Arganese Double Wrap Review

[randomhero1090]

A couple weeks ago, several CR members had a chance to meet Gene Arganese at a Famous Smoke Shop event. CRider, Drew, Zito and I were all in attendence. Gene was extremely gracious with his box specials and spent quite a bit of time talking to our group. You can find several posts/video/pics floating around the site.

Gene gave us a bundle of Arganese Double Wraps to review. So we will do just that. I sent several out to other members. This thread will be used to "assemble" all reviews of this cigar.

The Cigar:

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade and Brazilian Maduro.
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: 50 x 7
Manufacturing Site: Tabacalera Don Rogue, Santiago Province, DR

[Acesfull]

Here is my review...

Drink: Nothing (wish I had it with some coffee but i wanted a clean pallete)
Cut: Straight cut with double blade scissor cutter

Smoking Experiece: Lit it with the welding/torch lighter Iceman sent me. Started off as a typical mild cigar.. Creamy and slightly sweet.. It alternated on and off between creamy and sweet and creamy and cedary with hints of espresso. Wonderful draw and lots of white smoke. Nice even burn that only required 1 very minor touchup.

Overall Experience: The first one I attempted to smoke had a horrible draw. Like sucking a golfball through a garden hose so I ditched it early and lit the 2nd one up. The 2nd one had a perfect draw and near perfect burn like noted before required only 1 minor touchup. Pretty damn good flavor for a mild cigar. Usually not my cup o tea but wouldnt mind having a few more for a change of pace or to enjoy with some good coffee.

Grade: I'd give it a B maybe a B- due to the first one's issue of having a horrible draw.

[JAX]

Milds aren't typically my thing either; although I'm exploring them a bit more lately.......great review.....can't wait to see what others think

[Python]

I will hopefully have my review up sometime next week. My computer broke and my review is on it. I have to wait until it gets fixed.

[Python]

Ok, now that I got my computer problem somewhat fixed, here is my review .

Cigar: Arganese Double Wrap
Vitola: Churchill 7x50
Country: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade and Maduro
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Dominican
Body: Medium-Full

Price: $161.00 for a box of 25

Construction: The wrapper was an attractive looking double wrapped barber pole. The stick was firm with a light springiness with a few veins, a light sheen and a good cap. The cut was easy and even with no damage occurring from it. The pre-light draw was very good.

Pre-Light Aroma and Flavor: The aroma was woody with some earthiness with it. The flavor was a slightly sweet woodiness.

Burn: Even initial light and an even burn throughout the entire smoke.

Drink: Water

Smoking Notes: When I took the first puff, I picked a slightly sweet taste of woodiness accompanied by a very light vegetal hint. The vegetal taste went away after about three puffs. After about ½ an inch, the woodiness switched to a nice tobacco taste accompanied by a slight sweetness. At about the 1 ½ inch mark, I started picking up on hints of cocoa every few puffs. This lasted until about the 75% mark when I started picking up on hints of coffee with the hints of cocoa. These two flavors were mingling very well with each other.

Overall Rating and Experience: This was an OK smoke. It had very good construction and burn. The manufacturers label this as a Med-Full smoke, but I would put it as a Mild-Med. It started off a little on the mild side and then progressed into a nice Medium smoke by the end. I would smoke this stick again, but based on the price, only if it was offered to me. In my opinion there are much better sticks for the same price and cheaper.

Final score: C+

[HRPuffinStuff-cr]

Arganese Double Wrap Churchill (7 x 50)

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade and Brazilian Maduro

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican

Presentation: Visually appealing "barber-pole" wrapper with alternating bands of chesnut and gold. Classy red / gold band stating "Arganese, Hand-Made, Long Filler, Dominican Republic". Part of a "test cigar" bombing from Randomhero. Thanks for the opportunity.

Drink: Capital Brewing (Middleton, Wisconsin) Autumnal Fire Doppelbock

Flavor: Upon removal from the cellophane, it was immediately evident that the cigar was rather soft and squishy. The alternating bands of differing tobaccos provided an extremely pleasing aroma. I was hopeful of a moist, juicy, flavorful smoke.

The cigar lit evenly and displayed an extremely loose draw, which I do not prefer. Almost immediately, the cigar began "canoeing" badly. The burn traveled up the golden band and left the chesnut band unburned. This continued from ignition to approximately 70%, where the cigar assumed a grotesque "hockey-stick" shape, with visually displeasing sticks and strands sticking out. Reluctantly, I applied the torch to even out the burn.

The flavor of the tobacco was not pleasing. I detected some cedary soft wood, burning garden weeds, organic discharges of various farm animals, and a distinct flavor reminiscent of the odor of Pepto-Bismol. The displeasing flavors were exacerbated by the extremely loose draw, producing a rather harsh smoke that burned the nose and tongue. The cigar continued to canoe badly, with hideous sticks and strands sticking out of the end assuming a curious "duck-bill" shape. A "stream of conscienceness" review would include the observation "sucking upon the output end of a platypus". Very displeasing.

Smokability: Very poor. It is said that Thomas Edison was ridiculed when he displayed the hundreds of failed attempts at producing a commercially viable electric light bulb. Edison countered to the effect that the experiments were not failures at all, but merely displayed the hundreds of ways to NOT produce and electric light bulb. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned here.

Overall score: D / D-.

[Acesfull]

weird my experience with the draw was diff, the first one i had cut i couldnt get a draw through at all.. the second one was a tight draw but smokable. But then again I hate churchill sizes due to their draw

[HRPuffinStuff-cr]

Originally Posted by Acesfull

weird my experience with the draw was diff, the first one i had cut i couldnt get a draw through at all.. the second one was a tight draw but smokable. But then again I hate churchill sizes due to their draw

This thing was about as tight as a ten dollar hooker.

As always, I hate to rip on gifted cigars, particularly those gifted by someone in the industry for review. I went through this same thing with beer reviews on beers provided by professional brewers in the brewing industry. Still, a review site serves no purpose if we are less than 100% honest, is this not true? Some nooby might go out and buy a box of these things based upon favorable reviews.

I thought the Double Wrap was a complete and utter mess.

My review can obviously be deleted from those provided to Mr. Arganese, if desired. I myself couldn't roll anything more than a serviceable dooby, so who am I to cast stones?

[Acesfull]

Well I think even negative reviews are important so the producer can improve. In the end it is our opinion that matters are we are the ones buying them. I wouldnt mind a robusto size of these as a change of pace, if the draw improves. I didnt have any burn issues really just an unsmokable one bc I didnt feel like getting a migrane from sucking so hard and the second was still tight but tolerable.

[zitotczito]

I have not had a chance yet to smoke mine, so from these reviews so far I will wait alittle longer and dry box them. Hope it helps the draw. Poor draws just ruin the experience as far as I am concerned.

[randomhero1090]

A review should be honest. Don't hold back, and you didn't. Gene Arganese has the link. He can reply/rebut if he likes.

I actually enjoyed them, but yes, a "B" for me at best.

Thank you all for the reviews. Well done. Guys are very good at this. I have learned alot about flavor alone.

[HRPuffinStuff-cr]

I gave the second Arganese Double Wrap to my cigar smoking buddy and he seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. I was not there when he smoked it, but he said "he enjoyed it" (he doesn't natter on all lyrically about cigars like I do).

So, I guess maybe I just got a bum stick.

[wilsondude]

Originally Posted by HRPuffinStuff

(he doesn't natter on all lyrically about cigars like I do).

I enjoy your reviews, dude - even if you seem to "natter on". Keep up the good work. You're always entertaining, if not informative.

[HRPuffinStuff-cr]

Originally Posted by wilsondude

I enjoy your reviews, dude - even if you seem to "natter on". Keep up the good work. You're always entertaining, if not informative.

THANKS FOR THE CYBER REACH-AROUND, DOOD.

HEY.....that felt kinda GOOD.