JohnS' Smoking Diary 2022

[Chas.Alpha]

27 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Normally I save my thanks and gratitude for your support of this blog at the end of each year. I thought I would give a peak into what's coming up for the last month of 2022 for your interest:

• 2006 Cohiba Siglo II, Siglo III, Siglo IV and Siglo V
• Nudies N4 Marevas
• Desnudos N1 Lanceros and Carlotas, both Rosado (i.e Natural) and Maduro versions
• Comparison of the new Oliva Serie V Melanio Lancero in Natural and Maduro versions with the Oliva Serie V Lancero
• Plus more!

This blog will be updated at least twice weekly up until the end of December 2022. Thank you again for your support.

As far as I know, the Oliva Lancero is not available in this hemisphere. Correct me if I am mistaken...

BTW, I still can't play BlackBird. 😔

[Lomey]

As far as I know, the Oliva Lancero is not available in this hemisphere. Correct me if I am mistaken...
BTW, I still can't play BlackBird. 

I believe you are correct my fellow Vikings fan. I'm a big Melanio fan and haven't seen the Lancero available anywhere yet in the US.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

[JohnS]

Cohiba Siglo II (circa 2006)

I am grateful to @Trevor2118 for sharing this cigar with me today. You see, it's been around six years since I've last had this same cigar from a circa 2006 box code and I remember how good it was back then. Today it was even better.

Six years ago, it was quite evident that this Cohiba Siglo II was both grassy and yet creamy in its texture. It also had a honey sweetness and citrus spice. Fast forward to today and the cigar had developed further in how it has changed. The flavours have melded further so that any honey sweetness and citrus spice has diminished and the herbal qualities and creaminess remain. This 'herbaceousness' was a common element of Linea 1492 cigars in the 1990s and 2000s. Currently, I would advocate that Linea 1492 cigars (i.e. Cohiba Siglo I, II, III, IV and V specifically) have more of a mocha coffee element to their blend.

I spoke to El Pres on a FoH ZOOM chat the day after smoking this, and he asked what type of blend I prefer (in other words, grassy and cream-textured or mocha coffee) and which one I think is more popular these days and sells. This wasn't hard to respond to. In the first instance, the grassy and cream-textured blend of Siglo cigars of yesteryear appealed to me more because of their sentimentality, However, there was no doubt whatsoever that nowadays Siglo cigars with mocha coffee in their blends is more desired and sells more among consumers.

Despite this, the memory of how smooth this Cohiba Siglo II was to smoke remains quite distinct. The retrohale was so fine and smooth too through the nose. The Linea 1492 line of the present day has changed and remains as popular as ever, despite recent price changes. It's amazing though how much the past brings out our old feelings to things. I'd don't mind recent Siglo cigars but I'd take a sixteen year-old Cohiba Siglo II like this one any day.

[JohnS]

Nudies N4 Mareva Fuerte "Pilot"

This was the first of a 25-pack of Nudies N4 Mareva Fuerte "Pilot" that was blended by Hamlet Paredes as a test blend in conjuction with El Pres. It comes solely in a Colorado Maduro wrapper for now. After smoking this marevas-sized cigar I can attest to how different it was to initial run of Nudies N1 Lanceros and Nudies N3 Carlotas.

For starters, the term 'fuerte' means strong or power in Spanish and the Nudies N4 Mareva certainly was blended to be strong. There's no doubt whatsoever that this cigar was medium-full in body. It started off with a little spice in the first third but it settled soon after. That spice remained throughout through the nose when retrohaling. There was a cocoa and strong espresso coffee core flavour to the cigar also from beginning to end.

El Pres described this cigar a cross between a Montecristo No.4 and Partagas Short. I shared it with Trevor Leask, the founder of Cuban Cigar Website, and we felt that this Nudies N4 Mareva had more of an Old School Partagas flavour to it. Sure it was simple, but we both appreciated it for how different it was.

[JohnS]

DesNudos N3 Colorado Rosado Carlota

In 2019, the original Nudies N1 Lancero and N3 Carlota were released. The N1 Lancero aimed to replicate the blend of the long-discontinued Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.1 and No.2. The N3 Carlota replicated the Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.3.

They were well-received by our members, with the consensus opinion that they were remarkably 'Cubanesque' for cigars utilising Non-Cuban tobacco. Construction on these cigars were consistently sound, the small team of rollers responsible for the rollout no doubt contributed to this consistency.

The DesNudos second version of Nudies had an additional Maduro-wrappered release for each vitola. I acquired a Colorado Maduro and Colorado Rosado version of both the N1 Lancero and N3 Carlota in March 2022 and left these cigars to rest for around eight months prior to smoking this DesNudos N3 Colorado Rosado Carlota today, a 38 ring gauge by 152 mm (or 6 inches) in length vitola.

The cold draw was nowhere as 'grassy' in feel as the 2019 version. The very first puff revealed a wonderful light sourdough, leather and sour citrus twang which was the core flavour of the cigar from beginning to end. There was no spice, there was no grassiness. The ash held together well and the cigar was medium-mild in strength. Unlike the original Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.3, the overall texture or mouthfeel of this cigar was not 'toasty' in the least; rather it was more like a traditional Cuban cigar, more 'rounder' and slightly cream-like.

In summary, I believe that if I had smoked this DesNudos N3 Colorado Rosado Carlota 'right-off-the-truck' (ROTT) I might have found it more sharper and delineated in its flavours. As it was, I very much enjoyed this pleasant, simple and 'rounded' smoke from beginning to end. I now look forward to comparing its fraternal twin brother, the DesNudos N3 Colorado Maduro Carlota to compare the resultant similarities and differences.

[JohnS]

DesNudos N3 Colorado Maduro Carlota

Having sampled the DesNudos N3 Colorado Rosado Carlota recently, I felt it's only natural to want to smoke its fraternal twin, the DesNudos N3 Colorado Maduro Carlota. If you aren't aware, the term 'Colorado Rosado' refers to what we know as a 'Natural shade wrapper' in Habanos cigars. 'Colorado Rosado' is the term used for Non-Cuban cigars.

The difference in wrapper shades, therefore, between these two releases is in fact the only point of variation between the cigars. In other words, the leaves inside contain the exact same blend. Keep that in mind the next time you smoke a DesNudos N3 Colorado Rosado Carlota and a DesNudos N3 Colorado Maduro Carlota or Lanceros 'back-to-back' (or one after the other).

This DesNudos N3 Colorado Maduro Carlota certainly did have a core sourdough, leather and sour citrus twang blend, similar to the DesNudos N3 Colorado Rosado Carlota, but the maduro wrapper on this cigar imparted a completely different flavour upon the cigar because that aforementioned flavour profile was much more muted in comparison to the Colorado Rosado Carlota I smoked previous to this Colorado Maduro Carlota.

The maduro shade wrapper made this cigar replete with sweet flavours of cocoa, anise or licorice from beginning to end. It was quite easy to smoke, with full wafts of smoke per draw, until about halfway through the final third when the cigar became much stronger and I had to slow down. Otherwise, it was effortless for an experienced cigar smoker.

I had the opportunity to sample a pre-release DesNudos N3 Colorado Maduro Carlota two years ago. At the time I summarised that cigar as follows: "In summary, think of some of the finest darker-wrappered Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4's you've smoked being combined with a Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.3, but not as 'toasty'. Now that would be a fine cigar indeed. And indeed this was!" I can't help but think that the sweetness that the wrapper on this cigar imparted upon it was of a similar ilk. Trust me, I enjoyed it just the same!

[JohnS]

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Masterpiece

The Arturo Fuente Hemingway Masterpiece is a Perfecto measuring 13/16 of an inch in diameter (i.e. 52 ring guage) and a massive 9 inches (or 229 mm) in length. It's shaped more like a Habanos Perfecto such as a Partagas Salomones than a Taco-type cigar and thus, the AF Hemingway Masterpiece is only slightly tapered at the head but it is predominantly tapered at the foot. The smaller Arturo Fuente Hemingway Classic and Signature are similar shaped-perfectos.

The Partagas Salomones and Cuaba Salomon have a slightly bigger 57 ring gauge but are small in length at 7¼ inches (or 184 mm). Still, these are big cigars and they take a long time to smoke. Only the 47 ring gauge x 9¼ inch (or 235 mm) Montecristo A is longer than the AF Hemingway Masterpiece, but I would contend that the AF Hemingway Masterpiece requires the longest time to set aside for a smoke.

According to Arturo Fuente, the Hemingway natural line employs a combination of patiently aged Dominican filler and binder encased in a select African Cameroon wrapper. The line is said to be medium-mild to medium in body.

Like the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Signature or Classic, this Masterpiece has a simple blend. Basically you can expect a combination of hay, cedar, light spice (possibly cinnamon-like) and sweet tobacco. There may be hints of hazelnut and vanilla on the edges with these cigars.

The cigar was mainly mild from beginning to end and fairly one-dimensional through its long thirds. Perhaps one could say that there was more leather and a touch of spice in the last third, with the strength increasing to medium-mild, but it remained fairly easy to smoke.

I've said it before in relation to the  Arturo Fuente Hemingway line; however, it bears reiterating that construction-wise, Arturo Fuente cigars are well-known for their consistency and this was much the same. The burn was even throughout, the draw was smooth and effortless, the ash held together well and the smoke output was outstanding. There was plenty of flavour per draw.

I finished the cigar after an incredible 3 hour and ten minutes. Yes, that's a long time but it didn't bore me. I can't say that I will be acquiring too many more of these vitolas in the future as other Arturo Fuente Hemingway cigars suit me better with their vitola dimensions (for example, the 42 rg × 102 mm or 4 inch Short Story, the 46 rg × 124 mm or 4⅞ inch Work of Art and the 46 rg × 178 mm or 7 inch Classic). Still, this is not a bad Non-Cuban option to celebrate a special occasion, when one desires a long cigar, in my opinion.

[JohnS]

Cohiba Siglo III (circa 2006)

The Cohiba Siglo III is probably my favourite cigar in the Linea 1492 series. I think the reasons may be sentimental; I have strong memories of the first time I smoked an aged Cohiba Siglo III, I love the size of the cigar and it has consistently smoked well for me over the years.

I'd like to thanks @Trevor2118 for gifting me this cigar. The Linea 1492 series was announced in November 1992 as the new line of Cohiba intended to replace the premium Davidoff Chateau series which concluded in 1991. When these cigars did hit the market (in 1994), the Cohiba Siglo III, a coronas grandes cigar with a 42 ring gauge x 155 mm (or 6⅛ inches) length was the replacement cigar for Davidoff Château Mouton Rothschild cigar in the Chateau series.

Today, the Cohiba Siglo III is only one of two regular production cigars in existence. The last one deleted from  Habanos S.A's catalogue, the highly-regarded cigar enthusiast favourite, the Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo des Dieux was discontinued in 2014 but most coronas grandes-sized cigars were discontinued in the early-2000s soon after Habanos S.A. was 50% acquired by Altidis in 2000.

This Siglo III was well-constructed and it ashed and smoked well. The last time I smoked a cigar from this same era the main characteristics of the cigar were its refined grass/hay, creamy texture, gorgeous vanilla bean and light spice. I was able to retrohale it quite easily, even into the final third. It goes without saying that I smoked it to my fingertips. Today's cigar was not as well-balanced. It certainly had grass/hay notes, a citrus core and spice but it lacked any creamy texture, vanilla bean or sweetness in general. I would further add that it was a tad 'woody' in the last third.

So, in summary, this aged Cohiba Siglo III was durable, but that's about it. I smoked it and I remain grateful for the opportunity to do so. However, it goes without saying that my previous 2006 example from this box is more like what I prefer when I smoke a Cohiba Siglo III, which like many of you no doubt, is not often enough.

[JohnS]

Cohiba Siglo IV (circa 2006)

The Cohiba Siglo IV, a Corona Gorda at 46 ring gauge by 143 mm in length (or 5⅝ inches) is the one Siglo cigar I smoke the least of the linea 1492 series, even more so than the Siglo V which has been harder to source in the last few years (well, at least for me). The reason? No specific reason other than this cigar really deserves some time down to savour it, in my opinion. Perhaps the size, being 46 ring gauge and larger that the Cohiba Siglo I, II, III and V is another factor.

In the past, prior to Habanos S.A. re-pricing of its deluxe brands of Cohiba and Trinidad around mid-2022, when these came up on 24:24 listings they would invariably sell quite quickly. On those 24:24 listings, El Pres has written of them thusly;

"Stalks of dry hay/honeycomb/clean tobacco/spiced cream. Bold, deep, rich, classy.

Worth every cent."

I don't think I could put it better myself. Graciously gifted by Trevor Leask, the founder of Cuban Cigar Website, this Siglo IV from 2006 was simply glorious from start to finish. Those flavours that El Pres mentioned above were present, especially the dry hay, clean tobacco and honeycomb sweetness. The only thing it didn't have was the spice to its creamy texture but it didn't matter, this was a classy and glorious smoke from start to finish.

The retrohale was quite mild too and I was able to retrohale quite comfortably into the final third, there was no harshness to be had in this cigar at all.

[JohnS]

Cohiba Siglo V (circa 2006)

The Cohiba Siglo V would have to be my second favourite of the Linea 1492 range after the Cohiba Siglo III. At 43 ring gauge x 170 mm (or 6¾ inches), a dalias, it represents a vitola that is only shared by the Partagas 8-9-8 currently in regular production. For those of you who are experienced enthusiasts, do you still remember the Bolivar Inmensas (discontinued in 2009) and the La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or No.2 (discontinued in 2014)?

The dalias vitola is one that seems rare nowadays as both the Cohiba Siglo V and Partagas 8-9-8 have been periodical in their availability for quite some time. At least we were fortunate enough for Pacific Cigar Company to approve a Punch 8-9-8 regional edition release in 2018 so that we could enjoy a quality 'long-and-skinny' Habanos cigar, like we did yesteryear, for those more experienced among us, when these type of cigars were in plentiful supply.

I'd like to thank and acknowledge @Trevor2118 for gifting me this aged Cohiba Siglo V from 2006 to smoke today. The cold draw had a barnyard and honey profile, the initial draw upon lighting had that typical Cohiba grass/honey dominate. The cigar developed a Cohiba grass/honey and cream-texture profile in the first third. It was exactly as I would have preferred it to be, what we term in the parlance of our hobby as 'it was in my wheelhouse'.

In the second third I got a little bit of coffee flavour to compliment the flavour profile mentioned in the first third above, but not too much. On the whole, that grass/hay, honey sweetness and cream-texture still dominated into the middle third and was effortless to smoke in addition to being quite delectable.

In the final third the flavour profile thankfully continued much the same. Perhaps there was a little more coffee notes. I mention this because the last aged Cohiba Siglo V I smoked began 'oaky' and finished 'Earthy' and to my chagrin, wasn't to my preference at all. By comparison, this example of an aged Cohiba Siglo V was just about perfect, it was everything you could hope for in a premium cigar like this one. If only we could smoke cigars like this more often!

[JohnS]

San Cristóbal de la Habana El Príncipe LGR Jun 2018

I smoked the first and second cigars from this LGR Jun 2018 box within the first week of delivery, late in 2021, and the third one six months later in April 2022. This is therefore my fourth one from this box after a period of seven months, but I've had other San Cristobal de la Habana El Principes in the meantime from other box codes. In fact, I've had three: the first was from a newly acquired LGR Jun 2019 box code which was too strong and spicy for my liking, and two others from my TOS Jun 2016 which were much more in-line with my expectations.

This fourth San Cristobal de la Habana El Principe was again sweet in its cocoa/coffee and molasses flavour combination but unlike the third cigar from this box, its texture was much more 'opened up', so that 'pancake-like' quality was much more 'on show' here.

So, in general, I was well-pleased with how this performed today. It smoked it in around 35 to 40 minutes, which is about the usual time I take to smoke a minuto such as this one.

[JohnS]

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story

The origin of the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Series, according to Cigar Aficionado, is that in 1983 Carlos Fuente Sr. found old cigar molds in an Ybor City, Florida, warehouse, brought them to Fuente's factory in the Dominican Republic and taught his master roller how to make the intricately shaped smoke. As they say, the rest is history.

The Short story was introduced a few years after the 1983 debut of the Hemingway Series and it has since become the top seller in the line. All Arturo Fuente Hemingway cigars feature West African Cameroon wrapper and Dominican filler and binder.

According to the Arturo Fuente company, the extra workmanship involved in producing these cigars means that they take longer to make and also utilise leaf that is aged longer than normal leaf.

Like the similarly-shaped Cuaba Perfectos, lighting the heavily tapered foot is sufficient to light the cigar. The Short Story is tapered gradually from being a 42 ring gauge at the head to being 49 ring gauge at its widest near the foot. It has a short length at 4 inches or 102 mm. This doesn't necessarily mean its a quick thirty to forty minutes smoke however.

After smoking an Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story three months ago, I must admit I very much looked forward to smoking this first cigar from a 15-count box (with its own humidipak contained within) today. Their mild and sweet, balanced flavours very much resonate with me.

This Short Story opened with a sweet hay and cedar taste and was light and mild. It remained this way through to its widest point past the foot, whereby it increased a tad in intensity.

In the middle of the cigar the smoke picked up some light spice and a touch of leather to compliment the sweet hay. I've said in previous reviews on the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Series that Cameroon wrappers can impart a combination of spice and sweetness, so if this doesn't appeal to you, then I'd say that you won't enjoy any of the Hemingway line.

In my opinion though, this first cigar from this box continues to prove that this is a quality cigar. The Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story easily competes in excellence with short-sized Habanos cigars and this example was again without a doubt constructed better than any Cuaba cigar I've ever had. This cigar had plenty of flavour per puff and took me a grand sixty-five minutes to smoke. Once again, not bad for its size, right?

[JohnS]

Cohiba Siglo VI ARG Jun 2015

If the Cohiba Siglo VI is considered a 'special occasion' cigar, then surely Habanos S.A's price re-structuring in mid-2022 has solidified this reputation even further. After all, consider the outlay: $US75 to 80 or $AUD130 to $140 at the present time for a Cohiba Siglo VI. Furthermore, some regions are apparently getting a 15% rise in Cohiba products from January 2023. Will Cohiba have a market left after this? I must say that yes, even after this recent appreciation, I believe it will.

My last Cohiba Siglo VI I had, a little over six months ago, was ideal in its balance of flavours and construction. I happily nubbed it. My Cohiba Siglo VI prior to that one, which was smoked around twelve months ago, was quite muddled in its flavour delivery, the ash was flaky and it did not burn ideally. In summary, it was quite forgettable.

In the exact same way as my last Siglo VI began, from the very first puff I took of it, I immediately was overwhelmed at how fantastically this smoked in the first third. In simple terms, it smoked like I was eating a honey-flavoured biscuit (or cookie).

In the middle third I got more mocha coffee and refined hay to compliment the honey sweetness. Construction was absolutely spot-on as ash-lengths were more or less perfect, ridges were uniformly parallel and there were no need of any re-lights or touch-ups.

The final third had a little more mocha to it, but in general, it continued in much the same vein as the middle third. Of course, I nubbed this Siglo VI far as it could go.

Regrettably, I only have two cigars left from this 10-count box. Both the last two examples of these Siglo VIs have smoked superbly (and incidentally, in the same way flavour-wise and construction-wise). I took two hours to smoke this today. It might have been one hell of an expensive cigar, but in my mind, it was well worth it.

[JohnS]

La Flor de Cano Grandiosos 2013 - Edición Regional Asia Pacifico ROL Oct 2013

The La Flor de Cano Grandiosos is a 2013 Asia Pacifico Regional Edition release cigar with a 52 ring gauge x 135 mm (or 5⅜ inches) length. I opened this 10-count box once it had approached the seven year mark and I've had eight of them (or exactly four-fifths of the contents) in just over the last two years, with the last one smoked a bit over six months ago. Yes, you could say I've enjoyed them!

If you aren't aware, the thinking on our forum behind Asia Pacifico Regional releases is that they generally need 5 years to 'open up'. The only recent exception to this maxim that I can recall could be the 2014 Diplomaticos Bushido, which was exemplary from the 'get-go' when it finally came out in 2015 or perhaps even the recent 2019 Punch 8-9-8 (although one could argue that this dalias-sized cigar can benefit from aging too).

I've had this cigar around the four and five-year mark and I've found it to be a combination, at that time, of butter cake and cream, floral notes, almond nuts and spice. Around the six-year mark the cigar progressed to a flavour profile of floral notes, citrus, almond nut and light cocoa 'on the edges' with a bit of spice to it.

This LFdC Grandiosos smoked today had hit the nine years of age mark. It was a complex cigar, although not as complex as the last few Grandiosos I've had, yet still nonetheless it hasn't diminished in its quality of smoking. In the first third it began with a lovely strawberries and cream combination, joined by the addition of an underlying shortbread base undertow. It progressed in the middle third with a flavour profile of almond nut and floral notes. In the last third the cigar changed again with the advent of some very pleasant mild cinnamon spice.

In brief, this La Flor de Cano Grandiosos was very similar in its flavours and smoking as the last one I had around six months ago. It was full of flavour and yet so easy to smoke. I only have one left from my original 10-count box, but I don't regret that at all. These cigars have all been so good of late that there's been no point resting them any further, in my view.

[KCCubano]

On 12/8/2022 at 11:42 PM, JohnS said:

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story

The origin of the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Series, according to Cigar Aficionado, is that in 1983 Carlos Fuente Sr. found old cigar molds in an Ybor City, Florida, warehouse, brought them to Fuente's factory in the Dominican Republic and taught his master roller how to make the intricately shaped smoke. As they say, the rest is history.

The Short story was introduced a few years after the 1983 debut of the Hemingway Series and it has since become the top seller in the line. All Arturo Fuente Hemingway cigars feature West African Cameroon wrapper and Dominican filler and binder.

According to the Arturo Fuente company, the extra workmanship involved in producing these cigars means that they take longer to make and also utilise leaf that is aged longer than normal leaf.

Like the similarly-shaped Cuaba Perfectos, lighting the heavily tapered foot is sufficient to light the cigar. The Short Story is tapered gradually from being a 42 ring gauge at the head to being 49 ring gauge at its widest near the foot. It has a short length at 4 inches or 102 mm. This doesn't necessarily mean its a quick thirty to forty minutes smoke however.

After smoking an Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story three months ago, I must admit I very much looked forward to smoking this first cigar from a 15-count box (with its own humidipak contained within) today. Their mild and sweet, balanced flavours very much resonate with me.

This Short Story opened with a sweet hay and cedar taste and was light and mild. It remained this way through to its widest point past the foot, whereby it increased a tad in intensity.

In the middle of the cigar the smoke picked up some light spice and a touch of leather to compliment the sweet hay. I've said in previous reviews on the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Series that Cameroon wrappers can impart a combination of spice and sweetness, so if this doesn't appeal to you, then I'd say that you won't enjoy any of the Hemingway line.

In my opinion though, this first cigar from this box continues to prove that this is a quality cigar. The Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story easily competes in excellence with short-sized Habanos cigars and this example was again without a doubt constructed better than any Cuaba cigar I've ever had. This cigar had plenty of flavour per puff and took me a grand sixty-five minutes to smoke. Once again, not bad for its size, right?

I have only recently tried the Hemingway Classic as I bought a 5er to sample. The last two had a great deal of orange peel or zest which I found very appealing. These are on my radar to try. Do you feel the two have a similar blend? 

[JohnS]

3 minutes ago, KCCubano said:

I have only recently tried the Hemingway Classic as I bought a 5er to sample. The last two had a great deal of orange peel or zest which I found very appealing. These are on my radar to try. Do you feel the two have a similar blend? 

Most definitely, yes I do feel there are strong similarities. When I feel like a longer and milder smoke (think around 100 to 110 minutes) I reach for the AF Hemingway Classic. When I feel like a shorter smoke (maybe around 55 to 60 minutes) and a touch more spice, I go for the AF Hemingway Short Story. I'm partly grateful for the changes forced upon us mid-2022 with the production downturn and price rises by Habanos S.A. because without them, I probably would not have sort out quality Non-Cuban options to supplement my Habanos cigar smoking.

[KCCubano]

7 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Most definitely, yes I do feel there are strong similarities. When I feel like a longer and milder smoke (think around 100 to 110 minutes) I reach for the AF Hemingway Classic. When I feel like a shorter smoke (maybe around 55 to 60 minutes) and a touch more spice, I go for the AF Hemingway Short Story. I'm partly grateful for the changes forced upon us mid-2022 with the production downturn and price rises by Habanos S.A. because without them, I probably would not have sort out quality Non-Cuban options to supplement my Habanos cigar smoking.

Never smoked a bunch of nc's either. I would pick up a few here and there from local shops. Have u tried Casdagli? They are on the high dollar side but the few I have sampled have been very good. I just received 36 ct box of Oliva V Lancero. They were less than $5 USD a stick. Really like these and a tremendous value imo. My next AF purchase will be Short Story. 

[JohnS]

8 minutes ago, KCCubano said:

Never smoked a bunch of nc's either. I would pick up a few here and there from local shops. Have u tried Casdagli? They are on the high dollar side but the few I have sampled have been very good. I just received 36 ct box of Oliva V Lancero. They were less than $5 USD a stick. Really like these and a tremendous value imo. My next AF purchase will be Short Story. 

The Oliva Serie V Lancero has quickly become a 'forum favourite' this year, it seems to me. I concur, I have enjoyed smoking it, possibly even more than the new Oliva Melanio Lancero standard and maduro versions (I will publish all three reviews on this blog in the coming week).

Thank you for the recommendation of the Casdagli. I haven't tried them yet but I will seek them out. I hope the AF Hemingway Short Story works out as a solid acquisition for you, @KCCubano.

[helix]

The Series V across the board are a great bargain.

[helix]

12 hours ago, JohnS said:

I'm partly grateful for the changes forced upon us mid-2022 with the production downturn and price rises by Habanos S.A. because without them, I probably would not have sort out quality Non-Cuban options to supplement my Habanos cigar smoking.

I share your sentiment . Looking forward to trying out some custom rolls in Puerto Plata come Jan. 

[JohnS]

Oliva Serie V Lancero

I've written previously that the Oliva Serie V Lancero is an unusual Non-Cuban cigar because of its dimensions. It's long (7 inches or 178 mm) and its ring gauge is thin (19/32 of an inch diameter in circumference) The Oliva Serie V line is known for its intensity and full flavors. The cigar is made in Nicaragua.

In my opinion, this cigar is a deference to cigar aficionados because, from my understanding, it's not as popular as other Non-Cuban cigars, even within the Oliva Serie V line. Having said this, I've found that this cigar is much more popular amongst our experienced cigar enthusiast members, by comparison. It's a dense smoke with full earthy and leathery notes combined with sweeter flavours of chocolate, almond nuts and dates.

The sub-42 ring gauge ensures that this cigar smokes differently on the palate than other Oliva Serie V cigars with a post-46 ring gauge. The difference lies in the feel on the palate, which is more on the tip of the tongue in my view, rather than being more rounded over the palate in general with those larger cigars.

My last Oliva Serie V Lancero, smoked three months ago, was very light on chocolate, almond nuts and dates. Neither did it have baking spice but it was certainly medium-full in strength. It was basically earthy and leathery in its flavours over eighty minutes of smoking time.

Fast forward three months, and this Oliva Serie V Lancero did open with a semblance of a nutty and/or creamy texture. It did have some chocolate and almond notes to it too. It only became  more 'earthy' and leathery in the last third. On the whole, it was much, much better than my last Olive Serie V Lancero that I smoked, mainly because of the nutty and creamy texture of the cigar, which I found so endearing.

[JohnS]

Oliva Serie V Melanio Lancero

The Oliva Serie V Lancero has fast become a 'forum favourite' in a short time, it seems, on account of its thin ring gauge (38 ring gauge) and length (7 inches or 178 mm). Oliva famously gained credibility and publicity via its win for the Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado with Cigar Aficionado in 2014 and recently it has brought out a sampler release in October 2022 in the Melanio line which includes six cigars in Natural and Maduro wrappers: one each of the Churchill, Figurado and new Lanceros. I decided to acquire this release, specifically to compare the Lancero cigars against the standard Oliva Serie V Lanceros.

So how did this Oliva Serie V Melanio Lanceros fare? I hate to disappoint you but this was surprisingly slightly under-filled. As a result, it seemed to me that smoking this would be an uphill battle in comparing it to the stock-standard Oliva Serie V Lanceros.

To begin with, it did not have that nutty/creamy texture which I look for in the Melanio line. Sure, there was some chocolate and nut combination to it but it was struggle to get a consistent ash. This is not something I've encountered in general with the Melanio Churchill and Figurado.

Strength-wise, this was lighter but I would need a better constructed cigar to make a fair comparison to the Oliva Serie V Lanceros.

I would imagine that Oliva will bring out this Lanceros in the Melanio line at some point, and probably soon. My recommendation would be to hold onto your beloved standard sticks of Oliva Serie V Lanceros as they would no doubt be satisfactory for what they offer at the present time. I hope to smoke some more of this Melanio Lanceros in the future. Hopefully, it will present itself with a different outcome next time.

[JohnS]

Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Lancero

The Oliva Serie V Maduro Melanio line was introduced in 2013 as a follow-up to its highly successful Melanio line. Both the Oliva Melanio and Maduro Melanio line utilise Nicaraguan binder and filler leaf for their cigars. The difference in these cigars lies in their wrappers, obviously. The Melanio line uses Ecuadorian Sumatra leaf for its wrappers, whereas the Maduro Melanio line use Mexican San Andres leaf.

According to Oliva, "the Serie V Melanio Maduro is made from a blend of Nicaraguan Sun Grown in the Jalapa region of the country and wrapped in a Mexican Maduro from the lush San Andres Valley. This unique cigar is sure to satisfy the highest expectations of Maduro cigar smokers".

I smoked this new release Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Lanceros immediately after the Melanio Lanceros. How did it compare? Thankfully, I can state that it was better by comparison.

This time, this cigar was not under-filled but it was not as 'packed' as what I've come to expect with a Oliva Serie V Melanio Churchill or Figurado. It did not have that same nutty/creamy texture which I have come to adore in this line.

What it did have was a gorgeous cocoa sweetness from beginning to end, almond nut and dates. It did not have the earthiness or leather one gets in a standard Oliva Serie V Lanceros. It was also milder by comparison.

In summary, if I were to reach for a cigar in the Oliva Melanio line I would still opt for a Churchill first and a Figurado second. Still, this wasn't too bad but the Oliva Serie V Lanceros does the same job and it's cheaper so I'd probably stick to that for now.

[JohnS]

Montecristo Especial LTO Mar 2021

Together with the Cohiba Lancero (and perhaps the Trinidad Fundadores), 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. I had the first cigar from this LTO Mar 2021 box in mid-2021, and maybe another three cigars within two months after that, but this was only my third one in a little over a year since. Still, I must admit that I very much look forward to these when I get the chance to light them up.

Unlike last time, this Montecristo Especial did not open up with any spiciness, which is atypical. Instead it had a soft cocoa/milk chocolate aspect to this, but I didn't really get a creamy texture to this cigar, like in my previous cigars from this box. There was also a hint of citrus twang to compliment the soft cocoa.

Apart from a short period in the middle third where the cigar had an uneven burn along one side, this Montecristo Especial burnt fine.

I've said previously that these are by no means complex cigars, but that hasn't affected how enamoured I've been with the simple blend of flavours I continue to experience when I smoke them. Having said that, I think I will aim to smoke another one after another period of rest, perhaps six to nine months from now to see how the box is faring.

I still consider myself very lucky to have the opportunity to smoke this cigar as the Montecristo Especial was in 'semi-hiatus' for quite some time prior to my acquisition of this box. Personally-speaking, I can't see more been produced, at the present time, given the current state of the Cuban Cigar Industry at the time of writing this review.

[JohnS]

Cohiba Siglo II MUO May 2014

My last Cohiba Siglo II, smoked recently, was from 2006. It was herbaceous or 'grassy' and creamy in texture, a classic 95-point cigar. This MUO May 2014 Cohiba Siglo II was interesting, in comparison, for how different it was in flavour to that cigar. What made this cigar different was the lemongrass and citrus combined with a hint of honey on the edges. There was a core mocha coffee along this cigar's spine and some cedar. It didn't really have a notable creamy texture.

Construction was spot-on. There was a solid grey ash, consistent cigar rings and even burn line.

The last Cohiba Siglo II I smoked from this box was in mid-2020. At the time I declared, in print, that it was "one of the very best examples of this vitola I've ever had, a true joy to savour, verily a classic cigar!"

This Cohiba Siglo II wasn't too much different overall. Perhaps the last one had more of a semblance of cream texture to it. Yes, this Cohiba Siglo II was excellent but that 2006 version remains my most recent benchmark example.