From cigarcyclopedia.com's STARS OF THE SHOW VII:

Los Angeles, September 19 – One of the exciting aspects of trying new blends, especially by smaller makers, is to enjoy the blending concepts of individuals who create new cigars. This week, we tried six different cigars from three different makers, each with their own ideas of what’s right for today.

(The Ted's reviews are featured below)

Ted's Made by Hand – Natural wrapper:
(Dominican Republic: available in 3 sizes)

The first Ted's Made by Hand blend to be introduced was the natural-wrapped version, using an elegant Connecticut wrapper and sporting a red band.

It's medium in body with a spicy aroma and a smooth and deep caramelized taste that also includes a sweet finish. The construction is excellent and the burn is even.

The smoothness and accessibility of this cigar are easy to appreciate and the spicy note that enters in the second half helps to maintain the balance of the blend. If you’re looking for a cigar that you can introduce to your friends who want to find out what the love of the leaf is all about, this would be an excellent candidate.

All three sizes (5 x 50, 6 x 50 and 7 x 50) are offered in boxes of 20, but instead of cellophane, each is packaged in a fire engine-red box with foil lining! Retail pricing runs from $7.00 to $9.25 each, before local sales and tobacco taxes.

Overall grade: A-: Excellent.

Ted's Made by Hand – Maduro wrapper:
(Dominican Republic: available in 3 sizes)

The maduro-wrapped version of the Ted's line is easy to spot thanks to its black band with silver lettering. It's also offered in individual, foil-lined boxes, but these are black with red trim and offered in wood chests of 20.

The Nicaraguan-grown maduro wrapper gives this blend a medium-to-full-bodied taste, with a spicy aroma. There’s a rich, sweet taste from the start, with a spicy, long finish. The draw and burn are perfect and a welcome note of spice is present on the throat by midway.

The richness recedes a little in the second half, but there is more depth to this blend than the natural-wrapped edition and it comes out more strongly toward the end. Pricing is the same as for the Connecticut-wrapped cigars, from $7.00 to $9.25 each before local sales and tobacco taxes.

Overall grade: A-: Excellent.

Each of these cigars offers a unique approach to flavor from the man who created it and experiencing each of these concepts is one of the pleasures of cigars. After all, the best cigar you may ever smoke may be the next one you try. ~ Rich Perelman