Hey, all.
Here's the background on the Bomb Squad. http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=2937.0
Assignments have been sent. The lineup so far is:
MHuss
Gitfiddl
Nukbucko
The last two members should be receiving their assignments today if they haven't received them already.
Let's use this thread to post reviews. I'll leave the exact format to you, but it would be great if you'd give a little more detail than usual, along the lines of the Geek Critiques. Be candid, and take your best guess as to the identity of the cigar, but don't get too hung up on that -- the fun is in the blind reviews.
Enjoy!
Thanks for the opportunity, Eddie! I can't wait to get started. Although I must say, I think the trip toughened up the stick a little. I think I'm going to have to let it rest in my humi for at least a few days. I hope you don't mind the delay in my smoking it. Plus, I don't have a day off from work until Sunday. So the opportunities to get a cigar in will be slim to none this week. But I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to the challenge.
Glad to have you, Mike. Looking forward to the review!
Bomb squad members, when these arrive, let them sit in your humi for a couple of days. We've had some unusually low humidity here in Boston and they may need a little time to re-equilibrate.
Mine arrived Saturday and has been resting comfortably ever since. Perhaps tomorrow...
Referring back to gitfiddl's post from a few days ago..."there's an envelope with a return addy in Charlestown, MA, in my mailbox. Enclosed was a single unbanded 7"x50+ ring cigar with what looks to be a nice dark Maduro wrapper in an Atlantic Cigar ziploc bag." I found a similar package in the mail today. I opened it and inside was a cigar that fit the description.
Thanks, Eddie, for including me on the squad. I'll let it rest for a few days and give it a try.
It's good to be a bomb squadder!
Smoked one of these cigars for the first time in several months. It was very much as I remembered it. I'll be interested in your experiences.
I'm letting it rest. Give me another day or two. It's a reeeeeally nice looking stick and again I thank you for including me. I doubt that I can name it, but I will review it along the Geeks format.
Quotegitfiddl - 9/11/2009 11:38 PM
I'm letting it rest. Give me another day or two. It's a reeeeeally nice looking stick and again I thank you for including me. I doubt that I can name it, but I will review it along the Geeks format.
Sorry -- that wasn't intended to be pressure! The one I'd smoked has been resting comfortably in a humidor and didn't go through the trauma of the postal service, so please, take the time you need. I just hadn't smoked one of these in a while so I decided to take it out for a spin again. I hope you like it, of course, but don't mind if you don't. I want an honest review -- like Rich and Ken panning the Anejo and DCM in the Rate 'em and Weep pass!
I didn't take it as pressure at all. My thing is I want to be able to devote some time, thought and attention to this (and the Geeks Critique) as opposed to my usual habit of smoking a cigar while I'm doing something else, if you know what I mean.
Hey, Eddie, do we just post our critique here in the thread or send it to you via PM or what? Or did I miss an instruction somewhere along the way like I am prone to do?
OK you have MHuss, Gitfiddl, Nukbucko and Alpharion. Are there only 4 this time or is there a mystery 5th squad member that we don't know about?
QuoteAlphairon - 9/12/2009 10:21 PM
Hey, Eddie, do we just post our critique here in the thread or send it to you via PM or what? Or did I miss an instruction somewhere along the way like I am prone to do?
Just post in this thread, for all to see. You can post your guess, too.
Have fun!
QuoteJackal - 9/13/2009 2:32 AM
OK you have MHuss, Gitfiddl, Nukbucko and Alpharion. Are there only 4 this time or is there a mystery 5th squad member that we don't know about?
There's a 5th. I'm trying to connect with him -- maybe the bomb already claimed its first victim? :confused:
Can I blow my self up now or later
Quotenukbucko - 9/13/2009 10:33 PM
Can I blow my self up now or later
Whenever you're ready!
Updated:
Hey, all.
Here's the background on the Bomb Squad. http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=2937.0
Assignments have been sent. The lineup so far is:
MHuss
Gitfiddl
Nukbucko
Alphairon
Samhain2000
Let's use this thread to post reviews. I'll leave the exact format to you, but it would be great if you'd give a little more detail than usual, along the lines of the Geek Critiques. Be candid, and take your best guess as to the identity of the cigar, but don't get too hung up on that -- the fun is in the blind reviews.
Enjoy!
Ok here I go.
The Construction of the cigar was good, it was a bit veiny, This cigar was rolled nice and tight I found no soft spots, but it still was a bit dit on the dry side. The wrapper was a dark shade of brown and matte in finish.
The 1st 1/3 had little hint of spice and loads of woody flavors, the draw was nice and easy, The smoke was smooth, I feel like this was a med. in body. The ash i got was salt and pepper in color and was kinda weakand the burn was fairly even.
The 2/3 there was not much change in the flavor department, the ash did get a bit lighter and was more gray then black, The ash was still a bit weak. At this point I got a few burn issues, I had to pull out the lighter to fix.
The 3/3 A hint of nut started to appear with the rest of the flavors and at the end of this cigar I got a slight bitterness with some notes of sour. The burn issues started to grow and I had to fix again.
And my guess would be a La Gloria Cubana
Quotenukbucko - 9/14/2009 4:06 PM
Ok here I go.
The Construction of the cigar was good, it was a bit veiny, This cigar was rolled nice and tight I found no soft spots, but it still was a bit dit on the dry side. The wrapper was a dark shade of brown and matte in finish.
The 1st 1/3 had little hint of spice and loads of woody flavors, the draw was nice and easy, The smoke was smooth, I feel like this was a med. in body. The ash i got was salt and pepper in color and was kinda weakand the burn was fairly even.
The 2/3 there was not much change in the flavor department, the ash did get a bit lighter and was more gray then black, The ash was still a bit weak. At this point I got a few burn issues, I had to pull out the lighter to fix.
The 3/3 A hint of nut started to appear with the rest of the flavors and at the end of this cigar I got a slight bitterness with some notes of sour. The burn issues started to grow and I had to fix again.
And my guess would be a La Gloria Cubana
Nice review!
Thank Eddie for having me in the Bomb Squad it was really fun
The suspense is killing me I don't know if im dead or not
I'm hoping to get to this Friday. It all depends on the weather. The next couple of days here in PA aren't supposed to be all that nice. I've had the stick in my humi since I received it, so hopefully it's ready to burn. Hopefully we'll find out Friday.
I might burn mine tonight. It's been a stressful two or three days with no real smoking time and I need to relax.
Just a heads up for you guys........I'm taking the kids down to the playground this afternoon, and while there, I will be taking on this great challenge. Hopefully I'll have some good notes to write. I'll post my thoughts as soon as I return. I've been looking forward to this smoke all week!
I finally found a few hours free so I smoked mine today. Very enjoyable stick too!
The cigar sported a dark brown wrapper. There were a few veins here and there and a moderate amount of toothiness. A sniff or two revealed a light aged tobacco smell, nothing intense. The construction was good and the cigar was well filled and firm to a gentle squeeze. I sliced off the cap with a clean cut and no signs of cracking. The draw was perfect with just the hint of drag I favor. Not a great deal of flavor on the cold draw, just maybe a hint of aged tobacco. It toasted easily and fired right up. The smoke was very mild initially with no burst of pepper or harshness. The taste was light and mildly woody for the first inch. The ash was firm and smooth, gray with a few streaks of darker gray. It held for an inch and a half before dropping. The burn was a bit wavy but never got out of hand to the point of needing a touch up The body started to build in the second half of the first third. Hints of leather appeared but the body was still pretty mild. As the second third progressed the flavor intensified with leathery elements, dark coffee, a mild nuttiness that came and went, and a slight, almost citrus-like tang appending the leathery taste. Body climbed to medium in the second third and a very mild sweetness emerged. The leather predominated in the last third and the richness which became evident in the middle of the second third increased slightly. The smoke seemed almost to coat the inside of my mouth. I smoked it down to about an inch before giving it up. This one is a strong 4 on our Geek rating scale.
What was it? I don't know for sure but a lot of elements were similar to the flavors and strengths I've found in Arturo Fuente's higher end cigars. The ash was very similar to that of Anejo #48's I've tried and the predominant leathery taste with the citrus-like tang is similar to my findings with a couple of Opus X sticks. The Anejo's also opened up with the same mild, sort of woody taste and built in complexity and medium strength like this stick did. So, keeping in mind my relative newbieness in the cigar world I'll venture a guess that this was an Arturo Fuente something-or-other, one of the gooder ones.
Thanks a heap for including me in this exercise, Eddie. I really enjoyed it.
As promised, I got the opportunity to enjoy this fantastic cigar this afternoon. I'm pretty-well stumped on what brand this is, but it was enjoyable to smoke and even a little fun trying to come up with the brand itself. I'll keep thinking about it while writing the review, and try to come up with something by the end.
The pre-light inspection showed a beautiful dark brown and smooth maduro wrapper. The tobacco was wound really tightly inside. There was one elevated vien that ran down the middle of the wrapper, from the foot to about the halfway point of the cigar. The aroma coming wafting off the stick was of light chocolate, cocoa, vanilla and a little bit of oak. The cut was smooth and clean, and the flavors teased at a little cocoa and pepper. The draw a bit on the tight side, though. The light extremely easy and even. The burn was slow and steady throughout the entire smoke. The burn line began as straight as an arrow. But once it reached that elevated vein on the wrapper, the line got thrown off and it started burning a little unevenly. The draw started off tight, but after the first ash fell off, the draw opened up and allowed for more smoke to be enjoyed. The aroma featured tones of lightly toasted bread, tree bark, leather, earth and oak. The flavors were really complex and delicious, with notes of dark roasted coffee, cream, light leather, earth, dry red grapes, black cherries and rye bread. About halfway through the smoke, some milkier chocolate hints developed, along with a little more sweetness. Overall, this is a really great cigar! It really took off after the slow start. The flavors really developed and got complex and really delicious. The body was really smooth and enjoable. This cigar delivered a lot of character and flavor without being overbearing or too powerful. If I were rating this in our database, I would have a tough time deciding to go with 4 stars or even a 4.5.
Thanks Eddie for including me in this Bomb/Blind Taste Test. This cigar has some real familiar characteristics to it. On one hand, it seems like I have smoked this before, but on another, it has some unique flavors that I don't think I've experienced. Unfortuantely, I don't think I'm going to be able to take much of a guess. I'll think about it for a little while and try and put somewhat of a semi-educated guess together. Thanks again!
What a great review! Thanks for taking the time, Mike. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.
Dayum!!! Guess I musta wrote mine in Chinese without realizing it... :biggrin:
QuoteAlphairon - 9/18/2009 2:44 PM
I finally found a few hours free so I smoked mine today. Very enjoyable stick too!
The cigar sported a dark brown wrapper. There were a few veins here and there and a moderate amount of toothiness. A sniff or two revealed a light aged tobacco smell, nothing intense. The construction was good and the cigar was well filled and firm to a gentle squeeze. I sliced off the cap with a clean cut and no signs of cracking. The draw was perfect with just the hint of drag I favor. Not a great deal of flavor on the cold draw, just maybe a hint of aged tobacco. It toasted easily and fired right up. The smoke was very mild initially with no burst of pepper or harshness. The taste was light and mildly woody for the first inch. The ash was firm and smooth, gray with a few streaks of darker gray. It held for an inch and a half before dropping. The burn was a bit wavy but never got out of hand to the point of needing a touch up The body started to build in the second half of the first third. Hints of leather appeared but the body was still pretty mild. As the second third progressed the flavor intensified with leathery elements, dark coffee, a mild nuttiness that came and went, and a slight, almost citrus-like tang appending the leathery taste. Body climbed to medium in the second third and a very mild sweetness emerged. The leather predominated in the last third and the richness which became evident in the middle of the second third increased slightly. The smoke seemed almost to coat the inside of my mouth. I smoked it down to about an inch before giving it up. This one is a strong 4 on our Geek rating scale.
What was it? I don't know for sure but a lot of elements were similar to the flavors and strengths I've found in Arturo Fuente's higher end cigars. The ash was very similar to that of Anejo #48's I've tried and the predominant leathery taste with the citrus-like tang is similar to my findings with a couple of Opus X sticks. The Anejo's also opened up with the same mild, sort of woody taste and built in complexity and medium strength like this stick did. So, keeping in mind my relative newbieness in the cigar world I'll venture a guess that this was an Arturo Fuente something-or-other, one of the gooder ones.
Thanks a heap for including me in this exercise, Eddie. I really enjoyed it.
Wow! A great description of the body and flavors. Really enjoyed the review -- glad that you enjoyed the smoke!
QuoteBlackIrish - 9/18/2009 8:06 PM
What a great review! Thanks for taking the time, Mike. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.
It was completely my pleasure! I can't wait to find out what cigar it was!
I do have to say, though, that I agree it tasted similar to a Fuente. I've had a couple of Fuente's in the past, and this one tasted pretty close. I was also thinking a Gurkha X Fuerte, but I ruled that out upon reading my review of it. Although tastes can change over any period of time. I just can't wait to find out what it actually is!
These are some really great reviews. The suspense is killing me on what the cigars were, though.
nwb
Samhain2000 has been on the road for a job and so won't get a chance to smoke his for a few days. The guesses so far have been great. Stay tuned!
I would like to know if I'm alive :?: Or have i died a horrible death of being blown to bits
Quotenukbucko - 9/21/2009 4:29 PM
I would like to know if I'm alive :?: Or have i died a horrible death of being blown to bits
The Catholics call that Limbo. :lmao:
Quotelowpro75 - 9/21/2009 4:31 PM
Quotenukbucko - 9/21/2009 4:29 PM
I would like to know if I'm alive :?: Or have i died a horrible death of being blown to bits
The Catholics call that Limbo. :lmao:
Oh, I get it! The bamboo pole you dance the limbo under represents the ruler the Penguins slap you with! And since it originated in the Caribbean, we have our cigar correlation! :biggrin: I wonder how long I'll have to spend in Purgatory for that one?
When are we gonna find out what cigar this was? I'm starting to get a little antsy!
I've still got to smoke mine... :shamebag:
In the immortal words of Monty Python - "Get On With It"
QuoteJackal - 9/24/2009 11:14 AM
In the immortal words of Monty Python - "Get On With It"
Thanks for the "nudge, nudge". :shy: :shy: Know what I mean?
It will probably be tomorrow night or Saturday before I submit my review. Sorry! :sad:
I had a clairall moment ane posted this in the wrong forum.
Ok, I smoked this baby yesterday.
First off the appearance of the cigar was good, Dark brown wrapper, was veiny but that never bothers me, it's a leaf. The construction was good as well. I used a hole punch on the head and there was no cracking of the cap. The wrapper gave but did not crack when I slightly bit into it during my pre-light savor. The pre-lit smell and taste was great, it was a light and sweet leathery flavor.
The cigar light up easy and he burn was pretty even for me, it definitly needed no maintenance and stayed light for a pretty long time between dras so I never needed to relight it. The ash could hold for and inch but was flaky and when I was not paying attantion I wound up with ash on me but I had a 3 year old and 2 dogs running around the porch.
The draw was good, a little light but not enough to be a major bother. I do not recall it getting hot. The ciger was not spicy, I liked that. Some cigars are spicy during the pre-light taste. The cigar did have small bursts of mild spice throu out the smoke but nothing major. The flavor was the same sweet leathery taste I encountered during he pre-light sample. I noticed the flavor changed around during the smoke but I could not pin point them, my nose is always stuffy and makes subtile flavors difficult to notice. I liked the flavor, thats all I can say there.
I was a little tired of the length and wished the cigar was shorter, I am not always in the mood for a churchill but this cigar was burning a hole in my humidor. I wished I had more when this cigar was done, so I look forward to finding out what this one is.
My guess it is a White Owl 2009 vintage, gas station reserve.'
I have no idea what it is but for some reason I am thinking Gurka.
Thanks for finally finding a home for your review, Chris! Now if we can just get B'rer gitfiddl into a higher gear maybe we can find out what it was we smoked.
QuoteSamhain2000 - 9/25/2009 1:52 PM
I had a clairall moment ane posted this in the wrong forum.
Ok, I smoked this baby yesterday.
First off the appearance of the cigar was good, Dark brown wrapper, was veiny but that never bothers me, it's a leaf. The construction was good as well. I used a hole punch on the head and there was no cracking of the cap. The wrapper gave but did not crack when I slightly bit into it during my pre-light savor. The pre-lit smell and taste was great, it was a light and sweet leathery flavor.
The cigar light up easy and he burn was pretty even for me, it definitly needed no maintenance and stayed light for a pretty long time between dras so I never needed to relight it. The ash could hold for and inch but was flaky and when I was not paying attantion I wound up with ash on me but I had a 3 year old and 2 dogs running around the porch.
The draw was good, a little light but not enough to be a major bother. I do not recall it getting hot. The ciger was not spicy, I liked that. Some cigars are spicy during the pre-light taste. The cigar did have small bursts of mild spice throu out the smoke but nothing major. The flavor was the same sweet leathery taste I encountered during he pre-light sample. I noticed the flavor changed around during the smoke but I could not pin point them, my nose is always stuffy and makes subtile flavors difficult to notice. I liked the flavor, thats all I can say there.
I was a little tired of the length and wished the cigar was shorter, I am not always in the mood for a churchill but this cigar was burning a hole in my humidor. I wished I had more when this cigar was done, so I look forward to finding out what this one is.
My guess it is a White Owl 2009 vintage, gas station reserve.'
I have no idea what it is but for some reason I am thinking Gurka.
Thanks for taking the time to write the review, Chris. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
And all eyes now turn to Gitfiddl . . .
The cap is cut and the foot is lit!
Okay, here goes nothing!
Upon initial inspection, the cigar had a nice dark wrapper with a noticeable sheen in the sunlight. The thick wrapper showed several noticeable veins and the edges at the seams had a miscut or two, which might lead one to think this a second, house-brand or knock-off.
The pre-light draw was perfect and it stayed so throughout the cigar. Being that this was a blind test, I ran everything through my albeit limited amount of remaining functional brain cells. The first few draws tasted of coffee and nuts, almost honey roasted, and I immediately thought of the first Hoyo de Monterrey Sultan I ever smoked, but the darkness of the wrapper confused me, as I don't remember the HdM having as dark a wrapper.
The coffee and nuts lasted until the 1/3 mark when the cigar settled into more woody and leathery flavors. Somewhere around the middle, there was a noticeable addition of pepper for a few draws, and then it was gone almost as fast as it appeared and it was back to a nice mostly leathery flavor that held through the middle of the cigar..
The final third added a bit more pepper and spice, and again searching my brain, reminded me of the Luis Martinez Nicaraguan Selections I smoked almost a year ago.
The construction was fine by me. It seemed as if it wanted to try to run or canoe along some of the noticeable veins, but it corrected itself without any outside help. The ash was a firm white with a few sedimentary gray lines. It dropped first at well past the two inch mark, afterward at just over an inch.
I'd give it a solid 4 on the CG scale.
I could not tell you what I smoked, but if none of the tobacco came from Nicaragua, I owe you a beer.
The length was a little long for the time I allot for my evening smoke. I usually have time for a robusto or toro at best. Thanks for including me in this one and I apologize for the delay in submitting my review. I'm anxiously awaiting the name of this cigar because I want to buy more!
So I would like to know if im dead please :lmao:
This was really fun Eddie thanks for having me
Quotenukbucko - 9/25/2009 8:21 PM
So I would like to know if im dead please :lmao:
You're still posting....
Well, you're all dead, but I didn't really expect anyone to survive. I picked this cigar because, to be honest, sometimes I think it's great, sometimes, just ok. I like the flavors, but agree that this particular vitola may be a little too long for the blend, as it can get boring. Maybe a toro or belicoso would work better.
I think you'll be surprised by this one:
Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: CT Broadleaf
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Domincan Republic
According to JR: "A classic Dominican Piloto Cubano tobacco recipe manufactured in Santiago, Dominican Republic. This is a mild cigar with subtle nuances. The maduro version has a bit more body with a slight earthy edge."
Nat Sherman Metropolitan Selection Metropolitan Maduro
http://www.jrcigars.com/index.cfm?page=itemDetails&ItemCode=SHME3
Regular price at JR is about $3.50 a stick by the box, but you can get them cheaper. They sometimes come up for auction on CBid.
So . . . surprised?
I'm pleasantly surprised! I'll give the brand a try but in a smaller size. Need to take a look at the data base to see what is available. This is a valuable exercise!
Okay, so what's the cost of your favorite beer at your favorite watering hole?
It was a nice smoke, just too long for my liking.
Here's JR's listing of the different sizes and prices
http://www.jrcigars.com/index.cfm?page=cigars&brand=NAT%20SHERMAN%20METROPOLITAN%20SELECTION
Wow, Eddie, that is very amazing! I had absoutely no idea this cigar was a Nat Sherman. To be completely honest with you, I never really had the best impression or thoughts about Nat Sherman cigars. The only other one I smoked previous to this one was their Harrington. I smoked it back in April of 08 and wasn't impressed at all. In fact, I said, "Not a good cigar at all, I was very disappointed." Also, I wrote that it was an "unenjoyable and unpleasant smoke." But this one was quite the opposite! I think it really helped that it was a maduro cigar. I really love maduro's, as I think just about everyone on this site knows by now. I really did enjoy this cigar. Thanks Eddie for including me in this experience!
I'm glad to expand your horizons. I understand the skepticism around Nat Sherman and, unfortunately, it's generally well-deserved. The Metropolitan Selection in a maduro wrapper, however, is a good medium bodied cigar with some flavor. I sent it blind precisely so you could try it without the prejudice that comes from seeing the Nat Sherman band. Note, BTW, that the ones that I sent had a year of age on them.
The other ones that are decent are the 1400 Series and the Omerta. These are made with Nicaraguan tobacco and have more flavor than the others. They're not Illusiones or Tatuajes but they're pretty good.
QuoteBlackIrish - 9/26/2009 10:28 AM
I'm glad to expand your horizons. I understand the skepticism around Nat Sherman and, unfortunately, it's generally well-deserved. The Metropolitan Selection in a maduro wrapper, however, is a good medium bodied cigar with some flavor. I sent it blind precisely so you could try it without the prejudice that comes from seeing the Nat Sherman band. Note, BTW, that the ones that I sent had a year of age on them.
The other ones that are decent are the 1400 Series and the Omerta. These are made with Nicaraguan tobacco and have more flavor than the others. They're not Illusiones or Tatuajes but they're pretty good.
Eddie - is this the same vitola you sent in our trade?
nwb
Hey, Nathan. Yes, I included one in the package I sent to you. Figured you might want to try one after reading the blind reviews.