The shape of things to come

This is hard for purchasers of most non-cuban cigars to accomplish (cello), but I smoked a cigar tonight that helped me come to a stark realization.  If you look at the foot of a cigar in a store, as a single, and your eyes can detect a pattern of any kind, you should choose another cigar.  If you look too long, you are likely to find SOME pattern.  But if you detect one right away, chances are your cigar is going to burn erratically. 

Tonight's cigar is a Diplomaticos No.1 that I received at a herf this summer.  It should be noted that ANYTIME someone offers to you an open box of cigars to select one from, it is already a very nice gesture, and no guarantees are proffered as to the eventual flavor, draw or satisfaction that it might impart.  In other words, be happy with what you get.  This was offered to me as a friendly gesture.  Once lit, it took all of a quarter of an inch to develop a run up one side. 

You can see that there is a crescent moon in the bunch, and the side opposite the crescent is the run.  The idiotic blog software has lately been rotating the photos to suit it's idiot brain.  I am tired of chasing the  rabbit, so I just left it rotated. 
HOWEVER, the cigar's draw was so firm, that it never "took off" on me and became a problem.  Well, there WAS a problem after all, and that is that there was almost no flavor to be had.  This was about as boring a cigar as I have had this year.  Now, it is widely known that the Diplomaticos cigars can offer really fantastic flavor.  "Any Given Sunday" as it were.  There was a hint of bread in the flavor, and for the first half-inch, some light tea.  But after that, nothing.  It was not sick, there was a taste to it, but so muted as to be just too little ligero in the blend to carry the taste.  I left it to go out where you see it here last.

It is a shame to paint all Diplomaticos No.1 with such a broad brush since they can be so good.  But this blog is more dedicated to "the moment" and I think that most people understand that your mileage may vary.  In fact it is likely to.  In the case where I know enough to say for sure that you should avoid ALL of the cigars of a type, I will certainly let you know.   But I love the lonsdale size in general, and these are a "dalia" in terms of factory name.  I think there is no finer smoke in habanos than the long and thin cigar.    They create such a fine draw and intensity of flavor, I can see why the great havana cigar salesmen like them so much.  BUT, back to this stick.  It would be impossible to score it higher than a 70.  And it's lucky to be there.  If I were not in a generous mood I would give it below 65.  But I do not want to scare people off of the brand or size.