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$5 Yard Gar Reviews

blutattooblutattoo Posts: 1,294 ✭✭✭
$5 Yard Gar reviews.

I am sure some will dispute whether a yard gar can cost as much as five bucks, but the point of this thread is to give my impressions of sticks that can be bought for under five dollars. I’m not talking about 5 dollar msrp, but rather what you can reasonable expect to pay for one when bought by the box, in a bundle, or on sale. My hope is to shed light on some less expensive smokes that might fly under the radar, but offer a good enough experience for others to consider when looking for a good cheap smoke. My palate is certainly not as refined as some of the people I would call experts on ccom, but I have smoked enough different smokes to know what I like and I don’t.

Today’s review is the:
Pinar Del Rio Small Batch Black Corojo
Toro 6x52
20 Ct. Box Price $42.99

Here is what they say:

Made with total care and consideration, Pinar del Rio Small Batch Black Corojo cigars are the epitome of what boutique blends should look like. A complex mixture of Dominican Corojo ligeros and secos are combined with Dominican Criollo 98 long leaves, and then cradled inside a silky, sultry Dominican Habano wrapper. The result is medium to full in body, featuring distinctive notes of earth, black pepper, dried fruit, and cedar. This is one fine cigar, and it will thoroughly satisfy any connoisseur from start to finish.

Appearance and feel:

I’m not sure I would call this a pretty cigar. The wrapper gives the impression of a paper towel roll both in color and character. It is rather rough to the touch with a number of noticeable veins. The cigar is firm without giving the impression of being tight and It feels slightly lighter than it’s size would indicate.

Pre-light and draw:

The smell is surprisingly pleasant given it’s lack of visual appeal. A definite woodsy smell is predominate with more pine than cedar. After the cut the draw is perfect. Which is almost as important as the flavor itself in my opinion. Not to firm and not like sucking air through a straw.

First impressions: Surprisingly good. It would seem like the factory description is very close to my experience. Black pepper, dried apricot minus the sweetness, cedar, and a touch of leather and sea salt. If I was given this cigar blind I would not have picked the Dominican as it’s country of origin.

Full impression:

The cigar produces a good amount of smoke. Burn has stayed razor sharp. The ash is not holding much more than half an inch. Due to some inattention I had to re-light about a third of the way through, but it hasn’t thrown off the flavor. The flavor has stayed consistent throughout. No transitions to new flavors just a lot of the same. Towards the middle, more of the dried fruit sweetness has come on with the aftertaste. It’s almost a mouth feel of sweetness more than the actual flavor of something sweet. Black pepper has stayed consistent and is the most prominent flavor with cedar and leather on the aftertaste.

Past the halfway point the cigar loses it’s ability to stay lit more often. The flavors have stayed much the same with exception of the pepper becoming less and less prominent and the cedar and sweetness playing a larger role. I am getting a very minor amount of harshness, but nothing major or unpleasant. The final third seems to finish the way it started. What started as a pleasant smoking experience has ended with a tad bit of boredom.

Final impression:

At just over two bucks a stick this is a pretty good bargain. It doesn’t cost enough to get you disappointed by it’s lack complexity, but it offers enough good things to keep a few in the cooler. I have smoked a number of these and have had extremely consistent experience each time. I would keep these in a rotation of everyday or value priced sticks.

Rating:
7.5 out of 10

Comments

  • HaysHays Posts: 2,337 ✭✭✭
    Excellent, very thorough review! I´ve liked the PDR´s that I´ve had, but this one wasn´t one of them. Also, I´d say that their price point definitely factored into my value perception (much as this one here), so there´s that.
    ¨The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea¨ - Isak Dinesen

    ¨Only two people walk around in this world beardless - boys and women - and I am neither one.¨
  • 0patience0patience Posts: 10,665 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great review Jason. I look forward to more of them from you.
    In Fumo Pax
    Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.

    Wylaff said:
    Atmospheric pressure and crap.
  • Bob_LukenBob_Luken Posts: 10,004 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Good thread. I'm all 'bout them bargain sticks.
  • RainRain Posts: 8,958 ✭✭✭
    image
  • rsherman24rsherman24 Posts: 6,736 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Cool thread. Always looking for some new yard gars in the summer. I tried one of the small batch and really liked it. Have to look into them again
  • blutattooblutattoo Posts: 1,294 ✭✭✭
    Today’s review
    Alec Bradley American Sun Grown
    Toro 6 x 50
    Price $93.99 for a box of twenty purchased on sale for $92 w/freebies

    What they say

    Alec Bradley's American Classic came as a bit of a surprise to the cigar industry. The Connecticut-wrapped blend was far stronger than most enthusiasts had expected and was packed with a ton of flavor. So where does that leave American Sun Grown? Well, this blend amps it up even more. While the strength won't surprise you, it's ripe with rich, full flavors that remind you how a Nicaraguan puro should taste like. Notes of spice, leather, and earth run rampant on your palate and linger there long enough to easily pair with your favorite scotch.

    Appearance and feel

    This is a dark cigar for sure, although there are some inconsistencies with the coloring on the wrapper. It almost appears as if you can see through it to the lighter color binder in places. This is not actually the case since the wrapper feels thick and rustic(rough). The cigar feels perfectly weighted in hand and is neither too firm or too soft.

    Pre-light and draw

    Cut with a guillotine produces a perfect draw. Initial taste of damp earth and cedar with just a hint of pepper.

    First Impressions

    Boom instant black pepper blast from the first puff. After the first few draws the overwhelming black pepper subsides. This is not quite as spicy as a MOW, Diesel, or MF, but it is close. I am also getting a very distinct vanilla extract taste. It surprising mellows after the pepper dies out. The initial ash holds on for an inch or so, and they burn has stayed razor sharp through the first third.

    Full Impression

    The burn has turned a little wonky midway through and the ash definitely doesn’t hold on for very long. I am wondering if it is a bit too humidified. I pulled this out of the bottom of the cooler, but it is staying lit nonetheless. The pepper has definitely mellowed considerably and a very earthy character has become prominent. I get fleeting notes of orange peel zest, vanilla, oak, and leather. Nothing stays on the palate long enough to really concentrate on, which is a shame since all of the flavors would be great if they were more pronounced. These have been in the cooler for a few months, but maybe a year or two of aging would do these some good.

    The burn has straightened itself out without a touch up and the flavors have remained consistent throughout. For a Nicaraguan puro I am getting a different kind of spice than is typical of those type of smokes. I would really swear this is a multi-country blend.

    Final Impression

    I purchased these simply because they had a fifteen pack freebie with the purchase of any Alec Bradley box. All told it worked out to be less than $3 bucks a stick. At this price point I think they are worth it, at retail I would buy others that I think are more well rounded. This is not quite a stick you sit down and just enjoy with a drink, but it is definitely much better tasting and constructed than a typical yard gar. For me the perfect place and time for this cigar is the third cigar of the day when your palate is a little off and you just want a strong cigar to go with your bourbon straight up.

    Rating
    8 out of 10
  • 90+_Irishman90+_Irishman Posts: 12,408 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Really digging the thread Jason, keep em coming and great job!!!
    "When walking in open territory bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask them to stop. If they do not stop, destroy them."
  • blutattooblutattoo Posts: 1,294 ✭✭✭
    90+ Irishman:
    Really digging the thread Jason, keep em coming and great job!!!
    Thanks bro this will help me keep track of all the less expensive smokes so I won't forget what is good and what stinks.
  • Edna20Edna20 Posts: 1,323 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Do we get to make requests? I'd love to see your thoughts on a Sons of Anarchy. If you don't have one, PM me your addy and I'll get one to ya :)
    Team O'Donnell FTW!
  • blutattooblutattoo Posts: 1,294 ✭✭✭
    Edna20:
    Do we get to make requests? I'd love to see your thoughts on a Sons of Anarchy. If you don't have one, PM me your addy and I'll get one to ya :)
    I've smoked a few. Sherm sent me a few a couple of months ago, but I might have finished them off. I also had one via a trade that had a year or so of age on it. Although I didn't write any notes down I will say that the year of rest was very kind to the cigar. It turned it from just a very strong enjoyable cigar to something that was excellent with a lot of depth. I remember it so well, because I was shocked at how good it was. I'll see if I can lay my hand on another one and let ya know.
  • Edna20Edna20 Posts: 1,323 ✭✭✭✭✭
    blutattoo:
    Edna20:
    Do we get to make requests? I'd love to see your thoughts on a Sons of Anarchy. If you don't have one, PM me your addy and I'll get one to ya :)
    I've smoked a few. Sherm sent me a few a couple of months ago, but I might have finished them off. I also had one via a trade that had a year or so of age on it. Although I didn't write any notes down I will say that the year of rest was very kind to the cigar. It turned it from just a very strong enjoyable cigar to something that was excellent with a lot of depth. I remember it so well, because I was shocked at how good it was. I'll see if I can lay my hand on another one and let ya know.

    Yeah, I didn't want to like them because it seemed so gimmicky but I loved them. Bought some of the new K-9 ones as well. They are pretty good, but I like the original more I think. Anyway, let me know if you want either one or both. I certainly owe you more than a couple of yard gars!
    Team O'Donnell FTW!
  • Boy, 5 Bucks a stick, I gotta keep an eye out for these.
    Taxes in the lousy state of NJ i's hare to find smokes under $6... Betchya if I found one here it would be $8-$9!
  • blutattooblutattoo Posts: 1,294 ✭✭✭
    Hoag2531:
    Boy, 5 Bucks a stick, I gotta keep an eye out for these. Taxes in the lousy state of NJ i's hare to find smokes under $6... Betchya if I found one here it would be $8-$9!
    Yeah the same here in California if not more. The prices I am quoting are from sticks I've bought here on ccom. If you buy singles at a regular B&M $5 won't get you much for sure. In less I am really spoiling myself or I'm buying something to bomb out I hardly ever spend more than that.
  • blutattooblutattoo Posts: 1,294 ✭✭✭
    Well I've had a little to much to drink and I'm feeling a little to lazy to type up a full review, but I purchased a bundle of 15 toro Nicaragua 90+ rated seconds from CCOM for $30 and I must say they are freakin outstanding for the money. I have smoked 3 out of the bundle since I received them a month ago. 2 had perfect construction and 1 had construction issues. They have had slightly different flavor profiles, but all of them have been good to very good. They come unbanded, but they remind me a bunch of an Oliva Serie O, Tatuaje Tattoo, or Perdomo Habano. Pepper, leather, cedar/pine, and a touch of cinnamon/sugar. Minus the one with construction issues; if I was sent this without knowing what it was I would rate this highly. Bang for the buck this is easily the best $2 stick I've ever smoked. Put a My Father or Oliva band on it and you would not be disappointed. After inspecting the wrappers of each stick in the bundle 12 of the 15 showed no visible signs of questionable construction so my bundle seems to be fairly well constructed. As an everyday smoke with a typical Nica profile this may be the best you can find at the price

    Rating 9.0 out of ten
  • Amos_UmwhatAmos_Umwhat Posts: 8,405 ✭✭✭✭✭
    blutattoo:
    Well I've had a little to much to drink and I'm feeling a little to lazy to type up a full review, but I purchased a bundle of 15 toro Nicaragua 90+ rated seconds from CCOM for $30 and I must say they are freakin outstanding for the money. I have smoked 3 out of the bundle since I received them a month ago. 2 had perfect construction and 1 had construction issues. They have had slightly different flavor profiles, but all of them have been good to very good. They come unbanded, but they remind me a bunch of an Oliva Serie O, Tatuaje Tattoo, or Perdomo Habano. Pepper, leather, cedar/pine, and a touch of cinnamon/sugar. Minus the one with construction issues; if I was sent this without knowing what it was I would rate this highly. Bang for the buck this is easily the best $2 stick I've ever smoked. Put a My Father or Oliva band on it and you would not be disappointed. After inspecting the wrappers of each stick in the bundle 12 of the 15 showed no visible signs of questionable construction so my bundle seems to be fairly well constructed. As an everyday smoke with a typical Nica profile this may be the best you can find at the price

    Rating 9.0 out of ten
    Hush now! These are terrible! I should know, I've bought three bundles in the last six weeks. They're OK for me, you know, but you guys won't like them.

    (hmm, wait...if no one buys them they'll stop carrying them)

    OK, some of y'all might like them, but not the Toros. Those, you'd probably best just leave for me, I'll suffer for you.

    In all seriousness, you don't know what you'll get, Connies, maduros, etc., but it's the sweetest deal I've ever found here.

    (my Gollum voice in my head says "SHUT UP! STOP TALKING TO THEM"
    WARNING:  The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme.  Proceed at your own risk.  

    "If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed.  If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." --  Mark Twain
  • blutattooblutattoo Posts: 1,294 ✭✭✭
    Amos Umwhat:
    blutattoo:
    Well I've had a little to much to drink and I'm feeling a little to lazy to type up a full review, but I purchased a bundle of 15 toro Nicaragua 90+ rated seconds from CCOM for $30 and I must say they are freakin outstanding for the money. I have smoked 3 out of the bundle since I received them a month ago. 2 had perfect construction and 1 had construction issues. They have had slightly different flavor profiles, but all of them have been good to very good. They come unbanded, but they remind me a bunch of an Oliva Serie O, Tatuaje Tattoo, or Perdomo Habano. Pepper, leather, cedar/pine, and a touch of cinnamon/sugar. Minus the one with construction issues; if I was sent this without knowing what it was I would rate this highly. Bang for the buck this is easily the best $2 stick I've ever smoked. Put a My Father or Oliva band on it and you would not be disappointed. After inspecting the wrappers of each stick in the bundle 12 of the 15 showed no visible signs of questionable construction so my bundle seems to be fairly well constructed. As an everyday smoke with a typical Nica profile this may be the best you can find at the price

    Rating 9.0 out of ten
    Hush now! These are terrible! I should know, I've bought three bundles in the last six weeks. They're OK for me, you know, but you guys won't like them.

    (hmm, wait...if no one buys them they'll stop carrying them)

    OK, some of y'all might like them, but not the Toros. Those, you'd probably best just leave for me, I'll suffer for you.

    In all seriousness, you don't know what you'll get, Connies, maduros, etc., but it's the sweetest deal I've ever found here.

    (my Gollum voice in my head says "SHUT UP! STOP TALKING TO THEM"
    It will be our secret promise. No one reads these things anyway.
  • roland_7707roland_7707 Posts: 2,833 ✭✭✭
    Right.........
    One God, One Truth
  • peter4jcpeter4jc Posts: 15,322 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm halfway through a Tobaco Baez, Serie SF, made by My Father. It must've come in a sampler, and it's really not too shabby.

    The SF in the title stands for short filler. From what I gather, the long filler that got cut off as they're rolling cigars gets re-used in sticks like this. Supposedly DPG, who is in charge of the MF operations, makes sure the short filler cuttings get used at a 70/30 ratio with 70% of the same long fillers being the same as the 30% the short fillers came from so the flavors are consistent with the original blend.

    Draw is a tad loose, but fine. Construction is fine, with a clean good-quality wrapper. Burn is straight and sharp, with the ash holding an inch easily.

    Flavors are respectable; spicy cedar, with a nice cofffee-like undertone. Not much shift in flavor from start down to the last couple inches.

    Ccom sold me the sampler, but I don't see them available on their own. It may take a call to The Beard, but I they're generally just under $2.50 in Toro, when available.

    Disclaimer; sipping some Evan Williams Single Barrel may be turning this yard 'gar into something more than it is. :-)
    "I could've had a Mi Querida!"   Nick Bardis
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