Youn
Well-Known Member
Wow! A gentle mammoth!
Pics of your sticks!!
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MarcL
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Tutu
Well-Known Member
Bob, nice brunch cigar!
Marc, those look splendid, as always!
Marc, those look splendid, as always!
This cigar consists of my 2016 Vuelta Abajo upper leaf, and a Vuelta Abajo mid leaf for the EMS wrapper. The filler is all darker than the wrapper.
For a binder, I used a leaf of beautiful, hazelnut-colored Perantara Indonesian VBN 2007 wrapper that was a little tattered. It's is thin and fragile, but with care, can make a gorgeous wrapper. Here, I doubled it as a binder. This was in a sample passed to me by Don at WLT.
The cigar is rich and cool, with none of the heft that you might expect from dark, upper leaf filler. When used as a wrapper, that maduro leaf imparts a fuller overall taste to the cigar. Even with the very thin binder, this Vuelta Abajo wrapper really needed to dry a bit more. The wrapper burn is a tad uneven.
MarcL, those tiny figurados look like indulgent snacks. You can never smoke just one.
Bob
greenmonster714
Well-Known Member
That looks delicious.
MarcL
Well-Known Member
It doesn't seem to matter how carefully I attempt to roll a cigar that is flawless in appearance, it never comes out as flawless as yours. Maybe my heart is just not in it. More likely is that I really haven't practiced that enough. I should be able to do it, but I nearly always go with zero glue, no mold, random size and shape, and a goal of making a smoke for right now.
It is inspiring, though, to see such a succession of your beautiful cigars.
Bob
It is inspiring, though, to see such a succession of your beautiful cigars.
Bob
greenmonster714
Well-Known Member
I agree. Marc has exceptional skill. They always look as if they just come out of a box. Soon I'm going to attempt rolling one from the stuff Don sent. That should be interesting..
Tutu
Well-Known Member
I think we all agree on cigars from Marc L. And the quality of the photographs to go with it.
This is wrapped in the VBN/FIK 2007 wrapper from Perantara (via WLT). It's been an ordeal, trying to decipher the "FIK" part of this classification. There is no question that FIK is listed separately from VBN shade-grown Indonesian leaf by the broker, Perantara. But this sample (see below) clearly indicates "VBN/FIK".
"FIK" is, I assume, derived from a phrase in Dutch, but I haven't been able to make too much sense of it. The best I've come up with is that it indicates leaf that has somehow been subjected to either heat or smoke. But this wrapper does not have the smokey aroma of, say, San Andrés wrapper from Mexico, which is subjected to light smoke exposure from drying fires in the barns.
Perhaps Tutu can clarify what the "FIK" term means here.
I can say that, unlike Sumatra wrapper, this leaf has no tooth (tiny bumps on the surface of the leaf and the ash). It may be derived from CT Shade. The flavor does not resemble CT Shade, but is very neutral, with a faint nutty undertone.
The bound bunch needs to be well finished, since this wrapper has very little tensile strength, and can do no compression of its own. It also doesn't stretch very well. But when laid upon a smooth bunch, it comes out rather nice in appearance.
Bob
Vanerpaddel
Well-Known Member
My first stabbing attempt to roll cigars. With tobacco that was intended for pipe smoking, I made four pieces, the inlay was far too moist and I have not any nice wrapper from the fermentation yet. More practise.. 
Youn
Well-Known Member
It looks quite good, and the color is… yummy! What's the variety?
They look very nice for a first attempt. Allow the filler to mostly dry, then tell us how they taste, and how well they draw.
Bob
Bob
greenmonster714
Well-Known Member
Very nice Van. I like the pizza cutter..lol. For a first attempt I'd say they look great. Can't wait to hear how well they smoke.
Vanerpaddel
Well-Known Member
I only have Semois and Virginia Brightleaf at the moment, so I put Semois in as inlay and the rest with Virginia. I hope there are better leaf to work with when I get the rest out of the kiln.
Vanerpaddel
Well-Known Member
Thanks, the pizza tool worked great.
I think I have to wait a while until I can see if they are smokable.
Having moist Semois is already an improvement over Vincent Manil Semois.
Bob
Bob
Vanerpaddel
Well-Known Member
Thanks, I put them to rest until they feel better, they are heavy and very soft right now. Next time my leafs (inlays) must be much dryer. "Learning by doing"
Vanerpaddel
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