Man O’ War Ruination
Cigars Direct strikes again… I opened my humidor and was quickly reminded by the large Cigars Direct bag that it was time to do a review. I don’t have all the details, but I did find out that the Man O’ War was blended by Abdel Fernandez, and the cigar is touted as being full bodied and a “Must Try.” Other then that, I can only offer you my thoughts. Once again, I paired up with a glass of water and put together this review.
Wrapper:Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Torpedo 6.1 x 54
Price: Around $10.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The dark oily wrapper had minimal veins, and overall looked attractive. I detected a somewhat sweet spice and earthiness when sniffing the wrapper and foot. The cigar had a couple tight spots in it, which probably accounts for a slightly snug draw. The pre-light draw reminded me of a dry powdery chocolate.
The burn required a couple minor touch-ups, and the ash was very firm, holding for well over an inch.
Flavor:
The first third began with just a simple natural tobacco taste. It didn’t take too long for a smooth pepper to enter the picture. Next up was a spicy sweetness, and finally subtle earth.
Mocha was the dominant flavor for the second third. The pepper transformed into a sweet spice, and earthy notes were far in the background. Sometimes the smoke feel was creamy, and other draws were dry and powdery. I know “Powdery” doesn’t sound good, but overall I really enjoyed this third.
The last third kept the same flavors as the previous third. The main difference was the mocha really took over, and the other flavors became faint in the background. The smoke feel continued with the creamy and then dry sensations.
Conclusion:
Just as advertised, this was a full bodied cigar, but not a powerhouse of nicotine. The flavors were pretty much one dimensional, but refined and tasted good. My only complaint is the price of $10.00 a stick. Price aside, this was a good cigar. I say give it a try.
This entry was posted on Sunday, December 6th, 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.
Adam December 6th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
I’m confused, the descriptions you gave about smoking it definitely corresponds with the Man O’ War. But it looks as though you have a picture of the Man O’ War Ruination cigar (note the footband). I only point this out because smoking the original M.O.W. and the Ruination are like night and day. The Ruination is FAR more full bodied, I’d definitely recommend it to someone like Ed who loves full-bodied cigars.