The KC/DW Review Series

[King Catfish]

Sorry, gents. Responsibilities call, and I must beg off until tomorrow night, at which time I will post a a review of a Gran Habano Corojo #5.

[King Catfish]

Gran Habano Corojo #5

This evening I poured myself a glass of my usual, and put on piano sonatas in place of Wednesday evening’s smooth jazz.

The Gran Habano Corojo #5 appeared to be a Rothschild vitola, stubby and thick. The band was elaborate, but did not overpower the visual presentation of the cigar. Unlit, the cigar smelled of dark coffee with a teasing whiff of unsweetened chocolate (which never materialized once the cigar was lit). The medium-coarse wrapper was very even and dark and the sheen of oil was noticeable among the small veins. The cigar was firm in the hand and well constructed, and yielded a bit when squeezed.

The aroma receded into faintness once the cigar was burning. The cigar was immediately sweet and funky on the lips and tongue, and right away commenced to produce an enormous volume of smoke from an easygoing draw. The smoke was tame on the tongue and shy of the throat.

This set the tone that held sway through the first third of the cigar: bold and brazen; there was a notable lack of pepperiness, and this persisted through the middle of the cigar. What might have been a slight saltiness was gone well before the first third was traversed. The burn zone was less than sharply defined, and a bit uneven. Flavor intensity and body were generous.

The Gran Habano started to become contemplative and mellow in the middle; a definite transition was occurring! The burn has evened itself out at this point without assistance, and the burn zone was a black razor line bisecting the diameter of the cigar. The cigar left in its wake a very long, cohesive ash, well over 2 inches when it dropped off into the ashtray. The taste was light on sweetness and saltiness, and not at all acidic. The intensity of the flavor and body were decreasing steadily as the cigar make its trek toward senescence.

In the last third, the Gran Habano was increasingly civilized, becoming a bit earthy, but less shy of the throat; more leather, a little more coffee, hints of pepper starting to show at the nub. The flavors were becoming less bold, but started to cooperate a bit more than at first. Then, a parting gift: a teasing intimation of blackberries!

Raw score 17.05 (x 5) = 85.25

Thanks again to DeeDubya.

EDITED TO ADD: Any criticism or feedback on this review, the previous one, or any that follow would be greatly appreciated.

[King Catfish]

Montecristo White Especiale No. 3.

This afternoon, after lunch, I smoked a Montecristo White. It appears to be an Especiale #3. It is a small robusto or long Rothschild in shape. The band a white circle with a gold Fleur-de-Lis. The wrapper color was light brown and very even and uniform. Prelight aroma was a pure tobacco sort of smell, rich and unassuming. The taste was immediately very rich and creamy on the lips and tongue, with a very slight hint of bite in the throat. Smoke was abundant throughout. The aftertaste lingered a bit and was somehow simultaneously slightly sharp and thick/creamy, perhaps a bit alkaline like black coffee. Wood and leather predominated the generous flavor. The harmony of presentation on the palate was superior. Strength was quite mild, medium in the last third, with coffee flavors ascending.

Overall, the cigar was possessed of a elegant, harmonious, and agreeable character that did not overstate its case. The cigar remained mostly steady through its lifetime, with no noticeable evolution except for increasing intensity after the midpoint.

16 (x 5) = 80.

Thanks again, DW.

[DeeDubya]

King Catfish,
I would say that your review of the Gran Hanano and Montecristo are right on. I don't have the discriminating palate that you have and I can't detect all the distinct flavors. I wish I could but I'm afraid that some of my taste buds are either lame or missing altogether.
However, generally speaking I know a good cigar when I smoke one. I have to say that the finish is most important for me with any cigar.
A perfectly good tasting, even burning cigar that has a bitter or harsh finish is IMO a bad cigar. I know that some people smoke a cigar just down to the band and toss it. But when I smoke a really good tasting cigar to the band I just can't stop there. I peel the band and continue to enjoy it, sometimes until my fingers are getting hot. Now that's what I'm talking about, a good finish that I truly enjoyed and a taste that I will remember. After all, the finish will determine the aftertaste.
Let me know if you try another one of the Gurhka "rejects". I held a few back for the goats but if you find a way to smoke them, I'll give them another try.

[King Catfish]

King Catfish,
Let me know if you try another one of the Gurhka "rejects". I held a few back for the goats but if you find a way to smoke them, I'll give them another try.

Well, I've had two so far, one lit from the "open" end and the other lit from the "overlap" end, and both times the wrapper came completely off the cigar. The Master Select has a taste I really like, so I fought my way through it both times. No luck so far on keeping the wrapper on it, though.

I'm enjoying them a lot, but it's a sit-at-the-kitchen-table-and-carefully-hold-the-wrapper-in-place sort of smoke. If I figure it out, I'll be glad to let you know, but I do not have my hopes up at this point.

King Catfish,
I would say that your review of the Gran Hanano and Montecristo are right on. I don't have the discriminating palate that you have and I can't detect all the distinct flavors.

Well, I was able to taste all those flavors, but without a "reviewing guide" checklist I downloaded, I would not have been able to identify them all by name like that. The checklist really helped a lot, showed me what to look for, and gave me an idea on what might be missing. Helped a lot in clarifying in my mind why I like a cigar. I'm just a beginner, really, but learning how to assess a cigar has been a lot of fun.

Except for the reviews in this thread, I have done as you do, which is decide simply whether or not I like a cigar and leave it at that.

[DeeDubya]

KC,
Just got back from the PO with a nice little surprise. Some of those Gurhka's look delicious. Now I feel obligated. Sending you those goat-feed rejects makes me feel guilty. That's OK, since reading your in-depth reviews I've already been thinking and planning.

That's awesome KC. Just don't hold me to the fire and expect reviews like you posted. I need to search for one of those "Reviewing Guides" to help me. Maybe I could come up with some better descriptions than "dirt" or "cedar bark" or "garden mulch" or "goat feed".

[King Catfish]

KC,
Just got back from the PO with a nice little surprise. Some of those Gurhka's look delicious. Now I feel obligated. Sending you those goat-feed rejects makes me feel guilty. That's OK, since reading your in-depth reviews I've already been thinking and planning.

That's awesome KC. Just don't hold me to the fire and expect reviews like you posted. I need to search for one of those "Reviewing Guides" to help me. Maybe I could come up with some better descriptions than "dirt" or "cedar bark" or "garden mulch" or "goat feed".

Cool, I'm looking forward to your reviews. I hope you find a reviewing guide you like. Here's a link to the one I used:
http://www.tabacordillera.com/docs/AnalysisSheet.doc

[King Catfish]

King Catfish,
<snip>
Let me know if you try another one of the Gurhka "rejects". I held a few back for the goats but if you find a way to smoke them, I'll give them another try.

OK, having had a couple of beers in me, I tried another one of the Gurkha Master Select Perfectos you sent, the third one I tried. The first two completely unraveled, as I mentioned previously.

This third one is now half-smoked, and it is keeping completely together, and doing quite nicely. I cut this one at the "overlap/cap" end, and lit the other end. I'm not sure why this one is showing no sign at all of unraveling, but I am enjoying the hell out of it.

The only thing I did differently this time is to leave the band on. The way the cigar is smoking, that does not seem to be making a difference (ie, the cigar is not unraveling up to the band and pressing against it).

Not sure what's going on here, but I'm liking it. :)

Thanks again, DW. One home run of three at-bats, so far.

OK, it's now done, and did not unravel at all. I took the band off a little past the halfway-point. Nice stick. I wish I could definitively say why this one held together and the previous two did not.

[DeeDubya]

Well, strangely enough I too decided to have a Gurkha Perfecto tonight. I believe I had 3 beers though before I smoked it. Likewise it did not unwrap but was hard to draw. I had removed the band and double checked the direction of the wrap. It burned uneven and I noticed a consideable one-sided obstruction that was most likely the reason for the hard draw. I finished it, finally, still convinced that these are poorly rolled, low quality and would not recommend them. Unfortunately I still have a few left but the goats like them.
I think I will disect one just to see how they are constructed. I'll bet a trainee rolled these and they got mixed in with the #1's. What else? They're crap. No more for me, I'll smoke a Dutch Masters before I waste my time on another.
Tomorrow I think I'll have a God of Fire to make up for lost time.
Have a good weekend.

[DeeDubya]

Having now smoked 5 of the Diablo's I agree with others that it is a pretty darn good stick. For an inexpensive cigar, it has a lot of robust, spicy flavour in a well constructed package. Dark Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, with an even burn, firm salt/pepper ash. I haven't tried the other sizes but can vouch for the Caliente. This one makes for a very good "everyday" smoke at a price that anyone can afford.

I was at first confused about the labeling. This Diablo line is called Picantes. However, one of the Picantes is also a Picantes (Diablo Picantes Picante) which I have not tried.
They are: Diablo Picantes Caliente, Picantes Gran Fuego, Picantes Picante and Picantes Pimiento.

Anyway, good stick for a good price.
On a scale of 1-10 I will give the Caliente 8.5.