Quick notes from a recently smoked Don Pepin Garcia … please let me know what you think of this format in the comments section!
CONTEXT
| Brand: | Don Pepin Garcia |
| Size Name/Variety: | Lancero |
| Length & Gauge: | 7.5 x 38 |
| Price/Vendor/Date: | $10, The Corona (Battle Creek), 1/11/13 |
| Smoke Date/Place: | 1/13/13, back porch |
| Percent Enjoyed: | 95% |
| Associated Beverage: | Four Roses bourbon |
| Total Score: | 88 |
APPEARANCE/PRESENTATION (20 pts)
| Vitola: | PAREJO: Corona | Panatela | Lonsdale FIGURADO: Belicoso | Pyramid | Perfecto | Diadema |
| Packaging: | Round | Box-Pressed | Cigar Condom |
| Initial Impression: | Oily | Dry | Veiny | Smooth | Soft | Hard |
| Wrapper Color: | Candela | Claro | Col Clar | Colorado | Col Mad | Maduro | Oscuro |
| Wrapper Origin: | Ecuador |
| Binder Origin: | Nicaragua |
| Filler Origin: | Nicaragua |
| Cut Type/Ease: | Punch | Straight | V-Cut | Easy | Hard | Shredded Head? |
| Initial Aroma: | Understated; slightly woodsy. |
| Band Notes: | Appears to have changed from old photos; now green. |
| Subscore & Note: | 18 points. Would have preferred more initial aroma. |
LIGHTING/BURNING (15 pts)
| Initial Light: | Easy | Hard | Even | Uneven |
| Burn Consistency: | Straight | Canoing | Hollowing | Bulging | Too Hot |
| Burn Rate: | 70 min — ~ 1″/10min |
| Relights: | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Ash Type/Consistency: | Firm | Loose | White | Lt. Grey | Dark | Fine | Grainy |
| Resting Smoke: | Subdued, aromatic, borderline acrid on blowback. |
| Subscore & Note: | 10 points. Went out once at 75%. |
CONSTRUCTION (25 pts)
| Draw Quality: | Too Firm | Just Right | Too Loose |
| Draw Consistency: | Draw was flawless throughout. |
| Non-Burn Problems: | Plugs | Sap | Other |
| Wrapper Consistency: | Intact | Head Unraveled | Body Unraveled |
| Subscore & Note: | 25 points. No flaws. |
TASTE (30 pts)
| Flavor Intensity: | Light | Medium-Light | Medium | Med-Full | Full |
| Dominant Profile: | Bland | Vegetal | Spicy | Peppery | Earthy | Sweet |
| Flavor Characteristics: | Slightly sweet, but difficult to pin down a flavor. |
| Aroma Intensity: | Rich | Strong | Acrid | Weak | Bland |
| Aroma Characteristics: | Good smoke, borders on acrid. Rich and complex. |
| Subscore & Note: | 25 points. Again, borderline acridity. |
CONSISTENCY (10 pts)
| Changes in Body/Flavor: | No real changes detected in the thirds. |
| Quality of Finish: | Smoked to the nub — finished well. |
| Subscore & Note: | 10 points. No flaws. |
SUMMARY IMPRESSIONS
| Smoke Again? | Yes. |
| Personal Notes: | Solid but didn’t “wow” me. Decent cigar worth enjoying again. |
| MFR Claim: | None observed. |
| Other Reviews: | 2008, Cigar Aficianado #8 of the Top 25 of the Year |
| Review Posted? |