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So [mention=2756]mkz[/mention] gifted me an incredible "sampler" a while back (from his epic thread in the photo gallery subforum) and I've had a hard time keeping my hands off the cigars. Yesterday I finally gave in again and smoked my second stick from the pack, an old Troya Universales. Now, I should start out by saying that this was probably the cigar I had the least hopes for. About a year and a half ago, I was sitting in the José Martin Airport with a shitty-rum hangover lighting up the worse cigar I've ever in my life. It was a Troya that came in a plastic tube. Format: Universales / Short panatela / 38 x 5.3". Technically discontinued in 2005 but replaced with the same exact format (?). Pre-light / appearance: Overall uniform color, with a couple of small water spots near the cap. Toothy veins on the back. Filling looks good. Very little, if any, smell on the foot. Straight cut, doesn't appear dry or brittle and the filling looks good on this end too. Not much in terms of pre-light flavors but perfect draw. Light up / first 3rd: Salty vegetables on the very first puff. After this, the cigar alternates between nothing and very faint notes on the front of sweet bread. Little there on the retro, no spice. The finish has a pleasant and warm earth, once again combined with a distinct saltiness that goes well when the front produces sweetness. Burn has that characteristic shortfiller jaggedness but sticks close to a razor line. About an inch into it, flavors start picking up on the finish. Once again, salty vegetables. Second 3rd: Something tickling appears on the retro but is only there for a few drags. The front sweetness is now more pronounced but also spottier. Again, once it is there it makes up a beautiful duet with the saltiness that comes in after but I can also imagine that this has lost some over the years, and is only a fraction of what it once was. Mild but the finish has improved from "not unpleasant" to "enjoyable". Salty earth, hints of vegetables. The retro picks up once again, salty. Its a saltiness different from that which I've experienced with old cigars, it is more... Fitting? Draw flawless, burn now straight as an arrow. Final third: Big burst of spice on retrohale, almost out of the blue. Front not as prominent, no more sweetness (or at least my palate is not good enough to pick it up anymore). Has become more medium in body now continues to ramp up. Becoming very salty and briny, almost to the point of harshness. This is where I leave it. Final thoughts: The best Troya I've ever smoke but lets be honest; that isn't saying much. When it comes to the construction, I am extremely impressed. Beautiful bellowing smoke, PERFECT draw, great burn line throughout the cigar (especially after an inch or so into it). For being a machine-made cigar, construction is outstanding and better than many hand-rolled sticks that I've had recently. The flavors were spotty and weak at times but also gave glimpses into a beautiful blend of sweet and salt, earth, and hints of vegetables. The more I try turn-of-the-century machine-mades, the more I am sad to see that they are all but gone (at least in that quality). Thanks again to mkz for this smoke!