Cigar Weekly

Cigar Weekly reviews are blind taste tests conducted by our readers. Reviewers are sent three samples with all identifying marks removed. Reviewers are chosen randomly from the list of everyone that has signed the Cigar Weekly Guest Book. Their comments are below.

Pre-Smoke Comments

Buddy Blackmon (puffman): The two robusto samples almost looked like different cigars, one having a dark EMS wrapper while the other had a decidedly reddish colorado tinge to it. Also the darker cigar was a good 1/4" longer than the other. Both wrappers were slightly veiny, leathery and had an oily sheen. Construction was solid on both, with one having an odd diagonal cap to it. Pre-light draw was perfect. The aroma before burning was negligible.

David Goldberg (dmg2): The first sample had good construction overall. Nice appearance on this belicoso.It was firm but not too tightly packed with a nice smooth cap and nice color a bit lighter than most maduros. Not too veiny but some texture. The second sample was decidely underfilled which impacted the the draw, burn and taste significantly. Also, it had a slight square shaped patch on the outside of the wrapper which I had never encountered before.

Ian Dunton (thebige): This cigar was extremely well constructed. I was impressed with the full, firm bunching of the body of the cigar. The wrapper was a rich, dark and oily maduro. Very nice pre-smoke aroma.

Michael Rah (ÞLuvDog): The wrapper on these cigars was nice and chocolatey. They were a few veins, but that's to be expected from with something this shade. There wasn't too much pre-light aroma which was somewhat disappointing, but I have a feeling these will perk up once they get torched.

robert tinning (gumby): This was a great looking cigar that I couldn't wait to try. Beautifully constructed.

Steve Richardson (StogieSteve): #169 is a 50 X 5 EMS Robusto. Both samples had a very firm bunch with no soft spots. The caps were very smooth - overall excellent construction. The wrapper, though smooth, not veiny and with a sheen, was somewhat mottled. This distracted from overall appearance.

 

Smoke Comments

Buddy Blackmon (puffman): Upon lighting, I noticed plenty of ligero kick and a slight sweetness. The initial power and hint of sweetness settled in after the first inch to a spicy, herbal flavor of medium body/full strength. Very peppery on the tongue. The bad news was the accompanying sourness along with an acrid, metallic finish. The smoke volume was good, with a pleasing aroma. The burn was razor perfect with a solid white ash that had only a few runaway flakes.

David Goldberg (dmg2): The appearance didn't disappoint. Overall, this was an awfully good medium to full bodied smoke which was perfect for after dinner. The draw on the first sample was very good with some resistance but not too tight. The flavor started off medium bodied with some nutty, earthy flavors. This smoke had a dark gray ash that was firm throughout. I didn't notice any problems with the burn at all on the first sample No bitterness noted at any point. About half way through the taste changed to some butter and leather with enough complexity to hold my attention. If I had to guess I would say this was some kind of a sun-grown wrapper.

Ian Dunton (thebige): After lighting, this cigar produced copius amounts of full strength, strong flavored, smoke. I was impressed with the burn of the cigar. It held a very solid, flat, white ash for the entire time the cigar was smoked. The flavor of the cigar was that of a very full bodied tobacco. I found few flavor identifers of the food variety. This cigar was just a full, strong flavored powerhouse cigar in my opinion.

Michael Rah (ÞLuvDog): The smoke was adequate... the draw was a little tight, but that may be because I've been having trouble regulating the humidity in my non-air conditioned house. The flavors were nice and earthy with some smooth creamy tastes thrown in from time to time.

robert tinning (gumby): This was an outstanding smoke. Perfect burn, no harshness or bitterness at whatsoever. Great complex flavor with smooth rich smoke. Add to this the fact that the cigar has a little punch to it. I smoked these right down to the nuband it never got bitter and retained its outstanding flavor throughout.

Steve Richardson (StogieSteve): I would classify this cigar as on the mild side of medium bodied. Both samples were very consistent. The draw was perfect and the burn even from start to nub. Very firm light gray ash. According to my wife, the aroma was very pleasant. Good tobacco flavor with a very pleasant, very light sweetness in the aftertaste.

William Stewart (unklebill): This was a full flavored smoke, with strength just on the manly side of medium. At first sight and smell I had this baby pegged as a Villazon product. But after lighting this pleasure-stick..... I don't think they make a smoke with this much ooomph! It had a pronounced spicy flavor with just a little cream and a long pepper finish. This cigar produced just the right amount of smoke, had a perfect draw and burn. Nary a problem here.

Summary Comments

Buddy Blackmon (puffman): With some aging, I think these smokes have real potential. Muy fuerte! They reminded me of the newer lines from Villazon. The sharpness and sourness at this stage made them less than ideal, even though the construction and burn were very good. I would like to smoke one again in a year. Thanks Dan!

David Goldberg (dmg2): A very good cigar overall not withstanding significant construction problems on the second sample. The second was underfilled which significantly detracted from the burn, taste and overall experience. Luckily, the first was packed full of enough rich, complex flavor to overcome this problem. I'm guessing these might be out of my regular price range but I would definitely be interested in picking up some more.

Ian Dunton (thebige): The overall experience of smoking this cigar was very good. I was in awe of the construction and burn of this cigar. One of the best I've seen in some time. Although I do not always smoke a cigar this full, the richness of flavor made this a very enjoyable smoke. Nothing overwhelming, just a generous amount of strong tobacco flavor. I would absolutely try this one again.

Michael Rah (ÞLuvDog): Overall, I really enjoyed these cigars.

robert tinning (gumby): This is an outstanding smoke. I can't wait to find out what it is because it will be a regular in my rotation. I have tried a lot of maduros and this is one of the best I have smoked. I rated it "outstanding" but it easily could have been rated superior. Wow.

Steve Richardson (StogieSteve): I rested the samples for 7 days before smoking. I smoked one in the evening and the other the next morning with coffee. I really like this cigar. I would call it a outstanding everyday smoke. This cigar has excellent flavor of good tabacco that has had proper care. Depending on price point, I would buy this cigar with regularity.

William Stewart (unklebill): Hey!!! I loved this cigar! Imagine a well balanced Punch Corojo....(I haven't had one yet, but use your imagination)... but with the corojo in the filler and a Maduro wrapper. I started out drinking nothing with this cigar, and decided on a Blue Moon Belgian White: Perfect choice. If you like a peppery cigar, grab this one. Not complex, but darn good and enough strength to keep you on your toes. This cigar should hold your attention for the entire smoke. I would buy a box of these.

Scores

 Review Results
Final Score: 39.6 out of 50

 

4 Star -- Excellent

 

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