Cigar: Romeo y Julieta Viejo
Size/Shape: "E" (Toro, 6x54)
Time In My Humidor: 10 days
Smoking Time: 1:15
Overall Rating: 8.5
This was a pleasant smoke, but nothing terribly special. As I've said before, like seemingly all R&J's, it's a good looking cigar that's well made, although the draw on this one was tight. It burned evenly, though. The ash was tight and held on nicely.
This one was a bit the reverse of the Reserva Real. The RR had one flavor, and that flavor was very pronounced. The Viejo had a more complex blend of flavors, but the overall amount of flavor was lower. As evidence of this: I smoked the cigar 2 days ago, and I can't remember what its specific flavors were.
This is a solid, serviceable smoke. It's not going to wow you, but it's not going to do anything wrong, either. It would be a good choice for when you're smoking with friends or at a bar, and don't want to pay much attention to the cigar itself. It is probably, however, a bit overpriced for what it delivers.
Cigar: Oliva Serie V
Size/Shape: Robusto
Time In My Humidor: 14 days
Smoking Time: 0:45
Overall Rating: 6
Icky-poo. There was just nothing about this cigar I enjoyed; a big disappointment after the G Maduro, and given this cigar's high ratings elsewhere.
For starters, one whole side just did not want to burn. It didn't want to light, and once lit, wouldn't burn. I finally stopped throwing good butane after bad and let the thing canoe, which it happily did.
Adding to that bad first impression was the fact that the early smoke from this cigar was easily the harshest I've ever had in my mouth. I've had lungfuls of insecticide fumes that were more pleasant. The flavor improved after the first .25" or so, but not all that much. There was some sweetness in there that might have been nice had it asserted itself, but it didn't. Mostly, it was spicy, but not in a way I enjoyed.
With about 2.5" remaining (on the good side), it decided it'd prefer to go out entirely, and I decided I'd prefer to let it. I won't be adding more of these to my humidor.
Wow, I'm sorry to hear you had issues with these. I have smoked a Torpedo and Belisico with minor issues. The Belisico had wrapper issues, but smoked fine, and the Torpedo knocked my socks off with flavor. I have a double Robusto and Churchill in my humi for me to round out the line. Maybe it just didn't have enough time resting, since they have been rushing these onto the market. My suggestion is the same as others, don't give up on a stick after 1 bad experience. Try one with more rest, and hopefully you won't be disappointed.
If one turns up in a COTM or a shipment from the trades/games/bombs threads, I'll give it another try. But I don't see me spending my own money on another one. Too many cigars I haven't tried yet.
Wow, I agree with the strength of this cigar. It took me 2 nights to smoke it and it was a robusto. But I found the flavor great, maybe it was the meal and wine that I had before it. I had no burn issues, the draw was somewhat tight. I hope you just got a bad one, it happens. I recommend this cigar to those who like stronger cigars and full flavors. However, i completely aggree with you on the G series, it is my go to smoke now, at least when I'm home to get them. I got married in January and that is the cigar me and my groomsmen smoked. I know its your opinion on here but give the V another chance.
Well, I smoked another Belisico to make sure that I didn't get lucky with a good one, and yep. Fantastic, had to touch it up only once, but that was because I didn't puff on it for over 5 minutes while looking at the new house going up across the street. You could definately feel the strength on it, while I hadn't ate anything in 8 hours.
I'm going to light up one of the Serie V lanceros that I have this weekend just for you urby. I'm hoping you just got a bad one, as I've heard nothing but good up until your review.
And if the lancero is a winner, I'll make sure and send one along to you so that the Serie V line will be redeemed in your eyes. I have faith in Oliva, the brand has proven itself to me thus far.
And, uh... the chicken blood can't hurt... I guess.
I think your chicken blood juju must have worked... either that or you just had a bad cigar as has certainly been known to happen. Not the most complex of cigars, but in my opinion a good straight forward cigar trumps a mediocre complex one any day of any week.
I think your chicken blood juju must have worked... either that or you just had a bad cigar as has certainly been known to happen.
Could be. That'll happen with any product. I have to say, though, that it seems like we find ourselves saying that way too much. There aren't that many active users on this forum, but "maybe you just got a bad one" still gets voiced several times a week. To me, that says there are just too many "bad ones" getting made. Maybe the makers are still working the kinks out of how to produce a traditional, hand-crafted product on the massive scale that the popularity of cigars over the past 20 years demands. I sure hope they're still working the kinks out, because they clearly have some QC problems, IMHO.
j0z3r:
Not the most complex of cigars, but in my opinion a good straight forward cigar trumps a mediocre complex one any day of any week.
When you're talking about anything produced in such numbers, inconsistencies are unavoidable, and frankly I think they do a good job in keeping the bad numbers down compared to some makers. Especially with something like the Serie V that has had such a massive demand, it could very well be that they are rushing the product through the QC process to turn out enough to satiate some of the demand. I agree that " maybe I got a bad one" is said far too often, and I guess we can only hope that some better quality control will start taking place and enjoy the good ones that come out in the meantime. Try as i might, I can't help but remain optimistic since I know how good the "good" ones are.
Yeah, I wasn't speaking of Oliva, specifically. I meant the entire hand-rolled cigar industry. They all seem to have rather serious QC problems. I'm neither optimistic nor pessimistic about it. I haven't been back in the cigar world long enough to have a sense of which way things are trending, if they're changing at all. But I'll definitely be keeping a close eye on it.
Thanks for the well wishes, Joe. Right back atcha.
Cigar: Nub 464 Habano
Size/Shape: Torpedo
Time In My Humidor: 2 weeks +
Smoking Time: 0:45
Overall Rating: 8.0
This Nub Habano reminded me more of its Connecticut cousin than of the Cameroon. It was spicier than the Connecticut, and had correspondingly less sweetness. It had perhaps a touch more overall flavor than the Connecticut, but was still on the bland side.
Like the Connecticut, I couldn't tell you what it tasted like. It didn't taste like anything. It just had some generic spiciness -- mostly early in the cigar -- then a short, clean aftertaste.
The burn wasn't even, but not really problematic, either. The draw was great, and there was lots of smoke. If only that smoke had had more flavor... Based on having smoked one of each, the Cameroon is my clear favorite, the Habano a distant second, and the Connecticut brings up the rear.
It seems like I should say something about my overall ratings. I don't grade on a curve, which I guess makes me a tough grader. (My students used to say as much.) OTOH, since I don't inflate grades and other sources of cigar reviews do (IMHO), some of my grades might seem harsher than they really are.
Here's a rundown of how I see them:
9.0+ This is a really good cigar. It produced good flavor and lots of it, and it had no construction problems.
8.0+ This is a good cigar. It's not going to wow you, but it won't annoy you, either. What tends to separate 8's from 9's is the amount of flavor. It could also be a cigar with a good quantity of flavor but minor construction problems.
7.0+ This is an okay cigar, but problematic. These tend to be cigars that produce 9-level flavor, but have notable construction problems. They might also be cigars that would get an 8 for flavor, but have mild construction problems. I'd give these cigars another try.
6.0+ This is a cigar I wouldn't buy again. It produced bad flavor, and/or had serious construction problems.
6.0- I haven't yet smoked such a cigar and hope I never do.
One other note. In the 9's, I go in .1 increments -- 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, etc. Everything below that, I go by quarter points -- 8.0, 8.25, 8.5, etc. Also, while I don't normally take price into account, I ain't gonna lie to you. North of $10 a pop, my expectations go up rapidly. If you're a $20 cigar, you're making some very big promises; you damn sure better keep them, or I will fracture your ass.
Kuzi/ urbino I don't often crack the 10:00 barrier on an untested cigar but there are many that are well worth the price.. Opus, Hemingways, a Graycliff or
two and Davidoff.. The biggest surprises come from the 2-5 dollar range..
where I have found so many cigars that I would pay double and still feel well worth the price..so price is never a true indication of how much you will enjoy a cigar.. only how disappointed and cheated you'll feel out of your investment of time and money..
...so price is never a true indication of how much you will enjoy a cigar.. only how disappointed and cheated you'll fell out of your investment of time and money..
Agreed. I think my 2 highest rated cigars so far are in that $2-4 range. That old saying, "you get what you pay for," I've always found is half true. Sometimes you get less than you pay for, but you never get more.
Cigars seem to be an exception. Sometimes you get less, but sometimes you do get more.
...so price is never a true indication of how much you will enjoy a cigar.. only how disappointed and cheated you'll fell out of your investment of time and money..
Cigar: La Aurora Preferido Platinum No. 2 (Tubo)
Size/Shape: Perfecto
Time In My Humidor: 2 weeks +
Smoking Time: 1:00
Overall Rating: 9.0
Smoking this cigar was a fine summer pleasure. It's enticing from the beginning -- a really stunning perfecto-shaped tube, which when opened reveals a nice looking, slightly petite perfecto cigar. One of the nice things about perfectos is that they're so easy to cut cleanly and straight. (The ones that need cutting, that is.) Once cut, the draw was perfect and produced a savory taste.
Another nice thing about perfectos (and figurados like the Hemingway) is that they're so easy to light well. And once lit, the Platinum produced abundant smoke with a mix of cedar, spice, and, for the first time in my cigar smoking experience, leather flavors. Had those flavors been a bit stronger, this cigar would get an even higher rating. As it is, they were strong enough, and I enjoyed them immensely.
The burn was just slightly uneven, but never troublesome, and the white ash held on well.
At this price, I wouldn't buy these on a regular basis, but as a special-occasion smoke, I have no complaints.
Question...the white ash, is that something that shows quality in a cigar? I have heard this before but I'm not sure of the reason that you want white ash.
White ash doesn't say anything about the quality of a cigar, so far as I know, Andy. Some people like the look of it better, but that's all there is to it, I think.
White ash doesn't say anything about the quality of a cigar, so far as I know, Andy. Some people like the look of it better, but that's all there is to it, I think.
I believe so too White ash looks nice but a solid firm ash is an indication of good construction regardless of the color..
Maybe various leaves burn off in different colors because I have see white, gray black, and various combos of all..and in different layers of the same cigar..
Comments
Size/Shape: "E" (Toro, 6x54)
Time In My Humidor: 10 days
Smoking Time: 1:15
Overall Rating: 8.5
This was a pleasant smoke, but nothing terribly special. As I've said before, like seemingly all R&J's, it's a good looking cigar that's well made, although the draw on this one was tight. It burned evenly, though. The ash was tight and held on nicely.
This one was a bit the reverse of the Reserva Real. The RR had one flavor, and that flavor was very pronounced. The Viejo had a more complex blend of flavors, but the overall amount of flavor was lower. As evidence of this: I smoked the cigar 2 days ago, and I can't remember what its specific flavors were.
This is a solid, serviceable smoke. It's not going to wow you, but it's not going to do anything wrong, either. It would be a good choice for when you're smoking with friends or at a bar, and don't want to pay much attention to the cigar itself. It is probably, however, a bit overpriced for what it delivers.
Size/Shape: Robusto
Time In My Humidor: 14 days
Smoking Time: 0:45
Overall Rating: 6
Icky-poo. There was just nothing about this cigar I enjoyed; a big disappointment after the G Maduro, and given this cigar's high ratings elsewhere.
For starters, one whole side just did not want to burn. It didn't want to light, and once lit, wouldn't burn. I finally stopped throwing good butane after bad and let the thing canoe, which it happily did.
Adding to that bad first impression was the fact that the early smoke from this cigar was easily the harshest I've ever had in my mouth. I've had lungfuls of insecticide fumes that were more pleasant. The flavor improved after the first .25" or so, but not all that much. There was some sweetness in there that might have been nice had it asserted itself, but it didn't. Mostly, it was spicy, but not in a way I enjoyed.
With about 2.5" remaining (on the good side), it decided it'd prefer to go out entirely, and I decided I'd prefer to let it. I won't be adding more of these to my humidor.
As for the strength, I didn't object to that. It wasn't that it was strong (though it was), it was that it was harsh, if that makes any sense.
And, uh... the chicken blood can't hurt... I guess.
Joe
Happy smoking, and have a happy 4th urby.
Joe
Thanks for the well wishes, Joe. Right back atcha.
Size/Shape: Torpedo
Time In My Humidor: 2 weeks +
Smoking Time: 0:45
Overall Rating: 8.0
This Nub Habano reminded me more of its Connecticut cousin than of the Cameroon. It was spicier than the Connecticut, and had correspondingly less sweetness. It had perhaps a touch more overall flavor than the Connecticut, but was still on the bland side.
Like the Connecticut, I couldn't tell you what it tasted like. It didn't taste like anything. It just had some generic spiciness -- mostly early in the cigar -- then a short, clean aftertaste.
The burn wasn't even, but not really problematic, either. The draw was great, and there was lots of smoke. If only that smoke had had more flavor... Based on having smoked one of each, the Cameroon is my clear favorite, the Habano a distant second, and the Connecticut brings up the rear.
Here's a rundown of how I see them:
9.0+ This is a really good cigar. It produced good flavor and lots of it, and it had no construction problems.
8.0+ This is a good cigar. It's not going to wow you, but it won't annoy you, either. What tends to separate 8's from 9's is the amount of flavor. It could also be a cigar with a good quantity of flavor but minor construction problems.
7.0+ This is an okay cigar, but problematic. These tend to be cigars that produce 9-level flavor, but have notable construction problems. They might also be cigars that would get an 8 for flavor, but have mild construction problems. I'd give these cigars another try.
6.0+ This is a cigar I wouldn't buy again. It produced bad flavor, and/or had serious construction problems.
6.0- I haven't yet smoked such a cigar and hope I never do.
One other note. In the 9's, I go in .1 increments -- 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, etc. Everything below that, I go by quarter points -- 8.0, 8.25, 8.5, etc. Also, while I don't normally take price into account, I ain't gonna lie to you. North of $10 a pop, my expectations go up rapidly. If you're a $20 cigar, you're making some very big promises; you damn sure better keep them, or I will fracture your ass.
Cigars seem to be an exception. Sometimes you get less, but sometimes you do get more.
Size/Shape: Perfecto
Time In My Humidor: 2 weeks +
Smoking Time: 1:00
Overall Rating: 9.0
Smoking this cigar was a fine summer pleasure. It's enticing from the beginning -- a really stunning perfecto-shaped tube, which when opened reveals a nice looking, slightly petite perfecto cigar. One of the nice things about perfectos is that they're so easy to cut cleanly and straight. (The ones that need cutting, that is.) Once cut, the draw was perfect and produced a savory taste.
Another nice thing about perfectos (and figurados like the Hemingway) is that they're so easy to light well. And once lit, the Platinum produced abundant smoke with a mix of cedar, spice, and, for the first time in my cigar smoking experience, leather flavors. Had those flavors been a bit stronger, this cigar would get an even higher rating. As it is, they were strong enough, and I enjoyed them immensely.
The burn was just slightly uneven, but never troublesome, and the white ash held on well.
At this price, I wouldn't buy these on a regular basis, but as a special-occasion smoke, I have no complaints.