2014 Blind Tasting Competition: Reviews : Cigar Number 1


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Rye your missing a Monte Open Master. Cant say I blame you lol.

Haha! Yep, that's one! I can think of at least 2 more that should be in this group.

Let's hope Prez wouldn't toss in a ringer like that. It's the only one I've not had the 'pleasure' to smoke.....covermouth.gif

Since you are including Hermoso #4's as well as Robustos you also need the R&J Exhibicion #4 and Vegas Robaina Famosos for the full set.....

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Smoked this tonight at a get-together of some of us in Toronto.

Crap. Crapity crap crap. Not even gonna do a full review right now (plus, I don't have time, LOL).

The cigar had an ever-so-slight-but-noticable box press it seemed (or I have bad luck, and it got squished in shipping), and I got a wind tunnel that had fairly acrid smoke, and with an uneven burn that needed lots of touch-ups. There were some very occasional and far-off hints of shortbread cookies with light vanilla, but mostly it was just sour, youthful harsh tobacco. Loads of smoke on each puff though.

This is gonna be one hell of a crap shoot!!! Call of the cigar sent to Rob.

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Smoked this tonight. Cold aroma was all fruit and sweetbread. The smoke itself hit peaks and valleys. Some good savory and sweet notes interspersed with bitter and sour notes now and then. Overall profile was interesting but not something I'd reach for soon again.

Guess sent. Good luck to all.

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Based on the reviews it looks like someone in shipping got the bands mixed up again! tongue.png

Oh why can't cigars be more like a consistent, well manufactured industrial product out of Japan? thinking.gif

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Smoked it tonight.

Pros:

- Construction was good to decent

- Burnt well

- Great smoke volume

Cons:

- Tasted like crap

Even my missus came out and said "what is that... it doesn't smell like your normal smokes"

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I smoked it yesterday. Construction was decent at best. Draw was a bit tight for my liking. I had to touch up numerous times, could possibly be due to the fact it was a bit breezy outside. From the first puff to the last puff the flavors had hardly any change at all. Sour nasty tasting tobacco. About the halfway point I had a taste of nuts for one puff and I thought it might be changing for the better but right after that it was sour again. Even though this was a blind tasting this cigar was not worth my time. I had to set it down shortly after the halfway point. I'm hoping I got a bad example of what is usually a good cigar because that is how I made my guess. Good luck to all, this was way harder than any of the sticks in last years competition IMHO.

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I smoked it yesterday. Construction was decent at best. Draw was a bit tight for my liking. I had to touch up numerous times, could possibly be due to the fact it was a bit breezy outside. From the first puff to the last puff the flavors had hardly any change at all. Sour nasty tasting tobacco. About the halfway point I had a taste of nuts for one puff and I thought it might be changing for the better but right after that it was sour again. Even though this was a blind tasting this cigar was not worth my time. I had to set it down shortly after the halfway point. I'm hoping I got a bad example of what is usually a good cigar because that is how I made my guess. Good luck to all, this was way harder than any of the sticks in last years competition IMHO.

Gotta say that I agree with this assessment. Construction was below average. I had to touch mine up quite a few times, and it wasn't the wind that was the problem. Draw was fine. I picked up roasted nuts, but that's about it. Mostly a sour, acrid flavor. Not something I particularly enjoyed, but I stuck it out until half-way through the last third. I made my guess based on the minimal flavors I was able to pick up and assumed that I just got a below average sample.

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Finally had the time and weather to smoke this cigar the past weekend. Visually it was a nice looking, colorado colored wrapper with minimal veins and a nice sheen. The foot looked very well packed and the feel from head to foot was extremely firm. Upon punching the cap the draw matched the firmness of the feel. I'd say it was a 9 out of 10 on the tightness scale.

The flavor of the cigar was very one dimensional, perhaps because of the tight draw, perhaps because of the blend. The only flavors throughout were a light cedar and tobacco. If this cigar was a fair representation of the line I don't think I've smoked one in a long time and it wouldn't be one I would look for in the future as well.

I'd rate it a weak 88. Guess sent.

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I smoked this cigar a couple of days ago...here's my fragmented review.

Wrapper brown with a slight shine

Slightly box pressed

Light barnyard smell

Punched it, good draw, maybe a little too easy

Dry on the nose on the first draws, desiccating

Tobacco taste mainly, dry woody character, peppery on the nose

Something shining through after 1 cm smoked...a hint of sweetness

Easy draw, good smoke production, straight burn and a grey-white ash

2 cm in and there is more leather and nicotine tingle

Good ash pillar, deliberately knocked it off at 7 cm length

Not much progression in the taste, but a tad more sweetness half way

A bit sour on the finish (after taste)

Getting an ashy taste and letting it die

I don't usually smoke cigars this thick. This one reminded me of why.

Skickas från min iPad via Tapatalk

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I got into the first blind tasting a few years back and it was amazing and eye opening, without the visual of a band to steer my thoughts in the direction of the marca I was all over the map, didn't get one right and that was just a 3 sample then. I know the team spends hours trying to make sure every person in the tasting gets uniformity in wrapper color and construction but to see the reviews go from tastings of superb 91's with awesome construction to others at the opposite end of the scale just shows that in the same box one will get the odd "bad apple". This is always an interesting experiment and big kudos to those that get any right let alone all of the examples. Cant wait to see what #1 turns out to be.

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He's the exact review I sent to rob, :

Your selection. Hoyo De Monterry Epicure #2

Cold draw revealed a loose packing but a 6mm punch sorted that out fine, very toasty tobacco on the nose, surprisingly strong dried fruit on the tongue.
The first 6th of a cigar is nearly always the most enjoyable for me, I know lots of people love the final third but there is just so much flavour in that opening 10 minutes for me.
Straight away lots of sweet nutty cream, dried fruit which I picked up as raisin/dried berry, that underlying sweet nut just creeping in.
A waft of milky coffee.

Fruit, coffee and now a base building of plain digestive biscuit, I'm leaning towards a selection and then the KO comes in; melon!

MELON MELON MELON!

I've only ever found melon in HDM and regularly in Epicure #2 so this nails it for me. I close up my notepad and enjoy the rest of the cigar in the sun, a friendly bee even comes along for five minutes to enjoy the smoke! A great cigar 90/100 easy.

http://tinypic.com/r/2ymtzxl/8

Loving this comp, wish I had done this in previous years. Thanks for organising it all!

Hope you have a great weekend!

--------------

smartass.gifspotlight.gif

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