Olivia Connecticut Reserve Natural Robusto - Cigar Review

Olivia Connecticut Reserve Natural Robusto - Cigar Review

From humidor at 70% for 3 months

Size: 5x50

Blend: Nicaraguan Puro, Ecuadorian-Connecticut wrapper which covers the all-Nicaraguan filler and binder.

Construction:

Visual: The seams were barely visible with minimal veins. The wrapper itself appeared dry and slightly hairy with only one imperfection being a water spot, neatly finished on the head with a single cap.

Touch:  The stick was tightly packed consistently along its length, with no soft or hard spots. The foot of the cigar had one minor shatter in the wrapper/ binder which I accredit to rattling around in my humidor for 3 months.

Smell: Bouquet on the wrapper consisted of dried grass with hints of pepper surrounded by a wholesome tobacco smell. Foot consisted of hay and wood.

Cold Draw: Flavours on the cold draw consisted of Hay/ Dry grass, light tobacco and white pepper with a very distant sweet butter in the background.

First light: Flavours on the first light consisted of a big dose of white pepper atop of dried grass; there were also the slight hints of oil or butter.

Aroma: The aroma consisted of fresh baked sourdough bread with traces of toast.

First 3^rd - 8 min

The abrupt white pepper started to mellow out and fill the whole mouth and throat with typical white pepper zing. New flavours started to emerge from behind the pepper which consisted of bread and timid hints of toast all coming together to form a mild to medium body.  The cigar was exhibiting a perfect burn and was producing good amounts of thick but dry smoke.

As the third progressed the pepper dialed down and the cigar started to get more bready and thicker to taste without increasing in body.

Second 3^rd - 24 min

Body was still sitting on medium with the white pepper smoothing out into a nice mellow spice allowing the palate to better experience other flavours present. Other flavours present consisted of a very thick bread, toast with a dried grassy flavour. The oil noticed on first light didn’t showed itself again to this point. Smoke production was still good with good amounts of thick dry smoke, the stick continued to burn razor sharp.

Third 3^rd - 45min

Start of the third 3^rd saw inklings of heat rearing its head, at the start it was not consistently present but with the heat came an increase in the toasty flavour. No other changes in the flavour profile. As the third progressed the heat came to be a contributor to the flavour profile and as expected kept increasing.

Mid in the third the burn changed from razor sharp to acceptably excellent.

I managed to smoke this stick down to the end as the usual culprit “heat” never really made a significant appearance in a way that detracted from the whole experience. The stick was gracefully retired at 1 hour 10 minutes.

In conclusion this stick was great, consistent from start to finish in flavour and body with an exemplary burn. The second I stuck this stick up it reminded me of a Nub Connecticut but a little drier on the palate. The white pepper is not something that resonates with me personally so I would not go off and buy a box myself, but if that’s something you like; you’ll love this stick. It’s a well-made consistent stick that I would recommend adding to one’s experience library.

Suggested pairing is (not would be) but is, wet, young a citrus and green apple tasting Semillon Sauvignon Blanc. I was not entirely sure so I tried it, and it was a match made in heaven. It paired perfectly with the dry peppery profile of this stick.

Thanks for reading!

Spoilt again!

I have been waiting with baited breath for over a month and they have landed, 2 Boxes of Oiva Serie G's.
Maduro Torpedoes & G Natural Figurados.
Reviews in about a month, after a good resting period.

Baccarat- The game, Rothschild Candela- Cigar review

Baccarat- The game, Rothschild Candela- Cigar review

Time in humidor, 3 months @ 68%

Size: 5x 50

Blend: Honduran Puro 

Construction: The wrapper was smooth with a hairy feel whilst looking dry with a slight oily sheen. It exhibited minimal veins which were only made obvious by the lighter colour of the wrapper.  It also had visible seams. This stick was a couple of gauges thicker on the foot than it was at the head. The stick was a little soft to squeeze and a few large veins could be felt in the binder, No substantial lumps or bumps. On a whole the stick appears to be well made and the head is closed with a neat triple cap.

Smell: Wrapper; Green grass, Hay with subtle cool hits of cucumber: Foot Dried hay, cucumber and wood.

Cold draw: Flavours on the cold draw consisted of dried hay and caramel, the wrapper was imparting a very pleasant sweetness onto the lips. Draw had a desirable level of resistance after punching the cap 

First light: Flavours on the first light were very difficult to identify due to this stick being so mild. The cigar was imparting a sugary sweetness front of mouth like the flavoured / sweetened cigar. Flavours behind the sugar were green grass wood and a very subtle wood.  Smoke production is good with a very thick moist consistency.

Aroma: the aroma of this cigar was very interesting, it was segregated between a delightful sweetness and a combination of timber and hay.

First 3^rd 16 min

I decided to look a little deeper into this very obvious sweetness being deposited onto the lips rather than through the smoke itself. I sat licking different parts of this cigar like an ice-cream until I managed to come to the conclusion that it was the wrapper. The wrapper on this cigar was coated in what I assume was a layer of its own natural sugar which could be tasted when licked…… or placed in the mouth as one does when smoking a cigar; funnily enough.

Flavours on the first third were very similar to the initial light with an increase in the sweetness. The burn is near textbook. If I had to condense my description of the flavor profile of this stick I would have to say it’s a very light bodied, grassy sweet cigar.

The retrohale consisted primarily of sweet caramel and dried hay.

Second 3^rd 35 min

Transitioning into the second 3^rd a very smooth and subtle spice started to develop which I was yet to identify and the smoke started to get sweeter, after every draw I could lick my teeth and taste a defined layer of literal sugar all through my mouth. Initial flavours of green grass and hay were present and unchanged. The burn was near perfect even in the windy conditions I’m constantly finding myself reviewing cigars in.

As the second third progressed I managed to identify the subtle spice as nutmeg which was slowly increasing which made it easier to identify once it showed itself.

I found it pays to smoke this stick very slowly as letting it get hot tended to introduce a singed tobacco flavor and overthrow all the delicate flavours I experienced

Third 3^rd 52 mins

Flavours in the third 3^rd remained consistent but saw the slightest introduction of heat into the finish, I typically find heat very offensive when smoking a cigar but in this case is was quite bearable and did not detract from the existing profile of this stick at this stage.

The burn was still excellent even this far down the stick which I was quite surprised.

At 1 hour 10 minutes the heat started to gently increase in this cigar and very soon was going to detract from the enjoyable flavours previously experienced. I decided to put it down.

Overall this stick was very consistent from start to finish, brilliant smoke thick moist smoke production with a delicious green grassy flavor coupled with a surprising sweetness. Ever so subtle hints of nutmeg appearing around the halfway mark made for a pleasant addition which kept this stick interesting. I would happily purchase a box of these sticks and enjoy in good company after a light lunch.

Suggested pairing would be with a dry champagne such as Moet as not to overthrow delicate flavor offered by this stick.

Thanks for reading.

Trinidad Series T Robusto – Cigar Review

Trinidad Series T Robusto – Cigar Review

From the Humidor at 70%, Time in 2 weeks

Size: 5x 48, Pigtail

Blend: I had a lot of trouble finding information about the blend of this particular Cuban stick.

This cigar was sent up to me for review by a friend named Rob who lives down in Melbourne. When the stick arrived it was in Mint condition with no damage, Thanks Rob!

Construction: This stick had a very smooth oily wrapper with barely visible seams depending on wrapper colouration; the wrapper appears to be extremely thin. The stick was very lumpy along its length with an extremely tight pack. Although the cigar was lumpy, the overall construction appeared to be excellent and the lumps gave the stick a very rustic, handmade feel.

There was one small split running along an insignificant vein near the head which I was worried about, any damage to a wrapper pre light always gets worse in my experience.

Smell: Light tobacco and woody smell, along with dry hay. Foot; Dry hay with ground coffee beans.

Cold draw: Once I cut the stick the chink in the wrapper was exacerbated significantly. The cut revealed a perfect draw from this tight stick whose flavours consisted of gentle white pepper with a smooth taste of wood and hay.

First Light: Flavours on the first light consisted of an electric white pepper with toasty wood and bread. Smoke production was reasonable with thin dry smoke.

Aroma: Sourdough bread.

First 3^rd 16min

Light to medium body. Flavours in the first third consisted of the initial white pepper which smoothed out and reduced slightly.  The effects of the pepper went from whole of mouth to tip of tongue. Other flavours alongside the pepper were sourdough bread and a woody taste. This stick had a long salty finish which made me think of the finish experienced after eating an olive.

Retrohale revealed toasty wood with very slight hints of sourdough.

The burn in the first 3^rd was excellent, transitioning from sawtooth to a straight line when resting.

Second 3^rd 30min

Smoke production in the second 3rd increased, the texture of the smoke thickened and got more moist while starting to dry out the palate slightly.

There were no significant additions or transitions in flavour, the salty finish lasted longer and the pepper got a little more obvious and sharp. Both I believe was as result of having a dryer mouth.

Over smoking this stick in the second 3^rd produces heat and significantly increases the white pepper.

Mid Second 3^rd saw the burn start to degrade slightly and the delicate wrapper was starting to split both laterally and longitudinally (pictured).  I was not overly concerned in this case as the splits were in a way that would not “run” in front of the cherry.

Third 3^rd 45min

Transitioning in to the third 3^rd saw a further reduction in the pepper flavours whilst the sourdough developed to mouldy with mild acridity. This stick very rapidly degraded into what I have previously identified as a “wet” over humidified stick. The aroma started to smell like an old cigar that I’ve thrown out into the dew sprinkled garden 12 hours earlier.

As the third 3rd progressed the stick started to become spongy hot and more acrid. I really started to think this sick was just wet, although it has been in my humidor for 2 weeks at 70%

As I approached the band the head of the cigar was starting to swell, the wrapper was experiencing blowouts all over the place and the flavours consisted of mould, wet ashtray and heat. I retired the stick at 58 mins as a result.

Overall this light to medium bodied cigar was very consistent in its flavour profile with no additions or transitions throughout. I found the stick rather boring and unenjoyable, priced at 45-48 bucks a pop in Australia, I would be downright pissed off with the experience I had with this cigar. Any $20 stick would run rings around this one.

I’ve smoked a few Habana Trinidad’s before this particular stick and found them similar in their flavour profiles but far more enjoyable than this one.

Suggested pairings would be beer to keep the palate moist while smoking this stick without overpowering the mild profile offered.

Thanks for reading. 

Whisgars