From the Archive, First Group Review

Here is our first attempt at a group review session from late 2012. I apologize for not having any pictures to include, as I found this document in a dusty folder deep within my hard drive...

Jarrett: Brick House Short Torpedo ($5.55)

Method: Cut with Xikar double guillotine cutter. Lit with sulfur-free cigar match.

First impressions: The wrapper was a very attractive black walnut-wood color, which was consistent all the way around. It appeared to be rolled well and very tight, and it took quite the close inspection to find a seam in the wrapper. The first draw produced a rather strong peppery flavor, which wasn’t totally unpleasant, but was somewhat harsh. It proved not to be as dense as it first appeared, which was good for the draw. I was able to puff very easily on this cigar, compared to some that are rolled as tightly as this one appeared. The first draw was very easy and constantly-flavored.

This cigar mellowed out quickly. The strong peppery flavor lightened up, which was good, because I prefer a milder, creamier cigar, and the harshness of this one was going to be unpleasant for me if it lingered. However, only a few minutes in, the bite began to give way to a fuller, more pleasing smoke.

I experienced a run, as my cigar began to burn unevenly relatively early in the smoke. This evened out as I continued to smoke, perhaps helped by the fact that I moistened the running side to make it burn slower. I continued to be impressed with how well this cigar was rolled, holding well over an inch of ash before I knocked it off in the ash tray. The flavor continued to mellow out, becoming pleasant and mild as the cigar burned near the halfway point.

At the halfway point of the Short Torpedo, the mild flavor filled out to become more full-bodied and woody, giving it a bolder taste. I would have like to have experienced this earlier in the smoke, but it was good when it came. I also noticed at this time – we had been smoking for a little over thirty minutes at this point - that the Brick House was burning significantly slower than either the Foundry or the Perla Del Mar.

About fifty minutes into the smoke, I still had about 2.5” left in the cigar. After the halfway point it had begun to start growing stronger in flavor. I tend to be a little more of a lightweight with cigars, and this cigar definitely lasted as long as I wanted it to. The Short Torpedo is a stronger cigar, but it didn’t make me feel like I was suffocating in the way that some do.

Closing Remarks: This cigar was a full-bodied smoke, and strong enough to make me light-headed. The flavor wasn’t anything exceptional, but with the “triple nickel” price tag, it is hard to beat. You can’t compare this cigar with a Padron or a Cohiba, but if you paid less than ten bucks for a stogie, you didn’t order a Padron or Cohiba. I would recommend the Brick House to any experienced smoker. It might be a little too heavy for beginners.

Ben: Perla Del Mar TG ($6:15)

Method: Cut with a standard punch cutter, as it was too large of a ring gauge for the Xikar, and lit with a triple-flame butane cigar lighter.

First Impressions: The gordo sized cigar (6x60) is intimidatingly large, but not uncommon with our group. Smelling the wrapper after drawing this stogie out of its plastic sheath brought about a light and mild tobacco scent, as one might expect from the color of the wrapper, yet with hints of spice. The first draw produced a notably spicy flavor that Ben felt around the edges of his mouth and not merely on the tongue.

After smoking for a little while, Ben made the comment that his cigar was holding up quite well, and not deteriorating and sticking to his mouth like they tend to do with him (he does tend to get a bit of saliva on the cigar…). It has proved to be quite the well-rolled smoke, yet he did experience a run which he had to correct by relighting the end that was burning slower with the butane lighter. This made it burn significantly more evenly.

This cigar seemed to go quickly, despite its large sized. At the 45 minute mark, it had caught up with the Brick House, which started out about an inch shorter than the TG. The filler seemed to burn quicker than the wrapper. At this point the flavor had mellowed out quite a bit, and the spiciness that Ben had experienced had either gone away, or he had grown used to it.

Toward the end of the smoke, Ben noticed that the run on his cigar had corrected itself, but the flavor remained quite consistent to the end.

Closing Remarks: The TG was a very light cigar, producing much less of a harsh flavor than most that Ben has had in the past. He remarked that it was the least “tongue-burn” that he has experienced in any cigar, and it left no unpleasant lingering aftertaste. An above-average experience and an excellent light smoke for six bucks, better than many that are more expensive.

Ethan: Foundry Lovelace ($8.45)

Method: Cut with a standard punch cutter, as Ethan prefers, and lit with his triple-flame cigar torch.

First Impressions: At 6.25” with a 54 ring gauge, the larger toro sized cigar looks quite similar to Ben’s Perla Del Mar, with the exception of Foundy’s trademark cog around the label. Ethan remarked that Foundry, though a young company (est. 2012), has been a contender in producing some of his favorite cigars. This cigar rang up a little higher than either the Brick House or the Perla Del Mar, putting it close to a different price bracket for our group. The wrapper appeared light and mild, very similar in color to Bens Perla TG. It has a noticeable but not overbearing woody scent and a mildly spicy flavor on the initial draw. Ethan remarked that the flavor was very light, and the cigar took well to the lighter. The draw was easy and smooth, and he would recommend this cigar to a beginning smoker.

Shortly into the smoke, Ethan declared this cigar to be the second favorite of the Foundry’s that he has tried, yet he still prefers the ‘carrot-shaped’ figurado, which he has had a couple of times. Within the first ten minutes of the smoke, Ethan is already beginning to complain about the way that the wrapper of the Lovelace is beginning to come apart. From the outset, he tore the wrapper when removing the cog that Foundry outfits around their labels (too tightly). This left an unsightly tear, which damaged the look, yet not the taste of the cigar. As he smoked it, however, the wrapper began to separate and the cigar started to look like it was coming unraveled, causing it to burn unevenly.

Further into the smoke, Ethan decided that the flavor of the Lovelace was getting stronger as he continued to smoke it. The light and mild flavor that he got initially gradually became more peppery and harsh. The issues that he was having with the wrapper continued to get worse as the cigar began to banana out like something that Bugs Bunny would give to Yosemite Sam with a dynamite stick in it. We all remarked that this is quite uncommon with Foundry as we have had them in the past. This cigar was probably rolled on a Friday afternoon. However, the cigar remained relatively dense, producing resistance in the draw. This was actually a redeeming quality, because it made the cigar more flavorful and it lasted longer than either the Brick House or the Perla Del Mar.

Closing Remarks: The wrapper basically just fell off the cigar by the time that Ethan had smoked it down to around 3.5”. He should have had another 15-20 minutes left in the cigar but he had to put it down at this point because of the wrapper unraveling. This is uncommon with Foundry’s that we have had in the past. The flavor remained light and mild throughout, growing stronger in the middle of the cigar. Ethan remarked that the smoke was good, yet the wrap was not. He likes the Foundry brand, but recommends the Figurado “carrot-shaped” cigar. Foundrys are a little expensive, but when they hold up, they are a good smoke.

#BrickHouse #PerlaDelMar #Foundry