That's a damned good idea as well!
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That would be an awesome idea :-) it would be interesting to see how the newb's and vet's pallates differed
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#7 delivered :-)
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If you were to do something like this, Dan, I think you should probably make the variety of sticks as deep as the differences in palate might be. You may want to ask for some contributions, just to expand beyond the scope of your own humi (ie. bring on the 60rg NCs! :-)). Seriously, though, this experiment begs to cover the gamut. :-)
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I really dig this idea. It would be so much fun to watch :-)
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It would work best if you had CCs and NCs, and put in at least one of both in there that might easily be confused for the other, that way you'd keep the vet guessing:-)
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I really like this idea! :-)

I'm still a new smoker, no doubt. I have very little bias towards one Island/brand/style/wrapper/etc. and I have always wondered how deep the bias runs.
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Deep! :-)
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Umm, I just reread my last post. There are obviously more reasons why I would find this more interesting. I dint mean to sound like a snob.
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Any updates yet?
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lol, I didn't read it that way :-)

:-)
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More off-topic banter, but anyone remeber the Fredster/Moki Blind review back in the CS days? I had just joined, or right after, wow what a thread, very heated but interesting on many levels.
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Yeah, I remember that one. That was awesome! :-)
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Saw that before... it was a bad thing. The Fredster-Moki thing from CS days was a disaster


I mean, it was fun to read and all, but so many panties got bunched up.

No, if I do the vet/newb thing, it'll likely be all CCs (just basic/common vitolas) and not even for them to guess the cigar, just to share their thoughts on flavors in comparison to a newer member.
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jonumberone Cigar #4
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Beautiful day at work. Time for #4

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This stick appears to be 5inches in length. It’s a nice coffee brown with a few veins, and a number of wrinkles.
As soon as I cut the wrapper splits at the cap. I dry boxed this for about a 5 days and wonder if it was too long.
The pre light draw is fine and I get grassy hay like taste.

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First Third
After I light up I get a graham cracker taste. I smoke down about a half inch and go to my nose.
The burn in my nose is mild and I get an earthy musk.
The next draw after my nose, I get a coffee and cocoa taste.

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Second Third
The second third has given me a little cedar and a lot more burn in the nose.
The coffee and cocoa are gone and I get a woodsy taste.
It sort of reminds me of burning oak leaves.
I don’t know if it’s the nicotine but I’m starting to get a slight headache.

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Final Third
I start with a purge and immediately go to my nose.
My first taste is of strong hay. It is far clearer than the hay I got in the pre light draw and not as sweet.
The further I smoke I get more and more of woodsy flavors.
I actually think I just got burning pine needles.
This last third has also seen the burn go awry with numerous relights and touch ups.

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Final Thoughts
In the end this stick didn’t do much for me. I seem to be getting a lot of cedar in these sticks and I don’t think it’s something that fits into my flavor profile.
I also don’t seem to be getting the richness and body I prefer from them.
This is where I feel this last smoke was lacking the most.
The grassy hay like flavors was something new to me and I think it was the best part of this smoke.

Final score 6/10
Smoke time 1hr 28min
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Samsquanch Cigar #4
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Another beautiful fall day in Seattle, smoked #4 outside on the stoop talking with a good friend who had just returned from a month in Costa Rica with a glass of Basil Hayden (and a bottle of water to clear the palette). Needless to say, it was a nice evening.

Numero 4 was a box pressed, 48 ring gauge and 5.5 inches long. She looked nice from afar but I noticed several blotches up close.

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I lit her up and was instantly hit with a sweet taste and a strong nutty flavor. I was enjoying the first few puffs but then disaster hit. The wrapper was coming apart near the head. It seemed weird to me that there was no binder leaf underneath the wrapper? I thought cigars were rolled first with a binder leaf than an outer wrapper?

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No binder leaf underneath meant that lots of air was getting in that way, which in turn meant not a lot of smoke. I worked at trying to keep the wrapper closed and getting more smoke but unfortunately this soured what may have been a decent smoke.

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I did enjoy the beginning of the smoke but near the end it did seem to pick up a bit of harshness, maybe because I was puffing so hard trying to get a decent amount of smoke into my mouth? I am going to have to pick up another one of these once I know what it was because I did enjoy the first third until the wrapper came loose.

Overall 5/10 due to construction problems (possibly user error) and harshness near the end. For the first third I would rate a much higher 7 or 8/10.

Thanks again Dan for a fun time!!
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Yes, I remember that and I still am looking for some Cabaiguan WD 120's.
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What they smoked:

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1999 Punch Corona

jonumberone score: 6

Samsquanch score: 5

Wow... I've never had a punch corona with those problems... out of this box or any other. I absolutely love these things and would stomp a baby to get my hands on more of these boxes (or better yet, the 98's) at the price they were going for in late 08.
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Great reviews! Those do look good.

Im pretty sure stomping babies is outlawed in at least 32 states, though. Be Careful :-)
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BTW, love these threads Dan, thanks for all the fun.

Reading the thread again over on pvff right now (I hate to login in there, and don't post, but old threads like this I have to much nostalgia for to not look back at occasionally).

I think there's little chance a similar blind review here would devolve like it did there. :-)

Lastly, I am smoking a Taboada tonight :-) Got a hankerin' reading the thread again.
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