Freyja Sessrúmnir

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Here is the second blind review that I’ve done for Benjamin over at Cigar Jedi. He has a great site set up, and I was really honored when he asked if I would like to be a guest reviewer. You can find my reviews at cigarjedi.com along with reviews of other cigars that are hard to get in shops here in Montana. The second cigar is a new one from IPCPR.

IMG_0476

-Country – Nicaragua
-Wrapper – Dominican Criollo ’98
-Binder – Mexican San Andres
-Filler – Dominican Piloto Cubano, Dominican Criollo ’98, Nicaraguan Esteli
-Size – 5.5 x 44
-Price – $7 online

Appearance, Pre-light
A nice woodsy aroma comes off this cigar and is intensified on the cold draw. The cigar itself is evenly firm and covered in a beautiful wrapper with minimal veins. The color is light brown, and just teetering towards colorado.

First 3rd
The first few puffs are creamy, smooth, and sweet. There is a little wood in there also, and if the sweetness was a little bit more up front the combined flavors would remind me of a toasted marshmallow.
The draw is a touch tight, but smoke production is good. About a quarter-inch into the cigar the wood flavor takes over the cream, and red pepper comes through on the retrohale. An almond nuttiness presents itself when I take smaller puffs, and it flits in and out of the taste profile once I realize it’s there.
The finish is crisp and clean without being too short or leaving any bitterness behind. So far the burn has behaved well by catching up to itself anytime the line wanders away from straight. The smoke has a pleasant mouthfeel without being heavy, and the strength becomes noticeable toward the end of this first third. Although, I haven’t eaten much today so this could just be a symptom of an empty stomach.

Second 3rd
By the second third the sweetness has morphed into a cardamom spice that is noticeable on the palate as well as the retrohale. The aroma coming off the Freyja reminds me of Indian restaurants in London with its mixture of spice and floral scents. Halfway through this third and the cigar just went out on me. I took a puff and blew out the delicious smoke and the next puff… nothing. Hmmm…
I just knocked off the ash and relit the cigar and the flavors were instantly back to what they were: sweet spice with a touch of floral/woodiness. No harshness and no ash taste on the relight. The strength has remained steady, it’s there, but not overwhelming. The almond flavor is faint now, but still pops into the mix occasionally.

IMG_0480

Last 3rd
The last third is continuing much the same as the second. Occasionally some sweetness flits in and out, sometimes it’s the nuttiness, and the pepper has ramped up on the retrohale.
The strength has picked up, and I would almost call this a sneaky-strong smoke if not for my empty stomach. This Freyja is an extremely tasty cigar, and fairly unique in its flavor progression. The spice, wood, cream, almond, and subtle sweetness have all been more or less present from the start, but it’s as if they’ve all been choreographed into a wonderful smoke-dance.
Every five or ten puffs one of the flavors saunters forward, only to be replaced a few minutes later by one of the other “dancers”.
As I’ve been smoking this cigar, the five elements (spice, wood, cream, almond, and sweetness) have all grown steadily deeper while staying true to what they’re all bringing to the smoking experience.

Takeaway
This is truly an exceptional specimen of the blender’s craft. At the time of smoking I didn’t know it the Freyja had a price tag of $6 or $20, but at $7 it is a steal. The smooth, medium-full body matches the complexity and balance of flavors almost perfectly.
I would think a novice smoker might get a little green from this cigar’s strength, but for anyone with a bit of experience and some food in their system this will sit well with them. I’d call it full, but sneakily so, and on the lower end of that spectrum.

Flavor – Medium
Strength – Medium-Full
Body – Medium
Construction – Excellent

Rating

4 out of 5 A truly exceptional cigar, especially for the price.
.
You can find my rating system here.

Leaf by Oscar Maduro

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I’ve been busy doing some blind reviews for Benjamin over at Cigar Jedi. He has a great site set up, and I was really honored when he asked if I would like to be a guest reviewer. You can find my reviews at cigarjedi.com along with reviews of other cigars that are hard to get in shops here in Montana. The first one here is a blind review of the Leaf by Oscar Maduro.

Leaf by Oscar

Leaf by Oscar

-Country – Honduras
-Wrapper – Nicaraguan Maduro
-Binder – Honduras
-Filler – Honduras
-Size – 6 x 50
-Price – around $10

Appearance, Pre-light
A brown wrapper the color of dark-roasted coffee beans covers this very firm cigar. There are a few prominent veins running the length of the cigar and a small amount of damage (perhaps from over-stretching the wrapper leaf) near the head. I get very little aroma off the wrapper or the foot, but what I can smell is a slight sweetness. After clipping the triple cap the cold draw has a woodsy quality to it and quite a bit of resistance.

First 3rd
The foot takes fire easily and the first draws are mildly sweet with a touch of brightness on the retrohale. After the first few puffs the sweetness vanishes and the cigar settles into some slight earthiness without much character. A bitter finish follows each draw that is not overwhelming, but makes me reach for my water more than usual. The burn is fairly even so far into the first third, with only mild scalloping. Towards the end of this third some pepper comes in on the retrohale accompanied by some wood notes. This is a welcome change and has me eager to see where this cigar is heading.

Good burn

Good burn

Second 3rd
The ash and burn line have stayed true up to the second third, and the woodsy/pepper flavors are still the main event. Smoke production is good despite the tight draw, and the strength is on the low side of medium. So far this has been a perfect example of a cigar that shows its flavor only during the retrohale, but the smoke is smooth (not creamy) and medium in body.
Well into this third, and things have (unfortunately) stayed the same. The only difference is the wood note has darkened into a distinct oakiness. When the ash finally fell it revealed a “pencil tip” of filler that is probably thickly bunched ligero. The finish is still bitter and turning a little ashy, and the strength has moved up a notch to a solid medium.

"pencil" tip

“pencil” tip

Last 3rd
The final third is staying true to the pepper/oak formula. Although I get a sense of a deepening of these flavors, almost to a bourbon-like tannic quality, but any hope I had of a change up has been whisked away. The nub is not hot and the smoke has remained consistent, but overall this has not been a very exciting cigar.

Takeaway
If it sounds like I didn’t find the Leaf by Oscar impressive, it’s because I didn’t. The wood notes were fine, and the pepper added a nice bit of “oomph” to the smoke, but overall this cigar was extremely one dimensional.
That said, it burned great and I only had to touch up the wrapper once. I could see myself smoking this while fishing or at a BBQ with friends, but for a nice, sit-down smoke I would reach for something different. If woodiness is what you’re looking for in a cigar, then go for it. I wouldn’t buy this cigar, but I would gladly smoke it if someone gifted it to me.

Flavor – Medium-Full
Strength – Medium
Body – Medium
Construction – Good

Rating

2.5 out of 5 Not bad, just not a sit-down-and-enjoy kind of cigar.
.
You can find my rating system here.

Aging Room Quattro F55

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Quickie Reviews are snapshots of cigars. These reviews are a great reference if you just want a general feel for a cigar instead of an in-depth discussion of all its characteristics. Basically, they tell the CliffsNotes version of a cigar’s story.

F55

-Wrapper – 9 year aged Sumatra 2003
-Binder – Dominican
-Filler – Dominican
-Size – Maestro 6 x 52 (torpedo)
-Price – around $9

Takeaway
The wrapper on this cigar is pressed perfectly smooth with slight veining. The milk chocolate color has some mottling, and overall looks absolutely gorgeous. The cold draw is sweet with a little earthy taste. Box pressed torpedoes are one of my favorite vitolas, and these cigars have a little give to them when squeezed.

The first few puffs are chocolate bliss. The cigar then develops a woodsy core surrounded by light spice. The draw on this torpedo is just about perfect, not too loose and not too tight. For a cigar with rich flavors, the smoke is surprisingly light bodied. About an inch in a bright note starts to shine through that I haven’t noticed in the robusto size. It isn’t a citrus flavor, but more of a bright nuttiness.

By the second third the spice has dropped off considerably. The smoke is gradually gaining body and the flavors are getting deeper. A touch of harshness has developed, so I’m going to slow down my cadence. This could also be due to numerous touchups, which wasn’t necessary on the other F55s I’ve smoked.

A sweetness has crept back in at the start of the last third. Cocoa is present again, which is a nice way to finish as the second third was pretty static.

Flavor – Full
Strength – Medium
Body – Medium
Construction – Good

Rating 3.5 – Great cigar, but at close to $14 in the Montana market it might be a little overpriced.

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Over at the Half Ashed forums we have a little “cigar pass” going on. Each person involved sends two unbanded cigars to another person in the “Blind Review Pass.” For the next few weeks I’ll be posting (with permission) those blind reviews. If you have never smoked a cigar blind, or unbanded, I would highly recommend it. Get some friends together and trade cigars with the bands removed, or have your wife take some bands off a few sticks in the bottom of your humidor. You’ll be surprised at how much a band can affect your perception of a cigar.

Today’s review is Ken’s last one! He sent it while I was in England and then I didn’t check my messages…my bad!

Unbanded 6 x 46.

Smell of barnyard and raisin prelight.
Chocolate wrapper. Dry draw subtle.
First third. Very tight draw. Hard to get anything but earthy notes and spice through the retro. Feels nica. Not sure though. Tough to tell with the draw.

Second third. Still tight draw but notice leather and a cocoa. Having trouble still with the draw but definately thinking nica.

Final third. This is definately Nicaraguan and reminds me of a pepin made cigar. The draw opened up and finished pretty good.

The Reveal
Awesome guess, Ken! The first I sent was a Córdoba and Morales I think, and I said this one would be easier. By your description you shouldn’t be surprised to hear this was a Corona Viva!! Just weird that you had a crap draw from DE…Well done!

Drew Estate Undercrown Corona Viva

Drew Estate Undercrown Corona Viva

Blind Reviews Part 10

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Over at the Half Ashed forums we have a little “cigar pass” going on. Each person involved sends two unbanded cigars to another person in the “Blind Review Pass.” For the next few weeks I’ll be posting (with permission) those blind reviews. If you have never smoked a cigar blind, or unbanded, I would highly recommend it. Get some friends together and trade cigars with the bands removed, or have your wife take some bands off a few sticks in the bottom of your humidor. You’ll be surprised at how much a band can affect your perception of a cigar.

Today’s review is the infamous Zedman’s second blind review. Again, the review is very brief, must still be a Canadian thing…

Unbanded B

Zed's second

Zed’s second

5×50
Wrapper- very matte
Pre-light- very faint, not much there.
Draw- 4/10

1/3- Dominican like sweetness. Drying. Cedar. Mushrooms.
2/3- Same as above. Almost a rootbeer like aftertaste.
3/3- Same as above. Tobacco taste. Dusty coco. Drying on the palate.

Tat Tattoo maybe, or Torano Vault ?

The Reveal
A J.D Howard Reserve HR50 from Crowned Heads!
This cigar is made in the Dominican Republic with Nicaraguan filler, Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. This cigar also has a very cool story behind it centered on the famous outlaw, Jesse James. Check it out at crownedheads.com.

J.D. Howard Reserve

J.D. Howard Reserve

Blind Reviews Part 15

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Over at the Half Ashed forums we have a little “cigar pass” going on. Each person involved sends two unbanded cigars to another person in the “Blind Review Pass.” For the next few weeks I’ll be posting (with permission) those blind reviews. If you have never smoked a cigar blind, or unbanded, I would highly recommend it. Get some friends together and trade cigars with the bands removed, or have your wife take some bands off a few sticks in the bottom of your humidor. You’ll be surprised at how much a band can affect your perception of a cigar.

Today’s review is Half Ashed host’s THIRD unbanded, because apparently he is so special he gets 3 cigars… From Kip…

20150417_083858

Vitals
Dimensions: 5.5 x 42 ring
Color: Medium brown; some slight mottling
Complexion: Dry to the touch, with some “microtooth”
Pack: Evenly distributed throughout
Prelight: Draw was exceptional; firm but free. Provides sweet hay and slight cedar flavors cold. Aroma faint but dark and syrupy
Overall Construction: A seemingly well made cigar.

The Smoke
The first puffs from this cigar were…almost…salty. Like, “western shores of the Isle of Skye, in the tall shadows of the Cuillin Hills” kinda maritime saltiness. Bold, but fleeting. I like it. This is followed up with some pepper – not dried, crushed pepper; fresh, vegetal green pepper. Again, I like it. The pepper falls off from the flavor after a few minutes, but remains clear on the retrohale. A bold start.
By the second inch the cigar begins to have a drying effect on the palate. The flavors are sharper, and still carry some of the early saltiness (albeit to a lesser degree).

By the final leg of the smoke, the spice has kicked back in. The earlier peppery flavors have returned, and I get a noticeable nicotine burn on my soft palate. I’m smoking it first thing in the morning, and have to say if it was a Churchill I’d be in trouble. Thankfully, in this smaller corona it’s a bit more nicophobe-friendly. I’d deem these latter flavors a bit more leathery than the earlier portions as well, with an occasional rogue puff that had a slight medicinal quality to it.

This cigar strikes me as straight-up Nicaraguan, with its peppery core and nicotine edge. While it has some Pepin-like characteristics, it doesn’t “feel” My Father-ish like the other two from zedman. Unless it’s a one-off AJF that doesn’t fit his normal mold I don’t think it’s one of his either (although the dry spice is a bit reminiscent of his style). It reminds me of some of 1502’s offerings, but that’s a vague recollection and not something I’d put any money on.

The Reveal

That “Bad Boy” in question was the:
La Casita Criolla HCBC Oct ’11
I bought those too in ’13 from someone. I knew I liked them, but wanted to know how a complete broadleaf cigar aged. I like them a lot still for that flavor profile.
You and I get a lot of the same flavors from the cigars in your unbanded, which means that I need to keep an eye on your reviews a bit more closely from here out.
Good job Kip.
kip3reveal

Blind Reviews Part 14

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Over at the Half Ashed forums we have a little “cigar pass” going on. Each person involved sends two unbanded cigars to another person in the “Blind Review Pass.” For the next few weeks I’ll be posting (with permission) those blind reviews. If you have never smoked a cigar blind, or unbanded, I would highly recommend it. Get some friends together and trade cigars with the bands removed, or have your wife take some bands off a few sticks in the bottom of your humidor. You’ll be surprised at how much a band can affect your perception of a cigar.

Today’s review is Half Ashed host’s second unbanded. From Kip…

20150415_075835

Vitals
Dimensions: 4.375” x 50 ring
Color: Medium brown; slightly rumpled wrapper
Complexion: Slight oil and somewhat smooth. No discernible tooth.
Pack: Evenly distributed throughout
Prelight: Draw was a bit tight but tolerable, providing bright sweet woodsy flavors cold. Aroma faint but lightly cedar
Overall Construction: B+. A well made cigar.

The Smoke
At first puff, the cigar gave some mildly off flavors – like it was a bit young. This subsided after a few minutes, however. Once gone, it is replaced by a lemony tartness. In these early minutes, I struggled with the draw more than I initially expected – I got some “burnt” flavors that I expect are likely from my overpuffing trying to get more smoke/keep it lit. The cigar was flirting with overheating by the time I got to the end of the first half-inch. It was very hot well behind the burn line. I slowed down more at this point, which seemed to help some (although it brought about more relights, so it may be a moot issue). By the beginning of the second inch I got the burn in check, and was rewarded with a delicious (and unique) caramel-butterscotch flavor. Though not entirely foreign to me, it’s something I rarely encounter. I’m feeling like zedman is throwing me a curveball with this cigar. It’s not familiar, yet not-quite-unknown either. It feels like the very early DPG Blue, before the blend was kicked up a few notches (but I don’t believe that line ever came in this size). Once the draw/burn issues were worked out, the blend was about as cohesive as any I’ve had – the flavors all centered around a common palette, ranging from the sweet light baking spice to the (occasional) caramel. There’s a bit of a tingle with retrohale, but very little sharpness/spice overall.
By the final portion of the cigar, the family of flavors has widened a bit, taking a noticeably more woodsy tone. It was still very enjoyable, just in a different fashion. It finished strong with this woodsy core and just about zero spice.

I’m again at a loss. With my suffering batting average for unbandeds recently, my confidence is shaken. The tone of the flavors made me think Nicaraguan, but the diminished spice seemed uncharacteristic of most current manufacturers down there. It didn’t display the sweet/sour interplay I’ve grown accustomed to with some of Craig’s Cuban contributions (although not far off…maybe I’ll reconsider this). Maybe Dominican? It was somewhat akin to a few of the Fuente-made Ashton products from years past, although I’d stop short of pointing at left field with that guess.

The Reveal

Great googly moogly Kip. You are so close at some times, then pull away a bit later.
These are far from young, as I got them in ’13, but the box code was from ’06.
I feel that over the 2 years that I have had them, they have turned completely into a cedar bomb, just like you said; woodsy. I like the fact there there is very little spice left, and thus makes this a hard guess now.
Your cigar in question was:

Tatuaje La Riqueza Short Robusto Cabinet ’06
The cabinet selection are where it’s at. I think I would prefer, now that I have experience with them, to get and smoke them fresh with that power.
kip2reveal

Blind Reviews Part 13

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Over at the Half Ashed forums we have a little “cigar pass” going on. Each person involved sends two unbanded cigars to another person in the “Blind Review Pass.” For the next few weeks I’ll be posting (with permission) those blind reviews. If you have never smoked a cigar blind, or unbanded, I would highly recommend it. Get some friends together and trade cigars with the bands removed, or have your wife take some bands off a few sticks in the bottom of your humidor. You’ll be surprised at how much a band can affect your perception of a cigar.

Today’s review is our very own host’s first (for 406 Cigars anyway) blind review for you all to read! From the Kipster himself…

20150407_100941

Vitals
Dimensions: a “light” 6” x 50 ring
Color: Dark brown, I’d call it well into maduro territory
Complexion: Very oily and somewhat smooth. Little discernible tooth.
Pack: Evenly distributed throughout
Prelight: Draw was near perfect, providing bright sweet cedar cold. Aroma faint but lightly sweet
Overall Construction: Fantastic. A very well made cigar.

The Smoke
At first puff, I get some moderate spice coupled with a mildly vegetal flavor. It reminds me of grilled poblanos, actually. The herbal nature quickly gives way, however, to some brighter, sweeter tropical spice. I initially thought this was a Pepin Garcia stick, but the amount of sweetness makes me give pause to that thought. The burn is impeccable during this first inch. Very impressive, actually. Coupled with the perfect draw, this is a tribute to the torcedor’s craft.

Going into the second inch, the spice subsides even more and I get a peculiar flavor. Prepare yourself. This is going to sound really weird. The flavor came through for a few minutes as something very much like corn chips. You know….Fritos. I’ve only encountered this a few times in the past, and only consistently with the original Shaggy from Gurkha (the only Gurkha I really ever enjoyed with any regularity). However, this was short-lived and the bright sweet spice came back in spades, intermingled with some cedar. The burn wavered a bit during the midsection, but not too terribly so.

Pushing into the final portion, the flavors became a bit brasher, with an occasional foray into a slightly charred wood kind of flavor. Never over the top; just an occasional hint. Overall, it was nutty at times nearing the end, and the spice picked back up considerably. The sweetness mostly faded away, but had its moments. Spice returned in full force as well. In fact, retrohaling during the final third gave me about all I could handle.

Guesses
I don’t know that I have a specific guess, other than it seems Nicaraguan (although the most recent Blind Man’s Puff review tells me I’m clueless with regard to country of origin). My gut tells me it’s a Pepin product, but there were some peculiarly sweet moments that put just a smidge of doubt in my head. The wrapper tasted – but didn’t “look” – like Mexican San Andres.

I thought it was somewhat similar to the Leccia Luchador – but it sweeter and didn’t have the little pigtail cap so I don’t think that’s it.

The Reveal

Very good call on the manufacturer. These are what you have said are a favorite of yours many times on the podcast. I love them too. I fell for them instantly the first one I smoked. Went out and bought some of the last boxes I could find online late last year.
The cigar has changed noticably already since I originally got them. Drying them out since new has also helped the burn immensly.
Another Crowned Heads…

Las Calaveras

Las Calaveras

Blind Reviews Part 12

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Over at the Half Ashed forums we have a little “cigar pass” going on. Each person involved sends two unbanded cigars to another person in the “Blind Review Pass.” For the next few weeks I’ll be posting (with permission) those blind reviews. If you have never smoked a cigar blind, or unbanded, I would highly recommend it. Get some friends together and trade cigars with the bands removed, or have your wife take some bands off a few sticks in the bottom of your humidor. You’ll be surprised at how much a band can affect your perception of a cigar.

Today’s review is Quikstryke’s second blind review.

Perfecto!

Perfecto!

Cigar- 5 inches by 50ish perfecto. Color is medium dark leather and it looks like a football, and feels the same. The stick has a vein running the center like a football lace. Cold draw is clean tobacco and a touch or sweetness.

1st 1/2- This stick is very clean on the palate. It’s got some spice and sweetness on the front end and finishes with a bright metallic end…I like it. I also get a touch of cocoa, but its very subtle. Retrohale has more spice and even some vanilla, but way in the background.

2nd 1/2- The cigar ramps up with some wood and a bit more spice. The sweetness has increased a bit, but plays 3rd to the wood and red pepperspice. Overall, a very nice experience.

Thoughts- This stick was tasty.. I enjoyed it and I think its predominantly Nicaraguan and followed with some Dominican maybe… This stick is harder to nail down.. But boy was it fun to try. I want to say Romacraft..

The Reveal
Well my friend, I am glad you enjoyed the stick. It’s made by a good friend of mine and I think it’s very tasty.

You smoked a CT broadleaf wrapper over a Dominican habano binder with multi national Central American fillers. ( that’s all he will disclose). It’s made In the Dominican in the Debonaire factory with Phil Zhangi.

It was a J grotto Anniversary.

J Grotto Anniversary

J Grotto Anniversary

Blind Reviews part 11

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Over at the Half Ashed forums we have a little “cigar pass” going on. Each person involved sends two unbanded cigars to another person in the “Blind Review Pass.” For the next few weeks I’ll be posting (with permission) those blind reviews. If you have never smoked a cigar blind, or unbanded, I would highly recommend it. Get some friends together and trade cigars with the bands removed, or have your wife take some bands off a few sticks in the bottom of your humidor. You’ll be surprised at how much a band can affect your perception of a cigar.

Today’s review is from Quikstryke.

quik1

Cigar- 4 7/8 by 50ish with a very dark chocolate wrapper..

Cold smell is very sweet with no spice.

Cold draw is sweet with a bit of hay note

Initial light is milk chocolate and then moves to a baker’s chocolate, which is very drying on the back of the tongue.

1st 1/2 – The dry chocolate continues but is coating my whole mouth. No spice on the retro but a vegital flavor is in the background.. Smoke output coukd be more. I had to do a few touchups to keep it even..

2nd 1/2 – Exactly the same as the first with a little spice thrown in, especially on retrohale. The spice is mild on the exhale but in the retro it kicks up some, along with the sweetness.

Final thoughts.. Very consistant stick flavor-wise. I like a little more transitions, but it was still good. With the dryness I was thinking Honduran, then the sweetness and vegetal flavors made me think Dominican.. I’d be really suprised if it was a Nicaraguan puro. Flavor and appearance-wise I was thinking Torano..

The Reveal
Nice review quick. You nailed a lot of aspects of that stick. It’s a CT broadleaf wrapper over Dominican binder and filler. The stick is the La Aurora 100 anos maduro edician especial, released in 2012.

La Aurora 100 Anos

La Aurora 100 Anos

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