5 Vegas 'A'

[Sabolin]

There will be no pics for this review as I smoked my first 5 Vegas A away from home last night without a camera. This was my first new cigar from cbid that I received at the beginning of last week. I'm also still figuring out how to discern different flavors, so this will be a short and probably less informative review than CS is used to.

This was a small cigar, probably 4"-4.5"x45 or around there. The prelight draw was very loose with a strange spicy flavor, didn't really like it.

Had no problems getting it lighted and going. The first two thirds really turned me off though. The only thing I can liken the taste to is very very stale and old, spicy, wood. I didn't hate it, but I really didn't like it. The smoke itself did not have a very pleasant smell, as my girlfriend told me.

In the last third, the stale/old taste let up a bit and the spicyness came through a bit more and tasted slightly better than previously. However I still wasn't too interested in it even with the slightly better flavor. Also, the ash was pure white and solid the whole way down, the draw felt incredibly loose for the entire cigar.

The aftertaste was not terrible at all, however it disappeared within a few hours. Usually when I have a cigar the taste lingers for close to 24 hours before it's no longer noticeable. This may be related to the cigar being small, though.

These arrived at my house earlier this week, and have not had much time to rest, so that may be the source of the stale taste. However, even when it let up for the last third, I was still not a fan and will probably either trade or give the rest of these away to friends. Can only hope that the 5 Vegas Gold Nugget is better.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give the 5 Vegas A a 3.

[rack04]

Sorry your experience was not a good one. I happen to love the 5 Vegas "A" Anomoly as a short smoke. Don't give final judgement until you have tried another one to rule out a bad stick.

[mitro]

Some cigars just don't appeal to some people... it happens. I would let them sit a while then go back and try another in a few weeks.

[hoax]

Here is my review I just posted in another thread.


Cigar: 5 Vegas Series 'A' Anomaly
Size: 4.5 x 44
Price: $1.80 a stick from cigarbid.com
Aging: 1 week in the freezer, 1 week in humidor.


I just finished my first Series "A". Damn I'm impressed.

Loved the presentation, dark wrapper, perfect construction, cedar wrap, and big gold/black label. It lit right up using a cheap bic lighter and burned like a razor from start to nub with no touch ups and no spinning to keep the burn straight. Flavor was typical Maduro, 3 dimensional and not harsh at all.

[physiognomy]

The 5V 'A' is one of my favourite cheap maduros... Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with your first, but I suggest you let the rest sit for a few weeks & try again. I have found that the improve dramatically with just a little drying out in the humi... :ss

[duckmanco]

the Anomaly has to be one of, if not my favorite, petite corona out there. So flavorful, and delivers bombs of thick white smoke that drip with earth, cocoa, and a host of other dark flavors I dig.

Sorry u didn't care for them, no matter, one less person to bid them up on CBID.

[drawfour]

I recommend taking the cigars you have left over from the 5-pack, shove them in your humi, and forget about them for 6 months. The first one I had was pretty harsh, and really made me not want to have another. I waited a while and tried another, and I thought it was pretty good. Don't let a bad first one keep you from trying another. :)

[palm55]

IMHO... Pamper them for a few months, and you won't be sorry. I've never met an "A" I didn't like, PROVIDED that it's been put to bed for awhile.

[jjefrey]

Sorry you had a bad experience. Maybe they just need some time in the humi.I haven't tried one of these yet, but it's on my list of new cigars to try.

[mitro]

I've got 2 full boxes of Anomalies that have been in my cooler for 6 months. Its taken all the will power I have to leave them be. The goal it to smoke the first box from 1 to 3 years of age and the 2nd one from 3 to 5 years. We'll see how I do. :ss

[Marlboro Cigars]

Thanks for the review; these are one of my faves.
:tu

[jaycarla]

Thanks for the review; these are one of my faves.
:tu

:tpd:

Let them sit and give it another go in a few months.

[No1der]

I have to admit I'm not crazy about the 5 Vegas 'A' either. I don't know what to say except that they just don't thrill me.

Who knows, everyone has a different pallet and not everyone will like the same cigar even if it's the "Best Cigar in the World"...

[WyoBob]

Everyone has different tastes. That's why they make so many different cigars. Hopefully, you just got a bad one. It happens. All of the Vegas cigars I've received from C-Bid have benifited from a little cooler time.

The "Anomoly" (how do they come up with the odd names for the V Vegas cigars?) is in my regular rotation. It's the only cigar that my wife commented favorably on in 18 years of cigar smoking. It's a great smoke if you're pressed for time and represents a good value. In fact, I'm smoking one right now with my morning coffee:)

WyoBob

[Snakeyes]

Sorry your experience was not a good one. I happen to love the 5 Vegas "A" Anomoly as a short smoke. Don't give final judgement until you have tried another one to rule out a bad stick.

:tpd: I've had many a 5 Vegas A and never had a "stale" taste... definitely give it another shot. I would try an Alpha and possibly from another source (go to your local B&M or to another online vendor) as this may have been the cause. Sorry you had a bad experience but thanks for the review :tu

[DennisP]

I would try an Alpha and possibly from another source (go to your local B&M or to another online vendor) as this may have been the cause.
Pretty sure they are only sold by Cigars Int'l/CBid.

[illinoishoosier]

Pretty sure they are only sold by Cigars Int'l/CBid.


Cigar.com sells them as well.

[Darb85]

im sorry you dont like these. these are by far one of my favorites as of right now.

[SteveDMatt]

I have over 100 of these sitting in my cooler in many different sizes. I have never had one that tasted stale, but I have had some that got harsh very quickly. Let them sit, even if only a month or two, and give them another shot. To me, they are a very good medium bodied maduro with a great price tag.

Hope your next experience is much better.

[ultramag]

Glad to see this thread. I got a fiver of Apostles today so I guess it'll be 2008 before I try them. Maybe it would make a good New Year's smoke.

[borndead1]

I recommend taking the cigars you have left over from the 5-pack, shove them in your humi, and forget about them for 6 months.


:tpd:


Smoked my last one from a batch from about 8 months ago and it was NICE. I tried to smoke one yesterday that is only about 2 months old and had to pitch it after about 1".

The thing with any of the 5 Vegas lines is that CI/cbid sell ALOT of them, so they will probably always be "too fresh" when you first get them. I have some 5 Vegas Red Label coronas from December of last year and they are FANTASTIC.

[rpe]

Thanks for the review. I've had them in the past and really enjoyed them. A pretty good, inexpensive maduro.

[mugwump]

I bought a fiver of the Archetypes in late June and finally smoked one yesterday while working in the garage. Construction was solid with a veiny, dark wrapper that screamed serious tobacco. It lit easily, burned evenly and gave off an insane amount of smoke. I actually had to walk away from it for a while to get out of the cloud! I found it to be of medium strength for such a dark leaf with a fairly consistent taste from beginning to about halfway through. Unfortunately I got sidetracked by my chores and let it go out at that point. Needless to say the taste was pretty much shot after relighting so I decided to gracefully retire the abused stogie. All in all I liked it a lot and will certainly add some more sizes to my collection.

[Sabolin]

Just gave this smoke a 2nd chance. The other 4 of the 5 pack I purchased have been resting in my new humidor at 70/65% for a couple weeks now. It was 100% better, no stale taste, great draw, tons of smoke, even burn the whole way down even with the breeze outside and with me smoking it fast (was in a hurry). I will definitely finish off the 5 pack and would consider getting another.

5 Vegas gold however, is a fairly boring smoke imo and I would probably not get any more of those.

[Snakeyes]

Just gave this smoke a 2nd chance. The other 4 of the 5 pack I purchased have been resting in my new humidor at 70/65% for a couple weeks now. It was 100% better, no stale taste, great draw, tons of smoke, even burn the whole way down even with the breeze outside and with me smoking it fast (was in a hurry). I will definitely finish off the 5 pack and would consider getting another.

5 Vegas gold however, is a fairly boring smoke imo and I would probably not get any more of those.
:tpd: I agree, the A is fantastic but the Gold is blech :D

[nozero]

Thanks for the review. Sorry it didn't meet your expectation. As others have said, some time in the humi may help greatly, so you may want to hang on to the others for a second shot after some rest. I really enjoy reading about what and how others experience with all cigars as well as the comments left by other readers. Just one of the things I love about this place!

I've only had the 5 Vegas Gold, I got it in a sampler from CI and it was one of the first CI smokes I tried. I liked it, for me it had a good flavor but that was back when I had first started sliding down the slope. I look forward to trying one of the A's in the future.

:tu

[agony]

I've enjoyed the "A"s recently after I let them rest for a couple months. I tried one right outta the box when I first got them, and agree with everyone elses senitments. Age does wonders.