Bezuki vs Habano 2K

[ArizonaDave]

I like different wrappers with different blends. For example, I prefer Besuki with the Dominican tobaccos, but much prefer the Ecuador Maduro with the Nicaraguan tobaccos. Corojo wrapper and Habano 2000 seem to be a little more forgiving in regards to which combinations of filler they are good with.

I totally agree with what you are saying.

 

[Birage]

"Tastes like leather"......really, or does it "taste like leather smells".....I can't say I have ever tasted leather....purposefully! I only wish these cigars and tobacco had all the nuances and complexity that people like to embellish upon(or maybe they do, but I have trouble picking them up). I just want a good, rich, tobaccoy, barn-yardy, composty, flavorful cigar to smoke and I'm good.....you know, like the ones they used to make!!

 

[webmost]

"Tastes like leather"......really, or does it "taste like leather smells".....I can't say I have ever tasted leather....purposefully! I only wish these cigars and tobacco had all the nuances and complexity that people like to embellish upon(or maybe they do, but I have trouble picking them up). I just want a good, rich, tobaccoy, barn-yardy, composty, flavorful cigar to smoke and I'm good.....you know, like the ones they used to make!!

They still make them.
How'd you like the Smithdales I sent you?

 

[deluxestogie]

"Tastes like leather"......really, or does it "taste like leather smells"

We need a little flexibility here. If you say that grilled rattlesnake toes "taste like chicken," such a common expression simply conflates the inputs of multiple sensory systems, subsequent neural net data weighting and selection of possible object identities that are fed into the brain's inferotemporal cortex, in order to conjure "what" something is.

With a cigar, we often fail to consciously separate taste from smell. Expressions such as "smells sweet" are as logically nonsensical as "tastes sad," but the task of a reviewer of tobacco characteristics is to wax poetic--that is, to conjure a mental package that reveals some level of truth or insight.

I would contend that it is not possible to meaningfully describe olfactory and gustatory impressions, other than by identity (it is vanilla) or by simile (it is like vanilla--or leather). Otherwise, we are left muttering, "Them are good. I like 'em a lot. You'll like 'em too."

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

"Them are good. I like 'em a lot. You'll like 'em too." Bob

You just knocked my entire cigar review vocabulary.

 

[deluxestogie]

I suppose that if the reader has smoked what the reviewer has liked in the past, then, "I like 'em a lot," says a lot.

Bob

 

[webmost]

... grilled rattlesnake toes "taste like chicken," such a common expression simply conflates the inputs of multiple sensory systems, subsequent neural net data weighting and selection of possible object identities that are fed into the brain's inferotemporal cortex, in order to conjure "what" something is.

I was with you, Bob, all the way up until "rattlesnake toes".

But you're right. If you can't figure some way to say "tastes like" then all you are left with is "I like". At that point, everyone has his own peculiar solipsism, so discussion is pointless.

Discussion does not have to be pointless. Nor is there any point in maintaining that it does. When I first set out to enjoy cigars, I would fire up a stick, then fire up the innerwebz, and compare what I tasted to what the reviewers were tasting. The review bloggers often just seemed to go thru the motions, presumably in order to score free smokes. But the guys writing product descriptions at cigar.com, they seemed to be honestly trying to help the customer find a cigar he would like. I would smoke a cigar while reading their descriptions. If a description said "cedar", then I would go smell some cedar, and look for that in the smoke in my hand. If a description said "currants", I would go to the cupboard for currants. Sure enough, I could usually find the nuance they were talking about. Next, I entered a phase where I would write out my own review, and mid-cigar I would check it against these descriptions. That was instructive. What had I put in that they didn't? Was it true? What had they put in I didn't? Could I find it? I kept a database with pictures on a smart phone app. I could tell I was getting somewheres. Soon, I could write a review for the cigar.com forum and the other guys could relate to what I was saying.

Then my smart phone app went titz up and died, taking my database of reviews with it. About that time, I got more interested in rolling, so the focus of my hobby shifted.

But my point is, yes, you can find the common store of similes, and once you have found them, that store is meaningful. From toasted pumpernickel (Smithdale Maduro) to rich nutmeg (Ave Maria) to grass (candela wrapper) to leather (natural broadleaf) to black pepper (uck) etc. etc. etc. Unless you admire futility, there is nothing to gain by throwing up your hands and saying "it can't be done".

It can.

 

[deluxestogie]

It can.

Yes. And, hurray for that!

Bob

 

[Jason]

"The cat's ass" is a saying my grandpa used to use. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why it would be used to describe something positive

 

[Longwaytofall]

I have nothing to add to the topic, except point out that bee's knees is slang for business. You can see the similarity in the pronunciation. Carry on...

 

[Ben Brand]

Going to grow my bezuki in the sun, African sun, hopefully it will toughen it up a bit!!

 

[Birage]

They are good, in fact, I was just thinking about buying myself a box for Xmas, or making that as a suggestion for a Xmas gift.

 

[deluxestogie]

Ben,
I grew Besuki in full-sun in 2014. The plants were medium height, with large, cream-mottled leaves. I was unimpressed. Since the Besuki was also aphid prone, I did not plant Besuki in 2015.

BUT...I finally stated getting a decent supply of the 2014 Besuki wrapper out of the kiln by early this summer. It turns out that the aphids mostly just brush off the finished leaf. The sun-grown Besuki is not as tissue-thin as commercial Besuki, but is still thinner than my FL Sumatra. The Besuki has a wonderful stretch and sturdiness. Its flavor is mild. Color ranges from a claro tan to a light maduro. It's become one of my favorite wrappers.

I'll be putting in Besuki again in 2016, into the bed alongside my house. That's the bed that is shaded all morning, then gets reflected "double" sun for the afternoon. I expect the Besuki to be huge and wonderful.

Bob

 

[Ben Brand]

Thanks for that Bob. Iv`e got a spot like that as well, gets the sun from about 3 in the afternoon.

 

[Smokin Harley]

When I first got my Bezuki, I thought it to be quite fragile compared to the other tobaccos I have used thus far. It is in fact a durable wrapper.
What I really like about it is that the veins in the leaves are very small, which helps w/ the presentation of the cigar.

For those of you who have used both the Bezuki and the Habano 2K; Which do you prefer and why.
Also, are the veins in the Habano 2K small are are they prominent?

Thanks.

p.s. I spent about 5 hours prepping leaf, pressing etc. I produced 21 decent looking smokes. I had been having problems prior to this session in getting the right amount in the ends on my bunches; rolling was too loose also.
This batch was much better.

Habano 2000 was what came with the Sabroso Medio kit that I bought when I first got to rolling ... I had some difficulty with it but I chalk that up to just being a beginner. I would definitely try to use it again. I also found out after I was out of it that wrapper once prepped doesn't need to be so moist and that the actual portion of leaf used isn't the entire half of the leaf.
I have since used other wrappers including -
Bezuki- I find it has a slight green spotty color in places and even though it rolls well, it has a weird mottling that I'm not so sure I like.
Ecuador Maduro-nice color, taste , burn ,stretch- I use the inner scrap for binder, nice leaf.
Corojo -same as E.M except it doesnt have as much stretch .
Aleman Oscuro -Maybe just the batch I had but it seemed very fragile and I ripped it a lot but that leaf followed Habano 2000 which is much more durable.

but I had also used a few spotless leaves of Nicaraguan and Criollo 98 which produced decent looking sticks.
Of all the above listed I am at the point where I have two favorites that I use interchangeably -Corojo and Ecuador Maduro.
Both roll very nicely ,have nice even color and taste great with nearly every blend I've wrapped . No burn issues . If I had to pick one over the other for a single reason it would be Ecuador Maduro simply because it has just a bit more stretch than the Corojo. It finishes a head better ,at least in my hands.
I grew Bezuki and Sumatra and they are both still in the curing stage. I won't be able to tell about their qualities just yet.
I still have the task of growing Ct Shade or try to get some and wrap with it.
Bottom line- one can never have too much leaf and there is always a new blend to try or the same ol,same ol with a different wrapper.

 

[Ben Brand]

I sowed lots of Bezuki and Fl Sumatra seeds for wrappers. Left my seedling trays outside, the farmer where I stay planted maize and sprayed it with Roundup. Think the breeze was towards my house, lots of my seedlings died, or got weak, pulled the weak once, but Iv`e got 19 good Bezuki seedlings left.
I sowed Machu Pichu Havana and Quatamalan wrapper for wrappers. Hope they will as good as Bezuki. Also got Penn and Conn Broadleaf ( gave me very nice wrappers last season).
Bob at least the 4 Bahia grow out seedling survived.