Occidental Reserve Natural (First Impression)
First things first… This is the first time I’ve tried this cigar, hence the “First Impression” in the title. I believe my pal Ed handed this to me awhile ago. Chances are a manufacturer sent him some and he wanted my opinion. Sorry Ed, I forgot about this one. To make up for it, I offer you a first impression review! As always, I am pairing with water.
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Connecticut
filler: Dominican Piloto, Olor, San Vincente
Size: Robusto 4.7 x 50
Price: Bundle of 25 for around $45.00
Pre-smoke & Construction:
This was a nice looking cigar overall. The wrapper had a couple mid sized veins, but overall looked smooth. Squeezing the cigar, I found no inconsistencies. The wrapper smelled of buttery and woody notes, while the foot had a sweet woody smell. The pre-light draw had slight resistance, and tasted of sweet earthiness.
The burn required no corrections, and the ash held for just about an inch.
Flavor:
The first third opened up with a smooth earthy flavor. A buttery sensation and flavor appeared after about an inch into the cigar. As this third came to an end, the smoke took on a creamy sensation.
The second third kept the pace with buttery and earthy notes. They traded places in terms of strength. The smoke remained creamy and smooth. A very slight toasty feel came about, but it wasn’t consistent.
The last third really didn’t offer anything the previous two third gave. The earthy and buttery flavors continued to trade places, and the creamy smoothness remained.
Conclusion:
This was a decent mild bodied cigar. I hate to sound snobbish, but this left me saying “Just another Connecticut wrapped cigar.” With some coffee, I think I would have enjoyed this experience a lot more. Add to that the cost of under $2.00 a stick, and you may have a good thing going here. I may check this cigar out again as an easy morning smoke.
This entry was posted on Saturday, September 5th, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under Cigar Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Tom September 5th, 2009 at 10:10 am
I agree, the price does have appeal. And with coffee would probably be decent. We are like the same guy, we should totally hang out!