Cigar Watch

Cigar Brand? Man O’ War

Size Name? Toro

Length/Ring Gauge? 6 ½ x 52 ring

Purchase Date? 6/13/2008

Box or Individual? Sampler

Smoking Date? 7/6/2008

Packaging? Cello & single band

Price (Per Cigar or Box)? $5.80

Where Purchased? Gift

Country Where Made: Nicaragua

Meal/Beverage: Berger, fries & beer

Overall Appearance and Presentation of Cigar (Max. 20 Points) (17 of 20)

Wrapper Color? (3 of 4) Dark brown color w/ some patches of lighter brown

Consistent Color Within Box? (2 of 2) Even over the box

Oily/Dry? (2 of 2) Med Oily

Veiny/Smooth? (4 of 5) Slightly Veiny

Cap Construction? (1 of 1) Nice cap

Packaging? (2 of 2) Good presentation

Ease of Cutting? (1 of 2) OK cut

Construction (Soft, Hard)? (2 of 2) Firm

Lighting and Burning Properties (Max. 15 Points) (12 of 15)

Even Initial Light? (1 of 1) Easy initial light

Even Burn? (9 of 11)

Initial Good 50% Good 75% Faster

Resting Smoke (light & even, smoldering)?

(1 of 1) Nice resting smoke - light

Burn Rate (fast, perfect, slow)? (1 of 1) Nice burn rate

Ash (Solid, Black, White and Crumbly)?

Darker gray ash - held well

Require Re-Lighting? (0 of 1) Yes

Construction (Max. 30 Points) (28 of 30)

Initial Draw Easy 50% Easy 75% A bit too easy (25 of 27)

Wrapper Stays Intact? (3 of 3) Yes

Taste (Max. 35 Points) (32 of 35)

Light, Medium, Full-Bodied? Medium-full

Bitter, Harsh, Smooth? Smooth and even until the end - then a bit harsh

Sweet/Salty? N/A

Bland, Vegetal, Spicy, Peppery? Spicy w/ a bit of oak ands coffee

Describe Any Changes in Body or Flavor: This smoke was very even until the last 1/3 and then built in intensity. The start was a burst of flavors with oak and coffee predominating. There was a faint hint of vanilla and a leathery back taste. I found the stick very enjoyable until the last third.

Aroma (Rich and Smooth and Acrid)? Very nice aroma from the cigar

Finish? I wish the finish was smoother - it would increase the experience

Comments: The Habano wrapper is very nice and adds a lot to the smoke. The blend is very good - generating what some would call a full-bodied taste. I like the great tobacco flavor and found the smoke complex with nuances that surprised me - oak and vanilla for example. I would highly recommend this cigar to anybody who likes medium-full to full-bodied smokes.

Total Score / Grade: 89