This 6 x 50 Toro was a gift from Dan aka Hardcz. The first thing I notice is the aroma, which is full & strong and reminds me of a barnyard. The wrapper is quite dark and due to the rough looks with the nice veins it is a manly cigar. The predraw is great and peppery.

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I can taste the flavor of black pepper, and a lot of it and I get flashbacks to the Oliva V belicoso I smoked some time ago. This is one spicy cigar with an aftertaste of toast. After an inch the flavors are pepper and cedar. Halfway the pepper is less overpowering but still present. The woody flavor and some chocolate are better noticeable now. Toast makes a comeback close to the turning point while the pepper fades away a bit.

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No doubt about this cigar, full bodied, full flavored. The smoke is also full and the draw and burn are just great.

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Would I buy this cigar again? Maybe, so far I liked other Don Pepin cigars like the black, the JJ and the CI legends yellow better than this one. The pepper was a bit too overpowering in this stick.

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Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 7 / 10
Appearance: 8 / 10
Smoke & ash: 8 / 10
Burn: 7 / 10
Aroma (first part) 7 / 10
Aroma (middle part) 7 / 10
Aroma (last part) 7 / 10
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Great review as always, thanks for not taking a picture of your face this time
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Pepin Blues are always an enjoyable smoke. Thank You for the review
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Someone is taking the "Day of Rest" to the extreme. Another great review on a Sunday. I like the Blue as well, but I have to agree with you, The JJ Ma, and the Black are great smokes.
Great photos as usual. Keep 'em coming. :-)
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I'll tell you a secret: didn't smoke them all today :-) I take notes on paper when I am smoking a cigar, give grades, and once in a while (I try to do it each week) I will take those papers and turn them into a real review and post them.
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Please don't ruin my fantasy with your secrets. I'm at work for the next 15 hours and I'm imagining you sitting at a table next to a canal smoking a stogie enjoying a libation and watching the bicycles and boats go by. Nothing to do but a few reviews. :-):-)
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The mystique of Don Fer has been broken! Taking notes while reviewing instead of punching the data straight into the laptop.

Nice review, I like the Blue, for me it is a nice change of pace and really nice smoke when it can be found for under 6$ usd.

Thanks again.
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i'll burst your bubble again, I don't have a laptop, I have a desktop :-)
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When will it all end!!??!!

At least in the review thread where you took a photo of your face we got to see a different part of your pad.


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I love these smokes. I'm half way through a box. I've noticed the pepper slowly weaning from these smokes. When I fist smoked them they were much more peppery. The last one I smoked only had the initial pepin blast and then turned into a nice medium smoke after that. Thanks for the review:-)
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I bought a box of these a bit over a year ago. Ended up giving most away. I found the pepper way outdid the flavor, kinda like the 601 Black. I like pepper in a cigar but it's gotta be combined with good flavors. I love the Cuban Classics though.
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I just had my first blue the other day and really enjoyed it. I didn't get the chocolate flavors you speak of but plenty of lite pepper all the way through. This stick is WAY better than the regular JJ white label (haven't had the maduro yet) which I found to be just too lite in flavor. I LOVE the CI Legend yellow Pepin stick better than the blues, white, or black CCs. Much more flavor IMO. :-)
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thanks for the review, I am working through a 10 pack of these, definitely a nice smoke

:-)
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Thanks for the review. I am a blue fanatic. I just got used to the pepper. I think that these smokes really define a "Pepin" type smoke. Spicy and earthy. Doesn't get much better from Don. Unless you mention the J21's.:-)
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Thanks for the review & pictures. I really enjoy these DPG.
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Nice review. I am not a Pepin fan but I love the blues.
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Had one two nights ago and yep, ya nailed it! I let mine sit in the dor for about 7 months after purchase and it really helped. Good review. Like the pics too.
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Yes. Thank you for saying this. The first one of these I ever smoked was like smoking a freaking pepper shaker. I hated it. I didn't pick another one up for probably 6-8 months. It is a much better smoke now, not nearly as much pepper. I think a rest does wonders for these, but I'll still take the Cuban Classics with some rest any day. IMO, his best.

Good review Don.
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I completely agree. I have yet to hang on to any Pepin sticks for very long, but the Cuban Classics are always great for me, even straight from the B&M. The Blues are tasty though. Nice review and pics, Don.:-)
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nice review as always:-)
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