Up for review is the Total Flame FTW cigar. This stick has a nice looking wrapper and a fairly open draw with a cedar note. Once lit up, it starts out as a delicious sweet coffee flavor with some other subtle hints of flavor in there. The first two thirds of the cigar were delicious, but all of our samples burned too hot to be enjoyable in the final third – they all turned bitter. Overall, its hard to recommend a cigar with a bitter ending, but those first two thirds might be worth it.
StraightUpCigars: Rating:
Flavor and Taste: 17/20
Construction: 9/10
Wrapper: 5/5
Price Point: 7/10
Would I buy a Box: 3/5
Total: 41/50
Terry1: Rating:
Flavor and Taste: 16/20
Construction: 10/10
Wrapper: 5/5
Price Point: 6/10
Would I buy a Box: 3/5
Total: 40/50
IamDarren: Rating:
Flavor and Taste: 17/20
Construction: 9/10
Wrapper: 5/5
Price Point: 7/10
Would I buy a Box: 3/5
Total: 41/50
7:46 PM
IamDarren: got mine clipped. Construction is a little on the soft side, which coincides with a very easy draw.
7:47 PM
StraightUpCigars: My draw is about right and it has a sweet tobacco smelling wrapper. Overall a nice looking and feeling cigar.
7:47 PM
IamDarren: getting sort of a citrus and cedar mix on the cold draw.
7:48 PM
Terry1: Mine feels pretty solid. Draw is good with a cedar note.
7:48 PM
Terry1: I know what WTF stands for but what does FTW stand for?
7:48 PM
IamDarren: ready to bring on the total flame…
7:49 PM
StraightUpCigars: Lol, totally lighting.
7:49 PM
IamDarren: forever two wheels
7:49 PM
Terry1: Lighting up.
7:49 PM
StraightUpCigars: FTW stands for For The Win (internet terminology)
7:50 PM
IamDarren: guy who created the company also likes motorcycles. just read it on cigar coop.
7:50 PM
StraightUpCigars: SUC reviews are FTW.
7:51 PM
IamDarren: funny to witness
7:51 PM
IamDarren: free to watch
7:52 PM
StraightUpCigars: Flop The Wang.
7:52 PM
IamDarren: fat tubby women
7:52 PM
Terry1: That’s the winner!
7:52 PM
StraightUpCigars: Nice one!
7:52 PM
IamDarren: lol
7:53 PM
IamDarren: are we lighting up yet?
7:53 PM
StraightUpCigars: Yep.
7:54 PM
IamDarren: this one is starting out strong
7:55 PM
Terry1: Liking how this cigar started out. Getting coffee, earth, a little sweetness and a pepper blast in the sinus. Cigar is producing plenty of smoke.
7:56 PM
StraightUpCigars: Mine’s pretty bold with a strong coffee and earthy flavor. Really delicious.
7:57 PM
StraightUpCigars: Band slid right off with the cello, so no over-gluing issue.
7:57 PM
IamDarren: peppery, citrus type of sweetness, stong coffee on the finish. Pretty darn good flavors so far. Slight acidity on the finish.
7:58 PM
IamDarren: very weak ash, be careful
7:58 PM
StraightUpCigars: Sorry I was AWOL last time and late for this one. I couldn’t pass on playoff tickets last week.
7:59 PM
IamDarren: don’t worry, I have missed more than either of you so I was glad to fill in.
8:01 PM
Terry1: Starting to get that acidity you mentioned, maybe some charred wood on the finish.
8:01 PM
IamDarren: yeah, I was going to say that I don’t know if I like where mine is headed. Acidity is getting stronger and lingering on the finish.
8:03 PM
StraightUpCigars: I have a little acidity too, but we’ve had some recently that burned through it. We’ll see.
8:11 PM
IamDarren: my cigar is loosing the bitter note on the finish. Almost at the same time the citrus note switched over to more of a caramel note.
8:11 PM
IamDarren: still pepper in the sinus
8:12 PM
Terry1: I agree. Getting more sweetness now. Acidity is fading. Burn is getting uneven but doesn’t need correcting yet.
8:13 PM
StraightUpCigars: Mine was running for a minute, but has fixed itself. I’m with you, getting sweeter, but mine is more of a creamy sweetness that complements the coffee.
8:14 PM
IamDarren: guess I will just stick with Cigar Chateau in Wichita. They have a pretty nice shop in my opinion.
8:15 PM
IamDarren: Last time I was there I started chatting with the manager about our site and the types of cigars I enjoy. Think I threw him for a loop. There must be a lot of newbies that come in with no idea what to get.
8:16 PM
StraightUpCigars: I think you’re right, cigar shops survive on the occassional smoker and people buying them as gifts.
8:17 PM
IamDarren: yeah he said they get a lot of people come in for special occations and weddings.
8:19 PM
StraightUpCigars: If this new regulation goes unckecked, online purchases and boutique cigars will be a thing of the past.
8:20 PM
IamDarren: I would think that CRA will put up one heck of a battle
8:21 PM
Terry1: Yeah that was scary news. It will decimate the cigar industry we know. What I find interesting is the only thing I’ve seen on the news is the affect it would have on vaping. No mention of cigars.
8:23 PM
IamDarren: I think it is funny that this is going on at the same time as they are lifting the embargo on Cuban products. I would think that would be a slap in the face for their tobacco farmers.
8:25 PM
IamDarren: http://www.tbo.com/list/news-opinion-editorials/editorial-fda-still-blowing-smoke-20160425/
[Editorial: FDA still blowing smoke | TBO.com and The Tampa Tribune]
Editorial: FDA still blowing smoke | TBO.com and The Tampa Tribune
8:25 PM
StraightUpCigars: I’m worried that there’s too much money to be made from regulation and that resistance is futile. I am pretty downtrodden about it and fed up with the Fed. The govt is the only entity that gains anything from this. Ironic that it comes at the time that the people are snatching the right to do drugs back from the govt. Very strange times.
8:25 PM
Terry1: Burn evened up. Flavors about the same, coffee, earth, mild sweetness and a touch of bitterness on the finish. Overall a good tasting cigar so far. Ash is a little flakey. It fell off in my lap once already.
8:26 PM
StraightUpCigars: Darren, that article was written prior to the ruling and there is no exemption for premium cigars at this time, as far as I’m aware.
8:26 PM
Terry1: Bands peeled off easily.
8:27 PM
IamDarren: just remember that the FDA is essentially its own entity that is regulated by the government. They have tried time and time again to put in place laws that hurt farmers as well, so I would hope the government steps in and puts the FDA in its place.
8:28 PM
IamDarren: my bands were pretty loose so I just slid them off when I started the second third.
8:29 PM
StraightUpCigars: Good description Terry. I really like the flavors on this one a lot. Other than a couple of minor nitpicks, this is smoking real nice.
8:30 PM
IamDarren: acidity is making a comeback again. Nearing the final third.
8:32 PM
StraightUpCigars: I’m going to buy that Cigar.com sampler you mentioned Darren. Surprised we haven’t done a Diamond Crown.
8:34 PM
Terry1: Getting a little buzzed as I get into the final third.
8:35 PM
IamDarren: oh ok, sweet. I have a bundle ready to ship out but was thinking about picking those up.
8:35 PM
IamDarren: they also have a new Nica Libre blend but I don’t want that many
8:36 PM
StraightUpCigars: I’ll get em, I haven’t purchased any for us in the last couple of batches. All gifted by companies.
8:37 PM
IamDarren: bitterness is gone again. I really like this one when it mellows a bit and looses the bitterness.
8:38 PM
IamDarren: I ended up getting a 262 sampler but it only came with 2 of each blend so I’m sending you each two that you can review when I am gone.
8:39 PM
Terry1: I have the Paradigm and the Revere if you want to keep those.
8:40 PM
IamDarren: Oh ok, sweet. Then I will make sure and send you the other two Terry.
8:42 PM
StraightUpCigars: Mine has started burning unevenly and the bitterness crept back in, going to correct it.
8:43 PM
IamDarren: I’m into the last inch or so and am starting to get that char note with a little bitterness again.
8:44 PM
Terry1: I’m starting to get the same thing, char and bitterness.
8:45 PM
IamDarren: I may end mine a little early if it gets worse. Don’t want to end a good cigar on a bad note.
8:46 PM
StraightUpCigars: I was holding mine near my head as I smoked and noticed it’s audibly “popping”. Burning real hot, I guess. This final third is looking like a dud, but man was it good for the first 2.
8:49 PM
IamDarren: think I’m gonna end mine here. Heating up quite a bit and getting more bitterness.
8:49 PM
Terry1: I’m down to about a half inch and the bitterness is about all I’m getting now. I’m with you Darren I’m going to end it here.
8:50 PM
StraightUpCigars: Sounds good, ratings coming.
8:52 PM
StraightUpCigars: Looks like similar sized smoked from them retail at $11.
8:54 PM
StraightUpCigars: I really loved the first 2 thirds of this cigar, excellent sweet coffee flavor. It burned a little unevenly and then heated up at the end. If it could have hung on for the final third I would have rated it very highly.
8:54 PM
IamDarren: thought about knocking another point or two off for the bitterness but that was only about 5 percent of the cigar
8:55 PM
Terry1: The bitterness at the beginning and end really marred an otherwise good cigar. Maybe time will correct this.
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