JohnS' Smoking Diary 2021

[JohnS]

Por Larrañaga Montecarlos TOS Mar 2017

This TOS Mar 2017 represents my darker-wrappered Por Larranaga Montecarlos, which I smoked half the box within six months of acquiring it. The last cigar I've had from this box was in August 2020 and the previous one was two years prior to that...my how time flies! I've since been smoking my LGR Oct 2017 and LGR Ago 2018 PLMCs, as these had lighter wrappers and were more abundant in caramel from a younger age (and thus more to my liking).

It's not that this TOS Mar 2017 box has been that bad; rather, they've been more dominant in coffee and toast notes in their first 12 to 18 months of rest so I decided to give them more time to develop more of that significant caramel note that Por Larranaga is renowned for.

I got some nice notes of sweet caramel and honey, as well as coffee and nut in this PL Montecarlos today, but in general it was nowhere near as toasty as my light-wrappered PL Montecarlos that I've enjoyed in the last few years. In fact, overall I'd say it was much more 'woody', yet I was still satisfied with how this box has since developed in the last 12 months or so.

Like I mentioned last time, I hope to re-visit this box in the another 12 months to see how they are coming along. In the meantime, I have my other lighter-wrappered Por Larranaga Montecarlos to enjoy!

[JohnS]

Juan López Selección No.2 MEL Dic 2016

It's been three months since my last JL2. At the time I wrote that the cigar had performed a complete 180° turn in how it smoked in comparison to my previous Juan Lopez Seleccion No.2s from the same box code. That cigar was all orange peel citrus right from the word go, with a combined light coffee and milk chocolate core and most importantly, it was medium to medium-mild in strength the whole way. This example was very bit as good, only a little milder and more importantly, it was very easy to smoke, it had no harsh edges.

I make no secret of the fact that I haven't had the best time with young Juan Lopez in the past, I haven't loathed them, but I haven't loved them either. With younger examples of JL2s I mainly found that they would have some Cointreau orange, citrus and chocolate to interest me but the stronger espresso coffee, toasted tobacco and spice notes tended to dominate the cigar, in general, and this was not to my liking.

It's been explained to me in the past, from a dear and sage friend, that the key to a quality Juan Lopez Seleccion No.2 was letting them rest and develop, and this was why I guess this cigar connected so favourably with my palate today, just like my last one three months ago.

[JohnS]

Partagás Serie E No.2 MSU Jun 2019

I've had very few Partagas Serie E No.2s over the years but that's not because I have an aversion to them. On the contrary, they enjoy quite a stellar reputation on our forum. In 2018 the Partagas Serie E No.2 was even touted (again, on our forum) as a 'Behike replacement' and El Laguito factory code Partagas Serie E No.2s are highly sought after.

This Partagas E2 had excellent flavours of coffee, leather and sourdough in the first third and for a time it was looking as if this was going to be an outstanding, quality smoke. That soon changed at the end of the first third when the cigar became bitter, acrid and spicy and refused to remain lit. The culprit? Under-filling in the middle of the cigar! I had no choice but to persevere through it. Thankfully towards the end of the second third the cigar smoked well both flavour-wise and construction-wise with the return of those refined coffee, leather and sourdough flavours returning to the fore.

It goes without saying that due to the under-filling the ash was quite flaky and the burn, which I correct a few times, was a bit inconsistent as I encountered some bunched leaves in the middle third. After around 85 minutes I was glad to extinguish this cigar in the ashtray by letting it burn out. My thoughts then turned to my next cigar to smoke as I reached for my cutter...

[JohnS]

Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo de Rio Seco ABO Abr 2019

Ever since its release in 2018, the Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo de Rio Seco has been one of the hottest sellers within the regular production Habanos catalogue  and this despite its large 56 ring gauge girth. The Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo de San Juan, with a similarly large 54 ring gauge and released in 2014, hasn't quite enjoyed the same level of success as its little brother, the HdM de Rio Seco but that's not because the HdM de San Juan has been a failure, it's more reasonable to state that the HdM de Rio Seco has simply been so good in its youth.

In fact, as I've mentioned in previous reviews on this cigar, I would say that it's the creamy texture at a youthful stage which most appeals to enthusiasts who invest in this cigar. In comparison to other cigars within the Le Hoyo line, which traditionally have been woody, spicy and containing forest floor flavours in youth and requiring long-term rest to build in cream, the de Rio Seco has been much sweeter and creamier at an early age.

This HdM Le Hoyo de Rio Seco today was not as sweet, nor creamy as my previous one I enjoyed around a month ago. Still, it smoked very well. It was more woody and the spice was more akin to cloves rather than cinnamon at times.

I guess the light and 'toasty' texture of this cigar is what I really enjoyed about this cigar. It made it ever so easy to smoke over a duration of 100 minutes.

[JohnS]

Punch Punch 48 2016 - Especialista en Habanos Exclusivo LGR Oct 2018

When I first tried this cigar (when it was first released) I noted the roasted nut profile in it was so dominant. At around the 18 months mark the peanut profile was still there; albeit, not as roasted.

A Hermosos No.3, at 48 ring gauge x 140 mm (or 5½ inches), the size now seems more akin to a coronas, especially since the Robustos (50 ring gauge) and Petit Robustos is now the average-sized Habanos vitola these days.

At three months short of three years down, this cigar no longer had an overt nut profile. Instead, the gorgeous sour citrus twang intermingled with a gorgeous light cream and cedar were the main flavours I picked up throughout the cigar.

Again, the consistent construction and well-balanced flavours appealed to me, as well as its simplicity. This was a fantastic cigar over 95 minutes of smoking time.

Whilst I'd categorise the Punch 48 as being closer in blend to the 2018 Punch 8-9-8 Asia Pacific Regional Edition than the regular production Punch Punch or Punch Short de Punch, they've been consistently above average for me over the past 24 to 36 months.

[JohnS]

Nudies N1 Lancero

For those of you unfamiliar with the Nudies releases, the intention was to blend more than the eventual two cigars produced, but this wasn't possible to achieve for commercial reasons, so El Pres and Hamlet settled on tweaking a blend which was close enough to replicating the 2010 discontinued Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.1 and Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.3.

The Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.1 was a lancero size with 38 ring gauge by 192 mm (or 7½ inches) in length dimensions. With these Nudies releases, it makes it hard to believe that they were blended with Non-Cuban tobacco, but knowing that there's no Nicaraguan ligero leaf in these makes me understand and appreciate the muted bite and the sweet flavours. El Pres himself said that the small factory, small team (6 rollers), Hamlet blending, Cuban factory manager, choice of good aged tobaccos and great chemistry made things all come together well for the 2019 edition. I couldn't agree more!

At around two years of age, this N1 Lancero I smoked today had very little sweet cocoa this time, your usual leather and sourdough and minimal to no Partagas-type spice. This is still every bit a quality cigar. I'm glad I have a few left to enjoy in 2021. I don't envisage a need to age these much past the three year mark as they are smoking so well right now.

[JohnS]

Nudies N3 Carlota

The Nudies are a 2019 collaboration between El Pres and master Cuban roller, Hamlet Paredes using Non-Cuban leaf. Specifically, the filler is made up of Nicaraguan quality aged seco and volado, there is no ligero which means no strong pepper and less 'kick'. The Nudies N1 Lancero was designed to replicate the Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.1, the Nudies N3 Carlota was designed to replicate the Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.3. Both Partagas cigars were discontinued in 2010.

The Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.3 was 35 ring gauge by 143 mm (or 5⅝ inches) in length. The N3 Carlota is slighter bigger and longer, 38 ring by 152 mm (or 6 inches) in length. The reason for this was the difference in blend and taste once it got down past the 38 ring gauge mark in testing. Hence why the N3 Carlota is slightly bigger than the Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.3.

This N3 Carlota today was much like my last one I had around two months ago; all quality bread sourdough, sweet cocoa and leather. It was every bit as good as the many quality Habanos cigars I've enjoyed lately. In my opinion, this cigar is still smoking every bit as well as when I acquired them at the beginning of 2020.

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Short Churchills LAT Feb 2018

The last Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill I had around three months ago was average. Today's example was a bit better in quality but not up to the class of my ABO Ago 2018 Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4 box, which I've thoroughly enjoyed of late.

Like last time, I got some nice turkish delight and berry notes, but the wood and bitter chocolate in this RyJ Short Churchill was more notable, this time around, throughout the cigar. I also got spice at times. Unlike last time, I had no complaints about the construction, other than I had to re-light once and the burn was a little 'wonky' at the beginning, but that soon corrected itself.

Again, in comparison to recent RyJ Churchills I've smoked, this Short Churchill was a tad stronger, medium-mild to medium, but still faithful to its marca profile, which still made it pleasurable to smoke. However, I can't say that it was as good as some quality RyJ Churchills, Exhibicion No.4 and Petit Royales that I've smoked of late.

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Churchills UEB Jun 2019

I feel that, at least for me, Romeo y Julieta Churchills from late 2015/early 2016 to 2018 box codes have been so consistently good that this first cigar from a mid-2019 box code, even though it was average for a RyJ Churchill, was still better than average in comparison to your standard Habanos cigar of the same period.

So what made it not as outstanding as the many excellent RyJ Churchills I've sampled in the last 3 years, at least? Simply put, it was the balance of the cigar. The construction could not be faulted; the ash-length had near-perfect ridges, was around one inch every time and the burn was consistent. My very best RyJ Churchills of late have shone in cherry or berry flavours with turkish delight, anise sweetness and even baking spice, at times. This RyJ Churchill today had very strong notes of cocoa throughout. It made the cherry and anise flavours muted in comparison. Mind you, they were there, but just on the edges.

In hindsight, I'd take this mid-2019 Romeo y Julieta Churchill over the 2014/15 examples that were bland toasted tobacco sticks and not much else. In all honesty, I can live with how this RyJ Churchill smoked today.

[JohnS]

Ramón Allones Hunters & Frankau Aniversario 225 2015 - Edición Regional Gran Bretaña MUR Feb 2013

The Ramon Allones Hunters & Frankau Aniversario 225 was released in 2015 to commemorate Hunters & Frankau's 225th Anniversary as a cigar distributor company. The release notes below...

About this cigar: To mark Hunters & Frankau's 225th Anniversary, we are offering a very special Havana cigar and a commemorative humidor. Just 50,000 of the cigars have been produced in numbered SLB boxes of 25. Master blender Arnaldo Vichot at the Partagas factory, created the rich mixture of leaves for the cigars. Two different blends were submitted to a tasting panel in November 2012 and once the blend was chosen by H&F representatives, production of all 50,000 cigars took place between February and May 2013 and was undertaken by just three top grade torcedores.

In the traditional British manner, the cigars were then shipped to the UK and aged for a period of two years in their condition-controlled warehouse so that they would be fully matured before being released to the market.

Popular Vitola: H&F 225th Aniversario
Factory Vitola: Gordito con Cabeza Tumbada
Ring Gauge: 50
Cigar Length: 141 mm / 5.5 inches
Body: Medium - Full

As mentioned, the Ramon Allones Hunters & Frankau Aniversario 225 was released to great fanfare in London in 2015 but I've found that critical consensus amongst cigar enthusiasts in the ensuing years has been mixed. The reason? I would venture to say that it's due to the fact that this cigar falls somewhat outside your typical range of profile within the marca; it's neither bold, cocoa-laden and fruity, nor is it refined, chocolate-y or nutty.

I had a RA H&F 225 cigar a year ago and found that it had become medium-mild in body yet still retained a core flavour of cocoa, madeira cake, baking spice and floral notes. Indeed, yes...I found it very different to a regular production Ramon Allones cigar, much lighter and nuanced. This RA H&F 225 today was a little bolder in the first third but soon settled into the profile I experienced a year ago. Although perhaps it had a little more baking spice than my last one, it was by no means a complex cigar, but it was easy to smoke down to the nub.

The Bolivar Silver Jubilee Asia Pacific Regional Edition has since been released with the same vitola in 2018, but the RA H&F Aniversario 225 remains a unique cigar within the Ramon Allones marca.

[JohnS]

San Cristóbal de la Habana El Príncipe TOS Jun 2016

I've returned this cigar to my rotation, it seems, on account of how good they've been of late. In fact, they've been stellar. This doesn't detract from how fortunate I've been in smoking these SCdLH El Principe with decent construction on them. I've recently read accounts on our forum of members smoking through plugged or tight examples and yet still describing this cigar as flavoursome. I can assure you that I can 100% relate to this outcome, but I'm grateful not to have smoked through a poorly-constructed SCdLH El Principe for quite some time.

This box has just hit the five-year mark and again the cigar was on-point in terms of flavour. What stood out this time was the pancake texture which made me reminisce as to why I regard this particular cigar so fondly. The fact that it had no spice, no harshness or edges made this 35 minutes of pure smoking joy.

This was simply another 5-out-of-5 cigar today. I now have seven of these San Cristobal de La Habana El Principes left in my humidor. I can't see them lasting another twelve months based on how good the last two or three have been!

[JohnS]

Punch Regios de Punch 2017 - Edición Limitada BRE Oct 2017

The Punch Regios de Punch is a 2017 Limited Edition that was quickly forgotten in the aftermath of the other Limited Edition released that year; the Cohiba Talisman. The Talisman was released in November 2017 amidst great publicity and great demand, so much so that it made the Partagas Series No.1 and Punch Regios de Punch seemingly 'fall to the wayside' when they were released in early 2018. The Partagas Series No.1 has had more of a following in the ensuing years than the Punch Regios de Punch; which I would argue barely raises a whimper on our forum nowadays.

Without 'sugar-coating' it, I believe the reason the Punch Regios de Punch has not attracted a devoted following, unlike the Cohiba Talisman, is because it was simply a bad cigar. By that I mean, it was a bad cigar for a Limited Edition with an elevated price-tag. I had four sticks in 2018 and they were average to ordinary. I found them too dominant in cocoa or chocolate, too potent in spice and too indicative of burnt wood flavours. Sure, it had some hallmarks of the Punch marca, but I would argue that a Punch 48 LCDH was and remains a better option when one wants a 'classy' Punch.

Fast forward three years and I can tell you that this Punch Regios de Punch LE proved to be revelation in how it has developed. It was no longer charcoal, burnt wood and spice; rather, it was now a simple combination of leather, wood, light cocoa and nut which I had no problem smoking to the nub. It had also settled in its strength to just under the medium mark.

I'd still advocate that I would much rather reach for a Punch Short de Punch or Punch 48 LCDH before I would smoke this cigar again, but at least it has become approachable with a few years down. If you picked up a box in 2018 why don't you re-visit the cigar and see how it's progressing?

[JohnS]

Por Larrañaga Petit Coronas LGR Oct 2019

When it comes to the Por Larranaga Petit Coronas there seems to be two leading views as to what profile the cigar represents; one, the aged, refined caramel-laden variety or alternatively, the young potent coffee-and-spice version. Is it possible to like both types of these PLPCs? I would advocate that indeed it is possible, but consequently I find enthusiasts seem to favour one or the other.

As for me, I don't mind them in their youth but yes, I do favour them aged, especially if they are strongly mild, caramel and baking spice in their smoking. This quarter box of LGR Oct 2019 PLPCs that I acquired from our host have been almost universally excellent despite been under two years of age. I've been pleasantly enamoured by how strong they've been in caramel at such a young stage and how little spice they've had.

Today's PLPC was paradoxical in comparison to others I've smoke from this box code. It wasn't too potent nor spicy; rather, it was strangely nondescript or bland in its flavour profile. Sure, there were hints of caramel here and there, but mainly it was just coffee and wood all the way, the cigar would have benefited from being a little sweeter.

Still, I couldn't complain about the construction as it was spot-on. And the cigar really wasn't all that bad. It's just that I've had much better.

[JohnS]

H. Upmann Petit Coronas LUB May 2014

I can confidently affirm that today's H.Upmann Petit Corona finally reached that stage of development which I aspire them to reach. Alas, they only took a little over seven years to exhibit the signs. Even then, there's still some more aging to go to get these where I'd like them.

Of course, 'the signs' I'm referring to is the combination of that other-worldly H.Upmann shortbread and sweet cream texture. When you get this in an aged H.Upmann cigar I promise you that there is nothing finer. I got this profile in the first half of this cigar, together with a perfect construction, the ash-length was easily over an inch and ridges were beautifully and symmetrically parallel in unison. Along the way I got some sweet licorice too, but for me, this only added to the enjoyment of the cigar.

In the second half I found that the superlative H.Upmann shortbread and cream took a proverbial back-seat to the burgeoning espresso coffee and toasted tobacco which intermingled with the shortbread and cream to make the cigar smoke quite differently. It was all quite nice, but that first half was nicer.

In the end, this was the best H.Upmann Petit Corona I think I've smoked in the past five years. Yet, I can still confirm that even though the signs of greatness are there, I may still need a few years yet for the back half of this cigar to catch up with the first half in its smooth shortbread and cream.

[JohnS]

Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 BUP Mar 2018

When one thinks of robusto-sized vitolas they're likely to think of a Partagas Serie D No.4, Cohiba Robustos or perhaps even a Juan Lopez Seleccion No.2 or Ramon Allones Specially Selected. Yet the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 pre-dates all those cigars. In fact, it is the only Robustos that dates from prior the Cuban Revolution in the early 1960s. (N.B. There was a pre-revolution Partagas Serie D No.4 which was was discontinued in 1965. The Partagas Serie D No.4, which we all know and love as the current No.1 best-selling Habanos cigar in the world currently, was introduced in 1975.)

I've only had one BUP Mar 2018 Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 from my humidor in the last eighteen months and that was around six or seven months ago. In the meantime, I've had four UTL Jul 2019 HdM Epi 2s which have been consistently good. In comparison, I found these BUP Mar 2018 box code a bit slower to develop but thankfully they've smoked better each time.

This HdM Epicure No.2 had some cedar, powdered soft cocoa, vanilla malt and a cream texture which appealed, held my attention and satisfied over 70 minutes of smoking time. I have three sticks left from this box code and eleven of my UTL Jul 2019. I think I'll return to this box code some time down-the-track, perhaps six to twelve months. I'm confident my UTL Jul 2019 HdM Epi 2s will keep me busy in the ensuing period.

[JohnS]

Ramón Allones Club Allones 2015 - Edición Limitada AUM Jul 2015

The Ramon Allones Club Allones was the second 2015 Limited Edition after the H.Upmann Magnum 56. Unlike the Magnum 56, which has enjoyed strong, positive critical appraisal from enthusiasts as they've aged, the Club Allones has seen a mixed response as its got older.

The RA Club Allones is a 47 ring gauge x 135 mm (or 5⅜ inches) in length vitola which enjoys one of the smaller ring gauges amongst Limited Editions in recent times. They are known for their darker colorado maduro wrappers. This Club Allones proved no exception in its wrapper shade. How did it smoke in comparison to the last one I had?

In summary, this RA Club Allones was mainly cocoa, coffee and tangy stewed fruit and medium-full in body. Construction was sound, with consistent ash-lengths and the draw was ideal, unlike my last RA Club Allones a year ago which suffered from tunneling at points, but this is a common characteristic of Club Allones cigars I find. Overall, it was fine, but for my personal taste I would favour a little more time to allow more refinement. After all, an aged Ramon Allones Superiores is my notion of the ideal RA cigar.

However, if you are inclined towards bolder Ramon Allones cigars such as the Specially Selected and have been resting a box of Club Allones, why not try one or two now that they've hit the five-to-six year mark? You may be in for a pleasant cigar-smoking experience.

[JohnS]

Por Larrañaga Montecarlos LGR Oct 2017

I think I've 'waxed lyrical' enough about how much I've enjoyed this box of LGR Oct 2017 Por Larranaga Montecarlos. What happens when you smoke one from the box that's not actually 'out of this world'? With experience, you learn to appreciate the cigar anyway, as long as doesn't have construction issues, naturally!

This PL Montecarlos came soon after I had a brilliant example from this box, just under two weeks ago. It increasingly seems of late, that when I smoke a 95 point cigar or similar, I can never manage to replicate the result with the same vitola soon after! Apart from this PL Montecarlos, this occurred recently also with an H.Upmann Connoisseur No.1 and Cohiba Siglo I.

Today's example was not as caramel-laden as my last one, and it was a little more woody, more spicy (alas, just a little!) and even a bit 'toasty' at times. It was still fine, but in comparison to the best PL Montecarlos from this box, it wasn't as distinctive; rather, I'd classify it as been slightly muddled in its flavours.

I have four sticks left from this box code and I still very much look forward to smoking my next one!

[JohnS]

La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or No.4 ETP Ene 2016

The predominance of larger ring gauge Habanos cigars since Habanos S.A. sold a 50% share of its business to Franco-Spanish tobacco company, Altadis in 2000 has meant that the appreciation for long-and-skinny cigars, such as the La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or No.4, amongst cigar enthusiasts can either sway towards sentimental idealism or over-rated insipidness. So, fast forward twenty years and the Petit Corona and Robusto have been replaced by the Petit Robusto as the quintessential Habanos cigar and every new release cigar is 50 ring gauge or over. Is there an art to appreciating a 32 or 33 ring gauge cigar? I believe there is.

With long-and-skinnies such as the LGC4 and the Por Larranaga Montecarlos it is imperative to savour the smoke more than normal; one really has to slow down when smoking these cigars, in my opinion. It's far too easy to lose the subtlety of flavours if the cigar burns too hot, and you can end up with a bland and/or bitter smoking experience.

In the case of the La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or No.4, it can be a complex cigar with an array of contrasting flavours ranging from savoury to sweet to spicy. This LGC4 started off fruity, with a lemon-type citrus which I quite liked and soon settled to combine with some wood and pepper notes from the middle third onwards. I didn't get any creaminess or nuttiness that can be associated with this cigar today but no matter, it was quite good nonetheless.

I have to admit, upon reflection, that I am biased towards being effusive in praise about this cigar, in general. I can sympathise and understand how the flavour profile aforementioned could be quite easily viewed as indistinctive to the layman Habanos cigar smoker too.

[JohnS]

Rafael González Petit Coronas SOM Ene 2017

There's so few premium Marevas options nowadays that it's hard to believe that the Rafael Gonzalez Petit Corona could be thought of as a forgotten vitola. Maybe it's just a case of its current hiatus or perhaps the Montecristo No.4 and Cohiba Siglo II account for the greater majority of sales in this size. When I mean marevas, I am of course referring to a 42 ring gauge x 129 mm (or 5⅛ inches) in length handmade Habanos cigar. The Petit Corona classification used to refer to a machine-made vitola of the same length.

At one stage, it seemed that close to every marca had a marevas option in their line-up. In my mind, when Habanos S.A went into a 50/50 partnership with Altidis in 2000 and then started to streamline their regular production catalogue in 2002 starting with the H.Upmann No.4, Partagas Petit Coronas, Punch Petit Coronas and Ramon Allones Petit Coronas being discontinued, this signalled the beginning of the shift towards other vitolas such as the Robustos as the quintessential Habanos size. The discontinuation of the Diplomaticos No.4 and Punch Royal Seleccion No.12 in 2010 confirmed this shift, in my view.

I equate just 5 marevas as premium offerings currently; the Montecristo No.4, Cohiba Siglo II, Bolivar Petit Coronas, Por Larranaga Petit Coronas and Rafael Gonzalez Petit Coronas. Romeo y Julieta may have five marevas cigars in its marca but I don't view these as premium offerings, including the latest retro release, the RyJ Club Kings. And not all deletions in this vitola have had the same reaction amongst cigar enthusiasts; I doubt too many would miss the Sancho Panza Non Plus (discontinued 2019) in the same way as the H.Upmann Petit Coronas (discontinued 2017).

This Rafael Gonzalez Petit Corona came from a recent 5-pack singles acquisition. They had a good few years on it too, but my UTE Oct 2015 RGPCs are a little older. This SOM Ene 2017 example more than 'holds its own' in quality in comparison to my 2015 RGPCs, in my view, after smoking this cigar today. It simply had a wonderful balanced combination of cocoa, Earth, wood, dried fruit and a little honey sweetness here and there. Suffice to say, this could have possibly been the best Rafael Gonzalez I've ever smoked, and that's saying something, because I assure you I've smoked a few!

If you haven't smoked a Rafael Gonzalez Petit Corona for awhile why not re-visit it soon? You may be in for a wondrous surprise!

[JohnS]

Ramón Allones Small Club Coronas ETP Mar 2017

I have to confess that this is just the third Ramon Allones Small Club Corona I've smoked in the last five years, according to my Cuban Cigar Website Smoking Diary. I regret that I've overlooked this reputable (42 ring gauge x 110 mm or 4⅜ inches in length) minutos in that time.

I found this RASCC different to the Ramon Allones Specially Selected or Ramon Allones Superiores in flavour profile today. It wasn't as bold as the RAS, nor delicate as the RA Superiores; rather, it had a quality nut and dried fruit, like raisins, flavour to it which very much appealed to my palate. This combined with the light cocoa, wood, Earth and leather came together to produce an outstanding cigar which I would normally take 35 to 40 minutes to smoke, but today it lasted me close to 60!

I was very impressed by this cigar today. I aim not to ignore it in the immediate future!

[JohnS]

Bolívar Coronas Junior MSU Jul 2019

The Bolivar Coronas Junior is another minutos I've sadly neglected, to my detriment. According to my Cuban Cigar Website Smoking Diary, I've only smoke two BCJs in the last three years. The reason I haven't smoked more is because I don't favour Bolivar as a marca in general, due to its core 'Earthiness', but my Bolivar Belicosos Finos' and Petit Coronas have been so dependably good of late that I decided to pick-up a 5-pack singles acquisition of the Coronas Junior. After smoking the first stick from this acquisition today, I'm really glad I did!

This BCJ  was basically light cocoa, leather, espresso coffee, cedar all the way with a little sweet Cuban twang. From the very first puff it was easy to discern that this would smoke really well and so it proved over 65 minutes.

In summary, this Bolivar Coronas Junior was simply exceptional today. It was easily a 95-point or 'five-out-of-five' cigar!

[JohnS]

Vegas Robaina Famosos BSM Jul 2020

I've been enjoying an AEM May 2015 aged box of Vegas Robaina Famosos since mid-2019 and I've come down to my last four sticks so I figured I'll acquire some fresh singles to compare and 'tide me over' until I get some down-the-track. Vegas Robaina is a marca that is easily overlooked but when you get a fantastic box of this brand, it really can be like nothing else.

Today's cigar was as outstanding as one can hope for considering its youthfulness. Whereas my aged AEM May 2015 Vegas Robaina Famosos tended to have quality lush tobacco and grass, dates, baking spice, bitter or rich milk chocolate and floral notes here and there, this BSM Jul 2020 VR Famosos emphasised that luscious quality grass aspect that really appeals to the palate. It also had a chocolate core, sweet dates or raisin and leather. Unlike my aged examples of late, this Famosos didn't really have nuanced floral notes or baking spice but you wouldn't expect that for its age. Nevertheless, it was still a fine and satisfying cigar.

This was the first of four single sticks I acquired of this box code and I could tell over the seventy minutes well spent on today's cigar that I will need to acquire some more Vegas Robaina Famosos soon.

[JohnS]

Partagás Serie P No.2 GEM Ene 2020

Believe it or not, I think this is the second or perhaps third Partagas Serie P No.2 I've ever had. I recently acquired a 5-pack singles acquisition of this cigar to redress this imbalance in my inventory. Why have I not had more? Well, like the Vegas Robaina Unicos, the Partagas P2 has simply flown 'under-the-radar' for me and over the years I've been more preoccupied with other campanas (52 ring gauge x 140 mm or 5½ inches length) and piramides (slightly longer with a 52 ring gauge x 156 mm or 6⅛ inches in length) torpedo-shaped cigars such as the Bolivar Belicosos Finos, Sancho Panza Belicosos, Diplomaticos No.2, H.Upmann No.2, Montecristo No.2 and Cohiba Piramides Extra (n.b. the 'extra' is due to the fact that the CPE is slightly larger again with a 54 ring gauge x 160 mm or 6¼ inches length). I also didn't note the San Cristobal de la Habana La Punta, although I've had a few of them here on occasion in the last decade, or the Romeo y Julieta Belicosos, which I don't believe I've ever had due to being too enamored with other Romeo y Julieta cigars of late such as the Churchills, Exhibicion No.4 and Petit Royales.

As I mentioned in my last review on this cigar a little over six months ago, the Partagas Serie P No.2 is a reputable cigar so why hasn't it got the same notoriety as other Partagas cigars such as the Lusitanias, 8-9-8, Serie D No.4, Serie E No.2, Shorts or Maduro series, for example? If we were to look at the tasting notes on the Partagas Serie P No.2 on Cuban Cigar Website, across 12 reviews, I believe we can quickly surmise an answer:

Citrus (2), Spice (2), Tobacco (2), Baking Spice (1), Bitter Chocolate (1), Caramel (1), Cedar (1), Chocolate (1), Cocoa (1), Cream (1), Floral (1), Fruit (1), Honey (1), Leather (1), Mocha (1), Molasses (1), Nut (1), Pepper (1), Sourdough (1), Toast (1), Vanilla (1), and Wood (1).

As can be see above, the Partagas P2 is not an easy cigar to define in terms of blend in comparison to other cigars and perhaps this is why it doesn't readily lend itself to being a 'go-to' cigar like other Partagas cigars or even piramides and campanas.

So how can we better define, in relatable terms, why the Partagas P2 receives positive appraisal amongst enthusiasts in general? I believe it would be better to contrast it by using the Partagas marca as a guide. Whereas some cigars such as the Lusitanias and Serie E No.2 are known for their quality sourdough, the Shorts and Serie D No.4 for its espresso coffee and pepper and/or spice (at times), the P2 emphasises a strong milky coffee base more and the sourdough is not its core feature. El Presidente has remarked this year that the Partagas P2 has been outstanding in 2020 and he has been enjoying them due to their milk coffee, raisins and salted nuts profile. I would concur that this description is a wonderful parameter or guide to help us understand as to what tasting notes an average Partagas P2 has to offer.

As for this Partagas P2 I smoked today, I can attest that it was a solid 89 to 90-point cigar from beginning to end. Construction, burn and ash-length was sound and yes, it had milk coffee, raisin sweetness, sourdough bread and leather which made it quite easy to smoke over approximately 100 minutes on a pleasant winter day's afternoon.

[JohnS]

Trinidad Fundadores RAG Abr 2019

Prior to the advent of the 2019 50th anniversary regular production additions to the Trinidad marca (i.e. the Media Luna, Esmeralda and Topes), the Trinidad Fundadores was considered the 'hot' cigar of the brand. I myself enjoyed around a combined ten ARS and RAG '17/'18 and '19 box code cigars up until my last one in late-2020.

I've found that these recent ARS and RAG box code Fundadores to have more of a milk coffee and dough combination, unlike the more complex wood, grass, honey, coffee flavours I've picked up in Trinidad cigars I've smoked in the last 3 to 5 years. Less complex, but every bit as good!  

I found today's cigar to have an easily discernible milk coffee, dough, cake and almond nut flavour combination. There was no spice but the dough remained consistent throughout. In the second half of the cigar I did get some wood to compliment the aforementioned flavour profile. The intensity of the cigar didn't build up at all which allowed me to nub this to my fingertips. Obviously this was a telltale sign that I enjoyed this Fundadores quite a lot, over two hours of smoking time. In fact, I can still summon the aftertaste of the cigar on my palate as I type this, around three hours after I finished it!

[JohnS]

El Rey del Mundo Demi Tasse MLU Dic 2018

I have to admit that I'm smoking down this MLU Dic 2018 box of El Rey del Mundo Demi Tasse because they've fluctuated markedly from superlatively great to strikingly-awful. Unfortunately, those ordinary to bad examples are the ones I seem to remember every time I reach for this cigar!

These smaller ring-gauge cigars are prone to rolling errors ranging from plugged to under-filled because simply-speaking they're harder to roll. Therefore, it's imperative not to buy Entreactos-sized cigars from vendors 'blind' which admittingly is hard to do when these cigars are often discounted.

This ERdM Demi Tasse thankfully had a good draw and it smoked well. The flavours were much like my last ERdM Demi Tasse two months ago; a mix of toasted tobacco, floral notes, fruit, citrus and honey. I now have three cigars left from this box and I don't think I care to age them as I have a SGA Sep 2016 box for that purpose and I hope to explore that box as it approaches the five years of age mark this year.