Tweet
I know I am supposed to be writing a review of mine and the site owners trip and mega-uber-smoke-a-thon but every time I try I end up writing two pages on just the first day, nobody will want to read that! In frustration I sat down in my kitchen last night, after getting home from the gym and elected to smoke something and try to edit my thoughts about the trip. All that ended up happening was that I ended up wanting to write about the cigar I smoked, so here we are....
During my recent few days abroad I had a Cuban cigar of various brands, vitolas and vintages on the go permanently. I have never smoked so intensely before. Even while Deano was having a siesta in the afternoon (he could not keep up the pace of smoking and drinking) I would sit on my balcony with yet another cigar or two and watch the sun set. Whilst the rarest of rare things was not on offer as it would have been in Teddington there was a vast array of regular production, limited editions and AGED cigars available all essentially for pocket change. I had but a few days to sample as much as I could and you are permitted to bring back a pathetically small amount. Customs are very hot on flights back so I did not push my luck.
Since my return I had not had a single smoke. It is not unusual for me to go several days without a cigar, especially if I do not have the appropriate company to keep. The trip abroad though had gotten me in the habit of having something on the go at the slightest whim and I was missing that feeling. Yesterday I had such a whim and I wanted a distraction, as I said, after the gym. Some weeks ago Jimmeh had obtained some Man of War Ruination. It was the wrong vitola from the one I had requested but it would have to do. After the Cuban cigar smoke fest I had decided to seriously re-consider my thoughts on non-Cubans. If you removed the price differential from the equation I could see myself hardly ever electing to choose to smoke a non-Cuban. I am not a wealthy man but I refuse to let the cost influence my choice of food or drink. I know what I like and if I have to sacrifice other things to pay for the P?t? de foie gras, white truffles or Pol Roger champers then so be it. You pays your money and you make your choices, etc. I could see no reason why this should not apply equally to my choice of cigar. I sat down with the the MoW Ruination with not very high expectations and proceeded to cut and torch it.
It was an unusually tough cut but I was using a different cutter that I was not familiar with so I could deduce little from this. It did end up with a clean flat cut which is always pleasing. I test drew and it and was very pleasantly surprised to find it had a good deal of resistance to it. I tire of the NC type draw that is so easy you could breathe through it. I love the resistance of good Cuban cigar and feel it offers some small amount of natural filtration to the smoke. I proceeded to light the cigar and began to ruminate. No amazing flavours at the start but no offensive overpowering spice either. So far, not bad, but not amazing either. As I continued I noticed this cigar burnt very evenly. Now an uneven burn does not usually bother me, I expect to have to ?tend? to a cigar as it burns, not a problem just part of the journey. I know NC?s are supposed to be more consistently made than Cubans but I do not notice that big a difference in general except that NC?s burn much quicker. I assume this is as they are more loosely packed, this is backed up by the easier draw. Well this MoW burnt evenly and slowly, very pleasing. This was a boon for the NC supporters so far. The flavour was more of an issue unfortunately.
The initial start to the cigar was okay, with a hint of spice on the tip of my tongue. It evolved as is expected throughout the cigar but never really attained greatness. There was body there but not huge amounts of flavour. Pleasant, meaty, but not very satisfying. This cigar would be good with friends and booze. A meaty cigar that would satisfy far more if you did not concentrate on it, if it was not the main event. There were two moments that surprised me though. There were two distinct puffs that had flavours that reminded me shockingly of a Montecristo Sublime. I had smoked a few of these whilst I was away and so the flavour of them was fresh in my mind. The two kicks from the MoW with this Monty flavour pleased me greatly but proved so fleeting that it was hard not to think it as a trick of the mind.
These are way above average non-Cuban. They feel, cut and burn like a good Cuban. The flavour hints at greatness but never really reaches that high. This is no Tatuaje T110 that makes me think that NC?s can match great Cubans but it is enough to keep me interested. The hunt for the real gems is a fun and interesting journey. I think I will adjust my purchasing towards Cubans more heavily than I have before but the NC still has its place in my humi.
During my recent few days abroad I had a Cuban cigar of various brands, vitolas and vintages on the go permanently. I have never smoked so intensely before. Even while Deano was having a siesta in the afternoon (he could not keep up the pace of smoking and drinking) I would sit on my balcony with yet another cigar or two and watch the sun set. Whilst the rarest of rare things was not on offer as it would have been in Teddington there was a vast array of regular production, limited editions and AGED cigars available all essentially for pocket change. I had but a few days to sample as much as I could and you are permitted to bring back a pathetically small amount. Customs are very hot on flights back so I did not push my luck.
Since my return I had not had a single smoke. It is not unusual for me to go several days without a cigar, especially if I do not have the appropriate company to keep. The trip abroad though had gotten me in the habit of having something on the go at the slightest whim and I was missing that feeling. Yesterday I had such a whim and I wanted a distraction, as I said, after the gym. Some weeks ago Jimmeh had obtained some Man of War Ruination. It was the wrong vitola from the one I had requested but it would have to do. After the Cuban cigar smoke fest I had decided to seriously re-consider my thoughts on non-Cubans. If you removed the price differential from the equation I could see myself hardly ever electing to choose to smoke a non-Cuban. I am not a wealthy man but I refuse to let the cost influence my choice of food or drink. I know what I like and if I have to sacrifice other things to pay for the P?t? de foie gras, white truffles or Pol Roger champers then so be it. You pays your money and you make your choices, etc. I could see no reason why this should not apply equally to my choice of cigar. I sat down with the the MoW Ruination with not very high expectations and proceeded to cut and torch it.
It was an unusually tough cut but I was using a different cutter that I was not familiar with so I could deduce little from this. It did end up with a clean flat cut which is always pleasing. I test drew and it and was very pleasantly surprised to find it had a good deal of resistance to it. I tire of the NC type draw that is so easy you could breathe through it. I love the resistance of good Cuban cigar and feel it offers some small amount of natural filtration to the smoke. I proceeded to light the cigar and began to ruminate. No amazing flavours at the start but no offensive overpowering spice either. So far, not bad, but not amazing either. As I continued I noticed this cigar burnt very evenly. Now an uneven burn does not usually bother me, I expect to have to ?tend? to a cigar as it burns, not a problem just part of the journey. I know NC?s are supposed to be more consistently made than Cubans but I do not notice that big a difference in general except that NC?s burn much quicker. I assume this is as they are more loosely packed, this is backed up by the easier draw. Well this MoW burnt evenly and slowly, very pleasing. This was a boon for the NC supporters so far. The flavour was more of an issue unfortunately.
The initial start to the cigar was okay, with a hint of spice on the tip of my tongue. It evolved as is expected throughout the cigar but never really attained greatness. There was body there but not huge amounts of flavour. Pleasant, meaty, but not very satisfying. This cigar would be good with friends and booze. A meaty cigar that would satisfy far more if you did not concentrate on it, if it was not the main event. There were two moments that surprised me though. There were two distinct puffs that had flavours that reminded me shockingly of a Montecristo Sublime. I had smoked a few of these whilst I was away and so the flavour of them was fresh in my mind. The two kicks from the MoW with this Monty flavour pleased me greatly but proved so fleeting that it was hard not to think it as a trick of the mind.
These are way above average non-Cuban. They feel, cut and burn like a good Cuban. The flavour hints at greatness but never really reaches that high. This is no Tatuaje T110 that makes me think that NC?s can match great Cubans but it is enough to keep me interested. The hunt for the real gems is a fun and interesting journey. I think I will adjust my purchasing towards Cubans more heavily than I have before but the NC still has its place in my humi.
International school of Ministry.... Thank God for fine CC's!
Comment