Cigar Geeks Geek Critique
88
Cigar Geeks Rating
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Welcome to another Member sponsored Geek Critique generously sponsored by our member junglepete (Pete). This was done as a blind review so there were no pre-concieved notions about what anyone was smoking. The cigar provided for this round is the http://www.cigargeeks.com/cigardb/default.asp?action=showcig&cigar_id=190285">Crowned Heads Juarez OBS.
Crowned Heads teamed up with a little-known factory called Tabacalera Pichardo out of Nicaragua. [Tabacalera Pichardo was founded by Eradio Pichardo, a Cuban agronomist back in 2005.] They were tasked with producing a value-conscious alternative line to Crowned Head's Jericho Hill brand line of cigars, originally as an exclusive for Thompson Cigar Co. but later rolled out nationally.
As for the name, it is inspired by Johnny Cash's "Cocaine Blues." The Juárez part comes from, "...made a good run, but I run too slow; they overtook me down in Juárez, Mexico." OBS is a reference to Orange Blossom Special, which was another song on the album at Folsom Prison.
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This cigar was enjoyed with Vodka & Grapefruit
Pre-Light: 8 Points of 10 Possible
Nice looking 4.75 X 50 cigar with a light Maduro color, this stick has no veins showing and nice tight seams. Looks to be a double cap and even the filler has a dark complexion. There is a woody, earthy aroma from the foot and the canon is firm with no soft spots evident. It feels slightly dry but not brittle. There is an even soft sheen on the wrapper. It's not too dry nor is it oily. After a good V-cut there is a good barnyard aroma on the cold draw.
Lighting and Burn: 13 Points of 15 Possible
I lit this with my trusty Bic® lighter so as not to damage the wrapper. There is a good smoke output from this cigar, but amazingly it never puts out any smoke when resting (maybe just a little). I thought it went out several times from inactivity, but it stayed lit throughout. The ash was a darkish-grey and held solid in 1" clumps. It never needed a re-light or additional corrections. Total smoke time was 1 hour 5 minutes.
Construction: 29 Points of 30 Possible
The double cap stayed intact for a deep v-cut and the wrapper only unraveled a tiny bit in the final third. The draw was easy and open, producing good volumes of cool smoke. There are no veins showing and the seams are tight.
Flavor and Aroma: 38 Points of 45 Possible
The cigar starts of fairly mild with flavors of raisins, plum, and a strong floral note. there is only a hint of wood and leather on the retro-hale. There is no strong spice or pepper on the nose. The cigar has a good room-note (even the wife said so). There is a light saltiness on the tongue and good mouthfeel to the smoke. It was neither harsh nor bitter from start to finish. In the second third there is a nice light molasses flavor that adds a bit of sweetness to combine with the floral and fruit notes which continue to be present. In the final third the only addition was a slight aftertaste of smoked meats (like a mild Slim Jim) but the floral and fruit notes were ever-present. I smoked it down to a short nub before retiring it to the ashtray.
Summary
All in all I think this was a pretty consistent cigar in the medium range both in flavor and body. While for me there did not seem to be any real transition between thirds, and I wouldn't call this a complex blend, the overall experience was enjoyable and smooth. Good cigar to smoke again in my opinion!
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(4 Review(s))