madurofan:

I'm sure the age helped the score, but did it really help the cigar or just the snobs at CA's opinion of the cigar?

thats a very fair question. ive only been in cigars for about 4 years now and i dont have any very well aged cigars to test this. i think right now the oldest stick i have is from early in 06.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

like i said though, i cant imagine it hurting the cigar. and at some point arent we talking about "my cigar can beat up your cigar" ... ?

when it all comes down to it the way to tell if a cigar is good or not is when you light it and puff on it do you like it? if you do, then its good.

this is the same as the gurkha vs RP. you put a RP to your mouth and like it. its good
I put a gurkha to my mouth and i like it. Its good. thats why there is more than one brand out there. different strokes for different folks.

maybe (according to CA) our puny palates arent refined enough to understand the complexity of a 50+ year old smoke. Dont we all spend a good time bashing CA? ... there is a reason why i let my subscription run out after only one year.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

kuzi16:

like i said though, i cant imagine it hurting the cigar. and at some point arent we talking about "my cigar can beat up your cigar" ... ?

Very, Very true. I've just talked tso old "real smokers" and had that one OLD stick. From that experience and from what these guys have told me a cigar is going to mellow and lose complexity and that kick. IMO that mellowing out is not improvement. I don't want it to be harsh but I want to to be interesting. But that is COMPLETELY opinion.

kuzi16:

maybe (according to CA) our puny palates arent refined enough to understand the complexity of a 50+ year old smoke. Dont we all spend a good time bashing CA? ... there is a reason why i let my subscription run out after only one year.

i trust my palate(albeit far from refined) before I trust their ridiculous "reviews". Yes their ratings carry some weight but I pay more attention the their construction and burn scores than any of the subjective as they never poorly rate a cigar that the parent company advertises a lot with them.

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i guess the real theory behind age like that is that there is no harshness whatsoever and the "real flavor" can be tasted once the harsh is gone.
iduno... if the cigar isnt harsh to begin with...

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

kuzi16:

i guess the real theory behind age like that is that there is no harshness whatsoever and the "real flavor" can be tasted once the harsh is gone.
iduno... if the cigar isnt harsh to begin with...

Hmmm maybe, but yea what if it wasn't that harsh to begin with.

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before i get to far...
I bought this cigar the day before i smoked it. I was in the local B&M rounding out the prize for the 1000 post contest that i will soon run and i decided to pick up a few 8-5-8s. this was one of them. when i got to the register the owner of the shop looks at it and tells me there is a crack int he wrapper and i should go select another one. so i did. after paying he then throws it in the bag -free of charge- and tells me that i should smoke it anyway. he cant sell it and there was a chance it wouldnt make much of a difference anyway.

to me this cigar on this day has two issues:
1)cracked wrapper
B)the RH is too high for my tastes.
it also says that the B&M has a nice guy for an owner.



7-15-08 been in humi since 7-14-08

Arturo Fuente Flor Fina 8-5-8 Candela
6x47
Wrapper: Candela
Filler: Dominican.

This cigar looks good even though there are a few bumps in it. It’s a nice greenish hue –just what you would expect out of a candela. The smell is very light and is on the side of straw. The lick on the cap before the cut is very smooth in texture and there is little taste other than a tiny hint of indefinable spice.

Cut with a punch. The draw is perfect for me at this point. There is some resistance but it is not difficult. The unlit draw has a very good taste to it. It’s creamy and close to milk chocolate.

The first puffs are light but simultaneously bursting with flavor. There is a very spring-like-grass with a short burst of spice. The finish is on the nutty side and is very short. The aroma is also light and fleeting in the light breeze of my porch but what I can smell is good.

At the first ash (about an inch) the flavor has mellowed to a slightly sweet and wood flavor. The finish has a bit of white pepper or spicy cedar on it. There is also a hint of nut.

The burn is even until this point but the nicks and bumps in the wrapper are very close to the burn and since a cigar expands slightly when burning these flaws are being exacerbated. The binder has no problems at all.

A corrective light is soon needed but I strongly suspect that this is because of the wrapper issue. This has no effect of the flavor.

At the half way point a hint of grass sneaks back into the flavor profile and shortly thereafter the second ash falls. It seems that is the end of the wrapper issues.

The draw in the last half begins to tighten up a bit. Since this cigar has spent very little time in 65% RH I suspect that the slightly higher RH is causing this. My make shift draw poker (a paperclip) corrects this.

The last bits are about the same flavor. Woody, nutty, a bit of white pepper, and a spicy cedar. The smoke is cool all the way down. Burned to the burn.

Burn: 8
Draw: 8
Taste: 9
Aftertaste: 9
Construction: 8
Appearance: 9
Feel: 9


Overall: 8.6
3 smoke rings -- an average cigar

recommended to:
Fuente fans that want a lighter smoke
Candela fans that want a Fuente
People that want a good “hot day smoke”
Those who want a breakfast cigar but don’t drink coffee. (it seems like it would be good with orange juice)

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

Thanks for the review! The 8-5-8 Maduro was one of my first cigars I have a soft spot for the 8-5-8's. Great B&M owner BTW, make sure you support that guy. Hell if I'm ever in the area I'll support him too!

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I've never had a candela, kuz, but your review is making me want to try this one.

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Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

What is this love affair that the cigar-smoking community has with the 8-5-8's? I almost picked one up today, but decided to stick with my original intentions instead.

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phobicsquirrel:

ummm milk it..

dutyje:

What is this love affair that the cigar-smoking community has with the 8-5-8's? I almost picked one up today, but decided to stick with my original intentions instead.

I have smoked the 8-5-8 but not the candella, and wasn't that impressed with it.. I mean it was good but didn't make me want to go buy a box of them..I am unsure of the conditions this cigar was stored in since it was given to me at a gathering, and Frebies are always good cigars..I will have to try another that will be a better example of this cigar.

dutyje:

What is this love affair that the cigar-smoking community has with the 8-5-8's?

its a good size. its 6 inches so it lasts but it isnt as huge as a churchill. Iduno. i like a toro better myself. i got em cos they were there.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

maybe its just a classic vitola for fuente. people love classics.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

kuzi16:

maybe its just a classic vitola for fuente. people love classics.

Its why we love urbi!

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madurofan:

kuzi16:

maybe its just a classic vitola for fuente. people love classics.

Its why we love urbi!

It's true. I do have a classic vitola for [Daisy] Fuente(s). nudge nudge wink wink

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Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

urbino:

nudge nudge wink wink

your wife, eh? she a go-er? she like to travel? really gets around, eh? nudge nudge wink wink know what i mean? eh?

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate