Cigar:            Bauza Casa Grande

Size:             48 x 6.75"

Country:          DR

Wrapper:          ECSU, E (?)

Binder:           DR

Filler:           DR/Nic

Flavor Strength:  Medium

NicotineStength:  Mild

Date Received:    2005-05-01

Suspected Age:    Unknown

Vendor/Price:     Cigarbid / $2.75

Beverage(s):      Coffee (Nicaraguan CoE El Regreso), Hale's Pale Ale, water (in               that order)

Smoke time:       2:15

Date:             2005-07-09

Posted to ASC:    2005-07-10

Overall score:    4.0/5.0

Overall:    A surprisingly good cigar.  Starts extremely mild and develops to a full medium.  Flavor and finish is consistently floral and "brightly" sweet.  Flavor development is interesting.  Some aromatic spice in the last third.  Wrapper is very fragile.  Good smoke volume and nearly perfect draw (IMO).  Minor burn issues.  A long smoke.  Might make a good golf cigar.

Ambience:   Deck time.  Broken clouds with some sun.  65F.  Reading the WSJ.

Appearance: Very light brown, thin, fragile wrapper with small veining.  Firm roll.  Cap okay.  Band glued to wrapper and caused a small tear - no factor.

Cut & Prelight:   Mild, somewhat floral aroma.  Cut very well yeilding a somewhat restrictive draw, which I like.  Bit of a tingle and draw flavor similar to aroma, a floral pepper.

First third:      Initially mild pepper.  Draw opened quickly.  Good smoke volume.  Very mild flavor with almost no finish.  Pepper disappeared quickly.  The coffee completely overpowered the cigar.  Tended to canoe.  Wrapper very fragile - don't try to massage.  Off white very flakey ash that held to over 1".  Flavor and finish developing.

Second third:     Flavor has increased from barely to mild - floral with a "bright" sweetness holding into the finish.  Burned periodically self-corrected.  Flavor continued to develop throughout.  Wrapper acquired a number of cracks as stick swelled from the heat.  Wrapper seems to be Cameroon rather than ECSU.

Third third:      Finish dried out.  Flavor and finish still floral with a "bright" sweetness.  As the nub approached some aromatic spice developed.  I'll call it a bit of cinnamon.