Monday, December 11, 2017

La Palina Lp02 - Cigar Review

Is it just me, or are this year's MLB winter meetings a bit meh? We already had Shohei Ohtani choose the Angels and Giancarlo Stanton get dealt to the Damn Yankees. Angels are a great choice for S.Ohtani, because he won't have to transition to a smaller market in a couple years when it's clear he's a long-reliever. As to G.Stanton, that is a truckload of strike-outs for next year's Yanks. What could set them apart from the rest is if the ball goes back to normal -- because they'll be the only things juiced. I can quite easily wait to find out where Eric Hosmer lands.


Ah, but the cigar at hand ...

NOTES:
Combustion burns quick-quick and on a wobbly-ribbon. Nicely smoky even off the resting foot, but drops off fast twixt puffs. Wants to be toked mucho. Binder seems to burn cooller than filler/top-leaf when looked at head-on. Burnt offerings are aerated, flaky. Construction softens spongily, notably-so (so I make note). The draw is a tick airy at front of puff. Seams hold well but are crafted a bit unevenly. Smoke is warm at the band, made to feel warmer via palate abrasion.

A dusty pepper-spice is up-front throughout and ouchy-mama through the schnoz. Balance is off-kilter towards bitter -- particular when woods scorch, but on the +-side it don't bite (but barely). My mouth is dry and I need an H20 sip or several. The sweet-notes seem the most hampered by bitters, and it would seem they were intended to work in tandem. Body seems lacking in meat on its heavy bones. A caring hug from one of those female bodybuilders. Finish is big and short-lived. Complexities bang at that short finish, I think, die quick. Ends with a hint of kerosene. The female bodybuilder yells in my ear, "CALM DOWN EVERYTHING WILL BE OK." Something in her bikini-bottom keeps poking me.
  • Pepper (black, red)
  • Wood (mesquite, hickory. Toasted then scorched)
  • Baking Spice
  • Coffee Beans
  • Fruit (purple-red, dried. 1/3 only)
  • Herbal (dried, McCormick eye-talian)
  • Barnyard
  • Manure
WRAPPER: Costa Rican Maduro
BINDER: Honduran
FILLER: Nicaraguan, Honduran

STRENGTH: Medium-Full
FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Plasencia El Paraiso Factory, Honduras

FINAL GRADE: C+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

MORE:
Give my La Palina Lp01 - Cigar Review a read, will ya? I can't recall fully, but know that was far better.

Both box and band artwork for this La Palina Number Series differ greatly from La Palina's other lines, as well as anything which looks even vaguely appropriate for cigar presentation. Board game? Sure. Card game? Sure. 1970s stock car? Sure. Feh. 

The inspiration for this look is that of an artist named Paul Rand. He was the first American to employ the Swiss Style of graphic design. I'm sure this all rings many a bell, gentlepersons. How 'bout this: IBM and UPS. Whilst P.Rand doth once did a La Palina design personally, this ain't it. This is merely, to be clearly, influenced by his work. To be further clear, the look is ridiculous.

EVEN MORE:
This morning she spoke of tiny houses and serving the homeless. Of how property or territory (I'm not sure which) is just a social construct. "Maybe there's someone other than me to talk to about all that?" I said. She stopped. The rest of the car-ride was quiet. For the first time divorce seemed to have its good-side. My stomach hurts.

Help me pay for my divorce.

Report a typo, win a No-prize.

"A Barbie Queue" Kaplowitz Radio: December 6, 2017