Yesterday's temperature here was a little bit higher than the surface of the sun. Today,though, it dropped back into more planetary conditions, about equivalent to the interior of Kilauea. But I have a nice little shady spot under some trees in my backyard that catches a little breeze from time to time, so in the late afternoon, I took my mojito and my Indian Tabac Maduro Tomahawk out and tried to relax a little.
This made-in-Honduras cigar has that inelegant roughness that I find appealing in a maduro ... nicely constructed with a lovely chocolate brown, veiny, slightly oily wrapper ... only the cap seemed a bit askew. I tend to find these types of cigar very visually appealing. A manly smoke.
I toasted the end, then lit it with my trusty creme brulee torch (effective, but I tend to scorch the wrapper). Not this time, though ... it had none of that peppery sinus-stinging sharpness - instead, it immediately showed that characteristic Connecticut maduro wrapper spice, very much like chocolate graham crackers. Entirely different from the IT Super Fuertes I've smoked. Within ten minutes, it felt medium-bodied and smooth in the mouth and retained that chocolate spice flavor, but picked up some earthiness and leather thru the sinuses. The spicy finish - cardomom, nutmeg - went on and on.
The ash grew, mottled and light grey. And after about 15 minutes or so, it started to droop. And droop. And for another ten minutes, droop some more - I couldn't figure out what was keeping it attached. The answer was ... not much. At 25 minutes, it gave way to gravity, naturally as I was holding it over my body to inspect it.
A half-hour into this pleasant smoke, there's a little citrusy tang starting to develop on my palate. The smoke feels more concentrated in my mouth, developing some creaminess with a taste that's very upfront and straightforward. There's nothing very complex or subtle about this ... it's all right there. While there's still some leatheriness, the spice is still dominant. Like Chai, I think. I also think it's delicious. At 45 minutes, it was still pretty much the same, and remained so for the rest of the smoke. I took a close look at the punch I'd cut in the cap and was pleased I could find no evidence of any buildup of tar or other residue. I could certainly have nubbed it past an hour, but clearly nothing else was gonna happen and I liked the symmetry of 60 minutes, so I called it a smoke.
This particular cigar had been in my humidor for about four weeks, so I'm gonna let the others pick up some age before I try another one in a couple of months. I enjoyed this one a lot, and I think they'll get better.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jack White,
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 2888 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
Great review Jack! Although... this has to be more than a review, it's more like a docu-drama with high res images. Have you had the El Rey del Mundo Robusto? If so, how does it compare? The ERDM is Honduran and the wrapper looks similar. I was wondering if the flavor was similar.
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Posts: 1430 | Location: Miami, FL, USA | Registered: July 29, 2003
What trips me out about these reviews are the pictures of the cap. I chew on my cigars sometimes so the caps are all F'd up. But even when I don't they are usually soggy. In these pics they seem perfect. It would take a pretty meticulous person to smoke a cigar and not mess up the cap at all. But I like the taste of the wrapper so I don't think I could ever do this.
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Nice review Jack. Once again I really like the photos as an added attraction. I've never been a big fan of punch cuts, I'm a double guillotine guy myself (Xikar Xi3 baby ). Do you find that there is often a build up when using your pucn cutter? Do you prefer it to a single/double guillotine?
Posts: 2499 | Location: SoCal, USA | Registered: March 06, 2004
Have you had the El Rey del Mundo Robusto? If so, how does it compare?
Nope, I've never had the opportunity to try one. I'd probably like it, though the filler in the IT is a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran.
quote:
Do you find that there is often a buildup when using your puch cutter?
In my experience, the method of cut doesn't seem to make a difference. Here's a pic from my last review of the guillotine cut on the LVH piramide ... you can see the tar that built up during the smoke.
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 2888 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
Originally posted by pmpimbura: What trips me out about these reviews are the pictures of the cap. I chew on my cigars sometimes so the caps are all F'd up. But even when I don't they are usually soggy. In these pics they seem perfect. It would take a pretty meticulous person to smoke a cigar and not mess up the cap at all. But I like the taste of the wrapper so I don't think I could ever do this.
hey pmp, i think meticulous don't even come close to describing Jack...i'm thinking more like compulsive disorder or something my cigars are probably like yours, soggy and chewed on...no way could i keep a cigar looking like that for over an hour...
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Posts: 1431 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: November 29, 2003
Originally posted by pmpimbura: What trips me out about these reviews are the pictures of the cap. I chew on my cigars sometimes so the caps are all F'd up. But even when I don't they are usually soggy. In these pics they seem perfect. It would take a pretty meticulous person to smoke a cigar and not mess up the cap at all. But I like the taste of the wrapper so I don't think I could ever do this.
I do the same thing PmP!
Jack, how do you keep the cap so dry? I could never do that.
Originally posted by Martin_The_Novice: I'm waiting, you pu--ies.
Posts: 1724 | Location: Another Forum | Registered: September 23, 2004
Jack, how do you keep the cap so dry? I could never do that.
Jeez, I dunno ... it never occured to me to chew 'em. Don't little pieces get in your mouth and between your teeth and stuff??
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 2888 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
Great docu-drama, Jack. Seems like this place is an obsessive compulsive disorder therapy session sometimes, which is fine with me. I used to like to chew on the ends but would always get a king-sized headache from the nicotine.
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The ends of my cigars always end up mangled by the time I'm done. I don't have any practice gripping cylindrical objects with my lips() so I have to use my teeth to keep the cigar in place.
Posts: 2499 | Location: SoCal, USA | Registered: March 06, 2004
I never find myself chewing on my cigars, they usually stay pretty clean and the cap usually stays well in tach
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People aren't smoking cigars to be trendy, cool or stylish. They're smoking cigars because they like them. Because they enjoy the experience. Because for about $5 they can spend an hour sampling one of life's greatest luxuries. -David Savona
Posts: 1157 | Location: Ferndale, MI | Registered: October 03, 2004
). Do you find that there is often a build up when using your pucn cutter? Do you prefer it to a single/double guillotine?
my cigars are probably like yours, soggy and chewed on...no way could i keep a cigar looking like that for over an hour... 
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