Cigar: Drew Estate Java Super Toro Maduro
Size: 5 x 58?
Appearance/Construction: Very squarely pressed, almost sharp edges at the head that round out more toward the foot. Nice and firm springy feel, hardly any shine to the wrapper though, other than a little on the corners. It has two bands, one at the foot and one in the usual place. Overall, it’s nicely constructed.
Where: The patio (where else) at a comfortable 68°F, 48% humidity, with light winds from the ESE at 13 mph.
Drink: Jameson Irish Whiskey.
Prelight Aroma, Draw and Taste: A strong chocolaty fudgy aroma with great lightly filtered draw after clipping.
Light: Tiger single flame torch
First Impressions: When it first touched my lips, I got a fudgy taste quite like the aroma, as if the head was sweet tipped with this flavor. It seemingly has a mild to medium tobacco flavor.
First third: The sweet tip flavor left before the end of the first inch, but the chocolaty fudgy taste lingers a little while on the lips and longer on the palate. The chocolaty fudgy taste yields to the tobacco flavor which steps up considerably during the first third.
Second third: Almost the same as the last bit of the first third, but the chocolaty fudgy flavors seem to burst in during more draws here and there becoming more and more frequent. At this point, I'm of the opinion that a lesser quality tobacco was used and that may be the case with flavored cigars, I don't know. I can't nail it down for certain, but there is something in the taste I don't care for, more so in the aftertaste than in the draw or when expelling. I find myself hoping that the final third will improve, as is often the case for me. The ash color changed to a yellow gray toward the end of the second third, but since I didn't notice this until later, I don't know for sure if the flavor changed at the same time.
Final third: With a little less than two inches left, it became soft and spongy and seemed to get an earthy flavor that was not present earlier. At an inch and a half, I'm still looking for an improvement but with increasing doubt. I just got a chemical taste similar to ammonia that was quite unpleasant so I purged and let it rest a bit, but it didn't seem to help much at all. With an inch and a quarter remaining it grew worse and I gave up any hope of redemption.
Ash/Burn: First chunk dropped right at an inch and a quarter. A nearly a perfect burn, seldom varied by more than three sixteenths of an inch.
Cost: $6.00, it was a gift, but it still had the sticker on it.
Final Comments: If it tasted as good as it's aroma it would be a far better smoke, but unfortunately it did not. I may give it another go at a later date, but I know there are many other smokes I like much more for this price. In all fairness, perhaps I got a "bad one" or maybe my choice of drink made it less than a stellar experience. With only one try, I won't rate this cigar numerically at this time. I do want to try an Oliveros, Kopi Luwak mentioned by macjoe53 here.
Burn Time: Lit 1:50 PM 3/16/2008, quit it at 2:31 PM.
Off the wall: When looking into the ash somewhere around the middle of the smoke I saw this "face" looking back at me. I see a Gorilla smiling and perhaps laughing at me. Anybody else see it?
Size: 5 x 58?
Appearance/Construction: Very squarely pressed, almost sharp edges at the head that round out more toward the foot. Nice and firm springy feel, hardly any shine to the wrapper though, other than a little on the corners. It has two bands, one at the foot and one in the usual place. Overall, it’s nicely constructed.
Where: The patio (where else) at a comfortable 68°F, 48% humidity, with light winds from the ESE at 13 mph.
Drink: Jameson Irish Whiskey.
Prelight Aroma, Draw and Taste: A strong chocolaty fudgy aroma with great lightly filtered draw after clipping.
Light: Tiger single flame torch
First Impressions: When it first touched my lips, I got a fudgy taste quite like the aroma, as if the head was sweet tipped with this flavor. It seemingly has a mild to medium tobacco flavor.
First third: The sweet tip flavor left before the end of the first inch, but the chocolaty fudgy taste lingers a little while on the lips and longer on the palate. The chocolaty fudgy taste yields to the tobacco flavor which steps up considerably during the first third.
Second third: Almost the same as the last bit of the first third, but the chocolaty fudgy flavors seem to burst in during more draws here and there becoming more and more frequent. At this point, I'm of the opinion that a lesser quality tobacco was used and that may be the case with flavored cigars, I don't know. I can't nail it down for certain, but there is something in the taste I don't care for, more so in the aftertaste than in the draw or when expelling. I find myself hoping that the final third will improve, as is often the case for me. The ash color changed to a yellow gray toward the end of the second third, but since I didn't notice this until later, I don't know for sure if the flavor changed at the same time.
Final third: With a little less than two inches left, it became soft and spongy and seemed to get an earthy flavor that was not present earlier. At an inch and a half, I'm still looking for an improvement but with increasing doubt. I just got a chemical taste similar to ammonia that was quite unpleasant so I purged and let it rest a bit, but it didn't seem to help much at all. With an inch and a quarter remaining it grew worse and I gave up any hope of redemption.
Ash/Burn: First chunk dropped right at an inch and a quarter. A nearly a perfect burn, seldom varied by more than three sixteenths of an inch.
Cost: $6.00, it was a gift, but it still had the sticker on it.
Final Comments: If it tasted as good as it's aroma it would be a far better smoke, but unfortunately it did not. I may give it another go at a later date, but I know there are many other smokes I like much more for this price. In all fairness, perhaps I got a "bad one" or maybe my choice of drink made it less than a stellar experience. With only one try, I won't rate this cigar numerically at this time. I do want to try an Oliveros, Kopi Luwak mentioned by macjoe53 here.
Burn Time: Lit 1:50 PM 3/16/2008, quit it at 2:31 PM.
Off the wall: When looking into the ash somewhere around the middle of the smoke I saw this "face" looking back at me. I see a Gorilla smiling and perhaps laughing at me. Anybody else see it?