Anyone ever tried these? I did a search and came up blank. I can't even find them on any of the US Retailers I checked.

Yesterday at noon I was nowhere near home so I went to a shop that has the biggest selection of non-ISOM smokes in this area to get myself a treat. I got a Valee Grande Torpedo. (Here's the 4 sizes they make Valle Grande) It was $16.99, but what the hell, I was treating myself.

So I had the guy cut it for me and off I went after getting some coffee for someone here on this board!!

For the first 1-1/2" of this cigar, I started to see what you guys mean when you say "peppery" or "spicy". It was unbelieveable. Lots of smoke, perfect burn, great taste (many flavours I couldn't even identify) and just basically pleasureable ....... for the first 20 minutes

Then it happened. It started burning up one side a bit, and just didn't seem to draw right. I tried wetting my finger and dampening the wrapper above the "side-burn" and anything I could think of, but it just got worse to the point where the "side-burn" was 1/2" long (or more) and 1/4" wide and it was almost like trying to puff an empty tube. I ended up cutting it off about 1/4" back from the furthest burn point and relighting it, but it didn't smoke the same after this. Maybe it was just me, but it just wasn't the same.

Now, at the beginning it was great and I do look forward to smoking one or more again sometime , but someone please tell me this shit happens to even the best cigars once in a while and that more of this brand wouldn't do the same as a rule!!

Thanks in advance.