Cigar:            JR Ultimate Cabinet 40

Size:             54 x 5.00

Wrapper:          ECSU, EMS

Binder:           CTB

Filler:           HON

Flavor Body:      Medium

Stength:          Medium

Country:          Hon

Suspected Age:    3 years

Vendor/Price:     Gifted by SkyhawpXP, ASC

Beverage(s):      Water, Mongoose IPA, Hales Ales, Seattle, WA

Smoke time:       1:30

Date:             2004-07-23

Posted to ASC:    2004-07-24

Overall score:    3.2/5.0

Overall:    Nice flavor and aroma.  Medium flavor and mild to medium strength.  Hardly any nicotine buzz.  Long finish and a terrible burn.  Flavors intensified as the cigar burned.  Worth another try with a thinner stick.

Ambience:   Little woman is in Chicago and I am left to my own devices.  90F this evening with a nice cooling breeze from the north with cloudless blue sky.  High for the day was a record setting 94F which is very warm for these here parts.  However, the humidity was a comfortable 35%.  The Mariners game is on the radio.  I'm using my new classic design, amber cigar ashtray - a $2 Value Village treasure.  Sure beats the chicken cans I was using, and smells better too.  Looking forward to spending all day tomorrow with the plane.  A few hours of flying followed by some maintenance and hangar cleanup, then a cigar and beverage while sitting aside the runway and watching the goings-on.

Construction:     Nice double cap.  Well constructed with an attractive richly colored wrapper.  Some small veins.  Nice aromatic woody aroma. 

Prelight:   Cuts well.  Easy draw.  Very mild flavor with some pepper on the lips. 

First third:      Lit well, easy draw, voluminous smoke.  Spicey leather to start with the Honduran green nuttiness.  Nice long finish of sweet spice.  Ragged burn.  Seems to be a hard bunch or a big stem constricting the draw through one side.  The other side is trying to tunnel.  Lots of spit and fire to keep it from getting out of hand. 

Second third:     Ash flakey, but firm.  Burn terrible.  Nice flavor, still nutty with some leather.  Spice has faded.  Lots of smoke.

Third third:      Flavor becoming aromatic wood.  Very nice.  Cut end is black on one side and still brown on the other.  Clearly, the stick is not drawing down one side.  Some radical massage helps somewhat.  Took it down to about 2" where it was still tasting good.