Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Project X: Offering 1 Serie II - Blind Cigar Review (Hoyo de Monterrey Edicion de Cumpleanos 150)


Welcome gentlepersons, to the Project X Serie II kick-off!
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'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.

In a noted addition of notating, I too will note any other thing (typically construction, combustion, and uncharted notes) at the time in which those noting needs arise.

I will then offer a final grade ruling. THEN, on ye next THE GENTLEPERSONS SHOW (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*
Box-pressed Toro
Hoyo de Monterrey Edicion de Cumpleanos 150
w. Nicaraguan Habano
b. Ecuadorian
f. Nicaraguan
ACT I

FLAVORS
Animal: BBQ. Meat. Musk (lessens).
Sweet: Buttery. Honey. Vanilla. Coffee and cream.
Spicy: Chili pepper. White pepper. Salt. Ginger (loads). Licorice/anise. Mulling spice.
Woody: Paper. Smoke. Toasted. Cedar wood (after a bit)
Vegetal: Bell pepper. Citrus. Nuts, raw and roasted.
Earthy: Musty/old cellar. Dirt/earth. Heavy tobacco.
Chemical: Ammonia (fleeting). Astringent (slight).
Malt: Chocolate.

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

NOTES

  • Velveteen hand-feel.
  • Cap is a bit of fercockt (see photograph)
  • Malty nigh chemical cold draw
  • BIG front of hot sauce spices and herbal underbelly. Meaty.
  • So warm so sweet, too. 
  • Long finish verily a-tingle.
  • Burn is a mess. Not of the self-correcting varietal.
  • Shoulder comes off under an inch in.
  • Nice 'nuff draw.
  • Burn is fixing, still wavy on ribbon at an inch.
  • Packing softens noticeably.
  • Smoke out-put at each end has to build to reach avg. Does.
  • Burn needs re-touch. Uneven still. 
  • Flavors dial back.
  • Some rough suede/leather.
  • Draw tension up-ticks. Not full smoke-hole.
  • Burn is problematic. Binder separating from filler a bit.
Things got a lot worse, but not much better, than above.
ACT II

FLAVORS
Animal: Meat. Musk
Sweet: Buttery. Honey (less). Coffee and cream.
Spicy: Chili pepper. White pepper. Salt. Ginger.
Woody: Paper. Smoke. Toasted. Cedar wood
Vegetal: Bell pepper. Nuts, roasted.
Earthy: Musty/old cellar. Dirt/earth. Heavy tobacco.
Chemical: Astringent.
Malt: Chocolate.

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

NOTES

  • Not overly pleasant.
  • Hot sauce ghosts nasal cavity.
  • Notes flatten. I have brown paper bag on my lips.
  • Fecockt. Rolling ash for a BIG re-touch... Cutting to even.
  • ...distracting from flavor notes, which are unchanged but dialing back.
Got worse, still. Cut, re-light.
ACT III

FLAVORS
Animal: Meat. Musk.
Sweet: Buttery. Coffee and cream. Caramelized sugar. Blackberry (vibe). Honey.
Spicy: Chili pepper. White pepper (more). Salt.
Woody: Paper. Smoke. Toasted. Cedar Wood. Aromatic tobacco.
Vegetal: Bell Pepper. Nuts, roasted and raw.
Earthy: Musty/old cellar. Dirt/earth (more). Heavy tobacco (less).
Chemical: Astringent (less then nil).

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

NOTES

  • Had to clip quite a bit (mild tunneling). So, here we are in 3/3.
  • Draw sponges.
  • Chocolate drops malt but is nice and rich. Drives. Mixes nice with salt, buttery.
  • Cedar goes creamy.
  • Burn still wonk'd. Seam loosens.
  • Strength dials back.
  • Flavors and mouth-feel are actually quite nice.
  • Tunneling: averted. Burn: never truly rights. 
  • Smoke stay cool.
  • Very nice sweet tobacco finish. Ends clean with all the bugaboos.

FINAL GRADE
****n/a****
(see editor's note below)

REMEMBER: Tune into the next THE GENTLEPERSONS SHOW (check local listings) for the reveal.
POSTSCRIPT: In the interest of uniformity, I will be working from a flavor chart via Stogie Fresh. ("Malt" added by moi.)

EDITOR'S NOTE
I can't help but think I pulled a rare bum stick here; and plan on giving it another spin -- once I know what "it" is.