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TimestampReviewerCigar NumberAppearance [Score]Appearance NotesAroma [Score]Aroma Notes1/3 Flavor [Score]1/3 Strength1/3 Body/Complexity1/3 Notes2/3 Flavor [Score]2/3 Strength2/3 Body/Complexity2/3 Notes3/3 Flavor [Score]3/3 Strength3/3 Body/Complexity3/3 NotesDraw [Score]Draw NotesBurn [Score]Burn NotesConstruction ScoreConstruction NotesOverall Experience [Score]Overall NotesSmoking timeAppearanceAromafirst 1first 2second 1second 2final 1final 2drawburnconst
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2/25/2018 14:05:35Daniel S. Daniel S.)69590"A very nice looking, Churchill cigar, with a nice brownish tan colored wrapper. The big Churchill has some nice weight to it and it feels good in my hand." -<strong>Daniel S. </strong> (Daniel S.)87.5"The wrapper had an aroma of hay and wood. The foot of the cigar has a subtle pepper aroma. The cold draw had a strong woodsy and hay flavors." -<strong>Daniel S. </strong> (Daniel S.)85MildLight"Not getting a lot of flavor off of first light, detecting some sweetness but not a lot. Maybe some hay notes also. On the retro I am getting a musty flavor. Some white pepper is starting to come through. All the flavors I am tasting are very subtle, more than likely because the cigar is drawing pretty hard at this point." -<strong>Daniel S. </strong> (Daniel S.)87.5Mild-MediumMedium"Flavors are still very subtle, the sweetness flavor is coming through more. The musty flavor is now coming through on the draw. The white pepper is stronger and is starting to play off the sweetness. The flavors I am getting are nice, getting a sugary flavor that tastes really good along side of the white pepper. Still getting the musty hay flavor on the retro. Even though I am getting some flavors now, they seem muted because the draw is not the best.

" -<strong>Daniel S. </strong> (Daniel S.)		87.5MediumMedium"
Once into the last third, I got tired of the draw issues and I used a draw tool. I didn't use it in the beginning because I didn't want to risk wrecking a cigar that I am reviewing. That helped create a better draw for a little while. During that time the flavors became stronger and I think, I am starting to get the true flavors of the cigar. Getting some nice pepper with a sweet finish. Also getting a very nice Tobacco flavor that is helping me to enjoy the last part of this cigar. The good draw did not last very long and I went back to having to draw very hard to get the smoke and flavors that we all want went when smoking a cigar.
" -<strong>Daniel S. </strong> (Daniel S.)		82.5"From first light, I was having to draw very hard and was still not getting a lot of smoke. The flavors were very subtle and which had to be due to how poor the draw was." -<strong>Daniel S. </strong> (Daniel S.)87.5"Considering how poor the draw was, the burn hung in there. The first third, the burn was perfect. The last two thirds the burn was getting a little wonky and I had to touch up and re-light a few times." -<strong>Daniel S. </strong> (Daniel S.)82.5"From the appearance of the cigar, the construction looked great but as I smoking the cigar, the flaws started to reveal themselves. In my opinion, the poor draw was due, to two hard spots a half inch under the cap." -<strong>Daniel S. </strong> (Daniel S.)85"For me the draw is very important part of enjoying the cigar. When I have to work harder to get smoke and flavor of a cigar, than I did at work earlier in the day. So working hard to fix the draw, makes it hard to relax and enjoy the cigar I am smoking. I did get some good flavor but I could tell I was not getting the full potential due to the cigar." -<strong>Daniel S. </strong> (Daniel S.)120#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?
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3/3/2018 10:22:47Isaac M. The Nothing)69592.5"This cigar came across a bit ominous with a decent heft, large size and dark wrapper. " -<strong>Isaac M. </strong> (The Nothing)90"There was a bit of baker's chocolate and roasted grains, but otherwise I didn't get much aroma from the cigar." -<strong>Isaac M. </strong> (The Nothing)87.5MildLight"Lighting up this cigar became a "don't judge a book by it's cover" moment. There was no spice, no fanfare, it just warmed up to light notes of wood and dark chocolate. As the first third progressed there was a nice earthy tobacco note that became the major player, as the earlier wood flavors moved to the retrohale. " -<strong>Isaac M. </strong> (The Nothing)87.5MildLight"Warm tobacco continued to be the mainstay through the second third. The baker's chocolate faded to make room for a dark roasted coffee flavor while wood remained present only on the retrohale. " -<strong>Isaac M. </strong> (The Nothing)90MediumMedium"In the last third the flavors continued but with plenty more oomph taking it solidly into the medium category. Until this point the cigar had been suffering from a spongy draw. Finally clearing in the last third, this cigar really came alive. Actually, it became the cigar I thought it would have been at the beginning with fuller flavors of chocolate, coffee and wood. " -<strong>Isaac M. </strong> (The Nothing)82.5"While the prelight draw seemed to be just about perfect, once flame was applied this cigar puckered up and became quite spongy. I cut the head a little bit deeper to make sure I wasn't the cause, but it never opened up until it was near the final third." -<strong>Isaac M. </strong> (The Nothing)92.5"This cigar kept nearly razor tight from the beginning to the end, with the ash falling regularly at about 3/4 inch. " -<strong>Isaac M. </strong> (The Nothing)92.5"This cigar had a great appearance, felt good in the hand, and otherwise seemed to be well made." -<strong>Isaac M. </strong> (The Nothing)87.5"The question comes to be: how would this cigar have behaved if it had a better draw? With the dramatic change in the final third, I was left to wonder if the first two thirds were mild because of the draw problems, with the final third being much more representative of what the cigar was supposed to be. If this is, in fact, the case, then I feel ripped off. If not, then this cigar is great for the people that like a mostly super-mellow cigar without a note of spice." -<strong>Isaac M. </strong> (The Nothing)115#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?
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3/3/2018 10:54:30John I. John I.)69592.5"Great big ol Churchill. Fairly dark with a fair amount of somewhat rustic veins. " -<strong>John I. </strong> (John I.)90"Tangy notes of fermentation and straight up tobacco. Most pronounced at the foot." -<strong>John I. </strong> (John I.)95MediumMedium"Opens with a good deal of potency and pepper. Leaves quite an impression on the retrohale, I'm all atingle. This is generating some big chewy smoke and as it develops there are some nice sweet background notes.
About a half hour in, and there's not much new happening, but I'm awfully happy with whats going on. Stenghth has eased into medium, and the sweetness has picked up a bit. Everything's all sweet leathery goodness with a peppery tingle. Straight up sugary sweetness, no molasses or caramel, but really really pleasant. It's not generating as much smoke as it did initially, but it's output is definitely generous. " -<strong>John I. </strong> (John I.)		95Medium-StrongMedium-Full"The potency into the second third has definitely increased while the core flavors of sweet, sweet leather continue. There have been a couple vaguely funky hits of slightly immature greenness, but it hasn't been significant enough to gripe about much.
Toward the end of the central portion of this cigar I'm floored by a massive smell of baking pastry that's suddenly pouring out of this thing. There's a bit of a bready flavor, but primarily its the room smell that's developing like someone's baking pies. Really nice. " -<strong>John I. </strong> (John I.)		95Medium-StrongMedium-Full"This is still a whole lot of fun an hour in. Sweetness has diminished and transitioned into a rich, roasted coffee flavors with an underlying earthiness. A great finish after the mid smoke dessert aromas, and all the sweetness prevalent earlier in this cigar. " -<strong>John I. </strong> (John I.)97.5"Great draw. Couldn't have asked for much more. " -<strong>John I. </strong> (John I.)97.5"Great burn throughout. Nice and crisp. There was a bit of waviness at points, but it kept self correcting to a nice even burn. As this thing was fairly massive I let the ash develop at a couple points to the edge of my own nerve and it held up like a champ each time. " -<strong>John I. </strong> (John I.)97.5"Magnificently constructed cigar. An absolute joy for a long duration smoke. I was initially concerned that it might be a bit underfilled as it felt light relative to its size, but I was wrong, wrong, wrong. Whoever made this was really on top of their game. " -<strong>John I. </strong> (John I.)97.5"I tend toward fuller bodied cigars generally, and much smaller vitolas as a rule, but I enjoyed the hell out of this beast for the full ride. I lit this late on a Saturday morning, and it paired wonderfully with a couple extra cups of dark roasted coffee well into the early afternoon. I'd strongly suggest that you do likewise. " -<strong>John I. </strong> (John I.)110#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?
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3/6/2018 21:17:22Wes SosaCub4Life)69595"Nice dark chocolate brown wrapper. Cigar looks well made and appears to be a Lonesdale size. Lets dig in!" -<strong>Wes </strong> (SosaCub4Life)87.5"Cedar, Hay, Rich Tobacco" -<strong>Wes </strong> (SosaCub4Life)97.5MediumMedium-Full"Right off the bat on the first 5-6 puffs this cigar packed a big pepper spice bomb. Especially on the retro and then my throat and mouth began to tingle. After a while the spice calmed some but still maintained to be the predominate note. The cigar is producing lots of smoke and so far has a razor sharp burn." -<strong>Wes </strong> (SosaCub4Life)95MediumMedium-Full"The 2nd third was much like the end of the 1st.. the cigar still had a pepper spice that was the dominate flavor, but was still more calm than it was at the very beginning. " -<strong>Wes </strong> (SosaCub4Life)95MediumMedium-Full"During the last third the cigar became more creamy and seemed to finally find that perfect balance of spicy and creamy. Can't complain at all." -<strong>Wes </strong> (SosaCub4Life)97.5"The draw was great throughout the entire smoke." -<strong>Wes </strong> (SosaCub4Life)97.5"The burn was basically perfect. Throughout the entire smoke it wavered just a bit here and there but was mostly a perfect burn." -<strong>Wes </strong> (SosaCub4Life)92.5"The overall construction was excellent. Great burn, held a good ash, excellent draw... at the end the wrapper cracked a bit, but I also was smoking where it was cold so that can happen. Overall no complaints." -<strong>Wes </strong> (SosaCub4Life)95"Overall this was a fantastic cigar that I enjoyed from beginning to end. Started off with a blast of strong pepper spice and then mellowed out before finding its sweet spot in the final 3rd. I am extremely interested in finding out what it is!" -<strong>Wes </strong> (SosaCub4Life)90#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?
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3/7/2018 15:08:33Diana ArmyRN)69590"Rustic is the first word that comes to mind when I look at this cigar. Suede brown with veins showing but not lumpy in a way that makes the cigar ugly. The wrapper leaf appears thick to me and may lend to its rustic yet solid appearance. There is minimal oiliness to the wrapper also which adds to the suede look. " -<strong>Diana </strong> (ArmyRN)87.5"I thought I had walked into the barnyard at first when the manure aroma at the foot of the cigar hit my nostrils. Other than that there are barn aromas and just a minute hint of cocoa. No ammonia noted." -<strong>Diana </strong> (ArmyRN)87.5MediumMedium"I am having to work at this cigar. As a result I feel like I’m losing some flavor notes because I’m having to draw too hard. Time to do a deeper v-cut and see if that solves my problem. I am getting some nice leather and nuts with a hint of cream so I really, really want this cigar to draw better! 3 minutes later - I cut a little deeper into the cap, the 1/2” of ash fell off while I was doing that and when I took a look I see a deep “hole” in the foot ash. During that time the cigar has almost required a relight but I was able to work at it with several deep draws to get it back up and burning. I massaged the cigar and it actually feels a bit soft from about the 2nd third down but very tight on this upper third. I’m not optimistic at this point. Again, I’m really liking some of the flavors I’m getting but dang I’m working hard!! There is a slight floral note that balances with cocoa and leather. I’m liking it and just want to relax and let it happen......" -<strong>Diana </strong> (ArmyRN)90MediumMedium"The burn and draw battle continues. I’m making some headway but I’m still struggling to keep the cigar burning fairly even and the hold in the filler is getting less but still there. The draw is a little easier and I think my cheeks can finally get a little rest but not much. The mix of leather, floral and cocoa are the main themes that I get and I really like it. I think a nice steak marinated in mesquite with a little brown sugar added would go nicely with this cigar. It is a surprisingly tasty smoke and excites my palette." -<strong>Diana </strong> (ArmyRN)90Medium-StrongMedium"Finally, I am able to smoke this cigar with less effort. The hole seems to be gone now but there is a slight crack in the wrapper going into the last third. I find myself doing more retro on this cigar to bring out the floral notes. The leather has receded a bit and there is a nutty flavor taking over in the midst of the floral. It felt like it was going to get bitter but that has evened out a bit. The burn is slow now and I’m finally getting to relax with it. " -<strong>Diana </strong> (ArmyRN)85"This was a tough cigar. I had problems right from the start and couldn’t enjoy the cigar until the last third. Whatever it gained in flavor it lost in draw and enjoyment. When I stopped to try and correct the problems it was an effort to get the cigar smoking again. It seems as if the filler was not consistent and caused undue hardship for this smoker. " -<strong>Diana </strong> (ArmyRN)85"Due to the filler burning issues, the cigar was difficult to keep burning evenly. The burn didn’t stop but it didn’t hold either. The ash is deceptive as it didn’t take much movement to have it drop off. I never had to tap the ash because it fell by itself. When setting it down to grab my cutter or lighter it would fall off. The last third produced one area that cracked but it was able to burn through and not cause any further problems for me. I will have to clean up two piles of ash that dropped on my floor in the process of moving around with the cigar. " -<strong>Diana </strong> (ArmyRN)85"Obvious problems with the filler. I’ve only had one or two other cigars that had holes in the filler and in my opinion that never bodes well for construction. The uneven burn of the filler due to this created draw problems and substantially reduced my enjoyment of the cigar. The wrapper fared better except for one split when the cigar finally seemed to give way and the filler hole disappeared. The cap remained intact throughout the smoke even considering that I had to cut into it 3 times to make sure the cut wasn’t part of the draw problem." -<strong>Diana </strong> (ArmyRN)87.5"The flavor is what gained this cigar a Fair rather than a subpar. I truly enjoyed the leather, floral, cocoa and nuts. This could be a great cigar if the construction problems were overcome. It would pair nicely with some red wine or more peaty bourbon. Age will probably enhance the flavors but it certainly won’t improve the construction issues. A+ for flavor and D- for construction." -<strong>Diana </strong> (ArmyRN)80#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?#NAME?
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Real Average92.0088.5090.503.904.3091.004.705.5091.506.306.3089.0092.0090.0090.50103.00
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Standard Deviation2.091.375.422.192.683.792.282.453.351.101.107.835.706.125.4217.18
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Lower89.3986.7983.731.160.9586.261.852.4487.314.934.9379.2284.8782.3583.7381.53
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Upper94.6190.2197.276.647.6595.747.558.5695.697.677.6798.7899.1397.6597.27124.47
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Daniel S. 9087.5851.51.587.53.55.587.55.55.582.587.582.585120
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Isaac M. 92.59087.51.51.587.5FALSEFALSE905.55.582.592.592.587.5115
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John I. 92.590955.55.5957.57.5957.57.597.597.597.5FALSE110
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Wes FALSE87.5FALSE5.57.5955.57.5955.57.597.597.592.59590
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Diana 9087.587.55.55.5905.55.5907.55.585858587.5FALSE
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#VALUE!FALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSE
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#VALUE!FALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSE
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#VALUE!FALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSE
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#VALUE!FALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSE
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#VALUE!FALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSEFALSE
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Adjusted Average918989449167926689929089109
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Weight10510101010101025100
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Score9.134.438.889.109.158.909.209.0022.1989.96
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Overall Strength5.23
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Overall Body5.70
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Total Score90
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1.51.53.55.55.55.5
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1.51.51.51.55.55.5
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5.55.57.57.57.57.5
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5.57.55.57.55.57.5
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5.55.55.55.57.55.5
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<h3>Initial Impressions</h3>Blind Cigar Review: Ventura | Case Study CS01
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<h4>Appearance:<strong>91</strong></h4><h3>Cigar Info</h3>
&nbsp;
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Vital Stats:</h3>
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#NAME?<p style="text-align: center;font-size: 130%; line-height: 140%;">Vitola: <strong>Churchill </strong>
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<h4>Aroma:<strong>89</strong></h4>Length:<strong>7 1/4 "</strong>
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#NAME?Ring Gauge:<strong>50</strong>
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<h3>First Third</h3>Country of Origin:<strong>Dominican Republic</strong>
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<h4>Flavor:<strong>89</strong>Wrapper:<strong>Ecuadorian Habano</strong>
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Strength:<strong>Medium</strong>Binder:<strong>Semilla 192</strong>
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Body/Complexity:<strong>Medium</strong></h4>Filler:<strong>Undisclosed</strong>
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#NAME?Factory:<strong>Occidental Cigar Factory</strong>
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Blender:<strong>Undisclosed</strong>
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#NAME?Number of reviewers: <strong>5</strong>- <strong>Daniel S. </strong>(Daniel S.)<strong>Isaac M. </strong>(The Nothing)<strong>John I. </strong>(John I.)<strong>Wes </strong>(SosaCub4Life)<strong>Diana </strong>(ArmyRN)#VALUE!#VALUE!#VALUE!#VALUE!#VALUE!
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<h3>Second Third</h3>Price:<strong>$14.00</strong>
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<h4>Flavor:<strong>91</strong>Age:<strong>7 Months</strong>
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Strength:<strong>Medium</strong>Release Date:<strong>July 2017</strong>
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Body/Complexity:<strong>Medium-Full</strong></h4>Contributed by:<strong>Ventura Cigars</strong></p>
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#NAME?
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#NAME?
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<h3>Final Third</h3>
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<h4>Flavor:<strong>92</strong>
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Strength:<strong>Medium-Strong</strong>
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Body/Complexity:<strong>Medium-Full</strong></h4>
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#NAME?
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#NAME?
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<h3>Overall Impressions<h3>
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<h4>Draw:<strong>89</strong></h4>
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#NAME?
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<h4>Burn:<strong>92</strong></h4>
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#NAME?
73
<h4>Construction:<strong>90</strong></h4>
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#NAME?
75
<h4>Overall Strength:<strong>Medium</strong>
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Overall Body/Complexity:<strong>Medium-Full</strong>
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Experience Overall:<strong>89</strong></h4>
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"For me the draw is very important part of enjoying the cigar. When I have to work harder to get smoke and flavor of a cigar, than I did at work earlier in the day. So working hard to fix the draw, makes it hard to relax and enjoy the cigar I am smoking. I did get some good flavor but I could tell I was not getting the full potential due to the cigar." -<strong>Daniel S. </strong> (Daniel S.)<br />
79
80
"The question comes to be: how would this cigar have behaved if it had a better draw? With the dramatic change in the final third, I was left to wonder if the first two thirds were mild because of the draw problems, with the final third being much more representative of what the cigar was supposed to be. If this is, in fact, the case, then I feel ripped off. If not, then this cigar is great for the people that like a mostly super-mellow cigar without a note of spice." -<strong>Isaac M. </strong> (The Nothing)<br />
81
82
"I tend toward fuller bodied cigars generally, and much smaller vitolas as a rule, but I enjoyed the hell out of this beast for the full ride. I lit this late on a Saturday morning, and it paired wonderfully with a couple extra cups of dark roasted coffee well into the early afternoon. I'd strongly suggest that you do likewise. " -<strong>John I. </strong> (John I.)<br />
83
84
"Overall this was a fantastic cigar that I enjoyed from beginning to end. Started off with a blast of strong pepper spice and then mellowed out before finding its sweet spot in the final 3rd. I am extremely interested in finding out what it is!" -<strong>Wes </strong> (SosaCub4Life)<br />
85
86
"The flavor is what gained this cigar a Fair rather than a subpar. I truly enjoyed the leather, floral, cocoa and nuts. This could be a great cigar if the construction problems were overcome. It would pair nicely with some red wine or more peaty bourbon. Age will probably enhance the flavors but it certainly won’t improve the construction issues. A+ for flavor and D- for construction." -<strong>Diana </strong> (ArmyRN)
87
<h4>Smoking Time (in minutes):<strong>109</strong></h4>
88
Total Score:90
89
2/25/2018 14:05:35Daniel S. (Daniel S.)695Very GoodA very nice looking, Churchill cigar, with a nice brownish tan colored wrapper. The big Churchill has some nice weight to it and it feels good in my hand.GoodThe wrapper had an aroma of hay and wood. The foot of the cigar has a subtle pepper aroma. The cold draw had a strong woodsy and hay flavors.FairMildLightNot getting a lot of flavor off of first light, detecting some sweetness but not a lot. Maybe some hay notes also. On the retro I am getting a musty flavor. Some white pepper is starting to come through. All the flavors I am tasting are very subtle, more than likely because the cigar is drawing pretty hard at this point.GoodMild-MediumMediumFlavors are still very subtle, the sweetness flavor is coming through more. The musty flavor is now coming through on the draw. The white pepper is stronger and is starting to play off the sweetness. The flavors I am getting are nice, getting a sugary flavor that tastes really good along side of the white pepper. Still getting the musty hay flavor on the retro. Even though I am getting some flavors now, they seem muted because the draw is not the best.

GoodMediumMedium
Once into the last third, I got tired of the draw issues and I used a draw tool. I didn't use it in the beginning because I didn't want to risk wrecking a cigar that I am reviewing. That helped create a better draw for a little while. During that time the flavors became stronger and I think, I am starting to get the true flavors of the cigar. Getting some nice pepper with a sweet finish. Also getting a very nice Tobacco flavor that is helping me to enjoy the last part of this cigar. The good draw did not last very long and I went back to having to draw very hard to get the smoke and flavors that we all want went when smoking a cigar.
SubparFrom first light, I was having to draw very hard and was still not getting a lot of smoke. The flavors were very subtle and which had to be due to how poor the draw was.GoodConsidering how poor the draw was, the burn hung in there. The first third, the burn was perfect. The last two thirds the burn was getting a little wonky and I had to touch up and re-light a few times.SubparFrom the appearance of the cigar, the construction looked great but as I smoking the cigar, the flaws started to reveal themselves. In my opinion, the poor draw was due, to two hard spots a half inch under the cap.FairFor me the draw is very important part of enjoying the cigar. When I have to work harder to get smoke and flavor of a cigar, than I did at work earlier in the day. So working hard to fix the draw, makes it hard to relax and enjoy the cigar I am smoking. I did get some good flavor but I could tell I was not getting the full potential due to the cigar.120
90
3/3/2018 10:22:47Isaac M. (The Nothing)695GreatThis cigar came across a bit ominous with a decent heft, large size and dark wrapper. Very GoodThere was a bit of baker's chocolate and roasted grains, but otherwise I didn't get much aroma from the cigar.GoodMildLightLighting up this cigar became a "don't judge a book by it's cover" moment. There was no spice, no fanfare, it just warmed up to light notes of wood and dark chocolate. As the first third progressed there was a nice earthy tobacco note that became the major player, as the earlier wood flavors moved to the retrohale. GoodMildLightWarm tobacco continued to be the mainstay through the second third. The baker's chocolate faded to make room for a dark roasted coffee flavor while wood remained present only on the retrohale. Very GoodMediumMediumIn the last third the flavors continued but with plenty more oomph taking it solidly into the medium category. Until this point the cigar had been suffering from a spongy draw. Finally clearing in the last third, this cigar really came alive. Actually, it became the cigar I thought it would have been at the beginning with fuller flavors of chocolate, coffee and wood. SubparWhile the prelight draw seemed to be just about perfect, once flame was applied this cigar puckered up and became quite spongy. I cut the head a little bit deeper to make sure I wasn't the cause, but it never opened up until it was near the final third.GreatThis cigar kept nearly razor tight from the beginning to the end, with the ash falling regularly at about 3/4 inch. GreatThis cigar had a great appearance, felt good in the hand, and otherwise seemed to be well made.GoodThe question comes to be: how would this cigar have behaved if it had a better draw? With the dramatic change in the final third, I was left to wonder if the first two thirds were mild because of the draw problems, with the final third being much more representative of what the cigar was supposed to be. If this is, in fact, the case, then I feel ripped off. If not, then this cigar is great for the people that like a mostly super-mellow cigar without a note of spice.115
91
3/3/2018 10:54:30John I. (John I.)695GreatGreat big ol Churchill. Fairly dark with a fair amount of somewhat rustic veins. Very GoodTangy notes of fermentation and straight up tobacco. Most pronounced at the foot.ExcellentMediumMediumOpens with a good deal of potency and pepper. Leaves quite an impression on the retrohale, I'm all atingle. This is generating some big chewy smoke and as it develops there are some nice sweet background notes.
About a half hour in, and there's not much new happening, but I'm awfully happy with whats going on. Stenghth has eased into medium, and the sweetness has picked up a bit. Everything's all sweet leathery goodness with a peppery tingle. Straight up sugary sweetness, no molasses or caramel, but really really pleasant. It's not generating as much smoke as it did initially, but it's output is definitely generous. 		ExcellentMedium-StrongMedium-FullThe potency into the second third has definitely increased while the core flavors of sweet, sweet leather continue. There have been a couple vaguely funky hits of slightly immature greenness, but it hasn't been significant enough to gripe about much.
Toward the end of the central portion of this cigar I'm floored by a massive smell of baking pastry that's suddenly pouring out of this thing. There's a bit of a bready flavor, but primarily its the room smell that's developing like someone's baking pies. Really nice. 		ExcellentMedium-StrongMedium-FullThis is still a whole lot of fun an hour in. Sweetness has diminished and transitioned into a rich, roasted coffee flavors with an underlying earthiness. A great finish after the mid smoke dessert aromas, and all the sweetness prevalent earlier in this cigar. Close to perfectGreat draw. Couldn't have asked for much more. Close to PerfectGreat burn throughout. Nice and crisp. There was a bit of waviness at points, but it kept self correcting to a nice even burn. As this thing was fairly massive I let the ash develop at a couple points to the edge of my own nerve and it held up like a champ each time. Close to PerfectMagnificently constructed cigar. An absolute joy for a long duration smoke. I was initially concerned that it might be a bit underfilled as it felt light relative to its size, but I was wrong, wrong, wrong. Whoever made this was really on top of their game. ExtraordinaryI tend toward fuller bodied cigars generally, and much smaller vitolas as a rule, but I enjoyed the hell out of this beast for the full ride. I lit this late on a Saturday morning, and it paired wonderfully with a couple extra cups of dark roasted coffee well into the early afternoon. I'd strongly suggest that you do likewise. 110
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3/6/2018 21:17:22Wes (SosaCub4Life)695ExcellentNice dark chocolate brown wrapper. Cigar looks well made and appears to be a Lonesdale size. Lets dig in!GoodCedar, Hay, Rich TobaccoExtraordinaryMediumMedium-FullRight off the bat on the first 5-6 puffs this cigar packed a big pepper spice bomb. Especially on the retro and then my throat and mouth began to tingle. After a while the spice calmed some but still maintained to be the predominate note. The cigar is producing lots of smoke and so far has a razor sharp burn.ExcellentMediumMedium-FullThe 2nd third was much like the end of the 1st.. the cigar still had a pepper spice that was the dominate flavor, but was still more calm than it was at the very beginning. ExcellentMediumMedium-FullDuring the last third the cigar became more creamy and seemed to finally find that perfect balance of spicy and creamy. Can't complain at all.Close to perfectThe draw was great throughout the entire smoke.Close to PerfectThe burn was basically perfect. Throughout the entire smoke it wavered just a bit here and there but was mostly a perfect burn.GreatThe overall construction was excellent. Great burn, held a good ash, excellent draw... at the end the wrapper cracked a bit, but I also was smoking where it was cold so that can happen. Overall no complaints.ExcellentOverall this was a fantastic cigar that I enjoyed from beginning to end. Started off with a blast of strong pepper spice and then mellowed out before finding its sweet spot in the final 3rd. I am extremely interested in finding out what it is!90
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3/7/2018 15:08:33Diana (ArmyRN)695Very GoodRustic is the first word that comes to mind when I look at this cigar. Suede brown with veins showing but not lumpy in a way that makes the cigar ugly. The wrapper leaf appears thick to me and may lend to its rustic yet solid appearance. There is minimal oiliness to the wrapper also which adds to the suede look. GoodI thought I had walked into the barnyard at first when the manure aroma at the foot of the cigar hit my nostrils. Other than that there are barn aromas and just a minute hint of cocoa. No ammonia noted.GoodMediumMediumI am having to work at this cigar. As a result I feel like I’m losing some flavor notes because I’m having to draw too hard. Time to do a deeper v-cut and see if that solves my problem. I am getting some nice leather and nuts with a hint of cream so I really, really want this cigar to draw better! 3 minutes later - I cut a little deeper into the cap, the 1/2” of ash fell off while I was doing that and when I took a look I see a deep “hole” in the foot ash. During that time the cigar has almost required a relight but I was able to work at it with several deep draws to get it back up and burning. I massaged the cigar and it actually feels a bit soft from about the 2nd third down but very tight on this upper third. I’m not optimistic at this point. Again, I’m really liking some of the flavors I’m getting but dang I’m working hard!! There is a slight floral note that balances with cocoa and leather. I’m liking it and just want to relax and let it happen......Very GoodMediumMediumThe burn and draw battle continues. I’m making some headway but I’m still struggling to keep the cigar burning fairly even and the hold in the filler is getting less but still there. The draw is a little easier and I think my cheeks can finally get a little rest but not much. The mix of leather, floral and cocoa are the main themes that I get and I really like it. I think a nice steak marinated in mesquite with a little brown sugar added would go nicely with this cigar. It is a surprisingly tasty smoke and excites my palette.Very GoodMedium-StrongMediumFinally, I am able to smoke this cigar with less effort. The hole seems to be gone now but there is a slight crack in the wrapper going into the last third. I find myself doing more retro on this cigar to bring out the floral notes. The leather has receded a bit and there is a nutty flavor taking over in the midst of the floral. It felt like it was going to get bitter but that has evened out a bit. The burn is slow now and I’m finally getting to relax with it. FairThis was a tough cigar. I had problems right from the start and couldn’t enjoy the cigar until the last third. Whatever it gained in flavor it lost in draw and enjoyment. When I stopped to try and correct the problems it was an effort to get the cigar smoking again. It seems as if the filler was not consistent and caused undue hardship for this smoker. FairDue to the filler burning issues, the cigar was difficult to keep burning evenly. The burn didn’t stop but it didn’t hold either. The ash is deceptive as it didn’t take much movement to have it drop off. I never had to tap the ash because it fell by itself. When setting it down to grab my cutter or lighter it would fall off. The last third produced one area that cracked but it was able to burn through and not cause any further problems for me. I will have to clean up two piles of ash that dropped on my floor in the process of moving around with the cigar. FairObvious problems with the filler. I’ve only had one or two other cigars that had holes in the filler and in my opinion that never bodes well for construction. The uneven burn of the filler due to this created draw problems and substantially reduced my enjoyment of the cigar. The wrapper fared better except for one split when the cigar finally seemed to give way and the filler hole disappeared. The cap remained intact throughout the smoke even considering that I had to cut into it 3 times to make sure the cut wasn’t part of the draw problem.GoodThe flavor is what gained this cigar a Fair rather than a subpar. I truly enjoyed the leather, floral, cocoa and nuts. This could be a great cigar if the construction problems were overcome. It would pair nicely with some red wine or more peaty bourbon. Age will probably enhance the flavors but it certainly won’t improve the construction issues. A+ for flavor and D- for construction.80
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ReviewerAppearanceAroma1/32/33/3DrawBurnConstr.Overall
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