Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Project X: Offering #15 - Blind Cigar Review (Drew Estate MUWAT)


'Natch by now, I will break down flavors into categories as you will see below. I then shall note any flavor which arises. Too, I will grade according to my K A P L O W I T Z Scale guidelines. This all shall be noted and notated at every 1/3.

I will then offer a final grade ruling. THEN, on ye next Radio Herf (check yer local listings), Mr. Darryl Martin shall reveal what it is that I reviewed. We'll kibbitz 'bout it.

Blind review, yes? Oh, yes. Blind review.

THE CIGAR
*classified*
Toro, mayhaps -- forgot to measure.
DECLASSIFIED
Drew Estate MUWAT
5 1/2 x 52 Robusto
w. San Andres Negro
b. Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
f. Brazilian Mata Fina & Nicaraguan
ACT I

FLAVORS
Animal: Smoked Meat.
Sweet: Caramelized Sugar. Molasses. Toffee. Creamy. Sugar. Fresh Fruit.
Spicy: Black Pepper. White Pepper. Chili Pepper. Licorice/Anise. Orange Peel. Salt.
Woody: Hickory Wood. Cedar Wood. Charred/Burnt. Toasted.
Vegetal: Nuts, Roasted.
Earthy: Espresso. Heavy Tobacco. Chicken Coup. Dirt/Earth.
Chemical: Charcoal.
Malt: Rye.

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE
K being the least, Z the greatest
Appearance W
Construction W
Combustion O
Flavors/Body I
Strength P

NOTES
  • Explosion of dark notes on first hot pull.
  • Black bread, heavily and uncharted.
  • Pepper --> Sweets --> Woods delivery.
  • 1/2" in, zetz in yer face dials back a tick...
  • Gets some complexity within the sweets.
  • Seems have been somewhat loose, but even since pre-light.
  • Sweets are thickening, adding on. Particularly a muscular cream.
  • Line is wavy, ash 85/15 Salt/Pepper.
  • Salt and sugar come on in tandem.
  • Very substantial hand-feel.
  • Mouth-feel is a half-tick toward both dry and drooly.
  • Once every few pulls is like taking a bite out of an apple.
  • Black bread goes to a rye; malt influenced.
  • Powdery ash clumps on not my schmatta (lap).
  • Very black pepper retro-hale. Very nice for how strong it is.
  • Finish is an elaborate thing, very long.
  • Great draw. 
ACT II

FLAVORS
Animal: Smoked Meat (more meat, same smoke). Manure. BBQ.
Sweet: Caramelized Sugar. Molasses. Creamy. Sugar. Fresh Fruit. Blackberry. Coffee & Cream. Vanilla.
Spicy: Black Pepper. White Pepper. Chili Pepper. Licorice/Anise. Orange Peel. Salt. Cloves.
Woody: Hickory Wood. Cedar Wood. Charred/Burnt. Toasted. Smoke. Aromatic tobacco. Oak wood.
Vegetal: Nuts, Roasted (less). Alfalfa (finish).
Earthy: Espresso. Heavy Tobacco. Chicken Coup. Dirt/Earth. Manure. Peat.
Chemical: Charcoal (less).
Malt: Rye (less).

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE
Appearance I
Construction I
Combustion W
Flavors/Body T
Strength W

NOTES
  • Berries come in. So sweet. So dark. So Peppery.
  • Ramping upward and composting of earth notes.
  • Burn evens more, still a ribbon.
  • Retro-hale is intensely pretty. Awe-ful. Sneezy.
  • Profile to a -full.
  • Pace slows, simmers.
  • More sweet notes, balanced by new spicy cloves.
  • Red pepper zetz.
  • Ash darkens, built a tad loosely.
  • Strength ^ ticks. Way ^.
  • Pack softens evenly, holds exceptionally.
  • Foot-smoke: sharp.
  • Creamier mouth.
  • Beautiful draw continues unfettered.
  • A bit fat for comfy in mouth and even hand.
ACT III

FLAVORS
Animal: Smoked Meat (smoke catches back up). Manure. BBQ.
Sweet: Caramelized Sugar. Molasses. Creamy. Dried Fruit.
Spicy: Black Pepper. White Pepper. Chili Pepper (more). Salt. Cloves.
Woody: Hickory Wood. Cedar Wood. Charred/Burnt. Toasted. Smoke. Oak wood. Paper.
Vegetal: Nuts, Roasted (more). Alfalfa (finish).
Earthy: Espresso. Heavy Tobacco. Chicken Coup. Dirt/Earth. Manure. Peat.
Chemical: Charcoal (back to I). Tar.

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE
Appearance W
Construction W
Combustion O
Flavors/Body I
Strength I

NOTES
  • Every. Wood. On. Chart. (Save for wine cask.)
  • Combustion falters a tad, nurses back.
  • Seam loosens.
  • Flavors bitter.
  • Purge, purge, purge.
  • Smoke out-put thickens voluptuously so. 
  • Fruit dries. Apple has left the carport.
  • Ash pales back to onset. Flakier.
  • R/H is very red pepper.
  • Some falling off of flavors, mottling.
All peppers (sans green) and all woods throughout. Lots of sweet notes a good amount of which dropped off in the 3/3. Not very clean in that Act III. Not an entirely clean end, but a very long finish that was quite complex. -A Smoke until closing act. Srenghty but not uncomfy. Ham-fisted notes.

SMOKE TIME
115mins

FINAL GRADE
****B+****

REMEMBER: Tune into the next Radio Herf (check local listings) for the reveal.
POSTSCRIPT: In the interest of uniformity, I will be working from a flavor chart via Stogie Fresh.
Thus ends Serie I of Project X
I'm tearing up -- mayhaps it's the foot-smoke?
EDITOR'S NOTE
A very special thanks to Mr. Darryl Martin. As well as to all who've read and partook in the Radio Herf reveals.