Okeedokee, here are my reviews for the smokes I received from Mizicke5273.

Thanks for the experience. It was fun.


Cigar #1

6-inches, 52-54 rg.

Appearance: This smoke appeared to be a Toro size smoke with a Connecticut wrapper. The stogie was veiny and rough looking. It appeared to be jam-packed with tobacco making it the firmest cigar I've ever felt. I mean, this thing felt like a Billy club. The cap was hastily prepared, but that went along the lines of the "rough" appearance.

First Third: Despite the rough appearance, this smoke started out promising. The burn was sharp except for a little, wave-like inconsistency. The flavor, at least during the first inch, was creamy and smooth with a short finish. The aroma was floral and pleasant. The flavor of this cigar reminded me several Don Kiki C.E. Beck's I've had.

Second Third: The flavor is shifting from a nice creaminess to a slightly irritating spice...especially felt in the back of my throat. I keep thinking I'm licking page A8 of a week old newspaper. The burn is still very good and the ash is holding on like a champ (whatever that means). The finish is VERY dry. I'm chugging the water on this one. The aroma is still wonderful. I'd almost rather smell the resting smoke of this cigar than taste it. The ash held on for about 3-inches.

Final Third: Same newspaper taste. Dry finish. Only now it's a bit harsher on the back of my throat. The burn is still wonderful. I didn't mind setting this one down with about 1 1/2 inches left.


Conclusion: I knew I was in for a battle with this cigar considering it's rough wrapper and rock-hard consistency. The flavor was so promising in the first inch, so much so that I was beginning to think I was going to enjoy the smoke. It ended up being less than enjoyable cigar, especially in flavor. Kudos to the roller though! The burn was exquisite.

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Cigar #2

5 inches, 46-50rg. (I have no way to measure. It's smaller than the first cigar)


Appearance: There's nothing too fancy about this little maduro robusto. The cigar is less toothy than cigar 1, but it still has its veins. The cigar was much softer to the touch. When clipped, the cap popped right off. I've never had a cigar do that before and it created a near perfect opening from which to draw smoke. The foot smells of dark chocolate and hay with a touch of spice.


First Third: I used three matches to toast this cigar until it was lit. The flavor of the smoke was that very familiar "maduro" flavor; slightly sweet, bitter & a tad spicy. The spice was especially coming through on the front of the tongue. The burn is a little bit off, but still good. This smoke reminded of the budget La Floridita maduros I smoke all the time, but it seems a bit better in the construction dept. The draw was a bit tighter than I care for.


Second Third: The flavor is becoming spicier with a new charcoal taste coming through. Inexplicably, at the halfway mark, this cigar just went out. It gave no indication it was going to do that and I thought I was smoking at a reasonably steady pace. After purging and re-lighting, the cigar was off again with the same spicy taste. The cigar was still fairly tight on the draw.

Final Third: The cigar continued being a typical maduro. The spice was there, the bitter dark chocolate returned. The smoke was considerably denser on the palate as we approached the end. I don't know why I referred to the cigar & me as "We." Maybe my mind was wandering, completely bored with this cigar? I smoked the cigar to the nub and let it die.

Conclusion: Although I enjoyed this cigar much more than the first, it seemed to be a very basic maduro cigar that I've had over and over again. I found nothing complex in flavor or anything to write home about the construction.

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Mike,

Thanks so much for letting me review these smokes! Considering the differences in the two cigars (they were two completely different smokes) it's difficult to decide which is the more expensive. My gut tells me that #2 is the less expensive smoke. So we'll go with the gut.

#2 is the more expensive 'gar.

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