|
Punch
Pyramide Maduro
made in: Cofradia, Honduras
size : 5 7/8 x 46
wrapper: Ecuador, USA/Conn
filler : Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua
binder : Honduras
price : $3.00 ea
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Lincoln said - A real ugly duckling, big veins on a
Connecticut broadleaf wrapper(?), no cap
treatment at all.
John said - Wrapper looked twisted rather than rolled.
Gordon said - Rough wrapper. (Binder leaf?)
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Lincoln said - As above, but fairly well filled.
John said - Inconsistent ring size & appears to be box
pressed. Felt soft in places & firm in others.
Cap looked poor.
Gordon said - For a breva it is well rolled I guess.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Lincoln:
John :
Gordon : xx
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Taste =
Lincoln said - Weird aftertaste on a medium but uninteresting
flavor.
John said - A hint of cocoa early on, leathery toward the
end. Bitter at the finish line.
Gordon said - Ok breva style cigar, bitterness from inclusion
of stems, but not awful.
Overall Impression =
Lincoln said - Duty called, I answered. I don't need another,
though.
John said - Not a bad smoke until I got to the band.
Gordon said - Tastes well aged, but not complex nor
particularly good. Insufficient volume of smoke,
feels bunched poorly around area of band.
Would you recommend this cigar
as one to try based on
your blind taste??? (Editors
Note - remember these guys don't have a clue what cigar they
just smoked or what it costs.)
Lincoln said - no
John said - no
Gordon said - no
Punch
Pyramide Maduro
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke
Good Cigar
Decent/Worthy <--- John
Ho-Hum <--- Gordon
Blah...
Dog Rocket! <--- Lincoln
Editor's
2 Cents - I must admit I was genuinely excited
when I learned that Punch was going to add the Pyramide Maduro
to their existing stock line. Villazon & Co.'s Punch brand
is known for consistently providing good cigars at a great value
and the hype coming from the sales folks was hot and heavy for
this new addition. The Pitas, the Presidents, and the Rothschilds
are all outstanding examples of what a great cigar they can deliver
for a low price. However, the Punch Pyramide Maduro falls far
far short of this standard.
Point blank, this is one of the most miserable looking
cigars I have ever seen. It is crudely rolled in a dry thick
wrapper riddled with scars, holes, and veins the size of my Aunt
Edna's varicose veins. We are talking the ugliest of the ugly.
But of course, it is the taste that counts right? Upon initial
lighting you will be immediately struck with a gritty cocoa flavor
that builds to be medium bodied in strength. Before long a sappy
bitterness will overwhelm the chocolate notes and increase in
intensity until you finally set it aside in the ashtray. The
aroma is a crisp biting pungent scent that relegates this to
being a cigar to be smoked in well-ventilated areas only.
The Punch Pyramide Maduro is simply an awful cigar and
far below the standards I expect from a box of Punch cigars.
Villazon & Co. should be ashamed of producing and selling
these cigars to consumers under the Punch frontmark.
H.
Upmann Torpedo
made in: La Romana, Dominican Republic
size : 6 x 50
wrapper: Indonesia
filler : Dominican Republic
binder : Dominican Republic
price : $7.10
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Lincoln said - Very pretty torpedo with lovely wrapper.
John said - Being a "Pyramid" lover I thought this cigar
looked great.
Gordon said - Nicely rolled belicoso fino, but had a bit of
"tooth" in the wrapper.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Lincoln said - A bit tight at the head, it negatively
influenced the draw.
John said - A light, oily wrapper, perfect cap shows real
quality.
Gordon said - Rolled just a little too tightly. Because of
this I am unable to really evaluate the
strength.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Lincoln:
John : xx
Gordon :
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Taste =
Lincoln said - Full flavored considering poor draw. Reminiscent
of a Morro Castle I smoked recently, probably
Nicaraguan as well.
John said - Mild & flavorful early, leathery. Never got
stronger, taste was consistent.
Gordon said - Nice taste, a bit harsh & young, does not
taste Cuban, although I initially thought from
appearance that it might be in spite of the
wrapper. Some taste of ammonia indicating lack
of aging. More Mexican/Honduran than Cuban in
taste.
Overall Impression =
Lincoln said - Not a cigar I would seek out.
John said - Very consistent. Average smoke.
Gordon said - Good cigar, but rolled too tightly to fully
enjoy. Needs some aging.
Would you recommend this cigar
as one to try based on
your blind taste??? (Editors
Note - remember these guys don't have a clue what cigar they
just smoked or what it costs.)
Lincoln said - no
John said - no
Gordon said - yes
H.
Upmann Torpedo
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke
Good Cigar <--- Gordon
Decent/Worthy <--- John
Ho-Hum <--- Lincoln
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's
2 Cents - The H. Upmann Torpedo is a newly
introduced shape to Consolidated's "bread and butter"
brand.
Although the ring gauge is listed as 50, this cigar has
a thinner feel and more elegant appearance than you would expect
by the measure of the tape alone. The molded shape is a gentle
taper that is more refined than most torpedos, however you must
be certain to clip a good portion of its head to ensure a decent
draw. The clean delicate Indonesian wrapper used on this cigar
is one of the best in the industry. It is a mild and smooth Dominican
blend with notes of wood. The scent is light and it leaves barely
any aftertaste in your mouth. It is a pleasing cool smoke.
Although it is a well made, consistent cigar it will leave
the seasoned palate bored. The wrapper lends little flavor to
this cigar, and I still contend that the H. Upmann line was a
much better smoke when they used Cameroon wrappers. Given its
price and light body, I am personally hard pressed to recommend
the H. Upmann Torpedo to a seasoned smoker. However, if you are
a fan of mild unobtrusive cigars then this is one worth sampling.
Habana
Vegueros Marevas
made in: Havana, Cuba
size : 5 x 42
wrapper: Cuba
filler : Cuba
binder : Cuba
price : $8.00
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Lincoln said - Nice wrapper on this corona sized cigar.
John said - Beautiful cap w/nice semi-oily wrapper.
Definite green hue.
Gordon said - Cap does not appear to be of same leaf as
wrapper. Cap is darker and oilier. Nice
appearance with a thick wrapper.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Lincoln said - No apparent soft spots but softened a bit while
smoking.
John said - Very well rolled cigar. Light veins w/ an oily
wrapper.
Gordon said - Well rolled corona.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Lincoln:
John : [None reported by any taster.]
Gordon :
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx ---- xx
Taste =
Lincoln said - Great full tobacco flavor (blossoming?) Blooming
nicely throughout the smoke. Yum! Nice buzz too.
John said - Very even, full taste. Creamy texture & a slight
peppery flavor. Bold like a "Cuban." Great
tobacco flavor.
Gordon said - A little bitterness, but nice taste, really
improved as it burned down. Not particularly
complex. Got a bit bitter again toward band.
Overall Impression =
Lincoln said - Great size, flavor, lots of smoke! If this cigar
were "popularly available" I'd have a
footlocker-dor full, worth swimming for.
John said - Could I get 3 or 4 more just to make sure?
Gordon said - Very smooth, nice volume of smoke, very well
rolled with just a bit of sponginess mid-cigar.
Would you recommend this cigar
as one to try based on
your blind taste??? (Editors
Note - remember these guys don't have a clue what cigar they
just smoked or what it costs.)
Lincoln said - yes
John said - yes
Gordon said - yes
Habana
Vegueros Marevas
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke <--- Lincoln & John
Good Cigar <--- Gordon
Decent/Worthy
Ho-Hum
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's
2 Cents - Surprise, surprise, surprise! This
month's tasters and I are 180 degrees out of sync regarding our
opinion of this "new" offering from Habanos SA. This
brand has long been available in Cuba, but it was never exported
until just recently. "Vegueros" translates to mean
"farmer" and has been a popular local consumption brand
upon the island. Cuba looking for more cigars to meet their trade
export quotas decided to distribute this brand to Canada first
with plans to eventually distribute it internationally. Currently
it is available in only four handmade sizes with the Marevas
being the largest in ring.
One of the unique aspects of this brand is that it is
made entirely of tobacco from the Pinar del Rio region. Though
made at a small regional factory, the roll is consistent and
the overall construction is on par or better. Actually, its light
honey colored wrapper is quite attractive. The draw and burn
are consistently good also. As I said before though, my tastebuds
sing a different tune than our tasters when it comes to the flavor
of this smoke. I find it to be thin and shallow with no depth
or complexity. It leaves a dry harsh aftertaste against my palate.
By the midpoint it becomes woefully sour and is simply unpleasant
to smoke.
When compared to other Habanas, the Vegueros Marevas is
one of the worst available in my opinion. However, given the
blind taste test results I must suggest you try it for yourself
and see. All I can say is "Yech and Good Luck!"
Habanica
Serie #550
made in: Condega, Nicaragua
size : 5 x 50
wrapper: Nicaragua
filler : Nicaragua
binder : Nicaragua
price : $6.40
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Lincoln: xx
John : xx --- xx
Gordon : xx
Lincoln said - A beautiful wrapper on a lovely robusto.
John said - This cigar had a nice appearance when I
received it, but it got ugly. In an ideal
situation, this cigar would have gotten a better
rating.
Gordon said - Beautiful appearance. Foot appears hand cut
rather than by machine. Appears to be a vintage
cigar from appearance of end of foot. Double cap
but rolled by a master roller.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Lincoln said - Nicely put together.
John said - Wrapper completely cracked & I almost couldn't
smoke it. It was dry when I received it. I
smoked about 25% of the end in order to make it
smokeable.
Gordon said - Cigar lit evenly with just a bit of difficulty
in getting ligero burning. Wrapper burned just a
bit unevenly.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx ---- xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Lincoln:
John :
Gordon : xx
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Taste =
Lincoln said - This lovely robusto never developed anything but
the most faint hints of flavor, it was well
behaved to the point of boredom, but my mother
loved the aroma.
John said - A strong flavor of tobacco w/ a hint of cinnamon
or nutmeg. A nice fruity-wood flavor in the last
half.
Gordon said - Complex but a bit bitter. I was ready for a
great cigar, but it didn't turn out that way.
Although it appeared to be a vintage cigar, it
actually had an ammonia taste, which indicated
that some of the blend was too young and the
flavor hadn't married yet.
Overall Impression =
Lincoln said - Too bland for me to be interested in, but a
pretty and nicely made smoke.
John said - Tremendous smoke with very distinct flavors.
Gordon said - Ok, reminds me of some of the Padron non-
Anniversario line, which would benefit from
aging. Some sweetness, but some bitterness.
Would you recommend this cigar
as one to try based on
your blind taste??? (Editors
Note - remember these guys don't have a clue what cigar they
just smoked or what it costs.)
Lincoln said - no
John said - yes
Gordon said - yes (With some age on it.)
Habanica
Serie #550
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke <--- John
Good Cigar
Decent/Worthy <--- Gordon
Ho-Hum <--- Lincoln
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's
2 Cents - Introduced in 1995 by Felipe Gregorio,
the Habanica Serie 550 is the robusto size of this new Nicaraguan
puro line. There are only six handmade vitolas in the line-up
and each is named by its size. For example the Serie 747 is 7"
x 47 ring, the Serie 638 is 6" x 38 ring, and the only deviation
is that the torpedo is called the Serie T.
Typically the construction on this cigar is sound with
a nice even burn and easy draw, yet you should not be surprised
if you occasionally get a less than perfect one. The 550 offers
a complex blend for a Nicaraguan puro. It delivers tastes of
wood, leather, and sweet spice that wets the appetite. There
is a slight bitter edge due to many being shipped too young,
but time will alleviate this detraction. The smoke is tantalizing
to both the nose and palate, but sadly this cigar is seriously
held back by its short finish. It just doesn't have the body
or richness needed to make it a great cigar.
Our tasters were very divided on their final assessment
of this cigar, which is not uncommon with Nicaraguans. If you're
a fan of Nicaraguan smokes then I suggest you give this one a
try. Personally, I intend on smoking the Habanica 550 on occasion
in the hope that the blenders will correct the finish problem
and allow this cigar to reach it full potential.
Arturo
Fuente Hemingway Work of Art
made in: Santiago, Dominican Republic
size : 4 7/8 x 58
wrapper: Cameroon
filler : Dominican Republic
binder : Dominican Republic
price : $7.00
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Lincoln said - Truly a work of art, though not truly anonymous
due to its unique shape.
John said - Dark, oily wrapper. Strange shape, even for a
"perfecto."
Gordon said - What can I say, I love perfectos and this one is
a joy to behold.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Lincoln said - Lit a little unevenly from the perfecto tip to
the wide ring gauge, but evened out after 3/4"
or so.
John said - A very nice roll w/ perfect cap. Firm,
consistent density.
Gordon said - Oh well, as I said, I do love perfectos and this
one is beautiful and perfectly rolled. Burns
evenly with great volume of smoke.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Lincoln: xx (slightly)
John :
Gordon :
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx ----- xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Lincoln: xx
John : xx
Gordon : xx
Taste =
Lincoln said - That great taste is as much a "signature" as the
shape. It was a beautiful and delicious smoke,
it just didn't need to be that thick.
John said - A smooth & strong earthy flavor with a hint of
nut. Extremely flavorful throughout.
Gordon said - Delicious, but very young; would greatly benefit
from aging. Some ammonia overtones, but the
blend is delicious and complimentary for its
youth. Please tell me this is not one of those
new Hemingways so that I can find some in
sufficient quantity to age. It doesn't taste
like a Hemingway, though.
Overall Impression =
Lincoln said - A luscious beauty worthy of a fine occasion.
John said - Smoke 'em if you can find 'em! Great cigar.
Gordon said - Where can I get some to lay down for a year or
three?
Would you recommend this cigar
as one to try based on
your blind taste??? (Editors
Note - remember these guys don't have a clue what cigar they
just smoked or what it costs.)
Lincoln said - yes
John said - yes
Gordon said - yes
Arturo
Fuente Hemingway Work of Art
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke <--- Lincoln, John, & Gordon
Good Cigar
Decent/Worthy
Ho-Hum
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's
2 Cents - The Arturo Fuente Hemingway line
has been expanded again with the recent introduction of the Work
of Art. Just last month we favorably reviewed the Hemingway Bestseller,
and before "the pixels had even cooled" this newest
size became available to the smoking public.
This is their fattest figurado yet, being a plump 58 ring
at its widest point. Given its less than five inch length, it
has to be one of the stockiest perfectos made since the infamous
pre-embargo Cuban H. Upmann No. 22 "Flying Pig." Like
all Hemingways, the construction is flawless and the dark oily
Cameroon wrapper is very toothy. Because of the tapered head
this cigar manages to retain a great hand and mouth feel in spite
of its girth. It delivers a smooth medium bodied smoke full of
flavor. Wood, mocha, and a nice spicy taste are the highlights
of the wonderfully balanced cigar. The smoke is rich with an
ambrosia-like aroma.
I was impressed with the Bestseller last month, but I
think the Work of Art is an even better cigar. Our tasters unanimously
rated this as a "Great Cigar" and I agree with their
assessment without reservation. This is a "must try"
smoke for all cigar lovers!
|
