CigarChoice.net- Cigar Reviews and News

I was gifted this stick by a stellar BOTL, that I get the pleasure of smoking with about once a week (Thanks for the killer smoke, Rob!) My friend Rob has a nasty habit of giving me smokes to review on Cigar Choice, because him and I have similar tastes.  He handed me this Man ‘O War Ruination with the disclaimer that it made him very woozy and he had to down a Pepsi about halfway through to get rid of the spins.  Now, I consider myself a fairly seasoned cigar smoker, so I was a little leary when Rob told me that this was a powerhouse of a smoke.  Needless to say, I was cautious, but in the back of my mind, I didn’t think it would be that strong.  Well… Here comes the review to see if I was right!

Pre-Light:  Upon pre-light, I got a nice sweet smell with a very nice earthy smell as well.  Nothing about this cigar screamed strong.  The wrapper was fairly light to medium colored, with minimal veins, and was very nice to the touch.  Not too firm, yet not a softy either.  I clipped it with my trusty Palio, as I do with just about every cigar, as my readers know.  The pre-light draw brought me more of the slight sweetness, with a hint of floral, along with a that nice earthy flavor that so many cigar smokers love.

1/3:  As I started in on this cigar, the first few puffs, the first thing I noticed was that the burn was perfect, and the ash was very solid.  The draw was just perfect.   Not too firm, but not too soft.  The smoke was billowing.  As I got a few puffs in, I was starting to wonder if Rob was right about this cigar.  I got a lot of nice earthy flavors, with a bit of spice coming through the nose on retrohale.  As I sat in the chair at my local b&m smoking this one, I realized I was starting to get a little dizzy.  At this point, I am starting to think that Rob is right about this being a butt-kicker.  The flavors were outstanding, and the light headed feeling is just starting to bother me.

2/3:  As I started on the first third, I didn’t get very far, before I decided that I needed to go get something to eat, since it had been about 8 hours since I had last eaten.  I put the cigar down, which isn’t usually something I do with a cigar I know I am going to review, walked next door to the coffee shop, and ordered a sandwich to get rid of the woozy feeling. I ate my sandwich and potato salad, and downed another beer.  I was feeling better, so I decided to pick the cigar back up again.  Much to my surprise, the cigar was still lit, and burning nicely.  I would say it was about 20 minutes of rest time for the cigar while I finished the sandwich.  I was amazed it was still lit!  Eating seemed to help calm down the power of this cigar, but it was still a butt-kicker!  The flavors are still outstanding and the construction is still top notch!

3/3:  As I finished up this cigar, the powerhouse kick butt factor is still there, but the flavors are so nice, I just can’t put it down.  The burn is still spectacular and the ash is solid.  It has a tendency to ash at the end of each third of the cigar. If every one of them are this nice, I am going to have to find myself as many of these as I can.  If I gave ratings to cigars in my reviews, this one would be TOP NOTCH.  The only downfall I could find to this cigar, is that for some people, it will just be TOO STRONG.  I thought it was butt-kicking, but the flavors were so nice and complex, that I just couldn’t put it down.

Overall Opinion:  Overall, I would have to say that this is one of the better smokes that I’ve ever had the pleasure of smoking.  The strength was a bit more over the top than it needed to be, in my opinion, but it was still outstanding.  I am going to be on the hunt for lots of these!

Smoke Em If You Got Em, Buy Em If You Don’t!

Scott