I’m trying to rid my life of clutter. Call it a New Year’s Resolution, though I never formally resolved to anything. I’ve just found myself driven lately to get rid of the things I don’t need, and to organize the things I do (and praying for the wisdom to know the difference).
My cigar collection is no exception; I had a fruitful holiday season, and voluminous though it is, the Sasquatch-a-dor was bursting at its proverbial seams. A clean-out and reorganization was in order, so I solicited the aid of a willing helper, who imagined (not unwisely) that any unwanted cigars might fall his way.
Reposado '96 Maduro (7x58)
You see, I try a lot of cigars, and some of them aren’t very good. But I live by the Sasquatchism that I’ll smoke anything twice, though for the most part, I like to work in quantities of five. The ideal scenario goes like this: I’ll smoke one, and if I like it, I’ll smoke the second one within a week or two, to gauge consistency. The third one is smoked anywhere from 3 to 6 months later, to see how they change with some time in the box. The fourth one gets the review, and the fifth one is saved for whenever I bloody well want it. That’s why you’ll frequently see reviews of cigars that have been resting for a year or two.
That’s the ideal case, but there’s another scenario that goes like this: I smoke the first one, and it’s not so good, so I give it 6 months to mature. If it’s still bad after 6 months, I save them to give to moochers or I throw them away. Sure, another 5 years in the box might make them a little better, but let’s face it, some cigars are just bad. So I have a lot of random 2s and 3s hanging around with uncertain futures.
This is the scene when my helper points out a trio of big dark Salomons, unbanded and unlabeled. “What’s the story with those?” he asks, his eyes shining and his mouth watering. He’s pointing at my Reposado ‘96 Maduros (7×58). So I give him one and we light up.
It starts out great, a bold, tangy maduro kick in the teeth, with a woody background, and plenty of fresh tobacco flavors. It’s nicely rolled, firm but supple, with an open draw (+2) from a ¼-inch cut, plenty of smoke (+2), and above-average strength (4).
It’s the same blend as the Reposado ’96 Connecticut, fully aged Cuban-seed Nicaraguan leaf, but this one is finished in a cocoa-hued Maduro wrapper. Like the Connecticut, the burn gets a little disorganized as it passes the massive 58-ring Salomon bulb, but it straightens out nicely within the first inch.
Twenty minutes later I can tell he hates it. Oh well, not all cigars can be great. And these aren’t great. They’re good, but not great. I rate them 8.2. To be honest, I much prefer the Connecticut, and for the same price, that’s what I’ll be buying from now on.
So we go back to the Sasquatch-a-dor and take a look inside. And the first thing I see is that last Reposado ’96 Maduro. Is it clutter? Or is it a keeper? All I can think is, “God, grant me the wisdom….”
Until next time, this is the Cigar Sasquatch saying, “Love what you smoke, and smoke what you love.”
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