JohnS' Smoking Diary 2019

[JohnS]

Edmundo Dantes Conde Belicoso 2016 - Edición Regional México TOR Nov 2016 

This Mexican Regional Edition release is reputed to be a combination of Montecristo and Por Larranaga marcas. Like my last one, this was all cocoa, coffee, nut and caramel marshmallow sweetness with a gorgeous citrus tang on the retrohale and draw. This was also a little spicier than my last Edmundo Dantes Conde Belicoso, but still great nonetheless.

[JohnS]

Trinidad Reyes AEM Jul 2014 (thanks @cfc1016!)

I'm very glad to have had the opportunity to smoke this Reyes today. You see, I've been absolutely enamoured with ARS/RAG late '17 and early '18 Trinidad Fundadores lately, with that wholesome milk coffee and dough profile, that I've forgotten just how complex these smaller Trinidad cigars can be. Thank you @cfc1016 for allowing me to review this again, as this was four months short of 5 years rested, and this has enabled the flavours in this to meld and round off.

The combined flavours I got of the cigar was milk or creamed coffee, grass/hay, floral notes and a little honey sweetness. I've had Trinidad Reyes from '14/'15 before and I distinctively remember more wood, earth and spice in them. These stronger flavours were not evident and the cigar was smooth and mild, just the way I like them at this stage of their development.

[JohnS]

Elie Bleu Che Humidor Piramides (circa 2004 - thanks @alloy!)

This is a rare cigar, the Elie Bleu Che Humidor torpedo from 2004, gifted to me by @alloy (thank you so much for making this possible!). Yes, it's Cuban. For more information on this release follow this thread below...

How did it smoke? In one word...gloriously! Beautiful notes of smooth chocolate, and orange citrus twang, some gingerbread sweetness and a little creaminess, like something close to the 2011 Montecristo No.2 Gran Reserva. Good luck to you if you can hunt down an original release of these!

[JohnS]

Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo des Dieux BUM Feb 2014

I shared one with with our dear friend @Luca. This had just hit the 5 year mark and it is the best des Dieux I've had in a while. I think the only ones that could top this would be the 2003 bandless des Dieuxs @Fuzz has gifted me from a 50 cab. They were quite something else!

What made this cigar so great, so easy to smoke and so dangerous to my fingers when I nubbed it, was the spiced clove, cedar and cream that was initially more spicy in the first sixth of the cigar but then settled into a light cedar and cream combination until the very end. Luca nubbed his too. I had to re-light mine a few times but this did not detract from the overall highly satisfying smoking experience overall.

[JohnS]

Vegas Robaina Don Alejandro OMR Oct 2015

Vegas Robaina is a marca that admittedly doesn't enjoy a notable profile, is unlikely to be in your 'go-to' rotation and like many other Habanos Multi-Local classified brands, has had a few regular production vitolas deleted since its inception as a brand in 1997. It was named after the famous Cuban tobacco grower, Alejandro Robaina, whom the Cuban Government decided to honour as the preeminent tobacco grower in Cuba in the 90's by naming a marca after him. A little over 20 years later there is only the Piramides-shaped vitola, the Unicos (52 ring gauge x 156 mm or 6.1 inches) and the Hermosos No.4, the Famosos (48 ring gauge x 127 mm or 5 inches) left. Like many other Lonsdales, Coronas and Double Coronas in the last 15 to 20 years, the Clásicos, the Familiar and the Don Alejandro have since been discontinued.

The Don Alejandro is the most recent deletion, although still available until 2017, it was a very slow seller (as is the Vegas Robaina marca overall). The late '15 Don Alejandro I smoked tonight has rested a little over 3 years and I wanted to re-visit it as Vegas Robaina is known for its prominent chocolate profile, and according to my palate, brands that share this dominant flavour profile tend to peak in the 3 to 5 year window, although I admit this is a personal generalisation and not a rule.

This Double Corona was 2 hours and 15 minutes of pure bliss. What made it so was not the chocolate and slight raisin sweetness balanced by a hint or sour dark cherries, although those flavours certainly appealed to my 'sweet tooth'. No, what made this so good for me was the gorgeous baking spice from beginning until the very end when I nubbed this. The baking spice was the dominant flavour and is something I look for and appeals to me in certain marcas as a sign of aging.

If you are seeking a cigar outside of your normal rotation and you've picked this vitola up in 2017/18, or earlier, from FoH 24:24 listings or elsewhere and have rested them for awhile, do yourself a favour and smoke one up, and soon!

[JohnS]

  Montecristo Especial (circa 2003 - thanks @jay8354!)

I'd like to thank @jay8354 for the opportunity to smoke this wondrous cigar. The Montecristo Especial is the epitome of the 'long-and-skinny', a Laguito No.1 with a slender 38 ring gauge by 192 mm (or 7.6 inches) in length.

The Montecristo marca is one of my favourite, although I do prefer the majority of its vitolas in the 3 to 5 year window of rest. The Especial, and its shorter Laguito No.2 brother, the Especiales No.2, is an exception to this preference. I've found these long and skinnies tend to get rolled with quality seco leaf, hence the mocha creaminess you can get from them as they mature.

This cigar was all mocha, nut and cream all the way, with hints of vanilla bean and baking spice. If there's one analogy to compare this too, it was like smoking fine Lindt milk chocolate. And I believe this is one of the reasons why the Especial (and Especiales No.2) never hang around long enough on FoH 24:24 listings when they invariably come up.

[JohnS]

Sancho Panza Non Plus ABR Sep 2011

I smoked this after I enjoyed a superlative 5-year old Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo des Dieux. I cleansed my palate with some soda water, gave myself 15 minutes and was fortunate to smoke this all the way with a great draw and no re-lights! I gifted one to @Luca from the same box and his opened up after he applied his PerfectDraw tool. How nifty are these modern conveniences? If you don't have a PerfectDraw tool to deal with tight or semi-plugged cigars, I highly recommend you get one!

This was typical Sancho Panza for its age. A mellow cream and salted wood combination that was more light on salt on more heavy on the wood, but alas, not too much. It was very, very good. Not quite a 5-year old des Dieux, but then again, it would have been hard to top that cigar from earlier in the evening.

Cohiba Shorts

A nice 15-minute afternoon tea break short cigar with a black espresso coffee. Just perfect!

Trinidad Shorts

I had this for the first time after I had smoked a Cohiba Shorts for an afternoon tea  break. It wasn't as flavoursome as the Cohiba Shorts, not as sweet, but still retained some nice mocha coffee-type flavour. Not bad for a purito!

[JohnS]

Bolívar Gold Medal 2007 - La Casa del Habano Exclusivo LSO Jul 2007 (thanks @Luca!)

Well, I'd be the first to admit I'm not a Bolivar aficionado, but this simply 'blew my socks off'! I'm indebted to our dear friend @Luca for allowing to sample this cigar, otherwise I'd doubt I would ever had reached for it.

The opening dominated in sweet cocoa, caramel and marshmallow goodness and quite honestly, it just never let up afterwards. A little leather and wood came into the middle third, as well as some floral notes here and there, but overall this stayed smooth, mild and cool all the way, even when I nubbed it at around 1/4 of an inch in length. Even at that point I was reluctant to give up the cigar, it was that scrumptious!

[JohnS]

Por Larrañaga Montecarlos LGR Oct 2017

I've loved this box so far as all 5 cigars so far have been outstanding to sensational. This was simply very, very good by comparison, which I don't mind because if this cigar represents the average then I'd be very satisfied by the time I reach for the last one!

What made it very, very good and not sensational like the others was that this was slightly more woody and toasty than the others, and less sweet. The caramel was not as pronounced either. Nevertheless, this was never overpowering and nonetheless easy to draw down on from start to finish.

[JohnS]

Montecristo No.4 UEB May 2018

This was just the second cigar from the box and it was a little more intense than the last one. Similarly to my Por Larranaga Montecarlos I enjoyed prior to this cigar (which was also a little more intense), I nonetheless didn't mind. Stronger cocoa and coffee flavours, some nut and leather but no creaminess, there was no overwhelming sign of youth other than the final third of the cigar heated up a little. I look forward to my next Montecristo No.4 from the box.

[JohnS]

Por Larrañaga Montecarlos LGR Oct 2017

I had to have another one. This was better than the last a few days ago because it was less 'toasty' and more caramel, wood and honey. The seventh from the box, they've all been great to brilliant so far and this one continued the trend.

[JohnS]

Montecristo No.4 UEB May 2018

This was my third cigar from this box and it was every bit as tremendous as the first. Below is what I wrote in my notes of the first cigar from this young box...

Well, my dear friend @Luca has been telling me for a month or two to sample this UEB May 2018 box we both acquired recently, and boy, I've got to say, he knows his stuff. This first Montecristo No.4, despite being only 9 months old, was spot on the money! Simply glorious in every way. It had the perfect balance of cocoa, milk coffee, cream, nut and a little leather which screamed "Montecristo at it's finest" all the way. What a shame this cigar only lasted 45 minutes!

So, the third one was pretty much like that except I nubbed this until one-eighth of an inch and was desperate to smoke more. I can happily report that there was no damage to my fingers!

[JohnS]

Saint Luis Rey Churchills PUT Dic 2006 (thanks @cfc1016!)

This is another cigar which I have told myself that I'd never get the opportunity to smoke since its sad deletion in 2010, but thanks to the warm generosity of @cfc1016, I can now add this vitola to my list of Saint Luis Rey marca cigars I've smoked over the years. I think of the Saint Luis Rey vitolas deleted since 2000, I'm yet to smoke the Petit Coronas and Coronas (funnily enough).

Before I discuss in further detail the minutiae of this cigar-smoking experience, a quick background of the Saint Luis Rey marca is needed. At the moment the only vitola left in this marca is the Regios, a Hermosos No.4 cigar (48 ring gauge x 127 mm or 5 inches in length). It is very different to the Serie A and Double Coronas, which are believed to be discontinued (but not confirmed by Habanos S.A) on account that box codes for these latter vitolas have not been since 2014 (possibly 2015 at the latest).

Saint Luis Rey is known as a marca which exudes complexity when it's 'on song'. Perhaps the Regios does less so, but aged Saint Luis Rey is quite a thing to behold. I've found them to go bland if left too long after their peak, but in their peak period I feel that they are potentially like no other Habanos cigar when it comes to the variety of flavours they produce and the changes they can exhibit through the thirds. I also have surmised that this 'complexity' has been both a strength and a weakness; a strength in the fact that unless they age too long they aren't one-dimensional and a weakness in that the multitude of flavours makes it a marca which is rarely a 'go-to' rotational choice for cigar enthusiasts and hence the niche market over the years. Perhaps the greatest market for Saint Luis Rey since its inception in the 1940s has been the United Kingdom.

Onto this Churchill! It's vitola dimensions at 47 ring gauge x 178 mm in length (or 7 inches) is now rare due to deletions of this vitola across many marcas, especially in the last 10 to 15 years. Only the Romeo y Julieta Churchill, the Cohiba Esplendidos and the H.Upmann Sir Winston are left in regular production.

I expected upon lighting that this cigar would be quite mild, since it was 12⅓ years old, but to my astonishment the strength in this was around the medium mark and did not let up. This certainly would have 'legs' for some time to come! The initial third saw a strong hit of lemon citrus, fig sweetness and toasted tobacco which gave way to some white pepper, at the beginning of the second third, and chocolate and cocoa. This combined flavour continued into the last third when it unsurprisingly increased in intensity and strong coffee notes prevailed.

Wow, what a ride! Thanks again @cfc1016 for allowing me to sample this cigar and share my thoughts on it for the benefit of our members.

[JohnS]

Sautter Custom Super Mario

I'm grateful to @Luca for picking this up from Sautters in London. As some of us may be aware, Laurence Davis likes his Cuban Customs made with huge ring gauges and this certainly did not disappoint in that department...60 ring gauge x 101 mm in length or 4 inches. It was so big that I had to use my Xikar XO cutter to clip it as that cutter is designed for cigars up to 64 ring gauge, although Xikar claim on their website that it can cut cigars up to 70 ring gauge! I actually feel that this Sautter Super Mario custom was even a little bigger than advertised, perhaps even 64 ring gauge as my next cigar after this one was so much better to draw from even though it was 47 ring gauge in diameter. It felt minuscule in comparison!

Anyway, how did it smoke? Well, as my last Sautter custom was the similarly huge Elephantes I expected a supremely mild Montecristo/Por Larranaga combination like that cigar but nothing could be further from the truth. This was like an amplified Partagas Serie D No.4 all the way. The closed foot screamed pepper upon the first few puffs, which settled rather quickly into paprika spice, sourdough, leather and light coffee flavours for the rest of the cigar. The sourdough was quality though, beautifully 'airy' bread texture that you get in cigars rolled with quality leaf.

How long did this take to smoke? Well a 40 ring gauge x 102 mm (or 4 inches) Perlas would take me 30 to 35 minutes to smoke on average, perhaps a tad longer. With this ring gauge I calculated the volume was around 2½ times larger and so it proved correct...this took approximately 75 to 80 minutes to finish. The nub got very hot at the end so be mindful if you ever come across this, you can't nub it as far as other more standard ring gauge cigars.

[JohnS]

Montecristo A MOL Jun 2017

The biggest Montecristo cigar around is this one, but don't fooled, it's not the strongest. At 47 ring gauge x 235 mm in length (that's 9¼ inches!) this felt like a toothpick in diameter in comparison to the mammoth Sautter Custom Super Mario Habanos cigar I smoked prior to this one.

At two months short of two years in age, this was simply sublime. The Montecristo coffee and cocoa was there, albeit in a diminished capacity, however, it was the flavours that complimented the muted Montecristo quintessential flavour which esteemed it so highly. @Luca smoked one with me this night and what I labelled as almond nut he noted as hazelnut, like Frangelico liqueur, which upon reflection I believe is quite apt. However, in regards to the orange citrus twang like Cointreau, there was no doubt whatsoever, for this was the absolute superlative flavour which held us both in attentive bliss for easily over 2½ hours.

So, in summary, if you are looking to this cigar to overwhelm you with strength or complexity, then look elsewhere, otherwise do yourself a favour and give this some time to rest (at least 12 to 18 months in my opinion) and hopefully you could sit back and enjoy it like I did. This is a strong candidate for my best cigar of April thus far.

[JohnS]

El Rey del Mundo Demi Tasse SGA Sep 2016

The El Rey del Mundo Demi Tasse can be such a delightful little flavour bomb and this was no exception. This had the usual lemon citrus combining with a core fruit and shortbread profile and some floral and honey notes on the edges. It was just a tad 'toasty' in places. My aim is to get more of an almond nut flavour out of them as they age long-term.

[JohnS]

Cohiba Siglo II BTO Dic 2012

This was my last Siglo II from this box and like my last one, at a just under 6½ of age, this was stronger than I expected. The reason was the same as before, the core coffee flavour again dominated the other Cohiba grass/hay, honey and citrus flavours, although not as much.

Still, give me this petit corona any day and I will be satisfied, especially with a long espresso!

[JohnS]

Por Larrañaga Montecarlos LGR Oct 2017

At what point do you start going through a box of cigars, find it glorious, and then start to get concerned that you should get another to replace it? Also, at what point do you worry that you're going through the box too quickly?

In regards to the first question, despite hitting just the one-third mark of the box consumed, I am actually thinking about getting another box. In regards to the second, I think I'm not doing too badly as I've gone through eight magnificent smoking experiences from this box in 4 months...after all, averaging two cigars a month ain't bad if you've got no impetus to age the box!

This Por Larranaga Montecarlos was all caramel and honey around a coffee, wood and toast core...just wonderful! As I smoked it I reflected on the 2002 deleted Punch Ninfas and 2010 deleted Quai d'Orsay Panatelas and how good it would be to smoke a long and skinny like those again. I'm grateful that we have the Montecarlos around.

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4 POU Jun 2013

In 2015, POU Jun 13 Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4's were equivalent to Quai d'Orsay 50's at the present time, if you saw them on a 24:24 listing longer than half-a-minute you were very lucky indeed.

I picked up half-a-box towards the end of their peak selling cycle for I remember how fortunate I was to get them, they weren't around soon after. Fast forward a number of years and at just under six years of age I only have one left, but what a journey it's been over the years because these have been great cigars.

The cherry ripe is Australia's oldest confectionery bar. Established in 1924 by MacRobertson's, the bar was sold to English company Cadbury's in 1967 and is still around today, selling as well as it ever did and just as popular with Australian consumers as ever. The bar is coated in chocolate and has cherries and coconut inside. This combination closely resembles, in analogous terms, what this cigar was like to smoke and frankly, it was just as delicious!

Cherry, cream, cocoa and quality toasted tobacco...what more can one ask for from a mid-term aged Romeo y Julieta cigar? I smoked a Montecristo A one week ago and listed it as a contender for my cigar of the month for April, but this cigar just equaled it, in my opinion. Oh the dilemma...how long until I smoke my last one from the box, I wonder?

[JohnS]

Montecristo Leyenda UBM Sep 2018

This is my second Montecristo Leyenda in the last six months. Below are my notes from the first one...

"This Montecristo Leyenda is part of the new Linea 1935 series, a group of three cigars (the others are the Dumas and Maltes) which are the Montecristo version of the Cohiba Behike series. Its dimensions are identical to the 2017 Montecristo 80th Aniversario release, that is big...55 ring gauge by 165 mm in length. These have been marketed as been fuller in strength (or is it flavour, or possibly both?), but I found this to be suitably medium to medium-mild. Sure, it wasn't as light as an Especiales No.2, for example, but it was nowhere near as strong as some Petit Edmundos or even Montecristo No. 4's I've had.

The reason this cigar was so, so good, in my opinion, was the milk chocolate and cream flavour which dominated the first two thirds. There was also some underlying cedar, which was a little sweet, almond nut and, in my opinion, similarly to the Edmundo Dantes Belicosos, some hints of marshmallow. I was even able to retrohale into the final third, where I was able to get some white pepper. Pepper wasn't really evident throughout the first two-thirds and there was just a little in the last third. The one thing that I must add is how I underestimated how long it would take to smoke this, it must have been at least two-and-a-half hours! Glorious and deserving of high praise indeed!"

This Leyenda was even milder than my first one and took around the same time to finish. There was no pepper notes at the end but flavours were similar. Again, (it was) a great smoke!

[JohnS]

Liga Privada Único Serie Velvet Rat (thanks @Çnote)

From what I understand, this Drew Estate release was once a Limited Edition which has now become regular production, but is hard to source. Its dimensions are ideal, 46 ring gauge x 159 mm in length (6¹⁄₄ inches) and the pig tail was amongst the easiest to unwind on a cigar that I've encountered, no need for a cutter here! It started off strong in flavour and was full-bodied until the second third, when it settled into a mid to full-bodied cigar. Flavours were the same throughout...dark espresso coffee, dark chocolate, wood and dried raisin (a little), it was like an amplified Ramon Allones Specially Selected with a hint of the sweetness.

Viaje White Label Project Birthday Blend (2016 - again thank you @Çnote)

Again, this is a harder to source Non-Cuban, from what I understand, based on the limited release 12 year-old Old Forrester’s Birthday Bourbon. It started off full of pepper and then settled in the middle third and thereafter into a dark chocolate, pepper and earthy cigar until the end. The strength was full-bodied all the way.

I'd like to again thank @Çnote for making these available for me to sample. He gave me some other Non-Cubans to sample along with these ones and suggested that I was moving through them from most likely to emulate Cubans to least likely. I started off with the Warped Don Reynaldo and Relatos, moved onto the La Flor Dominicana 1994 and Santa Muerte and then finished with these. Yes, they did indeed progress in a linear fashion from most like Cubanesque to least, but I say this tongue-in-cheek, I swear it was just a coincidence folks!

[JohnS]

Punch Punch UBM Ago 2018

The Punch Punch, for me, embodies what makes Habanos cigars unique and distinctive from cigars made from other regions in the world. Some call it a 'Cuban twang', others define the term as 'Cubanesque', but no matter what you call it, I'd like to think that the (volcanic) soil which makes the Vuelta Abejo region stand out for its tobacco, and is evident in Habanos cigars in varying degrees, is so eminently enjoyable in a Punch Punch, and especially in the last 5 years or so.

Punch Punch can be described as having wood, cream, clove, spice and even nut or floral flavours, at times, but the last few I've had, including the one from the 2018 FoH Xmas Sampler (which I rated the best of the twelve), have been full of that 'Cuban twang' I've mentioned above.

And so what is this 'Cuban twang'? I best describe it as a sour citrus tart flavour and in this Punch Punch, it had a gorgeous creamy texture to it as well. Wood or cedar and spice was not really as obvious as other Punch Punch I've enjoyed in the past, but it didn't matter, as this cigar was simply outstanding, it was everything you'd hope for from a run-of-the-mill regular production cigar. For when they are like this, well then, you can keep your Limited and Regional Editions on the shelf, for this is all you need.

There are many Habanos cigars that enthusiasts advocate to rest (or age) to develop into a peak period. Even when you are eager to get into a box and sample it, it's again usually advised to rest them in a humidor for 30 to 60 days and then 'dry box' for a few days. Well, for this Punch Punch cigar I will admit to you that I threw all that advice, which I commonly espouse to, out the proverbial window. Eight months old and the cigar was in my humidor for 3 days...is that not, by definition, what is meant by 'right-off-the-truck' (ROTT)? It just goes to show that there is no 'one-and-fast' rule to enjoying Habanos cigars when it comes to resting them and for me this is just another characteristic of what makes this hobby so wonderful and interesting.

[JohnS]

San Cristóbal de la Habana La Fuerza LGR Jun 2018

The last San Cristobal de La Habana La Fuerza I had was from the 2018 FoH Xmas Sampler and it proved to be a real 'fizzer' because it was smoked on a wet and humid summer's night and subsequently it was a tad bitter and harsh in places. Thankfully, this was a lot better!

The La Fuerza is noted as been similar to the El Principe in blend, only more muted. I would agree with this sentiment. I find the El Principe is more rich and intense, a 'no-brainer go-to' cigar, for me. This La Fuerza was still molasses sweet, had light coffee tones, minimal cocoa and an 'airy cake' or pancake texture to it throughout which I really loved. If they are consistently like this then I'd have no hesitation in having another, and soon!

[JohnS]

Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo des Dieux

The most famous quote from the Sermon on the Mount surely must be, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matt 7:12). However, one thing my father drummed into me as a kid was the saying, "When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matt 6:3-4) He would expound further that acts of generosity need to be done for altruistic purposes to be true acts of generosity and as I get older I can understand this more.

The reason I mention this is because I am the beneficiary of this cigar from a generous benefactor who would prefer anonymity. I guess the act of kindness was sufficient for him, but I remain humbled, after all, it's a des Dieux.

I'm not familiar with the age of the cigar, but my instincts tell me that it would be of the most recent vintage, somewhere circa 2013/14 judging by the band, wrapper quality and shade, aroma etc and comparing it to my own. How did it compare to my last des Dieux? In a word, it didn't, it was like another cigar entirely!

You see, my last des Dieux was a 2014 cream and light cedar stick, with hints of vanilla...exactly as I like them, this on the other hand was cloves, spice and wood all the way with very little creaminess evident. You may say that there was the hint of mushroom or forest floor flavours. Mind you, I still enjoyed the cigar, but when they are like this, be mindful, they have much life in them yet!

[JohnS]

Punch Coronas TSU Sep 2007 (thanks @baragh!)

The Montecristo No.3, Quai d'Orsay Coronas Claro and the Romeo y Julieta Cedros de Luxe No.2 are the last coronas vitolas left in regular production. Once upon a time it seemed every marca had a coronas-sized cigar, but that seems like aeons ago now.

This Punch Coronas was generously gifted to me by Will and was discontinued in 2009. My last Punch marca cigar was a 2018 Punch Punch and I thought it was spectacularly similar to the 2018 FoH Xmas Sampler one I had a few months ago. This Coronas was very close to those, if only because I felt that those two Punch Punch cigars oozed that distinctive Cuban Twang sour citrus tart note throughout, whereas this Coronas had stronger elements of leather to it. Still, this was very, very good and I wouldn't complain if I had a box of these. I'd make sure to rest them a little longer even, if I did!