Alas, I'm not permitted to smoke in the house. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and look forward to charting its progression as it ages over time. Obviously a first class cigar with excellent raw materials. Well constructed and already pleasant.

Rating out of 100 -- 84

Rating out of 6 -- 4

Thanks for the opportunity to be a part of this taste test!!

[Ken Gargett]

i'm seriously fascinated by this. still have to drop by rob's to collect mine but unless people have a seriously different calibration to their ratings to me (quite possible - glass half full etc...), i am finding these scores very low. to the extent that i am wondering if we have somehow jagged a dud box. i've had a few from my own cab from 07 and loved them and i had one, an 07 though i do not have the code, from a restaurant in spain (it was imported into switzerland and then purchased there and shipped across to spain as appaently SLR DC's do not go to spain). aside from hamlet's fabulous cigars, it was the pick of the trip, ranking alongside the new LE monte sublime.

i would have expected much higher scores (what a lot of miserable bastards you are).

i wonder if rob has considered doing this with a few different smokes, perhaps of differing sizes. say a PLPC, a mag 46, a coro? there must be other suggestions (its only profit). would b fascinating to see thoughts on how those aged.

[tigger]

» i'm seriously fascinated by this. still have to drop by rob's to collect

» mine but unless people have a seriously different calibration to their

» ratings to me (quite possible - glass half full etc...), i am finding

» these scores very low.

Ken,

Were they converted to letter grades, I think all of the reviews thusfar would be in the B/B+ range...not too shabby.

I look forward to reading your thoughts on the cigar. :-)

[Ken Gargett]

Ken,

»

» Were they converted to letter grades, I think all of the reviews thusfar

» would be in the B/B+ range...not too shabby.

»

» I look forward to reading your thoughts on the cigar. :-)

i think i've tried 6-7 of them, all from my cab bar the one mentioned and i reckon scores would have been early 90s at least for most of mine and 95 at least for the one from the restaurant. i'm convinced that splitting a bottle of 02 de vogue musigny and then a 77 talors VP and lord knows what else in no way impacted on my ability to assess the cigar at the end of a 7 hour lunch.

[smokum]

A lot of comparable notes in the reviews thus far. I personally think the youth comments are dead on and it wasn't all that great. The day after this review I smoked a PSDC 2 from June of 05 that blew the SLRDC out of the water on every level.

[brian1]

Previous SLR DC Experience:

Zero, never smoked a SLR DC before, in fact this was my first DC ever.

Drink:

Barry’s Irish Breakfast Tea

Smoking Time:

1.5 hours

Setting:

9pm kids are asleep, I retire to my cigar room, aka the garage.

Wrapper/ Construction:

Flawless 10/10. Light brown, shiny and not a blemish or vein showing. Perfect triple cap. Probably the finest wrapper and overall good looking cigar I have come across for a long time. I ashed this cigar 3 times only and never had to touch up which is unusual for me. Whomever rolled this was is at the top of their game.

Aroma at Cold:

Normal cigar smell

Pre light Draw:

Perfect draw, with just the right amount of tug to it.

Taste

First Third:

Impressive start right from the get go. Very cool smoke, sweet cream flavor very noticeable, reminds me of the Punch SR Asia Regional I enjoyed recently. Firm rock solid ash no flaking. Not too much change in flavor about 1 inch in now starting to pick up hints of cedar wood. Very nice. Very little spice in the nose at this stage just cool smooth flavors coming through.

Second Third:

Cream evolving to a burnt sugar taste reminding me of crème bruelle. Tannins picking up a little but not offensive. Not overly complex at this stage probably given its youth but the flavors are there and will come out with age. At the half way point I am detecting more woody flavors now, cream fading to the background and some spice in the nose on exhale, nothing unpleasant but you know its there. Also getting some leather flavors now with hints of bitter chocolate. Definate notch up in power as I approach the final third. Cream flavors gone now. This is definitely holding my interest

Final Third:

Heavy leather, feeling the power and nicotine as we go up a notch again. Strong wood and leather coming through, very Partagas like. Also detecting hints of mint at the back of my palette, very unusual. Leather fading in the last 2 inches, all tobacco and power now but never harsh which is quite impressive given its youth. Layed it down with 1 inch to go.

Conclusion:

Not a size I have any experience with and my fear initially was this may turn out to be boring given its size and some of the other mediocre reviews posted here. Not the case at all, very enjoyable especially given its youth. A very solid 92/100 for me.

[Colt45]

» i'm seriously fascinated by this.

Speaking on my particular experience, to my palate the flavors and their delivery

indicate a cigar in transition - almost turmoil.

Even if I were want, I could not have taken into account potential, as I just don't

know what it may evolve into.

But I guess that's the point of the exercise - to find out.

[Mel]

Ken do you remember the 02 year class and smoking them with two years on? This one just did not measure up. I must also admit that over the last couple years I have had some really exceptional cigars and mid 90 scores are harder to come by. I would be surprised to see the cigar evolve very far with time as it was on the mild side for a young stick.

[Ken Gargett]

mel, i do. that there are more top cigars around should theoretically not mean lower scores for others but i understand why it happens.

good to see we have at least one score up in the 90s. i will be really interested to see if it comes up on the day or if this is, by sad chance, a lesser box. i thought i recalled quite a few posts suggesting the 07's were th best release since the 01's? anyone out there not involved (or even if they are involved) who has tried '07's, not from this box, with any thoughts?

[El Presidente]

» i'm seriously fascinated by this. still have to drop by rob's to collect

» mine but unless people have a seriously different calibration to their

» ratings to me (quite possible - glass half full etc...), i am finding

» these scores very low. to the extent that i am wondering if we have

» somehow jagged a dud box. i've had a few from my own cab from 07 and loved

Keep in mind Ken that the object of the exercise is not the rating of the SLR DC (good or otherwise) but tracing its evolution over 5 years.

[Ken Gargett]

» Keep in mind Ken that the object of the exercise is not the rating of the

» SLR DC (good or otherwise) but tracing its evolution over 5 years.

understand that (hence the suggeston above re others of differing sizes) but as a side issue, i see people bagging one of my absolute fave cigars. one must leap to their defence.

[Colt45]

» but as a side issue, i see people bagging one of my absolute fave cigars.

» one must leap to their defence.

Perhaps then, it's you. Looking forward to your review, but I'm hoping your infatuation with this

cigar does not keep you from bringing your objectivity to the party.

P.S. do you treat your "work" deadlines like this one?

[greenpimp]

» anyone out there not involved (or

» even if they are involved) who has tried '07's, not from this box, with

» any thoughts?

I have sampled 2 '07's from my cab from later 07, and two singles from earlier 07. The singles were quiet excellent and ready to go, though obviously quite young, and I would put them in the low 90's category. Intensity and complexity and a bright cherry note that was quite memorable.

The cigars from my cabinet, however, are not really ready to smoke. I would agree that they act quite green, and would ballpark them in the mid-high 80's. There is something really good behind the veneer, it seems. I smoked one on Easter day, and would have pitched it just over halfway (tannic) but I was in the backyard and too damn lazy to get up and get another one, so I kept puffing on it and purging it, and at the last 2" mark, the damndest thing happened. It flew over the clouds finally, and suddenly tasted like the great cigar that I think it's going to be. Cocoa and black truffle and dried fruit. After all that discord.