a few stats on my catalog as of 11-23-11:

first review: 9-19-06 Arturo Fuente Hemingway Signature. 6 x 47 score: 9.0
FIRST CUBAN REVIEW: #48 12-20-07 Diplomaticos No.4 score: 8.4
highest rated cigar: 3-1-2010 review #89 Avo 22 score: 9.7
lowest score: 2-26-09 review #75 Oliva serie O perfecto score: 6.7
average score: 8.49
Alex's personal blend: review #98 score 9.4
100th review: Davioff Maduro score 9.6
TOTAL REVIEWS AS OF 11-22-11: 127
cigars reviewed more than once: Free Cuba toro (2)
El Cobre (2)
pages in a word document taken up: 151
average length of review in a word document: 1.1889





yup... im a nerd.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

Very interesting Kuzi. I believe the Avo #22 led to the release of the Avo 787. How, in your opinion do they compare. Since I have not had either.

i have not had 787. i hear they are different. im not sure why i have not had one. i really should.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

Thank you for every single review Kuzi, I sure have enjoyed reading them.

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ENFIDL:

While that'd be cool the sticks wouldn't be nearly as big. and we all know I like to smoke the biggest sticks

12-1-11 fresh

Corazon By Davidoff Toro (6 x 50)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut
Binder: unknown
Filler: Domionmican
Blender: Kelner

This cigar is the first in a long time in the under $5 range that I have been excited to try. I am huge Davidoff fan but the thing that keeps me from making them my daily smoke is the price point (a Davidoff 1000 is the least expensive at 4.6 x 34 and $8.90 at ccom (as of 1-12-11)). the lure of a Davidoff for under $5... Man. High hopes are going into this considering that there is nothing I have had that Kelneer has made that I didnt like.

The cigar has an unimpressive presentation. The band is simple but not elegant. The wrapper has a few minor blemishes. The lick on the cap has no flavor that I can tell. The draw is nice but has little overall character. It is a very mild impression.
As I take off the band, it sticks to the wrapper and pulls off a good hunk of it. I hate that.

The first few puffs are on the sweeter side on the initial flavor. There is a slight hint of the “Kelner Musk” but it is not on the forefront like many of Kelner's pricier blends. There is also a slightly dry flavor in there and it is boarder line spice. This actually reminds me more of the Avo Heritage than any other Davidoff blend. By that I mean it feels the least like a Kelner blend that it can while still being blended by him.

After the first ash falls the musk at the beginning has faded. The flavor has thinned out considerably. There is a woody aftertaste and a slightly sweet undertone. It has a spice finish to it.

The midpoint is about the same. The level of complexity is low. The spice on the finish is very long. It is interesting that this is the element that sticks out. Every other Davidoff is remarkable because of how smooth and because they have so little spics. If I didnt know better, I would never place this as a Davidoff.

Approaching the place where the wrapper cracked, and there are not many burn issues. Just a bit more peeling.

The cigar ends on mostly the same note.

Burn: 9
Draw: 9
Taste: 8
Aftertaste: 7
Construction: 9
Balance: 7
Feel: 7
OverallL 8.0


this does not feel like a Davidoff. If you want an inexpensive cigar with the Davidoff feel, go with a 3x3.

i have another one. may review after it gets some time on it. i also may have been expecting something it wasnt intended to be.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

Kuzi, I recently saw a cigar called Private Stock by Davidoff (good) which had a pretty low price point (made me leery). Being a Davidoff fan, have you tried these and if so what was your impression? Thanks in advance. :-)

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"I drink a great deal. I sleep a little, and I smoke cigar after cigar. That is why I am in two-hundred-percent form." -- Winston Churchill

I was really looking forward to the Corazon. A Kelner blend at that price point, I knew it was too good to be true. The Private stock is ok, but is a mixed filler and burns very quickly. The Occidental Reserve(one of AB's first cigars) is pretty decent, however I don't know if they are still made by Kelner or someone else.

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Kuz, thanks so much for reviewing the Corazon. As a HUGE Davidoff (and Kelner in general) fan I have had an eye on them, but have been hesitant, since I haven't heard anything about them. Your review pretty much confirms my fears, in that it sounds like a sort of boring, typical Dominican based cigar, with none of the real hallmarks of what makes Davidoff great. Does anyone know if these were actually blended by Kelner, or if they are just contract cigars that happen to be made at Tabadom? I have a sneaking suspicion that calling them Corazon BY DAVIDOFF is more marketing than anything else, since I see nothing about them anywhere but on a few (related) online shops, and see nothing about them on any of the Davidoff sites, which all makes me think that they were blended by someone, and then put into production as one of the many contracted cigars that coincidentally happen to share a factory with Davidoff, and nothing else.

Not to go too far off subject, but how would you describe the 3x3? Is it very similar to any particular Davidoff blend? What elements of Henke's style does it actually have? Thanks brother, from one Davislut to another.

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The Sniper:

Kuzi, I recently saw a cigar called Private Stock by Davidoff (good) which had a pretty low price point (made me leery). Being a Davidoff fan, have you tried these and if so what was your impression? Thanks in advance. :-)

I really like those. Rudy sent me one, and I've picked up every one I've come across since then. Solid smoke.

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EAST COAST BOMBING CREW

Wish List in BIO

Team ENFIDL!

Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to write all of these there is some great info here and very helpful for a noob like me trying to pick of some new sticks to try.

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TEAM ENFIDL

docbp87:

Does anyone know if these were actually blended by Kelner, or if they are just contract cigars that happen to be made at Tabadom? I have a sneaking suspicion that calling them Corazon BY DAVIDOFF is more marketing than anything else, since I see nothing about them anywhere but on a few (related) online shops, and see nothing about them on any of the Davidoff sites, which all makes me think that they were blended by someone, and then put into production as one of the many contracted cigars that coincidentally happen to share a factory with Davidoff, and nothing else

i was wondering the same thing. there was every now and then a faint hint of musk but far from the signature blending style. i couldnt find anything either. nothing on their site, nothing on any other site...

i suspect that it may not have been a kelner blend.

docbp87:

Not to go too far off subject, but how would you describe the 3x3? Is it very similar to any particular Davidoff blend? What elements of Henke's style does it actually have? Thanks brother, from one Davislut to another.

the 3x3 actually reminds me most of the Zino Classic.
there is that strong Kelner Musk that is instantly recognizable to Kelner fans. the 3x3 does burn a little fast but for the price i would take this over the Corazon hands down.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

Poker Slob:

I was really looking forward to the Corazon. A Kelner blend at that price point, I knew it was too good to be true. The Private stock is ok, but is a mixed filler and burns very quickly. The Occidental Reserve(one of AB's first cigars) is pretty decent, however I don't know if they are still made by Kelner or someone else.

AB is not blended by Kelner.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

The Sniper:

Kuzi, I recently saw a cigar called Private Stock by Davidoff (good) which had a pretty low price point (made me leery). Being a Davidoff fan, have you tried these and if so what was your impression? Thanks in advance. :-)

i have not had those yet.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

12-6-11 been in humidor since 7-19-09
Camacho Limited Harvest Toro (5.75 x 52)
Wrapper: An “Experimental Strain” of tobacco grown in the Jamastran Valley Honduras
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras

There is little information on the wrapper out there. All that can be found is that it is a “new strain of tobacco” that is grown in the Jamastran Valley. Either it did not do what it was supposed to do, or it did so well that Camacho is now using it as a secret element in other cigars. Either way, there is not much more that can be said about it. According to Camacho, there were only 50,000 of these made and from what I can gather, they came out around 2005. they can still be found but I do not think they are in production anymore.

The Band on this cigar is the Camacho band we all know and love but in red as the background and gold lettering and silver embellishment. The wrapper is a medium brown and there is light veining. Once out of the cellophane, I can see that the age has put some yellow on it. The cigar feels slightly oily and fuzzy in the hand. It has a ceder smell that is light. Licking the cap brings an oil feel to the lips and tongue. There is little taste to it before the cut, but after the cut there is a decent amount of flavor from the cold draw. It is a mild fennel flavor that is on the woody side. The draw is very easy. It may be a bit too loose.

Once lit, the flavors are woody and have a “slate” quality to them. This is fairly unique as far as I can tell. I dont seem to remember this in any cigar before. Through the nose brings this quality out more along with a tiny hint of a musk. The finish overall has a slightly bitter note very late. This note does not fit with the rest of the cigar at all. This Probably has to do mostly with the wrapper. The way that the woody note and the musk note play off of each other reminds me of an Avo classic. This feels bolder and has more of a mineral feel to it. If I had to compare it to another camacho it would be the 1962 but not the PE.

The cigar seems to be burning fast. I have a larger “cone” than I usually do. The easy draw is probably promoting that. There have been a few Camacho blends that seem to burn fast and draw a bit too easy. It seems to me that these blends were the ones released in 2005-2009 time period. This is a quality that I tend not to like. I do not know if it was done on purpose or if it was done as a rolling issue. Either way, I am glad that not all Camacho cigars do this.

As I rapidly approach the middle third the flavor turns more earthy. The wood is still there and the slate is still there but the wood has toned down some and damp earth comes in. the musk through the nose playing with the wood is still the high point of this cigar. The finish has lost the bitterness. There is however, a slight spice building on that finish.
The ash keeps falling quickly. This is probably another symptom of not being packed enough with tobacco. The light draw, the fast burn and the ash not holding on really show its construction. I'm still torn on if this is intended.

The burn is not too bad. It isn't perfect but it has yet to need a touch up.

The final third is much more of the slate taste but it also brings on a desiccant quality. It seems to dry the tongue especially on the sides. The longer the smoke is swirled in the mouth, the more that quality is noticed. Through the nose it is very consistent. This has not changed since puff one.

The final third is the same as the middle. The only difference is that by the nub it goes out after every puff. It is trying to tell me something.

burn time: 1 hour 40 min

Burn: 8
Draw: 7
Taste: 9
Aftertaste: 8
Construction: 8
Balance: 8
Feel: 8
overall: 8.0

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

With that kind of review I'm surprised you finished it.

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" A good cigar, no matter the cost, is an investment in one's mental health "
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