Noob Review: Oliva Serie G Maduro Belicoso

Smoked October 19, 2012
Not sure of age, bombed to me.

Pretty sure it was a Belicoso...

Stock photo:

Pre-Light: Solid, smooth, not very toothy, and VERY VERY dark. I've got a couple of these I purchased about 3 months ago, and this was probably 3-4 shades darker... I wish I'd remembered to take my camera out. Sweet chocolate scent.
Cold Draw: Not a lot of flavor, maybe a sweet barnyard hint...

1st Third: Clipped twice with my Cuban Crafters Perfect Cutter, draw was incredibly tight... Some toast flavor, no bitterness, smooth... Almost no smoke due to the tight draw...

2nd Third: Opened the draw a bit with a finishing nail, still tight, but much better. Ash dropped off around 1", flavor got sweeter, finish got "thicker" on my tongue... Draw tightened back up very quickly. Used the nail again a couple times.

Last Third: Smoke had a strong sweet/caramel scent. Kind of a burnt cocoa flavor, a very small amount of pepper/spice taste in the back of my throat. Got a somewhat "toasty" chocolate flavor now and then. Draw kept getting tight still, even after a third clip.

Didn't finish this to the nub, got too tired of fighting the tight draw.
6/10 for now due to tight draw. Have several more Serie G's in a couple different vitolas.
Reserving final judgement.

Noob Review: Man O' War Side Project: Little Devil

Smoked September 28, 2012.
6 weeks rest.

Appearance: One small seam visible. Sweet earthy/nutty smell. Also a small pigtailed cap and closed foot, like the Puro Authentico.

Cold Draw: Very little flavor, maybe a slight cedar...

1st Third: A little bitter to start again, smoothed out about ­½" in. Cedar flavors, slight pepper in the back of my throat. Lots of smoke, straight burn line, ash dropped off around 1".

2nd Third: Not much change at the start of this third. Starting to get some sweet flavors, maybe nutty, hard to tell yet. Did a purge, sweet flavors came out more, definite nut flavor, hard to pin it down much further. Still some pepper and cedar flavor also.  

 Last Third: Pepper and cedar are coming back, nutty and sweet flavors are fading quickly. Burn is still straight, no touch-ups needed. At the very end, I got salty nutty flavors again. Not sure if this is just a signature of the Man O' War line, or Nicaraguan tobaccos/blends in general. Very similar flavor at the end to the Puro Authentico Maduro...

Score: 7/10 or so...

Bought another fiver, see how they do when they rest quite a while longer... Really dig that salty/cashew/pecan/whatever nut flavor...

Noob Review: Man O' War Puro Authentico Corona

Smoked September 23, 2012. 6 weeks rested.

Pre-Light: Slight pigtail cap, ragged closed foot. Slighty spicy earthy smell... Couldn't pick out much on the cold draw...

1st Third: Little bitter at the start, mellowed out pretty quickly. Some peppery spice, nuttiness in the smoke (hey, I'm just trying to read my own notes here!). Definite pepper taste in the back of my throat, and maybe a slight espresso taste here and there.


2nd Third: Less pepper, and more nuttiness and wood flavor. Kind of a cashew nut flavor. Enjoying it much more. Burn got a little crooked, but settled down mostly on its own.

Last Third: Definitely a sweet cashew type flavor, really enjoying this taste. Also a salty flavor mixed in from time to time. Much less pepper. Slight wrapper peel issues, nothing major. got a little hot towards the end and the flavors started to muddle together and fade a bit...

Score: 7.5/10

Went ahead and bought a box of 10 later on. Really enjoyed that salty cashew-like flavor at the end, that's what'll keep me into this smoke...

Noob Review: Man O' War Virtue Lonsdale

Smoked this Sept. 18, so it had just over a month of age on it...

Pre-Light: Smelled sweet, a sweet wood maybe? Light brown, nice construction, nice band. Good pre-light draw, kind of a grassy barnyard cold draw...

1st Third: Smooth, a bit bitter at first, very mild. Cedar/grass/hay notes?

2nd Third: Bitterness gone, still very mild, not a lot of flavor change... Good burn. Lots of creamy thick smoke also.

3rd Third: No spice, not a lot of flavor I like, still very mild.

Overall: Not really into this one, it was the first real cigar I'd smoked in years and years, so I went mild on purpose, but I think way too mild for me. Years of having a close relationship with Joe Camel may have fried my tastebuds...

I wasn't taking pics at first along with my smoking, so the reviews will get better here shortly...

Score...  4.5/10
Won't buy more.

Reviews pending...

     Well, it appears that I'm moving to night shift a week earlier than anticipated, so in order to get straightened out, I'll be up late tonight to get on schedule...
     I've decided to finally get around to writing up some of the reviews of cigars I've been smoking lately, so there'll be a few posts all hitting at once, hopefully tonight.
     I'll be copying and pasting them to the Puff.com forums I'm a member of, I just find it easier to write and edit them here, as there aren't as many viewers, and when it looks good, just copy and paste it over...
    So here's my smoke shack:

     It's my 8'x12' workshop where I tinker on guns, make my ashtrays, do whatever else I want, and smoke when the weather is cold or rainy. Workbench at one end (pictured) workbench/shelf at the other, toolboxes in between, and a small ceramic heater with thermostat. I keep the temp in the high 30's in there so nothing freezes. When I go in to work or smoke (like I will later tonight) I kick it up to about 55° to be comfy without being too warm. Pending plans are foamboard insulation and vinyl siding on the outside, as money permits, and more shelving inside.
     That's my post for today, going to smoke one in a little bit, then get some reviews posted later tonight!

     So I've made a commitment so smoke a cigar a day until Xmas... So far I missed Dec. 1, but stuck with it since then. I'm also jotting notes on them as I go, so I can post reviews of them at a later date as well, so stay tuned!
   I've also started a new job, so time is more limited again...

A new old hobby

     So, a new old hobby... Lol. Like I haven't got enough hobbies, right?
     So far, I build AR-15 rifles, working on a 10/22 build, modify Mosin-Nagant rifles, have a 1911 project in the works, more or less... I've also got my 79 Fairmont Futura needing work here and there, slight upgrades, wiring cleanup, etc. I still occasionally tinker with computers, various woodworking projects, and now I also have a new used house to work on, with a workshop... So naturally I needed another hobby...
     Years ago, when I was 18 or 19 (possibly a year younger, it's been a while) I tinkered with smoking fine hand-rolled cigars... It didn't last long, a few months or so, and then being 18 or 19, there were so many more things that "needed" my money more...
     Now I have a house, instead of an apartment, and can enjoy my smokes in leisure, on the porch or in my workshop. So dive back in I have, going in the span of less than 2 month, from no cigars, to over 300 sticks...
     My intention here is to also post occasional cigar reviews, and get a little better about posting projects of mine, either in-progress or complete... And I also need to get better about writing down my rants and raves when they enter my head, instead of thinking I'll remember them until later, heh.

     Anyway, moving onward... At the moment, I have two humidors, both holding 100 sticks more or less, and a cheapo humidor that holds maybe 20... So I've been wanting to upgrade to a wineador, but with my recent layoff, that is not a financially responsible path... A coolerdor isn't attractive, but is incredibly functional, with somewhere to hide it... not really my style...
     And then I came upon this...

     A Coleman Woodside cooler... I've got some big plans for this, stay tuned...!