The KC/DW Review Series

[King Catfish]

Nice review, DW.

Not exactly a review, but I had a Fonseca 5 x 50 with my morning coffee today and I was very pleased. Construction was aces, draw nice, burned so slow I could not finish it in my 45-minute drive. Nice mellow taste and big smoke.

[King Catfish]

Today I decided to review the Gurkha Louis XIII, sent from the generous DeeDubya. This was the first “flavored” cigar I have tried.

I presume this is a cigar more suited to the evening and accompanied by a glass of Cognac, but one only lives once; I had it after a pasta lunch with a glass of Coke. The cigar sports a Connecticut wrapper over Dominican binder and filler tobacco.

It is a Churchill-sized cigar that comes in a glass tube sealed with a plastic cork covered with a bronze-colored wax. Immediately upon pulling the little tape strip that cut the wax, I was greeted with a sweet, candy-like smell which of course must be from the cognac. I pulled the cork and smelled the cigar, which did not smell as strongly as that first whiff implied it would. It did smell lovely and brandy-sweet, and this aroma, although not strong or cloying, seemed to fill the room a bit. The cigar wore a red band identical to that of the Master Select Series.



The Connecticut wrapper was a medium to light brown and fine with very minimal veins. Construction was good, firm with no lumps or irregularities. The cigar felt solid in the hand but not heavy. There was a small crack in the wrapper near the cap and a couple of tiny cracks at the foot, as if the cigar had suffered a bit in transit. The latter disappeared (burned away) after the first few puffs, and the crack near the cap never presented any problems or grew in any way until I took the band off in the last third.

The first third started very mild, with the sweet Cognac taste present but more subdued than was the aroma. There was perhaps a bit of woodiness at the start. Smoke volume started respectably and stayed solid. The aftertaste seemed to me to imitate pretty well the taste one’s mouth would be experiencing a minute or so after a sip of brandy or cognac. Thus far, I was beginning to feel as if this cigar was much too mild for me; however, if it were stronger, it might overpower the cognac taste, so I understood why it would be this mild. The mostly white ash fell off after about an inch and a half, revealing a cone-shaped coal. The burn was even with a very minor bit of tunneling that resolved itself without any assistance. The burn remained perfectly even throughout the rest of the cigar.

In the second third, the woody flavor was starting to assert itself a bit, and a nuttiness was rising; these complimented the cognac taste rather than competed with it. The aftertaste was starting to increase in prominence (Becoming almost creamy? Hard to describe), and the cigar as a whole was showing itself to be very civilized on the tongue and throat.

In the first third I was starting to feel as if the cigar was going to turn out a bit one-dimensional, but the second third gave the lie to that. Interestingly, as the drawn smoke’s flavor was becoming more complex, so was the aftertaste: cognac/sweet brandy only at first, then an unexpected creaminess. In the middle of the second third it really started to come out of its shell.

In the final third the crack in the wrapper expanded after I took off the band, which was unfortunate but inevitable, I think. Also, the cognac sweetness had faded into the distance by the time the last third was well underway. The final third completed the evolution from a candy-sweet, one-dimensional but pleasant stick to its final stop… which tasted exactly like a Master Select that had been locked up with an open bottle of cognac for a long time… which, I think, was the intent of the makers, and thus a smashing success in that respect. I have always expected flavored cigars to be overpowering and obnoxious (just an assumption; I have never had one before), but this cigar is well done, and avoids overpowering the palate.

18.95 (x5) = 94.75, losing half a point for the weak start, a full point for construction issues, and a quarter point for fading of flavor at the end for a final score of 93. This cigar is too expensive for a regular smoke, but I would be willing to procure myself some for special occasions. It certainly was a unique smoking experience. Many thanks to DeeDubya.

[King Catfish]

BTW, I am adding a review index to the first post in this thread.

[DeeDubya]

KC,
Good review on the Gurkha Louis XIII. I would agree with your observations including the slightly cracked wrapper. I have a couple more with a small split and busted cap that you can see through the glass tube. I thought I had picked one for you without. Anyway, it seems they would be protected enough in the tubes, although they can slide end to end, which might have damaged the cap on one. They're not one of my favorites and I probably won't get any more.
I might try an Oliva Master Blends 3 this evening. I like all Oliva's and can't wait to try one of these. I have 5x50, 5x54, 61/2x52 & 7x50. If you have a special desire for a certain size and haven't tried one of these let me know and I'll send you one for review.
Had a Perdomo Reserve Cabinet Series P last evening. I'll do a review later. I've nearly finished a box of these now without a single disappointment. Another favorite.
DW

[bigwhiteash]

I have to say, this is one of the most well written series of reviews I have encountered. I'm looking forward to each installment. Excellent Reading!

Keep up the great work, guys

~Dennis

[King Catfish]

I have to say, this is one of the most well written series of reviews I have encountered. I'm looking forward to each installment. Excellent Reading!

Keep up the great work, guys

~Dennis

Thanks for the kind words. I will try to review another early this week.

I was wondering if another pair of BOTLs could start something similar... send each other some sticks and share a thread for reviewing them. It would be great to get some others involved in this sort of thing.

[DeeDubya]

KC,
Thanks for including the index. Very helpful. I had already forgotton that your very first review was the Perdomo Reserva. My son and I also trade out sticks and I forget who got what. He lives in Albuquerque and about twice a week we bust out a stick and smoke while we're on the phone. We catch up on cars, fly fishing, etc. and at the same time do a review.
DW