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I had my first Mag 56 tonight. YUM. All dark black Coffee and Slightly burnt toast. Very Rich. Unfortunately, I dont like the size, at all. Smoking a cigar of that girth is just not enjoyable for me, I could also hear that wet sucking sound coming from my wallet the entire time. So, my question is. What tastes like this, but is maybe half the size and half the price?

Format: Double Robusto Dimensions: 56 ring gauge x 150 mm Date: Saturday 25th of June, 2016 Cold Draw: A lovely, quality barnyard and tobacco smell. The cold draw was good with cocoa, bean and barnyard flavour coming through. Lit: 1:00 p.m. Initial Draw: I used my 3-in-1 Credo Punch Cutter, using the largest 14 mm cut, to make a perfect punch. (After) The first few draws in and I could easily tell that this was quality cigar. It was medium to medium-full in body, but the smoke output was exceptional. Chocolate, Upmann Shortbread, perhaps licorice, and a hint of pleasant spice through the nose. First Third: I've paired this with a nice black espresso, my usual beverage of choice. I'm telling myself to slow down as I want to take multiple puffs, much like what Laurence Davis does in his Sautter Video Cigar Reviews when he enjoys a cigar. Thankfully for me, the burn is a little uneven, so this forces me to slow down and reflect/contemplate the cigar experience so far. (There's) Some nice, mild spice is detected now with each puff. As I see the burn start to correct itself (the sign of a quality cigar), I can make out the iconic H.Upmann toasted tobacco profile married with hints of pepper. (There's) Exceptional smoke still per draw. Second Third: The Upmann toasted tobacco and pepper is coming through stronger now, but is not overpowering the cigar to the point where you'd want to re-visit this in 3-6 months to get some flavour out it, as there's flavour to be had now! There's a little licorice to each puff, I'd describe it as being more than your standard chocolate flavour which you associate with recent Limited Edition releases. I am really enjoying the subtle spice and pepper on the aftertaste. The burn has corrected perfectly and smoke output is consistently outstanding. Final Third: At the beginning of the final third, and the question I ask myself is, "how do I slide off the band/s?" Experience tells me to slide off the 'El 2015' band forward, and use the heat of the cigar to attempt to slide off the other one later. The intensity is identical to the second third, again, another sign of the quality of this cigar. As I draw down I marvel at how smooth this is in comparison to the second third and I'm well-pleased that I have had the opportunity to review it at the 12-month stage. With very careful manipulation, I was able to slide off the large H.Upmann 56 band towards the head of the cigar. Completed: 2:30 p.m. Conclusion: I am indebted to my dear friend and brother-of-the-leaf Jimmy (jimsta10) for gifting me this superb cigar to review. I also struggled (mentally) with the concept of a 56 ring gauge cigar prior to lighting, I much prefer a standard ring gauge 42 mm Marevas or Corona/Corona Grande cigar. I'm not going to excuse the size though, it is a jaw-breaker. I compensated for this by 'sipping' from the 14mm punch cut all the way throughout smoking the cigar, at least the smoke output was able to compensate for small draws and maximum flavour/s! It's easy to understand why El Presidente has found it difficult to keep his hands off these so young, the fact is that this is brilliant. If you've haven't committed to getting a box or partaking in a split, the simple truth is, you've made a mistake. You simply must get your hands on this! My recommendation is to smoke one every 3 to 6 months, and patiently wait until they get to 3 to 5 years in age, when they will become exceptional in my opinion. In the meantime, I aim to re-visit the other recent Limited Editions (2015 Ramon Allones Club Allones, 2014 Cohiba Robusto Supremo, Bolivar Super Corona and Partagas Seleccion Privada) in the next coming weeks to compare.

You probably have seen them float around but here are a few pics of the cigars: Monte Media Corona ( Half Corona) I smoked it before I took pics... Mag 56 RYJ Wide Church. GR LGC LCDH 25 Anni ( 3500 humidor made. #0001 is in MTL) Monte 80th Anniversario: Havana Club Cohiba Atmosphere Union (350cuc):