In light of so many BOTL's being firearms enthusiasts as well, here is a review of a 5 Vegas Series A "Archetype" and a S&W1911.
Vital facts:
5 Vegas:
Wrapper: Costa Rican Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaraguan, Honduran
Body: Medium-Full, according to website
Size: 6.0" x 50
S&W
Frame: Stainless Steel
Caliber: 45ACP
Action: Locked Breech
Origin: Springfield, MA. USA
Magazine: Wilson Combat
Looking at the cigar, it has a smooth, silky untoothy, rather dark maduro wrapper, very nicely constructed, and comes in a nice cedar sleeve. It looks and smells absolutely delicious.
The 1911 is an all-steel pistol of John Moses Browning's famous Government Model of 1911 design, which is almost a hundred years old at this point. It is updated with some nicer factory parts, such as a full length guide rod, skeletonized hammer, beavertail grip safety, and oversized manual safety.
Foot construction vs. 0.45 of an inch muzzle:
Upon lighting the 5Vegas (is it 5Vegas, or 5 Vegas?), I got some very mild cocoa taste, along with some VERY aromatic smoke. This thing smelled great. Lit very easily and well.
The S&W weighs in at 39 oz empty, and comes equipped with 2 Wilson Combat 8 round magazines, giving it an overall capacity of 9 shots. It also is dresses with Novak sights.
1st third:
The first third of the cigar had the usual sweet maduro cocoa/chocolate taste, with hints of cedar. Extremely creamy and smooth. A tad of spice made it's way in eventually.
The S&W is a model from a few years ago when they were still rollmarking gigantic text on the side on it. Nowadays it's a lot smaller and nicer looking.
2nd third:
The archetype got spicier, not to spicy, but just enough to let you know it's there. The cigar stayed super smooth. About halfway through the spice gave way to more chocolaty tastes again, blending very well on the palette. The ash held on for a nice long time, giving a cool burning smoke.
Also note the external extractor, another upgrade from the original 1911 design.
3rd third:
The cigar went back to spice for taste and the cocoa taste faded. There were some faintly harsh notes, but only a bit, not nearly enough to spoil such a good smoke. Yummy right down to the nub. I smokd it another inch or so after this picture.
Overall, a fantastic cigar. The burn on this was RAZOR straight, not once did I ever have to reach for the lighter. it s brainlessly easy to smoke and enjoy. I'd consider it more of a medium body smoke than a medium-full.
The SW1911 shoots like most other 1911 design guns. It is extremely reliable, after thousands of rounds I can count the number of FTF/FTE on a single finger. Once I hit a 6 steel plates in a row from 50 yards in a competition and no one could believe it wasn't stock- but it was. It's a nice, accurate gun.
In summary, I would recommend either the 5 Vegas Series A or the S&W 1911 to anyone who might want something enjoyable to do in a given afternoon.
Vital facts:
5 Vegas:
Wrapper: Costa Rican Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaraguan, Honduran
Body: Medium-Full, according to website
Size: 6.0" x 50
S&W
Frame: Stainless Steel
Caliber: 45ACP
Action: Locked Breech
Origin: Springfield, MA. USA
Magazine: Wilson Combat
Looking at the cigar, it has a smooth, silky untoothy, rather dark maduro wrapper, very nicely constructed, and comes in a nice cedar sleeve. It looks and smells absolutely delicious.
The 1911 is an all-steel pistol of John Moses Browning's famous Government Model of 1911 design, which is almost a hundred years old at this point. It is updated with some nicer factory parts, such as a full length guide rod, skeletonized hammer, beavertail grip safety, and oversized manual safety.
Foot construction vs. 0.45 of an inch muzzle:
Upon lighting the 5Vegas (is it 5Vegas, or 5 Vegas?), I got some very mild cocoa taste, along with some VERY aromatic smoke. This thing smelled great. Lit very easily and well.
The S&W weighs in at 39 oz empty, and comes equipped with 2 Wilson Combat 8 round magazines, giving it an overall capacity of 9 shots. It also is dresses with Novak sights.
1st third:
The first third of the cigar had the usual sweet maduro cocoa/chocolate taste, with hints of cedar. Extremely creamy and smooth. A tad of spice made it's way in eventually.
The S&W is a model from a few years ago when they were still rollmarking gigantic text on the side on it. Nowadays it's a lot smaller and nicer looking.
2nd third:
The archetype got spicier, not to spicy, but just enough to let you know it's there. The cigar stayed super smooth. About halfway through the spice gave way to more chocolaty tastes again, blending very well on the palette. The ash held on for a nice long time, giving a cool burning smoke.
Also note the external extractor, another upgrade from the original 1911 design.
3rd third:
The cigar went back to spice for taste and the cocoa taste faded. There were some faintly harsh notes, but only a bit, not nearly enough to spoil such a good smoke. Yummy right down to the nub. I smokd it another inch or so after this picture.
Overall, a fantastic cigar. The burn on this was RAZOR straight, not once did I ever have to reach for the lighter. it s brainlessly easy to smoke and enjoy. I'd consider it more of a medium body smoke than a medium-full.
The SW1911 shoots like most other 1911 design guns. It is extremely reliable, after thousands of rounds I can count the number of FTF/FTE on a single finger. Once I hit a 6 steel plates in a row from 50 yards in a competition and no one could believe it wasn't stock- but it was. It's a nice, accurate gun.
In summary, I would recommend either the 5 Vegas Series A or the S&W 1911 to anyone who might want something enjoyable to do in a given afternoon.
