Archive for the ‘gold’ Category

Bahia Gold (Natural)

Friday, February 18th, 2011

This cigar was gifted to me by Bonita Smoke Shop. They were kind enough to include it in a cigar bomb not too long ago. The Bahia Gold has an annual production of 273,600 cigars. After these cigars are rolled, they are aged for 12 months, and then they hit the shelves. As always, I paired this review with fine Florida tap water (PUR filtered of course).

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown Sumatra Seed

Binder: Dominican (Semilla Cubana)

Filler: Dominican Ligero, Seco and Viso (Semilla Cubana)

Size: Churchill 6 7/8 x 48

Price: $10.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The brown chocolate looking wrapper had virtually no flaws, just a few veins here and there. The scent coming off of the wrapper and foot was earthy. The cigar was evenly packed, and had a very slight sponginess when squeezed. The pre-light draw was good, with slight resistance. The pre-light draw had an earthy and woody flavor.

The burn required two minor corrections, and the ash held for just over an inch.

1_Bahia Gold Natural

Flavor:

The first third had a dominant earthy flavor. After about an inch, I started picking up pepper when passing smoke through the sinus. Shortly after the pepper kicked in, there was a mixture of nuts and coffee. The smoke feel was dry but not unpleasant. It was OK, but seemed unrefined. The word “Scattered” comes to mind, if that makes sense.

2_Bahia Gold Natural

The second third had a decrease in that dry smoke feel. I didn’t crave water as much. The pepper went down a notch in terms of strength, but it did keep a little punch. Some draws had a dominant earthy flavor, others were nutty, and every now and then it was sweet. Coffee notes were in there at times as well. At about the half way point, the smoke thickened up and became a lot smoother. The flavors melded together, and it was hard to distinguish and pick the flavors apart at this point. The aftertaste was sweet and coated the mouth and tongue. Things just came together, unlike in the first third.

3_Bahia Gold Natural

The last third became creamy and sweet, almost chocolaty. The pepper became more of a sweet spice. The earthiness basically went away. The overall flavor profile became simpler, but seemed more satisfying. It was basically sweet chocolate, spice, and cream. There was something going on in the background, but I couldn’t pin it down.

4_Bahia Gold Natural

Conclusion:

This was a good medium bodied cigar. The first third left me underwhelmed, but from the second third until the end, I enjoyed it. If I were to complain, I’d say the price is a little high. But price aside, this was pretty good. Thanks to Bonita Smoke Shop for giving me the chance to try this cigar!

Blender’s Gold

Monday, July 5th, 2010

Today’s review is an ultra cheap cigar that you may have seen on the shelves at Walgreens or various large chain drug stores. Since they are kept unhumidified, I let this one sit an extra long time in the humidor before reviewing. I couldn’t get exact info on the blend, but who cares, it’s a $2.00 cigar. My expectations were low, so with a glass of water I bring to you my review of the Blender’s Gold.

 

Wrapper: Sumatra

Binder: ???

Filler: Longfiller – Dominican, Nicaraguan, Honduran

Size: Toro 6 x 50

Price: Around $20.00 for bundle of 10 cigars

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The dark wrapper had a few medium and large veins with an overall rugged tooth appearance. The smell of the wrapper and foot had a strange odor. It reminded me of being downwind from a bum who hasn’t showered in a few days. I know that sounds horrible but it wasn’t that bad. The pre-light draw had slight resistance, and had a simple earthy flavor. The cigar was fairly spongy when squeezed, but was fairly consistent.

The burn drove me crazy in the first third, but went back to normal in the second third. The ash held for about a half an inch.

1BlendersGold

 

Flavor:

The first third had smooth earthy flavors. A slight peppery and woody spice was present when passing smoke through the nose. The smoke feel became thick and left a slight coating on the inside of the mouth.

2BlendersGold

The second third offered nothing new in terms of flavor. Copy my notes from the first third, and paste them here. I know that’s lame to put in a review, but really, nothing happened in the second third. Let’s move on…

3BlendersGold

The last third kept that earthy core flavor. The spice smoothed out but didn’t change in terms of flavor. The smoke feel remained somewhat thick, with an almost leathery aftertaste.

4BlendersGold

Conclusion:

This was an OK low to mid medium bodied cigar. Sure, it was one dimensional and this particular cigar had some burn issues, but as a whole they give you your $2.00 worth. It’s not like every one you smoke will have issues. If you are on a budget, I say give these a try.

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