07-11-2009, 08:52 PM
This is my first review. I debated doing it, as I'm not very good yet at picking out specific flavors, but hopefully I can pass on my impressions. I'll try to take notes going forward.
The Los Blancos sumatra is a nice medium brown and this particular line comes with red double cigar bands. There is a band at the foot and a particullary attrative band in the usual spot. Veins were minimal and the head clipped fine with no cracking of the wrapper.
Los Blancos list the Sumatra as a medium-bodied cigar, giving it a 4 out of 10 for body. That might be right as an average, but I found the Sumatra changed a fair amount as the smoke progressed. It started off very mild but after less than an inch some spiciness started coming on and by the time I got through the first third the flavor was much better. Using the Los Blancos 1-10 scale I'd say it was much closer to a 6 by the time I was smoking the last third. The flavor was something akin to toasted wood. Although becoming more pronounced as I worked my way through the cigar, the flavor didn't really change much. Still, it was a flavor I enjoyed, so this wasn't really a problem.
I have to give kudos to the construction. I smoked this in my truck barelling around the interstate with the windows cracked and air flowing all around and it burned very evenly with no side ever varying more than 1/8" from the other side. That's better than I usually get with the wind whipping around in my truck. The cigar was just slightly spongy, which I had not encountered with the Los Blancos Maduro or Criollo. I usually don't like a spongy cigar, but the draw was good and I never had to touch it up, so no complaints from me. It would get an inch to inch and a half of light gray ash before I would ash it. I don't push it too far when smoking in the truck though. I believe I got about an hour and 10 minutes out of this smoke.
I'm looking forward to meeting David Blano and hope he has some of his new releases for 2009 with him. I believe they will be a ligero mix from what I've heard. If he does bring his new cigars, I'll post something next week and we'll get the jump on the IPCPR news.
The Los Blancos sumatra is a nice medium brown and this particular line comes with red double cigar bands. There is a band at the foot and a particullary attrative band in the usual spot. Veins were minimal and the head clipped fine with no cracking of the wrapper.
Los Blancos list the Sumatra as a medium-bodied cigar, giving it a 4 out of 10 for body. That might be right as an average, but I found the Sumatra changed a fair amount as the smoke progressed. It started off very mild but after less than an inch some spiciness started coming on and by the time I got through the first third the flavor was much better. Using the Los Blancos 1-10 scale I'd say it was much closer to a 6 by the time I was smoking the last third. The flavor was something akin to toasted wood. Although becoming more pronounced as I worked my way through the cigar, the flavor didn't really change much. Still, it was a flavor I enjoyed, so this wasn't really a problem.
I have to give kudos to the construction. I smoked this in my truck barelling around the interstate with the windows cracked and air flowing all around and it burned very evenly with no side ever varying more than 1/8" from the other side. That's better than I usually get with the wind whipping around in my truck. The cigar was just slightly spongy, which I had not encountered with the Los Blancos Maduro or Criollo. I usually don't like a spongy cigar, but the draw was good and I never had to touch it up, so no complaints from me. It would get an inch to inch and a half of light gray ash before I would ash it. I don't push it too far when smoking in the truck though. I believe I got about an hour and 10 minutes out of this smoke.
I'm looking forward to meeting David Blano and hope he has some of his new releases for 2009 with him. I believe they will be a ligero mix from what I've heard. If he does bring his new cigars, I'll post something next week and we'll get the jump on the IPCPR news.