CigarsInternational BlendLab - pretty cool concept and a lot of fun

[DogRockets]

I had heard of CI's BlendLab before, but had never tried one until the Cigar Bum Orgy last month. At the CI Hamburg location they have an entire room dedicated to BlendLab cigars. I'm going off of memory, but I believe they said there are currently between 65-70 cigars in there at the moment. Which is interesting to me, because they are never featured in the catalogues we receive each month.

The concept of BlendLab is pretty simple - manufacturers create test blends and give them to CI to sell. CI does not list the manufacturer on the cigars. It is identified like WA-6552 (I smoked this one). The first two digits indicate the manufacturer, but they staff is pretty tight lipped on this. The next two digits 65 mean 6.5 inches. The 52 is ring gauge. They tell you the wrapper, binder, and filler details and country of origin. That's it. Then you smoke them (essentially an unbanded cigar) and see if you like it or not. BlendLab - Cigars International (http://www.cigarsinternational.com/cigars/blendlab/about/)

During the Orgy, the manager of the store took me on a tour of the room, asked me types of cigars I like, and then pointed me in the direction of certain BlendLab cigars to try.

The others at the Orgy ended up picking up some BlendLab cigars to smoke as well, and on the Friday of the Orgy, we sat in a room smoking a lot of test blends to see if we liked them and could guess who made them. Some we got right, some we got massively wrong. 04EDGE40 about fell off his chair when he found out the brand of his favorite BlendLab smoke.

It was an absolute blast to try these out. I picked up some more that evening and can't wait to try them at home.

Out of our group, the favorite was RY-444. We ended up buying a wheel of 50 of these and splitting them amongst us. BlendLab - RY-444 - Cigars International (http://www.cigarsinternational.com/cigars/75539/blendlab-ry-444/#p-130256) The weird thing was, the sales staff and some of the online reviews called this cigar a pepper bomb, which none of us at the Orgy could see at all.

So, has anyone else tried these out before? If not, I recommend you do. It was awesome and made Friday an absolute blast at the Orgy.

Here is a link to the complete current line-up BlendLab - Cigars International (http://www.cigarsinternational.com/cigars/blendlab/?v=5000) I think there is a sampler you can buy of them as well. If the website isn't good, I'd recommend calling the Hamburg location, tell them what you like, and see if they can make a sampler for you (note: I'm not sure if they can ship or not). If they can't ship, just hit up Demuths1770. He lives close by. Make him pick them up for you. He'd be happy to ship them!

[04EDGE40]

The fan favorites are the RY-444 and the FB-554. The RY-444 was a complete shock to all of us. Without saying what it is, the rest of the line is complete garbage.

The FB-554 is not terribly surprising when you find out who blended it. It was an absolutely delicious maduro.

If anyone wants to try out some really solid smokes (even great smokes if I do say so myself) without preconceptions about the maker/blender, try out the BlendLab! Plus they're cheap :wink:

[jhedrick83]

I visited the Hamburg store about 2 years ago and grabbed a bunch of blend labs to check out. I loved the idea. Some were bad, some were ok and there were some really good ones! IIRC I enjoyed a ZF-544 the most. I really liked how they had it all laid out in there and listed the Wrapper/Binder/Filler and nothing else. If you like blind reviews, Blend Lab is awesome. Fairly reasonably priced as well, $3.50-$6 on average if I remember right. Does that sound about right DogRockets?

[HTML5 Gordon]

Wow, this is very cool - I didn't know anything about this. I'm going to have to try a few random blends whenever I next order something from CI.

[DogRockets]

I visited the Hamburg store about 2 years ago and grabbed a bunch of blend labs to check out. I loved the idea. Some were bad, some were ok and there were some really good ones! IIRC I enjoyed a ZF-544 the most. I really liked how they had it all laid out in there and listed the Wrapper/Binder/Filler and nothing else. If you like blind reviews, Blend Lab is awesome. Fairly reasonably priced as well, $3.50-$6 on average if I remember right. Does that sound about right DogRockets?

Also, DogRockets is awesome too. His cigar insight is unmatched and I'm not surprised he just dropped this BlendLab knowledge on us fellow bums. What would Cigar Bum do without him?

Correct on all accounts!

[DogRockets]

I wonder if there is a list somewhere of the Success Stories from the BlendLab that turned into production cigars. They had a couple listed in their showroom, but, they aren't ones I'd brag about to be honest. There have to have been more considering how good some of the test blends were we tried.

[Cardinal]

So after you smoke em they'll tell you the mfg?

[Sticky B]

Yummy Yum Yummers

http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz175/SeanTheEvans/0505160858a_zpsgmmgxxly.jpg

http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz175/SeanTheEvans/0505160915_zpspst2fal2.jpg

http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz175/SeanTheEvans/0505160947_zps4vbvl261.jpg


....and still no sign of "pepper blast" anywhere

[DogRockets]

So after you smoke em they'll tell you the mfg?

Not normally, but Bums at an Orgy can be very persuasive. Plus we had spent multiple thousands of dollars there, so we were much preferred customers at that point!


Yummy Yum Yummers

....and still no sign of "pepper blast" anywhere

Glad to hear Sean! Glad it wasn't our toasted palates that couldn't pick up that pepper.

[droy1958]

Not normally, but Bums at an Orgy can be very persuasive. Plus we had spent multiple thousands of dollars there, so we were much preferred customers at that point!



Glad to hear Sean! Glad it wasn't our toasted palates that couldn't pick up that pepper.

That's why I only smoke one cigar a month. Palate protection.....

[Cardinal]

Not normally, but Bums at an Orgy can be very persuasive. Plus we had spent multiple thousands of dollars there, so we were much preferred customers at that point!


So if you tell us do you have to kill us, or what??? :hammerhead:

[DogRockets]

So if you tell us do you have to kill us, or what??? :hammerhead:

We could tell you them after you smoked but not before. Would destroy the mystery and intrigue.

[droy1958]

So if you tell us do you have to kill us, or what??? :hammerhead:

Back to pissin' on the common man. Damn Millinials, or however you whipper snappers spell it....

[Cardinal]

We could tell you them after you smoked but not before. Would destroy the mystery and intrigue.
Boooooooooo! No one likes a tease!

[Tombstone]

I have had blend labs before. I smoked a test size of he 5 Vegas aAa. I had a Drew Estate Toast maduro as a blend lab. Also a few unknowns.

[greige matter]

The RY444 was a real nice cigar. I enjoy the Short Story but this was just as enjoyable for me and definitely no pepper in sight.

[Demuths1770]

It was definitely a different experience to be there with a few different guys that love cigars and smoking and smoking them trying to figure out what they where. That Friday night is one I will not forget in awhile. I had a blast doing it! I can get some pics of the blend lab next time I'm up and post em up so you can all see it

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[Brimy]

I've seen & wanted to try a few blend labs but haven't made the opportunity! Now I need to try some now.

[jhedrick83]

It's kind of a shame that there aren't Blend Lab Samplers.

[Sticky B]

It's kind of a shame that there aren't Blend Lab Samplers.

They sell them as singles online I think, so you could just buy one of each? No discount tho - boooooo! (Can't buy bundles online either- lame)

[penna stogey]

Thanks for the recon Jeremy, going back in a few weeks, picking up a few to taste, oh yeah, and a Delicious Bacon Bloody Mary....Noice.

[04EDGE40]

So if you tell us do you have to kill us, or what??? :hammerhead:


We could tell you them after you smoked but not before. Would destroy the mystery and intrigue.

But if you smoke it and we reveal the manufacturer, you have to keep the secret! I searched the internet over to find more reveals, no one has done it. It actually made it more fun not knowing what they are, so we aren't going to post any secrets up and ruin the fun!

[DogRockets]

Thanks for the recon Jeremy, going back in a few weeks, picking up a few to taste, oh yeah, and a Delicious Bacon Bloody Mary....Noice.

They also had a Bloody Mary called a Cheesesteak Bloody Mary. Give that one a try too. I had a couple during the Orgy after they ran out of the Bacon Bloody Mary. Pretty tasty!

[penna stogey]

They also had a Bloody Mary called a Cheesesteak Bloody Mary. Give that one a try too. I had a couple during the Orgy after they ran out of the Bacon Bloody Mary. Pretty tasty!
No wonder you looked so satisfied.....All that phallic meats......Did you say....Steak?.....Dogrockets Bigalow-Bum Gigolo.....

[Ropey]

Next time CI has free shipping I'll get a blendlab sampler

[FireTom]

It's kind of a shame that there aren't Blend Lab Samplers.
BlendLab Grab Bag Sampler - Cigars International (http://www.cigarsinternational.com/mobile/samplers/102105/blendlab-grab-bag-sampler/#p-182431)

[jhedrick83]

BlendLab Grab Bag Sampler - Cigars International (http://www.cigarsinternational.com/mobile/samplers/102105/blendlab-grab-bag-sampler/#p-182431)

Nobody likes a show off, Tom... ;)

[penna stogey]

Next time CI has free shipping I'll get a blendlab sampler

Ropey, are you that close to CI, Hamburg? Let me know, I'll join yah.