Brutus2600 Cigar #8
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Upon initial inspection this cigar looks to be about 6 x 42. The construction is very nice, beautiful smooth wrapper, triple capped, no major veins, and as with most of Dan's other cigars, has some light plume.

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Initial light 8: 25 - The prelight draw plays the taste of sweet tobacco with a hint of raisins over my tongue. It's a little tight, but as with my previous experiences, I'm not too worried because they usually open up. Having some draw problems, my first draw doesn't bring too much smoke, but the cigar is flavorful from the beginning, bringing to my attention hints of vanilla, hay, and nuts.

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First Third - What smoke I can get is creamy, smooth, and flavorful. I'm getting caramel notes, along with the nutty flavors before. There is virtually no spice or pepper notes on this cigar, it's mild, smooth, and definitely has good flavor. The ash is a nice white/gray, with a very even and sharp burn line. Attempting to massage the cigar a little bit to open up the draw, I feel what appears to be a pretty significant stem that isn't visible, but you can definitely feel it. I'm worried this might be the draw problem, which means I'll have that throughout

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Second Third 9:02 - I think the cigar is finally opening up, or at least is opening up enough that I don't have to draw so hard my cheeks hurt. The ash is pretty consistently dropping every 3/4"-1". I'm still getting creamy smoke, with hints of toffee thrown in there on top of the nutty flavors of before. While the good flavors in this cigar aren't screaming in my face, the whispers of toffee there, or caramel here, are really making this cigar enjoyable despite the draw issues towards the beginning. On a side note, I just purged because the cigar was getting a little bitter, and I got a HORRIBLE aroma that smelled exactly skunk. I hope that doesn't return!

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Final Third 9:33 - Unfortunately I'm still getting some strong skunk overtones. Not all the time, just occasionally, which being a surprise makes it that much worse. I think it's done doing that now, but for a few minutes there it was quite unpleasant. Unfortunately, the flavor bouquet that I was enjoying so much has seem to all but have disappeared. It's not bitter, or bad flavored, but on the other hand there aren't any flavors to write home (or CA) about either. For all intents and purposes it appears this cigar has flat lined. I guess if a cigar is going to do that however, better the last part than the beginning!

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Finish Time 10:05 - While the draw was an issue at the beginning, the cigar was a flavor bomb that made any draw issues immaterial. Burn was phenomenal, I didn't have to touch up or relight this cigar at all. With the draw opening up after the first third it really seemed like this cigar was going to finish strong and become a highlight of my weekend, however with the veritable spray in the face by a skunk and the subsequent disappearance of any flavor, it left me wishing I could've just smoked the first half of the cigar twice. Still, I do take into account that it WAS an enjoyable smoke at the beginning, so I can't let the final impression of the cigar sully my entire experience.

Appearance and construction: 1.2 out of 1.5 (pts off for draw issues/major stem)
Smoke and ash: 1.5 out of 1.5
Burn: 3 out of 3
Overall flavor: 2.6 out of 4 (full pts for the first 2/3rds, no pts for the final 1/3rd)

Total: 8.3 out of 10
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What they smoked:

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2000 Hoyo des Dieux

jimmyk26 score: 9.9
Brutus2600 score: 8.3

Wow... what a difference in scores. These came out of the same box and were side by side.
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Yeah, there are a big differences in our reviews! What do you think about these Dan?
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Well... I love the 99-01 hoyos... this one is probably my least favorite vitola, however. After your review, though, I may need to revisit it. :-)
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Awesome, my sample definitely warrants a revisit!
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Hah, I'd love to revisit this as well...I think that between draw issues and that horrid skunk smell then the flavor flatline...I don't know. I just don't feel like I smoked the same cigar Jimmy did, despite them coming from the same box.

Two more left and I'm getting pretty excited :-) This has been a phenominal experience so far for sure.
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Now I have to start the process of deciding if I do another round... I'm already 60 cigars in! That said, these have been some of my favorite threads... more than worth the cigars, especially with such awesome reviews.

Hell... I even learned something. The first round of newbs bombed the piss out of me... hit me with a Palio. Being a lifelong XiKar user but always wanting to try a Palio, I was stoked. Now, I find myself reaching for the Palio much more often.

Damn newbs converted me (thanks again, guys!)
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Number 9 is in! Only one more left :-)
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jimmyk26 Cigar #9
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Initial inspection - The first thing I notice on this cigar is the smooth oily wrapper, which is dark and shows only a few veins and dark spots. When I inspect it close up, I do notice two small tears, but I don't think that they'll be a problem. As I admire the nice sheen of the wrapper of this 5.5" x 40 cigar, I confirm that the cigar is evenly packed, has a nice box pressed shape, and is topped with a clean triple cap. The wrapper has a light cinnamon, leather and sweet tobacco smell and the foot offers up a hay and tobacco aroma. The pre light draw is a bit tight and leaves a slight dry tea flavor on the palate.
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Initial puffs - Although the cigar is drawing pretty poorly, I am still getting burnt wood, dark sweet coffee, and earth.

1/3 - The cigar starts out rich and smooth with tastes of roasted barley, like the dark malts used in beer making, and dry wood. The cigar continues to suffer from a poor draw; it isn't what I would call plugged, but it is hard to pull enough smoke to get a good mouth full. As this first third progresses, the wood has really come through and brought with it a grassy twang that I am starting to recognize as a characteristic of this tasting flight. The burn line has stayed even and the ash seems to be holding well.
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2/3 - As I am starting the second section the burn line has wandered a bit. I think it may be due to the first of the two small tears that I saw in the initial inspection. The flavors continue to preset rich roasted barley, wood, dry cocoa, and a slight grass. It's too bad that the draw continues to be sub par. The burn line seems to be evening out, but the ash doesn't want to hang on any more. As this section is closing out, I taste a bit of nutmeg and very slight wood spice entering the mix.
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3/3 - So far this cigar has been pretty consistent with its flavors and the beginning of the final section is no different. Rich and smooth, this cigar has presented enjoyable flavors considering the tighter draw and the cracks that seem to wreck the otherwise consistent burn. I had to touch up the burn with the lighter once, but it doesn't seem to be a consistent issue. As I get in to this finals section, the cigar has picked up a tannic and vegetal flavor that I think indicates it could benefit from some more aging. The cigar also got bitter as it burned through the bigger of the two cracks, but I am attributing the bitterness to the crack no the natural flavors of the cigar. As I suspected after the cigar burned through the crack it was back to roasted barley, wood, and even some leather. As the cigar comes to a close it is presenting a pretty complex and enjoyable profile that includes the best of the first two thirds and some new tastes such as leather, nutmeg, and wood spice.
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Final thoughts - Despite the poor draw, I did enjoy the rich and smooth flavors this cigar had to offer. It brought me back to my home brewing days with all of the dark roasted barley I was tasting. For those of you who haven't brewed before, the roasted barley can present a slight sweetness with coffee, chocolate, and cereal flavors. I would definitely try more of these to see if the draw issue was just an occasional issue. The end of the cigar also presented a much more complex and varied experience, I think that maybe with more age this rest of the cigar could be more like the last section.
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Rating: 8.5 - Rich and smooth, this cigar did suffer from a tight draw, but that didn't take away from the nice flavors.
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Brutus2600 Cigar #9
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Next to last cigar! I can't say anymore lest I get emotional

This cigar looks to be about 5.5 x 40 (box press?). It has a few minor veins, triple cap, and a nice smooth wrapper. It looks like during the de-banding, it lost a little bit of the wrapper, which I'm hoping doesn't affect the draw.

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Initial Light 8:15 - The prelight draw is a VERY strong taste of sweet tobacco, with hints of raisins, caramel, a bit of hay. The draw is smooth, not overly tight, but I think the last cigar I'm going to keep at a lower RH than I have previously, since draw has been somewhat of an issue the last couple cigars. After a toast and a light, my first draw brings hints of cinnamon, nuts, and caramel.

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First Third - So far within the first few draws, I can tell I'm going to really enjoy this cigar. It's smooth, draws well, has flavorful smoke, and is holding promise to be a really good cigar. The ash is a dark gray/black and seems to be holding together nicely. I'm still getting the nutty aroma while the cinnamon and caramel have faded. The wrapper is very delicate, having seen the hole from the band being taken off, and just my lips sticking to the wrapper a little bit tore it just above the cap, but not too bad. I managed to get a picture of the ash without it dropping, then ashed it myself at about one inch, definitely adding to the points for construction. The burn line isn't razor thin, but it's even and hasn't needed any touch ups.

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Second Third 8:49 - This has been a nice slow smoke. The smoke has stayed smooth and has developed sweetish (not Swedish) overtones. I still taste the nutty flavor, but coffee and caramel notes have snuck into the mix as well. Subtle, but still noticeable. It's hard to describe...but while this cigar is mild and anything but bold, the smoke seems heavy. Not the airy light smoke some other cigars produce. I hope this makes sense, I feel silly typing it up

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Final Third 9:16 - While I was hoping it wouldn't, the cigar just completely unwrapped when it hit the tear from the band. I wanted to nub this cigar, because it's been pretty awesome so far, but I'll see how much more I can smoke. The flavor profile has been pretty consistent, which is to say good! And until it unraveled, the burn was great.

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Finish time 9:30 - I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar, with great flavors from caramel to cinnamon, great draw, thick enjoyable smoke, and solid construction that allowed for a good burn and solid ash throughout the cigar. I'd love to smoke another one of these some time, and would add these to the future list of cigars I'd like to buy a box of some day. The unraveling at the end wasn't the cigars fault so much as an adverse effect of removing the band (which I understand was a necessity), so I can't knock any points off for that.

Appearance and construction: 1.4 out of 1.5
Smoke and ash: 1.5 out of 1.5
Burn: 2.8 out of 3
Overall flavor: 3.7 out of 4

Total: 9.4 out of 10
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What they smoked:

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1999 Vegas Robaina Familiar

jimmyk26 score: 8.5
Brutus2600 score: 9.4

Sometimes these suffer from tight draws, but when they are on, they are ON!

One more left, guys.
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Another great review guys. I am sure you are sad to be staring at the final stick :-)

Mike
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Alas, number 10 is in.
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I'm burning 10 tomorrow morning :-)
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Almost done, guys...
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Review 10 is in and I'm sad! Lol :-)
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I wonder if you guys (and bystanders) are gonna be as surprised as I am about the last reviews
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Lets see it then Dan.
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jimmyk26 Cigar #10
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Blind Tasting #10:

Initial impressions - As I pull this cigar out of the bag, I notice a few tears in the wrapper: two near the band area and one around the middle of the cigar. I Grabbed my pectin and did a quick fix on the tear near the middle, this should correct any issues that that tear would cause. I left the other two alone because they didn't look like they would be a problem. Beyond these wrapper issues, the cigar has a nice brown wrapper that is smooth and doesn't show many veins. Construction seems even and I can feel no soft spots. When I bring the 5.5" x 32 cigar up to my nose I smell granola and cinnamon from the wrapper and a very sweet tobacco scent from the foot. The pre light draw is easy and leaves just a light hay flavor on my palate.
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Initial puffs - There is a burst of burnt wood and dark cocoa sweetness that quickly transitions into a slightly bitter coffee and wood. The cigar is drawing easy and the smoke is plentiful, I just need to draw slowly so as not to burn the cigar too quickly.

1/3 - This first section is dominated by the wood and bitter coffee that I tasted initially. Despite the burn line being slightly askew, the ash holds for 3/4". The most remarkable aspect of this cigar so far is the very easy draw, with just a little bit of puffing power I get plenty of smoke.
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2/3 - As the second third begins, there is a slight transition from the wood and bitter coffee to a grass and cereal with a very light honey note on the finish. The ash continues to hold well and the burn line has straightened out. There isn't much to report on the flavors at this point, I am glad that the cigar has transitioned away from the bitter coffee notes. As this third comes to a close there is a light toffee flavor that is followed by the return of the bitter flavor. This time it comes in with a grassy note to it.
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3/3 - At this point I am just wishing that the bitterness would subside, because it is making the cigar difficult to enjoy. I think that the draw is too easy and it is probably causing the harsh flavor. Drawing very slowly to try and counteract the loose draw doesn't seem to help either. Interestingly, I did pick up a very faint banana bread flavor at the beginning of this final third. It didn't last long though. As I approach the end, the cigar is burning pretty hot and I am not getting anything other than heat and bitterness on my palate. I am going to have to put this one down much earlier than I expected.
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Final thoughts - Well I don't think that this cigar is going to get a fair rating from me due the loose draw that likely lead to lots of bitter flavors through out the smoking experience. There were some hints of good flavors including cocoa, honey, toffee, and banana bread which leads me to believe that if this cigar was smoking better it might have had a complex and varied flavor profile. Alas, this cigar didn't live up to that potential.
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Rating: 5.5 - It had a loose draw, bitter flavors, and only hints of goodness.
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Brutus2600 Cigar #10
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This being my last cigar, I'd just like to stop and take a second to thank Dan for this amazing opportunity. I've learned so much about Habanos and more about even myself as a cigar smoker in general. So, having said that, here's my final DBall blind review...

Cigar number 10

This cigar is about 5.5 x 36, has a silky smooth wrapper with light plume on it. The construction is good, with no soft spots and no major veins.

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Initial Light 1:19 - The prelight draw leaves a bouquet of flavors, leaving me tasting chocolate, coffee, and caramel. It draws a bit tight, but not overly so as some previous cigars. The initial light brings the taste of more coffee and caramel, although there is very little smoke.

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First Third - This cigar is very enjoyable so far, minus the minimal draw making it hard to get any significant smoke. I'm continuing to get hints of coffee, but also a nutty aroma that's almost almond-esque. The smoke is smooth and creamy. The burn, while having started off a little crooked (probably my fault), has corrected itself almost perfectly. The ash is holding on nicely at almost one inch, and for such a small RG cigar, that's nice to see!

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Second Third 1:39 - The cigar has opened up a lot more, the smoke is still creamy, and I'm still getting that nutty almond flavor, although the coffee has faded. Light cinnamon notes have started to develop, although they are very subtle. The burn has stayed consistent, ash is a beautiful gray/white, and the delicate wrapper has mostly stayed together except for a small part near the end, which I hope won't end like last time!

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Final Third 1:57 - This has been a fairly consistent cigar, not too much development or decline, so I'm still enjoying the same flavors as previous. The cigar has unraveled yet, so I'm hopeful I can nub this cigar like I'm intending to! Not having smoked this cigar fast, but at a fairly relaxed rate, I'm kind of surprised that it's gone so quickly.

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Finish time 2:10 - I enjoyed this cigar, but it wasn't one of my favorites of this blind review series. I'm glad it was a good cigar though, because ending with something that wasn't enjoyable would've been, well, sad, lol. Nothing about this cigar screamed "awesomeness" in my face, it was like taking a leisurely Sunday drive down a straight road, not a lot of change, but good and enjoyable nonetheless.

Appearance and construction: 1.4 out of 1.5
Smoke and ash: 1.3 out of 1.5
Burn: 2.8 out of 3
Overall flavor: 3.5 out of 4

Total: 9 out of 10
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