2012 FOH BLIND Tasting Cigar 1 from the 1st of March.

[El Presidente]

<font color="#ff0000"><b>Welcome to Cigar number one of the Blind tasting!</b></font><br><font color="#ff0000"><b><br></b></font><br><font color="#ff0000"><i>Just a revision of the rules. </i></font><br><font color="#ff0000"><b><br></b></font>There have been three cigars picked by myself. These are Standard Production Cigars (No Regional, Edicion Limitada or Specialty Cigars). <br><br>1. Cigars (all 3 and bandless) sent from Feb 9th to Feb 23rd. Cigars selected from same code and aroma/wrapper appearance.<br><br>2. This year we have a Petit Corona, Corona Extra, Churchill<br><br>3. Cigars selected will be in current production. <br><br><br>They will be the only hints given. <br><br><b>The post smoking process</b><br><br>1. First cigar <b>(petit corona)</b> smoked by 31 March with you e-mailing me me your answer. On this dedicated thread you will provide a brief review <b><font color="#ff0000">but not</font></b> disclose the cigar on the forum. You will send me your selection (include your handle). By 3rd of April. I will post up a spreadsheet of the results for CIgar 1 and we can move onto cigar 2 <img src="http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/spotlight.gif"><br><br>All cigars should now be on their way except perhaps for some late comers. <br><br>If you have contacted Di or myself for the contest and are <b>NOT</b> on the below list, please email me so I can get it done. Unfortunately we are not taking any further registrations. <br><br>Have fun!<br><br>Rob<br><br>

[Professor Twain]

Hey add me to the chart! I feel lucky

[luhabanos]

I've just received them here in Brazil. Take a look:

Good luck to us all!!!

[kaleehb]

Prez,

I ordered my cigars and have already received them however am still not on the list. Please add me. Thanks!

[dB69]

...2. This year we have a Petit Corona, Corona Extra, Churchill...

To be exact, please allow me to correct the common name of the middle sized cigar. It is obviously a Grand Corona or Corona Gorda by factory name. I hope this was not anyhow a part of the game.

[Lotusguy]

Yes, are we 100% sure that the vitola names match what they are called on CCW?

[El Presidente]

Did I lead you astray?

Petit Corona

Corona Gorda

Churchill

[CanuckSARTech]

Yes, are we 100% sure that the vitola names match what they are called on CCW?

Shhhhhhh.........don't let anyone know that resource is out there.....

[Lotusguy]

Shhhhhhh.........don't let anyone know that resource is out there.....

LOL, OK, now you are really reaching, my friend The pressure is on... do I smell a whiff of desperation?

[CanuckSARTech]

For SURE!!!!! I'm panicking a bit at the churchill potential!!!!

[scottkenda]

Hey, Rob I'm not on the list, could you add me.

Thanks for your leadership.

[El Presidente]

Hey, Rob I'm not on the list, could you add me.

Thanks for your leadership.

Updated

[scroggers]

Has everyone received the cigars? Still haven't got mine. Just Curious.

[El Presidente]

If anyone on the list has not received a Shipping Notification at this time please contact Kurt at [email protected]

Let's ensure everyone is set

[partifan]

My review:

The cigar has a noticeable box press, limiting the options of what it could be.

From the foot I had prelight cedar and sweet tobacco. The prelight draws were floral and sweet.

Upon lighting I tasted leather, fruit, sweetness, nut, tons of twang and a cedar finish.

As the cigar entered the 2nd third, sweetness died down a bit, but the combined flavor was like a fruit-nougat candy with a floral finish and a creamy floral nose.

The floral flavor and the nougat candy flavor at times was almost like rose Turkish delight.

Into the final third, the sweetness really left, but cedar, cream, and rose were still quite prominent. The nub had a toasted hay/barnyard/light peat earthiness getting toward only a half inch left.

I've had cigars in other vitolas share some of these flavors, but if this is the cigar I'm guessing, I will need to pick up a box because it was a wonderful smoke.

[Matt Day]

Just a quick review on this stick

Sadly my example got a bit battered in the post but after a few repairs ti was fine

Draw good not loose but not tight either so excellent on that department

The first third on this stick opened up straight onto some bitter lemon pepper and then continued through on coffee ranging from milky to sweet

The second third the coffee died down to milk coffee for a while and what I describe as coffee cream with the peer returning to varying degrees towards the end of the third

Final third more pepper some dark coffee and spice predominately

91

I’m disregarding the damage due to it having taken place during shipment would buy a box further on the Brightside my Churchill and corona gorada came through in perfect condition so nice to get the damaged stick out of the way first.

[tempbond]

Smoked my petit corona last night. This isn't going to be a very detailed review, because my nose or palate isn't up to par with everyone elses it seems...

So here it goes:

Appearence/construction :

129mmX42

nice wrapper, nothing special

slightly boxpressed

nice smell of wrapper and foot, sweet tobacco

burn was good, no touch ups

plenty of nice smoke

Flavor :

first third - full flavor to very full, spice

second and last third - sharp change in intensity to just medium

good flavor, smooth, a little bit floral, very enjoyable

The wrapper split a bit in the second half, but didn't affect the burn or flavor.

What is it ?

Might as well guess it's a Rocky Patel or a Padron, I'll be as close as getting it right as if I were to try to give it a cuban name...

Oh well, one less contestant to worry about for the rest you !

[Wil]

Rustic looking stick with an average looking wrapper and a slightly uneven foot. Was slightly boozed when I lit up (thanks too a great bottle of Italian barbera) so can't recall the smell at cold.

Toasted the foot and this thing is away, almost smoking itself. Draw is perfect. Burn razor sharp. Plumes of smoke.

1st third: lots of dry cocoa powder and hints of leather. Medium bodied.

2nd third: cocoa powder still there, but coffee and cream coming through. Still medium bodied.

Final third: Touch of wood balanced with the aforementioned cocoa powder. Lovely.

I'm fairly sure I haven't had this cigar before, so I'm only guessing. Definitely keen to find out what it is, as I really enjoyed it. Would definitely pick up a box.

[amosnaim]

Quick question - why are there three rows under each cigar in the excel sheet? I am not assuiming we can have three votes for each cigars, right?

[AntiVirus]

My Review:

Cigar 1: Petit Corona

Average looking cigar with a slight box press to it, has a nice sweet smell to it pre draw.

After cutting the draw is a bit on the loose side but there is a nice sweet taste to it.

Opening: After getting this thing alight I was met by great amounts of smoke, which were unfortunately a bit harsh with just a toasted tobacco taste

First Third: Things got a lot better after the opening, nice coffee and cream flavours are coming through with an underlying sweetness lingering on the palate, just above medium

Second Third: Changed up a bit here the coffee has left but leather has now joined in the party, the cream is still there along with the sweetness and a bit grassiness is coming and going, getting a little fuller

Final Third: The flavours are still similar to the second third but the creaminess has died out a bit, hints of honey and even a bit of licorice turn up, just above medium

Final Thoughts: This was a tasty cigar, burned for about 40 mins due the draw being a little too open. That being said there was excellent amounts of smoke with a nice evolution of flavours underlined by sweetness. Definitely a cigar I would like to have again!

[Professor Twain]

If anyone on the list has not received a Shipping Notification at this time please contact Kurt at [email protected]

Let's ensure everyone is set

Missed this. Have not received my cigar or shipping notification. Just emailed Kurt.

[Hohenthal]

Marevas are not as easy to discern as one might think - there are quite a few out there of which some share similar flavours.

Here is my impressions:

Clearly a young cigar - upon arrival the wrapper had a non-descript tobacco smell, the foot of the cigar some menthol.

After 2 weeks in the humidor, some cedary smell of the wrapper, some sweet cocoa from the foot.

Even though I went for my sharpest cutter, the poor thing cracked and unraveled a bit.

Wrapper: colorado

Draw at cold: cedar

Construction: excellent, very even rolling.

Draw: a bit too open for my taste, as a result quite thick clouds of smoke.

Ash: nice and long, dark grey with an almost black burnline - young.

Body: medium-full at first, settled into medium in the mid third, at the end medium-full again.

Main flavours were: rich cocoa, coffee and charcoal/campfire woodiness, nuts,

creamy mouthfeel thanks to the viscous smoke.

I would give this 89/90

[dicko]

Thanks again for the competition - good fun, and difficult!

First off I'll say I matched this cigar with an Aussie Malbec (Lamont's Black Monster '09). Well, actually my mate did, made me guess what it was as a side blind tasting. I guessed a warm climate tempranillo then a malbec on the 3rd guess so I wasn't miles off.

The wine is beautiful (easy 94 on a cigar scale), sweet oak, plum, savoury aroma, currants, velvety tannins. Great wine.

The cigar:

Aroma at cold, and appearance-

Dry tea leaves on draw. Sweet cocoa on wrapper. Nice looking wrapper, colorado brown, slight veins.

Initial puffs and 1st 3rd-

thick smoke. pepper through the nose. Cedary flavours, a real aromatic wood flavour, almost sandalwood.

spicy oak barrel (maybe influence of wine) and a certain sweetness derived from the woody flavours.

2nd 3rd-

darker flavours, cocoa, underlying cream with with smooth but slightly dry aftertaste. wood still prominent.

3rd-

darker cocoa, cream, burnt aromatic woods. the smoke off the cigar is very pleasant (as in the 2nd hand smoke for want of a better term).

Score- easy 90. Not sure I have had this cigar before, I noticed elements of cigars I have had before but the combination of flavours and complexity threw me. I would buy a box of this one cigar all said.

[Styler]

Right, here goes...

My particular example looked... rustic. There were a few veins and the wrapper seemed to be bulging out at a couple of points. I punched the end to find that the draw was perfect for me, just a little resistance. Throughout the smoke the burn was flawless requiring no touchups and the ash held for close to an inch at a time.

The opening was quite sweet and tangy, plenty of smoke.

The cigar then quickly settled in to sweet woody flavours for the first third.

The second third saw those flavours remain with the odd hint of cocoa or coffee.

The final third was a lot darker and quite harsh, certainly a young stick.

This cigar was not to my taste, I'm not a fan of wood flavours as a core. I'm between a couple of options as to what it could be, Hmmmm.....

[dB69]

Mystery cigar #1, Petit Corona

Ring size 42. Length 129mm. Weight 7.79g, which is a little under standard 8.46g.

Stored at 65% RH and 17ºC temperature since arrival.

There's a nasty looking 5mm crack on halfway caused by rough transportation, but luckily it doesn't cause any harm in practice.

Construction is a bit soft with two hollow spots. Cold scent is quite mild tobacco with small amount of honey on it.

After cutting there's a smell of young tobacco. Open draw, a bit too open for me personally, but not too disturbing either. The cold taste is fresh tobacco, delicious. Lighting.

1/3: Slightly nutty tobacco. White pepper. The start reminds me of "an unnamed marque". Some toffee-like sweetness. Burning is very uneven. The taste has changed to dry, reminds me of "another unnamed marque". Some perfume. Some citrus. Human sweat!!! Terribly uneven burn, have to correct a little.

2/3: Mild creaminess. Sweetness and burning wood. Very light hints of dark coffee. Some toffee-like sweet spots every now and then.

3/3: It's difficult to keep the cigar burning. Sweet herbal flavours. Woodiness. More wood. Just a little perfume with a bonfire.

Despite the smell at cold the cigar did not taste too young at any point. Not much tannins in there.

Burning time excactly one hour. Body and flavour medium to full. A quite complex cigar.

I liked the flavour profile very much and could certainly buy more of these if they were a little heavier.

I see four possibilities, but more closely thinking I am struggling between two choices, one that I have never smoked (based on reviews only) and the other that I have smoked a couple during the ongoing year. The decision will be difficult to make.

I have to confess that I left some details out of this review...