Cigarsmokers box split reviews

[craig]

Is there a protocol, or can I post away? I'm tempted to try one of the Pinar's later today ...

[Diesel Grinch]

No protocol I know of. So post away.

DG

[craig]

Its usually better to smoke a few examples of a cigar before posting a review, but I'm ignoring that bit of advice here. This was actually my first Pinar del Rio of any kind.

Size:
6" x 50 Toro. Actual size was 6 1/16" x 49 (Habanos SA template). Shrinkage of one ring is what I usually see, as is a slightly taller cigar in sticks that don't have flat-cut (Cuban-style) heads.

Filler/Binder/Wrapper:
DR/Nic filler, DR binder, maduro DR wrapper (from the pdrcigar.com website.)

Summary:
For the moment, similar to an Ashton VSG, although not as strong or peppery. I smoked this one wet (72%RH), and had a partial plug. I will try the next at 65%RH.

Pre-light:
The first thing that comes to mind when looking at this cigar is that the wrapper is fairly light for an Oscuro - obviously no dye or colour enhancers were used! The veins are minimal and stand proud, so there was no pressing of the wrapper to squash the veins. (Painting wrapper and excessive wrapper processing are pet peeves of mine.)

The bunch looked good, with no evidence of booked construction. The filler was well-packed, i.e., a heavy cigar, with no soft or hard spots. The cold draw was perfect. The cigar had a subtle aroma, and the unlit tobacco had a mild and innocuous tobacco flavour. The scent from toasting was pleasant.

Lit:
Starting out, the cigar was pretty good. There was a faint sweetness, no bitterness, no sharpness (acidity), and no saltiness. The smoke was not biting or hot on the tongue.

Overall, flavours were pleasurable but not awesome, well-balanced, and with a brief aftertaste. The flavour was not as intense as I would have liked, and surprisingly diminished in intensity as the middle of the cigar was approached. I had a hard time coming up with any CA-type descriptors.

The reason for the loss in flavour soon became evident after the half-way mark - the cigar was partially plugged about an inch and a half from the head of the cigar. This contributed towards a slightly uneven burn, and led to blackened (tarred) filler. Although I corrected the draw with a poker, the damage to the cigar's burn and flavour had already been done, and I put the cigar down.

I suspect that the next Pinar I smoke will be a lot better experience. The potential is there.

As an aside, there was a wrapper patch hidden under the label

Edit: re-smoked. No issues, well-packed cigar. I think I"ll leave the rest for the fall (nine months). Full taste, straightforward honest tobacco taste, not complex, similar to a Litto Gomez Diaz Cubano

[Diesel Grinch]

Nice review Craig. I haven't touched any yet. Maybe this weekend if I'm lucky.

DG

[ashauler]

Nice review, thanks.

[bigwhiteash]

Nice reviews!


I've burned two of each Oscuro and Habano Sun-Grown..

The sungrowns have had absolutely zero construction flaws, and burn / draw were perfect. Very nice cigars.
The Oscuros did tend to need touchups, but niether were plugged. Also pleasant medium bodied cigars.

[craig]

Nice reviews!


I've burned two of each Oscuro and Habano Sun-Grown..

The sungrowns have had absolutely zero construction flaws, and burn / draw were perfect. Very nice cigars.
The Oscuros did tend to need touchups, but niether were plugged. Also pleasant medium bodied cigars.

Thanks all for the kind words.

In hindsite, the partial plug was probably my fault, as I probably didn't wait long enough after the cigars were frozen in transit. I'll post a follow-up when I smoke the next one in February .

(January is my singles month - twenty-nine different cigars smoked so far! )

[bigwhiteash]

(January is my singles month - twenty-nine different cigars smoked so far! )

Damn... that's pretty damn cool bro! You do that every year?


My smokes traveled south, so no frost on them here... I actually smoked the first one the very next day. I like to get an idea of how new cigars smoke fresh, then I have something to base any possible aging on.

I will be keeping an eye out for the good deals on these, I think I have room for a box, at least of the sungrowns.

[craig]

Damn... that's pretty damn cool bro! You do that every year?<snip>

Nope - although I did the same thing last January, because that was about when I discovered cbid/cigarauctioneer/cigarmonster/joecigar . (I have since been cured of those afflictions. )

It just happened that I recently did the Newbie sampler here (Thanks Drew!) and also did the Newbie sampler over at CP, plus there were some gifted smokes, so all of a sudden I had around sixty singles. I've also been working at home since the holidays, so I thought I might as well set up a spreadsheet and smoke two or three a day to identify candidates for future non-Cuban box purchases .

[mrtr33]

I chose this as my weekly smoke. Glad that I did.

I'm not great about picking out specific flavors, so it's a sophomoric review at best. I enjoyed it going on a walk with my wife last night.

I would say I let it rest for about a couple of weeks since Chris mailed them to me.

For the first half of the cigar, everything was great. Nice amount of smoke. Not a ton of flavor. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, but just not anything noticeable or spectacular.

The second half of the cigar was a whole different story. What went from a relatively evenly burning cigar turned to where it wouldn't burn on one side. No matter how I held it, how long I'd let it rest, or even relighting it, on one side, it wouldn't stay lit. But the remarkable thing was the flavor. My wife has been a bit under the weather, and commented how great the cigar smelled. The flavors were amazing. Not really spicy, just a great tobacco flavor. I just couldn't keep the damn thing going right.

I ended up nubbing it. The cigar lasted probably an hour.

I'd like to thank DG, as well as the rest of the community, and the kind folks at Pinar, who made it possible for me to enjoy this smoke.

[craig]

Interesting experience, I wonder what parts of the blend caused it.
Thanks for sharing!

[mrtr33]

Interesting experience, I wonder what parts of the blend caused it.
Thanks for sharing!

could that have been it? It was just the very edge of one side of the cigar. The cigars haven't gotten wet at any time. I do keep my cigars around 70 rh, and about 68-71 degrees F. This Pinar was in the dry box since Friday evening. Weird. It's not like it's going to deter me from picking up another one anytime soon.

[craig]

Just guessing, but maybe the ligero got folded over and was only in the last half of the cigar? Just a guess. Kinda makes me want to smoke another one tonight ...