Review These - Reviews

[slcraiders]

Thanks Chris. I have a couple of those Angel 100's (made by Oliva I think) sitting in the tupperdore with loose singles.

That Monte EL was an absolute treat down to the final ash!

[WOXOF]

Thanks Chris. I have a couple of those Angel 100's (made by Oliva I think) sitting in the tupperdore with loose singles.

That Monte EL was an absolute treat down to the final ash!

I tried to stump you with the wrappers. The Angel 100 construction is great and the Monte is pretty dark for an ISOM. It's good to see your palate was up to the task. You had me worried when you said you had a cold.

The Angel 100 is actually made by NATSA in honor of Angel Oliva with 100% Oliva Tobacco. The one you smoked was the 1961. 1961 was the year that the Oliva family established a tobacco farm in Honduras in anticipation of the U.S. Embargo against Cuba.

Linky courtesy of ashauler.

[ashauler]

Smoked #1 today on my lunch hour.
This stick is a robusto size, approx 5" x 50 or so. Wrapper is a fairly dark natural, darker than cigar #2, but not a maduro. Construction is good, the stick feels firm with only a slight yield to pressure between the fingers. It appears to have at least a double cap, perhaps a third but I can't quite tell. The cut was uneventful and the pre-light draw was just about right for me, somewhat firm, but not an eye-popper.

It took to the bic pretty well and was easily lit. Initial draws produced some peppery spice and a pronounce leathery flavor. The aroma from the stick was very pleasant. The pepper seemed to dominate the flavor for the first third of the smoke, then the leather seemed to be taking the lead. At about the 1/2 way mark the pepper moved way to the background and the leather flavor with some added earthiness seemed to take over. It remained this way until th end. Very interesting smoke with this change up.

The ash held well and was nice and firm for the entire smoke. It broke off cleanly each time I ashed, and the ember showed only a slight cone, perhaps due to my smoking speed. I would place this in the med-full strength and body categories. I did not notice a significant nic hit.

I'm not even going to begin to guess the manufacturer of this stick, though the profile seemed familiar. It was an enjoyable smoking experience and I would certainly pick up a 5er of this stick for further exploration.

I'm gonna try to smoke #2 on tomorrow's lunch break.

[ashauler]

First off my apologies to the board for the delay in completing this.

I smoked #2 today on my lunch hour, accompanied by a nice cup of black coffee. This stick was lighter in shade than #1 and was approximately the same size (maybe a bit bigger ring but not alot). On inspecting the cigar, I noticed that the foot was "uneven" with the filler in the middle extending farther out of the end of the cigar than the edges, kind of wedge shaped. The wrap of the wrapper leaf was very evident and the feel of the stick was somewhat "bumpy". It was less firm than #1, but not extremely squishy.

After I cut it, there was a depression in the middle of the cut end....almost as if the bunch was uneven in length...extending longer in the middle at the foot, but short at the head. The light was easy and the burn was even throughout the smoke. The ash was not flaky, however it did not snap off the cigar and crumbled in the ashtray pretty easily. The ash also appeared to be very much whiter in the middle of the ash vs the edges and developed somewhat of a cone.

The flavor was straight up tobacco with some leather overtones. When exhaled through the nose it burned like a . The flavor didn't change much for me over the course of the stick. The draw as a little loose for my preference, and consequently I had to keep slowing down on my draws to keep it cool. This was a decent smoke, but not as eventful and interesting imho as #1.....therefore, based on that and the construction differences I will guess #1 as the more expensive cigar.

Thank you slcraiders for these two smokes, I enjoyed them both.

[slcraiders]

Very, very nice reviews!!!

You got it right:

#1 Padilla Miami 8&11 (8-9 bucks)
#2 Padilla Hybrid (3-4 bucks)

[ashauler]

Wow, I guess there really is a first time for everything.

[Mizicke5273]

Well I smoke the cigar marked #1 tonight while watching Annapolis.

It was a robusto sized smoked, very nice looking, smelled really good, and had a nice oily shine to it. I think it may have been a maduro.
It was nice and firm and just enough give to it. It cut really nicely. The draw was perfect, nice easy and effortless.

The first puff I took gave me quite a shock, it was very strong, spicy, and full of flavor. I had to lean back in my chair and let off a nice "Wow". And the smoke, man the smoke. This cigar really let it off nicely with an abundance of it. I love cigars like this, that have a real nice thick smoke to them. For the first 1/4 I think I got a slight coffee taste and was spicy. I would guess it to be a full bodied maduro at this point. It was very flavorful and burned perfetly. As it went on I think it got a bit spicier, but mellowed out abit around 1/2 way mark. At the beginning I think there were several flavors, but by the time I smoked 3/4 it became less complex. But wow it was still spouting out the smoke nicely.

It was a very well constructed smoke, that tasted great the whole way down to the nub. I really enjoyed this smoke, and will most certainly pick some up.

Ill probably smoke cigar #2 tomorrow sometime.

[Mizicke5273]

Ok I smoked stick #2 tonight while watching the Godfather part I.

This cigar was again a robusto sized cigar, good construction, a little less firmer than #1, and I believe it to be a connecticut wrapper. It cut easily and had a nice draw, almost perfect.

It lit pretty easily, seemed to have a simple one dimension taste with a slightly sweet aftertaste, and I think maybe a slight hint of coffee in the first few puffs. This one didnt produce as much smoke as the 1st one, but it was still pretty thick. Again after smoking it for a bit I still think it is a conneticut wrapper. It was a pretty smooth smoke, with the sweet aftertaste lasting through out the smoke untill a bit after the 3/4 mark. It burned great never had to touch it up or relight, the ash held good until about a 1/4 was gone, then it fell right on me. I thought it was on there better than it actually was. At the 1/2 way point, it became a little harsher, nothing major, just a slight change. At the 3/4 mark, it seemed to lose alot of its flavor and got rougher. Almost as I was done, the filler had started to slide out the head of the cigar a bit.

All in all I would say it was a decant smoke, not as good as the first but pretty good. Wouldnt mind smoking this one again either.

So Ill venture to guess that cigar #1 was the more expensive and cigar #2 was the less expensive?

[ashauler]

Nice reviews Micizike!! You nailed it:
#1 Cusano 18 paired maduro about $5
#2 Cusano MC $2 and sometimes less

The MC is a bundle stick from Cusano's celebrity series.

[Sporadic Metonomy]

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.

__________________________________________________ _____________________________________


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.

or

[Mizicke5273]

Your right! #2 was the more expensive of the 2.

#1 - 5 Vegas Cask Strength
#2 - Diamond Crown Maximus #5

Glad you enjoyed doing the reviews.

[bigwhiteash]

Review of cigars from Sporadic Metonomy

Cigar #1
Robusto, 5 X 54 or so, looks like corojo wrap, nicely built, smooth with minimal veins, firm to touch.
Cut cleanly, perfect draw, pleasant taste of tobacco and mild spice. Lit with the Colibri torch. Initial taste of strong pepper, but quickly evened out to familiar corojo goodness. Ash is fairly tight, light gray, I broke it off at about 1-1/4”. Burn is slightly uneven, but never became a problem. I did have some odd wrapper issues with this stick, it developed a series of small cracke in a spiral about 1/4 “ from the ember. It didn’t affect smoking any, but I’ve just never seen this. This stick had a nice peppery coffee like flavor, plenty of smoke, and nice burn. Reminds me of the few Pepin cigars that I’ve had.

Nubbed it, nice cigar!



Cigar #2
Toro, 6 X %0 or so, Maduro. Toothy, bumpy, oily, and firm to touch. Sweet cocoa aroma at the foot. Nice looking, well constructed cigar. Again, a perfect draw, with sweet tobacco flavors predominant. Lit with the torch, the first ¼” was a bit harsh, but quickly mellowed into the sweet earthy maduro taste. Ash is bright gray and held on fairly well. This cigar has a very short finish of cocoa/coffee, leaving no aftertaste… very nice! I did have some burn issues, but with a couple touchups, they were easily corrected. I really enjoyed the smooth dark chocolate flavors, and very nice aroma of this cigar.

Burn issues aside, I’m going to say cigar #2 is the more costly stick
But both of these will have a place in my humidor, Thank you

[Sporadic Metonomy]

Great reviews but Wrong! Lucky for you though.

Cigar #1: La Tradicion Perdomo Cameroon "R" MSRP: $5 to $7
Cigar #2 La Floridita Toro Maduro MSRP: $1.50 to $3


Glad you liked the smokes! Both had been aging for about a year now. Those La Floridita bundles are CHEAP at Famous-Smoke

[bigwhiteash]

Nice!

I do like finding good cigars in the lower price range

fooled again, though

[Maduro Man]

Cigar #1…Pre light, on first appearance this stick seemed like it may have had little mold dots all over it. Upon closer inspection It turned out to be just signs of a well seasoned stick. This stick was a true Maduro.(Thanks Spiffy)After toasting this baby it lit perfectly and the first few draws were great. Lots of thick white smoke! I enjoyed this stick with 3 fingers of crown on the rocks. What an ice pairing for a great smoke.
The stick burned even through out and the taste kept changing from spice to mellow wood back to spice.(Never made me sweat) and was mellow for the pallet. All in all I enjoyed this stick. Will smoke and review stick #2 tomorrow night. In addition to posting my opinion as to what stick was the better smoke and what stick was the more pricier.

Thank again Spiffy for the pleasure of enjoying this stick.

[spiffykyle]

Thanks bigwhiteash for the sticks. Here is the review for cigar #1.

This was a toro sized stick with a dark smooth wrapper. It felt solid, didn't give too much, and in general looked of good construction.

I enjoyed a Dr. Pepper with this smoke.

After the cut the pre-light draw was just a tad loose for my liking, but the flavor was right on.

It lit up very easily and once lit, the draw was pleasant as well. First thing I noticed is that this seems to be a rather mild smoke, maybe at the milder end of medium. I'm not seeing as much smoke coming off the cigar as I am used to. I don't know if its because it was chilly outside today or what. The cigar didn't change much throughout, just a steady mild, woody flavor.

Slight burn issues but nothing that effected the experience.

I would probably enjoy this as a morning smoke with some coffee.

Review #2 should be up tomorrow.

spiffy

[Maduro Man]

Cigar #1…Pre light, on first appearance this stick seemed like it may have had little mold dots all over it. Upon closer inspection It turned out to be just signs of a well seasoned stick. This stick was a true Maduro.(Thanks Spiffy)After toasting this baby it lit perfectly and the first few draws were great. Lots of thick white smoke! I enjoyed this stick with 3 fingers of crown on the rocks. What an ice pairing for a great smoke.
The stick burned even through out and the taste kept changing from spice to mellow wood back to spice.(Never made me sweat) and was mellow for the pallet. All in all I enjoyed this stick. Will smoke and review stick #2 tomorrow night. In addition to posting my opinion as to what stick was the better smoke and what stick was the more pricier.

Thank again Spiffy for the pleasure of enjoying this stick.

Stick #2 from Spiffy… Well I’m not going to bore everyone with a long story about a stick I did not like so, that’s just it…I did not like this stick. This stick looked good upon inspection and smelled nice out of the box. It was a square pressed Maduro. I was really looking forward to the taste this baby was going to give off. Gave her a light and then it happened…It turned on me…A lot less smoke then I am used to and the taste was very strong and over powering. I kept smoking it in hopes it would mellow a bit but it never did. It stayed overpowering from start to finish. The burn was very uneven and to put it simply I just didn’t like it.

So my guess is of the two sticks I had…# 1 was the more $$$ Stick and #2 was the cheaper one…Once again Spiffy I really want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to try both of these sticks. Loved #1 but #2 left me blue.

[spiffykyle]

Sorry for the dud there MM, kind of threw you off I guess. #2 was the more $$ one, a RP Vintage 1990. #1 was an Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Maduro. But at least you know you like a cheap cigar now

spiffy

[Maduro Man]

Sorry for the dud there MM, kind of threw you off I guess. #2 was the more $$ one, a RP Vintage 1990. #1 was an Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Maduro. But at least you know you like a cheap cigar now

spiffy

Shows you how much I know. At least I know what I like and what I dont like. Thanks again spiffy for hooking me up with the sticks.

[spiffykyle]

Thanks bigwhiteash for the sticks. Here is the review for cigar #1.

This was a toro sized stick with a dark smooth wrapper. It felt solid, didn't give too much, and in general looked of good construction.

I enjoyed a Dr. Pepper with this smoke.

After the cut the pre-light draw was just a tad loose for my liking, but the flavor was right on.

It lit up very easily and once lit, the draw was pleasant as well. First thing I noticed is that this seems to be a rather mild smoke, maybe at the milder end of medium. I'm not seeing as much smoke coming off the cigar as I am used to. I don't know if its because it was chilly outside today or what. The cigar didn't change much throughout, just a steady mild, woody flavor.

Slight burn issues but nothing that effected the experience.

I would probably enjoy this as a morning smoke with some coffee.

spiffy

Review for cigar #2 from bigwhiteash

Another Toro sized, maybe a little bit longer. Dark, slightly toothy wrapper. Not quite as firm as #1 but not squishy at all. I thought I felt a little plug a few inches in though.

Smelled nicely of sweet tobacco. The pre-light draw was tight, probably due to the plug.

After lighting it was indeed a tight draw. It was very windy outside today, hopefully this won't cause burn problems.

I paired this stick with an Arizona Sweet Tea. This was another mild/medium cigar, perhaps closer to medium than #1. One I worked my way past the plug the draw became tolerable. The cigar crept steadily towards medium as I went along, so by the end I could definitely taste some spiciness.

Another breakfast cigar in my book.

I enjoyed both of these cigars and would probably keep a few in my stock for those mornings that I have time to enjoy one. Its difficult for me to decide which is the pricier one. I am going to say that #1 was the more expensive stick.

Thanks bigwhiteash! How'd I do??

spiffy