Duo Review!

[Çnote]

@Capn_Jackson, let's do this again!

Today's pick: My Father Exclusive Davidoff of Geneva NYC 2018

Unbanded Torpedo 5.5x50

I'm super excited about this cigar. I love torpedoes in this size, and have respect for Davidoff and My Father, even if there are not my particularly favorite brands they are certainly known for putting on quality into the market.

1st impressions: Mild+, but a  ton of of red pepper honey.

I described this as ' a white pizza covered in red pepper flakes that had then been placed under a salamander to toast the red pepper to ensure that it was spicy.'

Very reminiscent of Davidoff just stuffed w pepper, mild and creamy but intense. 

Pepper fades into nutmeg creme after an inch or so of uncomfortable mouth burning, but still very kicky.

About 1/2 way => very Davidoff, mild but full, still very punchy Nicaraguan tobacco dominates the blend.

The last third and nub showed a one-dimensional baking spice / creme / caramel. Satisfying, but not enticing.

Overall to me, this is a one-note synthesis of the My Father (NicaraguanPowerhouse) & Davidoff (Mild yet Full intensity) styles. I was really hoping I'd love this, but honestly it's a $12 stick. An incredible value at Davidoff Geneva, but 100% American market NC, very showy not alot of complexity.

The real pleasure of this was smoking it in the flesh with CapnJ! We had a great talk about what flavors we actually enjoy, which was the entire point of this experiment.  One thing immediately apparent is that Cap'n is significantly slower on smoking (see the pics). We had discussed this often, but this is the 1st time we had sat down together and smoked the same cigar, lit at same time. 

Next up; Fuente KingT Churchill, presumably from this last holiday season's shipment. I mention this in case you want to burn one yourself and join the experiment/experience. I plan on smoking next Wed, 3/27.

[Capn_Jackson]

Look at me trying to back out of your picture, and you just not havin’ it! 😆

[Capn_Jackson]

Now for my side of the story:

First off, thanks to @Çnote for providing this smoke to review.

Cold draw had notes of coffee, a slight dried raisin, and a little bit of cashew. Lighting puff was a nice opening, hay and coffee. Subsequently, though, the first ten minutes or so didn’t show me much of anything. A little bit of black tea and that’s about it. After another ten or fifteen minutes, very mild flavors of honey, cashew, and slight bit of nutmeg held the floor. Maybe a little cocoa dust, but very much in the background. This didn’t change for a long time, pretty much remaining so for the first half. The interesting thing about doing these duo reviews, as we saw with the Nacatamale, much of what Cody tasted, I got in reverse! There was no pepper in my first half, and I didn’t know what to think of his “white pizza covered in red pepper” comment. Then came the second half…
 

Right after the midpoint, eye-watering pepper! At first this was more of a slightly sweet jalapeño, before turning to earthy red pepper. After retrohale stopped killing me, about five minutes, the pepper remained strong but went back into the mix just a little. Cashew turned up a few notches, and the pepper blended nicely with a bit of honey. Experienced just a few burn issues and jagged lines in the second half, enough to touch-up here and there, but overall a good burn. 

 

The last third of the cigar kept bringing the cashew, and introduced some mushroom. Fairly nice bit of sweet forest funk, actually, but it was muted. This did not change until the end. No bitterness, not much complexity, just a fairly decent roll of tobacco.

I’m not really sure who this cigar is for, but it’s not one I’ll seek out actively. Decent, but didn’t have a whole lot to show me. The conversation and fellowship far outshined the smoke.

[Rushman]

Great review gents. Hope you both have been doing well. I need to get back to Ft. Worth!

[Çnote]

1 hour ago, Rushman said:

Great review gents. Hope you both have been doing well. I need to get back to Ft. Worth!

The door's open!