This is the third cigar reviewed as part of our Home Roll cigar series. The blend was submitted by Marc L. Like most of the cigars in this series, the exact vitola is not known so we will categorize it as best we can. It has taken quite a bit of time to get a review series like this off the ground, so it is very satisfying to see the reviews of the home roll cigars continue towards completion of the series. As with all of the home roll cigars in this series, the true nature is about the passion and desire to learn about the craft. They may be rough on the outside, but the drive to learn the technique and art of rolling a fine cigar is evident when you talk to the people who have taken this on as a hobby. This cigar and many others in this series will show that the tobaccos you can access to make your own cigars at home can be as good, if not better than, those used in the finest cigar factories on earth. Today we are reviewing the unnamed cigar submitted by Marc, and it should be noted that the reviewers did not know that these were Home Rolls, they were received with cigars from many other manufacturers in one batch of cigars to be blind reviewed.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro
Length: Unknown
Ring Gauge: Unknown
Country of Origin: USA
Wrapper: Corojo Oscuro
Binder: Dominican, Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: San Vicente Ligero, Piloto Cubano Viso, Corojo 99 Seco, Criollo 99 Seco
Factory: N/A
Blender: Marc L.
Number of reviewers: 5 – Daniel S.(Daniel S.) John I.(John I.) Diana(ArmyRN) Isaac M.(The Nothing)
Price: N/A
Age: 1 Year
Release Date: N/A
Contributed by: Marc L.
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 88
“The cigar was well rolled and the wrapper was a brownish orange color. The cigar was not quite a box press but had more of an oval shape to it.” –Daniel S. (Daniel S.)
Aroma: 91
“Mostly soft and clean along the body with some peppery earthiness at the foot. ” –John I. (John I.)
Blind Cigar Review: Home Roll | DBL Press No. 1157
“Pre-light there are definite floral notes with a lemony background. Opens fairly crisp, dry and woody. Draw feels a bit compromised. Ten minutes in, there are definite floral notes present, especially on the retrohale. It’s also filling the room with a big milk chocolatey smell which isn’t really present in terms of flavor. Smoke production is a bit thin. Draw has improved, but still is a bit snug. ” –John I. (John I.)
“This cigar lit up with a woody, aspen-shavings quality. Quite mild body. There was a citrus-like sweetness to it. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Second Third
Flavor: 86
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Once it transitioned into the second, I started getting a sweet flavor with the pepper. This third was enjoyable. It appears to have more complexity than the first third. I am getting a musty, spicy flavor, this was not a bad flavor.” –Daniel S. (Daniel S.)
“The second third continued the light wood main flavors with out much excitement. There was a graham cracker sweetness, which was a change from the first third.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Final Third
Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
Blind Cigar Review: Home Roll | DBL Press No. 1157
“This cigar continues to please my palette. The flavors continue to mix nicely and do not die off. There is a slight smoked woodiness coming out that reminds me of a campfire not in a charred or barbecue way but in a nice aroma when one steps outside on a winter night and catch the smell of someone’s fireplace. The cinnamon, butter, cedar and light pepper all add up to a well balanced and extremely flavorful experience.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“The final 3rd was by far the best. The spice picked up again and there was a nice strong peppery spice during the last third. Most of the bad flavors or must muddy crap of the 1st part of the cigar faded away to a nice strong pepper with some cinnamon. It was actually very enjoyable.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 89
“If there was a redeeming quality to this cigar, it was the draw. It was just about perfect with just the right amount of resistance. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Burn: 91
“This cigar did fairly well, occasionally wavy, but never required touching up. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Construction: 88
“Since the burn did get off I knocked the Construction rating down 1 notch. Otherwise it was a well made cigar.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 86
“Even with the harsh and bitter flavors that came and went while smoking this cigar, I still enjoyed it. There was a lot of smoke production and the smoke had a sweet aroma. I was not able to identify or pull out any individual flavors but the flavors all were enjoyable and helped create an enjoyable experience.” –Daniel S. (Daniel S.)
“Good smoke. For someone who enjoys milder cigars that aren’t tremendously challenging, this would be a nice cigar. Construction was on point aside from some initial draw concerns. Flavor wise it wasn’t a big show, but if you like nice flowery cigars, this is definitely one. Probably wouldn’t be bad with coffee on a Sunday morning. ” –John I. (John I.)
“I really loved this cigar and the smoking experience it gave me. I liked the feel, the draw, the construction and the flavors. I would buy a box for sure. I could smoke this any time of the day and get a great experience. This was a light cigar with a very full flavor mix. Not too much of anything but enough of everything to make it well balanced and very tasty. I had such a nice nutty after taste when I was done. I would be recommend this cigar to all levels of experienced cigar smokers.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“I felt like this cigar really lacks imagination. Smells and tastes like a wood shop from start to finish. The only real redeeming quality is the draw and the fact that I never had to relight.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“Overall… If the entire cigar was the last 3rd.. I would have rated this one really high.. but since I have to rate the entire cigar that’s not how it turned out. If I was not doing this as a review I would have stopped smoking it before I got to the final 3rd where the cigar really shinned. Not sure what’s up with it.. but that’s how it was for me. I wish the entire cigar was like the final 3rd.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Blind Cigar Review: Home Roll | Nic T. Unnamed
Overall Score – 88 – Good
Blind Cigar Review: Home Roll | DBL Press No. 1157
Summary
"Good smoke. For someone who enjoys milder cigars that aren't tremendously challenging, this would be a nice cigar. Construction was on point aside from some initial draw concerns.
Flavor wise it wasn't a big show, but if you like nice flowery cigars, this is definitely one. Probably wouldn't be bad with coffee on a Sunday morning. " -John I. (John I.)
