poolmar

good review john, i agree about darker wrappers , in fact , over the last few years i have avoided them ..like i try now to avoid really oily darker wrappers which i find usually bitter compared to lighter matt wrappers..the oily wrappers are great for ageing but not good for smoking now..but thats just me.

This is my second from this cab, i had one when i first got it maybe 6 months ago but was not impressed ..it was bitter with a ashy /dirty effect on the palette..it was young and needed to go back. the wrapper has a nice oily sheen and showing some good health stored at 65% so the dry draw tasted really nice ...no hint of ammonia..but to be fair there wasnt any when i got the box so alls good there the burn started off rather pissed ...might of been my lighting technique though there is no bitterness this time the tannins seem to of converted into a sweet note which is nice some earthiness a touch of spice through the nose but nothing uncomfortable not a bad start compared to my first from the box..massive improvement...time is great to cigars as we all know. first third conclusion - there is bloody burn issue where its burning on one side so i have to pinch the Channel where the burn is ..i can now get a decent draw..i hope it doesnt last otherwise it out the window! flavour wise the sweetness is there with an underlying biscuit character...thats about it and the ash is flakey..very flakey second third - still has sweetness which with the biscuit nature is its only saving grace...cant say i am over impressed again the burn is evening out now ..i am not retouching it..i want to see its powers of recovery but i am sad to say the flavour has become bitter and dirty..i wont continus with this ..this will go away and not see light again for another 5 years clearly not ready 85 points so poured a lovely bumbu rum instead not every cigar is a winner and this isnt today for me...but i am sure in 5 years time maybe 3...it will be a different animal.

stunning smokes i have some 2016 boxes which took a year or so to remove the bitterness they tend to have early on but as soon as it went it left a wonderful biscuity sweet nature which i am always looking for in a cigar

lovely 'toothy' ash

there is no rule but i would say 5 years minimum and you will have some nice smokes....but try one every so often until you hit the sweet spot that you like ,..i mean they might be fine after say 18 months of adjusting to your humidor ..just try them ..its the only way to find out . i tried another from my cab the other day just out of curiosity and it had improved massively from the first one i had in this review.

i am sure i heard/read or told somewhere to never buy 2013-15 behikes because they never had any MT leaf due to none being about at that point in time

it is...but just not this stick sadly for me

Not a great deal of love for these sticks really…but I think they are so underrated . They usually have this wonderful salty nature to them..this is an 08’ box which I have recently opened and so far they have been very very nice, lets see if this one is of the same calibre ! DRY DRAW - very open ..a bit to open for my liking I prefer a slight pull..it just means I have to slow up so that I don’t over heat things. CONSTRUCTION- very good..this is a firm stick with no soft spots .there is also a slight box press too. FIRST THIRD - nice opening of toasted tobacco and leathery elements. Very slight white pepper through the nose. No sweetness or saltiness to talk off yet. As I approach the second third the oaty flavour has a arrived or a biscuit flavour maybe..but its very nice. SECOND THIRD - well its settled down nicely ..the salt from the wrapper is wonderful mixing now with a slight caramel flavour fabulous combo!..this so far is a medium bodied cigar. As I come to the end of this third the caramel has disappeared and the leather is back along with some cedar flavours. FINAL THIRD- the woodiness is the most dominant flavour now along with toasted tobacco .but if you don’t go through the nose you miss out on so much..through the nose the biscuit flavour is hidden. CONCLUSION - Hmm..TBH ..not great..infact rather disappointing it was getting to dark for me at the death..nicotine was coming out which wasn’t good for me ..the worst one from this box so far - 89 points

I have to say these are without doubt one of THE most underrated cigars on the market for me, with a couple of years age on them ..they are superb ..and the best bit…they are CHEAP !! supposedly discontinued in 2012 but still about! Its a Lonsdale size which is perfect for me. COLD DRAW - slight woody/cedar taste with some floral bread/toast notes…slight tug I have punched this stick..but its a good draw. the cigar has oily complexion or a mottled look to it with a well packed foot. FIRST THIRD - nice opening of a honey sweetness and wait for it..no surprise toasted tobacco moving onto a wonderful biscuit character which I adore in cigars. SECOND THIRD - the biscuit element is still here along with the sweetness there is now an arrival of a mild white pepper and slight saltiness from the wrapper which combined with the honey is a fabulous flavour .there is also a slight citrus taste on the tip of my tongue whether it lasts we shall see. FINAL THIRD - honey has now turned t burnt caramel there is as expected a bitterness arriving but it wrks well with sweetness to make it into a espresso flavour…the biscuit element has all but gone as we arrive at its end where its now just bitter where everything has condensed at one end. CONCLUSION - I am never let down by these they are not strong or complex ..but medium bodied at best. the flavours are great. and two to three years on these is about right I find - 94 points

yes i think so...but i would try an experiment try one dry and try one wet..you never know

well an 11 year old sick period is a bit long TBH... i had a box many years ago and d not remember them being this bad..have you tried dry boxing a stick before smoking ? i know you store them at 65 but taking them down to 60 or even storing at 72% it could make a lot of difference to how it smokes.

probably stock piling them.. will re package them with a second band ..re name them, put them in a coffin,.. and double the price

what humidity are they stored at ?

i have a 2017 cab and they are already smoking amazing ..i tried one about four weeks ago to see how they are going and then another ..and another...they are ready for me..so surprised

any idea what factory TOS is ?...i also have various boxes with this factory and they are all outstanding.