Cooperstown Cigar Company Shortstop - Cigar Review

PROLOGUE

Did I just hear that right? Mets pitchers and catchers report in three (3) days? Would someone please notify my weather report of this? I'm all cardigan'd up and wishing I had long johns underneath.

Position players report on my Birthday, February 25th.

Kaplowitz
805 Berntzen Rd
Eugene OR 97402

Cigars, soitenly! But also I'm big into accordion paraphernalia, and growingly so, playing dominoes. Some great gift ideas there!

Paypal: nsk57033@gmail.com

THE CIGAR

Cooperstown Cigar Company
Shortstop 5 1//4 x 50 Robusto
Dominican Habano wrapper
Undisclosed binder
Dominican & Nicaraguan fillers

Sample courtesy of Cooperstown Cigar Co.

"... Totally unprecedented flavor, complexity, and aroma from start to finish." - www.CooperstownCigarCompany.com

"I will be the greatest jobs president that G-d ever created." Donald Trump

PRELIGHT

The company site cites well within sight, that the fillers herein this offering are 100% Ligero. Sugar at the ready for this ol' lightweight? Maybe. It's important to realize Ligero simply is: the uppermost (usually five rows) of tobacco plant leaves. They are the strongest section of the particular plant -- if said plant is harvested using the Priming Method. This is all well and good, but too, dependant upon the plant. A CT Ligero is not going to give Criollo-power leaves. It'll simply be a Connie with a zetz. What we're looking at here is "Dominican and Nicaraguan." Don't tell us much. I digress.

Band is a neat bit of mildly embossed Americana with tobacco leaves on one side of the logo, and a stadium shot on the other. Stick itself is a veiny thing, one of which crimps coming out of midway. Seems are not loose, but not tight. Medium. Too, a vein pops up at the joining of two seams to give an up-tick in loosey goosey. Complexion is uneven but due to a very high-up orange under-tone on a cafe noir but thin top. Trace of espresso bean marbling over-top that and then over-top a dat, a pretty heavy sheen slick that is distributed a tick unevenly in spots. Foot tobacco is a matte finish auburn monochromatic drab. It is packed in tight. -Full density to the eye. Cap is a double/possibly triple, and a bit tilted with an ever-so-slight tick upturned. With all the dense sheen there is still a matte vibe over the offering.

Hand-feel is slick but formidable. Slick from oils, but formidable from the addition of a quite occasional vein and work boot suede hand-feel which has quite the heft. Packing is a -firm density with a bit of sponge in the 3/3. Balance is nice. I get a rough and ready vibe from this Cooperstown Shortstop. Schnoz-notes are an 'on-the-nose' leathery oil with a dirt under-tone and woods in the middling. Nice red spice sweetness at the foot and dollop of a cocoa cream to off-set. A more nutrient-rich dirt is there.

I cut with my newly-gifted Xikar Xi2 and it cuts. It cuts well. Cold draw has a solid medium+ at least resistance, from which I get sweet spices with a nutmeg/cinnamon forefront, and chocolate cream backfront(?). Earthy backing. Not much of a middling dimension -- some swirling of spice-rack with a sweetly warm emphasis. Tight draw has me worried some...

LIGHT

9:05am
I cut with a Xikar, thusly I feel as I should be lighting with a Jedi light saber type scorch-device. I opt for a Djeep, instead. Wooden matches, outside, and with this foot density -- screw it -- I'll give it a go.

Gentlepersons, that there took a buncha ticks. And matches. What aroma did I get off toasting the foot in a tedious long-form? Kettle corn. A sweet-laced pop corn with a vanilla and caramel vibe. Some spiced leathery oils underneath.

First hot pull is a very noticeably tight draw of sharper than expected spice rack and a dark but somewhat immature tobacco. There's a quite zingy peppery mouth-feel perhaps on account of a sharply seasoned wood influence. Long legs, but somewhat indistinguishable past brightly sharp notes. Sweetness is there, but tangy. Second pull is retro-haled to black pepper and a darker chocolate far underneath. Spice rack finish with chocolate lacings. Woods are very seasoned and occupy the middle dimension, although not fully. At the end of the finish is a hard toasted caramel note. On the third hot one, leather helps flesh out the secondary. A somewhat shortened line-up is being shuffled insofar as flavor notes. Pepper and semi-sweet spice rack lead. Woods and leather are in the middling, and a still not settled earthiness backs from well underneath. Chocolate goes from baker's to cream and back -- lingering in and out of the front end. On the back-side is a hard toasted caramel.

A very tight draw might need addressed, as it's not loosening just yet. I re-touch a wavy burn, but will take this once, a mia culpa due to my matchstick stubbornnesses. Ash is pale grey to charcoal in equal doses. Burn-line is medium. Packaging softens a couple ticks about a 1/2" ahead of burn. Profile? Hard to say, as I'm not getting all the smoke intended for my smoke-hole. Can't go wrong with medium. Strength is a mild+. Smoke out-put is increasing.

ACT I

Chocolate is marrying with the semi-sweet spices. Nutmeg is high up there now. Draw resistance is a tick letting up, but still, I'm getting light-headed from pulling -- not from Ligero. A tooth-picking out helps some. Mouth-feel is a nice tangy tingle with superb moisture levels. Flavors are mainly a spice rack-centric tobacco core and swirling inward of chocolate, woods, leather. Backing is not settling further and still a clamour of earth notes. Burn accepted the re-touch and is even enough. A bit o' seam loosens ahead of the char.

I purge the thing. The next pull is cleaner and cooler, but ultimately not very different. I should note that I don't like even thinking of purging at not quite an inch into an offering. Some spicy tanginess is subduing. Woods seem to be building in complexities, or at least delineating. Ash is a near sheath of now lightish grey with just two flake spots. Foot-smoke is uneven as far as out-put. Room-note is sweet leathery tobacco with cocoa powder traces.

A chocolate cream is more prominent at the end of draw and through finish. The gap between it and caramel's onset narrows and that caramel softens as it does. A cereal/bread vibe hits the secondary bit and is very nice. Hard, though, to spot a definitive primary which remains put for more than a couple of draws. All flavor notes are on-board, but the line-up ain't being stuck to. This is why the manager always gets the axe first.

Burn ribbons and its line is a -thick width. I toothpick again and get some more smoke again, but samesville flavors. I can't tell if the strength up-ticked or I'm dizzy from pulling. Sheath of ash has broken and picked up a slight yellowish-brown hue. I lay my schmatta out in my lap. Burn is slow and somewhat uneven in terms of pace. Cereals are trying to get to a malt vibe. I roll off the ash at an inch and a half and it's warm dry powder.

With the second act approaching, the Cooperstown seems to not want to listen to my pulls and almost goes out, the comes back to smoky life, then staggers once more. Profile is a weakly and unevenly delivered medium. Strength is a -medium, I suppose. Caramel note really soars over the top of a boosting cereal grain now.

ACT II

More tooth-picking. I think we've finally loosened a good notch now. Burn is fercockt, yet responsive to my re-touchings. Very cereal grain driven. The spice rack and its tingly mouth-feel returns in its wake. Chocolate has settled to Hershey kiss. Caramel seems to have been pushed out by that, though. Leather and wood still occupies the rest of the profile, but in a somewhat simpler fashion. Ash build-up is darker and flowering. I roll off an almost inch of tepid powder, coarse. A slight tunneling threat is unveiled. Cereal is more a crusty rustic whole grain bread now. Leathers and wood subdue, the leather more so. Chocolate is a malt now. Primaries, secondaries, backing... kinda married into a tobacco core. Construction and combustion are each an issue. Burn wavers and a blister forms. Bread picks up a rye note. I start chewing on the thing. Rubbing the thing. Packaging softens spongily but evenly. Draw has re-tightened.

Purge? Why the heck not, gentlepersons? Every tact works and then doesn't. A cedar tries. Wood shows itself now as an oak. Burn wonks yet again as the final act looms nigh.

ACT III

(Innings Seven thru Nine?)

The burn corrects itself this time, which speaks to an improving combustion. However, the out-put of smoke flutters. Primary notes are oak and cedar, pushed by a close spice rack secondary which is fleshed out by rye malt breadiness. Backing is tobacco field smoldering in a slight windy rain. Finish is a crisp tobacco/sweet earth blending of medium legs. Some chest hair growing coarseness sets in nicely. Much grain vibe.

As the band approaches, we settle to a woodsy tobacco on a draw that never became comfy. I have a bit of a headache, actually. Call it a medium profile and strength. A slight savoriness elevates the body a tick, mayhaps. Some toasted nuttiness lays low underneath.

NOTES

Had some potentiality. I'd be interested to see if I pulled the bad one of the box. The compay sampling sent my way included a Churchill and Torpedo format, as well. Look for those reviews shortly. I'm half expectant of some redemption.

PAIRINGS

Bag of peanuts. Cold beer. At a ballpark that should run you... don't worry... loan officers are standing by with flexible EZ payments.

FINAL GRADE

****C+****

LESS SCHTICK MORE STICK

[Letter grades are graded on a scale of K A P L O W I T Z.

K being the least, Z the greatest.]

Appearance W
Construction P
Combustion P
Flavors/Body L
Strength O

EPILOGUE

10:45am
"They can't all be winners."

"I know. I'm a Mets fan."