JohnS' Smoking Diary 2022

[JohnS]

Padron Serie 1926 #1 Maduro

The Padron 1926 Series No.1 Maduro was introduced in 2002 to mark the 75th birthday of José Padron. The tobacco leafs are aged a minimum of five years. The cigar is made in a limited production run annually of approximately 100,000 cigars. The cigars are sold in boxes of 10 or 24. All this attention to detail goes in no small way to guaranteeing excellence to the consumer as a quality, luxurious product. Thus, it's no surprise that Padron has its loyal fans as a consequence and so they should, in my opinion. Simply put, their cigars deliver what they promise.

In general, Padron cigars are known as being full-bodied (or full-flavoured). The flavours associated with them tend to be fairly consistent across the board; namely these are coffee, chocolate or cocoa, cedar or oak wood, Earth, leather and spice or pepper. That all sounds like the makings of a heavy cigar but where Padron shine is in the fact that their cigars are well-balanced and subtle. Their different vitolas and Maduro and Natural wrapper shade options offer slight variations in their core flavour blends.

In regard to this Padron Serie 1926 No.1 Maduro, it's a large and long cigar with a 54 ring gauge x 170 mm (or 6¾ inches) length, which is the same length as a Partagas 8-9-8. It's size means that it's a little milder within the 1926 Series than the No.9 or No.6, for example. And being a cigar of this size means one needs to devote time to it. I spent two hours and fifteen minutes on this cigar today but believe me, it was time well-spent!

The aroma on the cold draw was a typically Padronesque musty, cedar and cocoa concoction that I find unique to Padron cigars. The cold draw itself revealed a leather, cocoa and milk chocolate blend that was honestly enticing. I couldn't wait to light it up!

The first third started with a balance of cedar, milk chocolate and sweet spice. The draw was a little loose, as is common with Padron cigars. I think the next time I light up a Padron I'll take my Punch cutter to it because you don't need such an open cut to appreciate the flavours or get a decent amount of smoke on your palate.

The middle third had similar flavours of cedar, milk chocolate and sweet spice joined by some coffee and a nutty texture on the cigar that I very much enjoyed. The burn and ash continued to be impeccable, as is to be expected with a Padron cigar.

The final third saw the coffee and nutty texture continue with some Earthiness and spice or pepper, especially on the retrohale. I compensated for the pepper by taking short puffs. There was still plenty of flavour to be had after two hours and this spiciness on the palate didn't overwhelm in any way. Combined with the coffee and nutty texture, it was actually quite appealing.

I finished the cigar quite satisfied. What I appreciated the most was the nuanced flavours within this Padron Serie 1926 No.1 Maduro whereby no one flavour dominated the other. I mean, it was blended so well. I found myself thinking, a few hours after finishing the cigar, how I would like to have another one at some point soon. That probably won't happen but I ask humbly, is that not the hallmark of a great cigar?

[JohnS]

El Rey del Mundo Taínos 2018 - Edición Regional Formosa BRO May 2019

The 2018 Asia-Pacific Regional Edition release from Taiwan (hence the band labelled 'Exclusivo Formosa') is an obvious and wondrous gift to cigar enthusiasts who pine for a time when Cuban cigars were 'less' in girth and 'more' in length. Note that I referred to this cigar as a 2018 release. It didn't actually hit the market until mid-2019. It also represents Taiwan's first Regional cigar. Wow...what a cigar to release first up!

The original El Rey del Mundo Tainos had the same dimensions; a Churchill-sized cigar at 47 ring gauge x 178 mm (or 7 inches) in length. Unfortunately, it was discontinued in 2006, as were many other Churchill (and Lonsdale) cigars in the meantime. In regular production we have only three left...the iconic Romeo y Julieta Churchills, the Cohiba Esplendidos and the seasonal H.Upmann Sir Winston. That's why I'm so glad that Pacific Cigar Company, the Habanos Regional distributor for the Asia-Pacific market, brought out a regional release in this vitola.

Yes, I'm especially enamored that Pacific Cigar Company took a huge risk in re-releasing this iconic cigar. More so, I'm glad I have a box left, but I consider that I may lament that I did not acquire more for the future! After all, I'm certain the availability of the ErdM Regional Edition Tainos is done and the similarly risky, but successful, Punch 8-9-8 Regional Edition, also produced as a PCC release, is done also.

It's been fifteen months since I last visited this cigar. Incidentally, this is the first cigar from a 10-count box that I've 'cracked open' after waiting three years for it to develop. The delay in re-visiting this cigar for that lengthy period of time was due to the fact that I've felt that some ERdM Tainos' I had in the first half of 2020 were slightly closed in their flavours. In 2021 I felt that the cigar had opened up much more with those trademark El Rey del Mundo candied almond nut, citrus, cake, shortbread and honey flavours.

Today, this ERdM Tainos had candied almond and honey flavours and was even lighter on the shortbread. In the meantime, the citrus cake core flavour was more in the foreground than in the past. This 'cake-like' texture is something I'm actively looking for in resting these for this long. Again, it was an easy and thoroughly enjoyable ride over one-and-three-quarter hours of smoking time and an exemplary smoke.

So, in brief, with this ERdM Tainos smoking so well today, I can only envisage these getting even better with more downtime, especially as that aforementioned 'cake-like' texture becomes more prominent in its blend.

[JohnS]

Punch 8-9-8 2018 - Edición Regional Asia Pacifico LMB Jul 2019

The 2018 Asia Pacifico Regional Edition Punch 8-9-8 has been hugely popular for Pacific Cigar Company since its release in 2019. El Pres has mentioned on our forum in 2020 that, along with the Taiwanese Regional Edition El Rey del Mundo Tainos, the Punch 8-9-8 has been one of the top selling cigars for 2020 worldwide.

When it first came out a few enthusiasts lamented that it didn't come in a 25-count traditionally curved 8-9-8 box, however, the 10-count Punch 8-9-8 packaging references the traditional packaging by including curved edges on its varnished box.

It's been almost two years since I've had a Punch 8-9-8. Along with the 2018 PCC Taiwanese Region Edition El Rey de Mundo Tainos, I've waited a little over three years to 'crack' this box open.

This Punch 8-9-8 was great, with strong notes of hazelnut, a chocolate fudge or marshmallow texture, some savoury spice in the back half and medium-mild in strength. It was certainly very different than the last Punch cigar I had recently, a Punch Short de Punch. Having said that, in my opinion, it was equally as good.

I've had enough Punch 8-9-8s to equate it more to the Punch 48 LCDH in flavour than the Punch Punch (or aforementioned Punch Short de Punch). A better comparison may be had with the Punch Double Coronas but it's been two years since I've had a Punch DC and they haven't really been available in 2022.

[JohnS]

Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Figurado

I think I can summarise the collective success of modern Non-Cuban family-owned cigar businesses such as Padron, Arturo Fuente and Oliva with the following proverb; "Necessity is the mother of invention". All three of these manufacturers were born out of a patriarch who needed to leave the tumultuous change in Cuban society in the 1960s. Gilberto Oliva did so at that time, and indeed he travelled the world visiting Honduras, Panama, Mexico and the Philippines until he settled upon Nicaragua and the rest, as we say, is history.

Fast forward to 2014 and Cigar Aficionado that year named the Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado their No.1 cigar of the year. You don't need to guess what that publicity did for brand awareness and sales thereafter. Of course, manufacturing cigars that deliver consistently well in construction and performance on the palate certainly helps in solidifying Oliva's current reputation amongst cigar enthusiasts.

For some time in its history though, Oliva struggled. It wasn't until the company utilised Nicaraguan tobacco that they remained afloat as a business. The cigar line that really brought it attention was the Oliva Serie V, which debuted in 2006. Produced with a small rolling team and blended for strength and style, the Serie V line immediately took off. In 2012, in tribute to the first family patriarch to grow cigar tobacco, Oliva introduced the Melanio version, which differs from the original Serie V line by its Sumatra-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador.

The next year, in 2013, Oliva developed a new variation of the Melanio line by incorporating a Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper covering the same Nicaraguan binder and filler used in the original Serie V Melanio line. The vitola that was revealed in 2013 was the Oliva Serie V Melanio Torpedo. It wasn't until 2019 that a limited run of seventy thousand 10-count boxes Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Figurados were released. I got this cigar from a Melanio six-pack sampler released in October 2022. It contained three natural and three maduro Melanio Lanceros, Figurados and Churchills.

This Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Figurado is tapered at the head and foot. I tend to V-cut these type of cigars with my Colibri V-Cutter. It is a 52 ring gauge x 6½ inches (or 165 mm) in length cigar. Be mindful, you're likely to need somewhere in the vicinity of an hour-and-a-half to two hours to smoke this thing.

As usual, the draw is spot-on. The Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper is impressive. You feel that its so dependable that you can't imagine that the cigar would unravel on you if you don't cut the head precisely, unlike a Habanos cigar, at times. Usually, if I had the choice between a natural-wrappered and maduro-wrappered version of the same cigar I would smoke the natural wrapper first, but in this instance I wanted to challenge my bias by smoking the Maduro version today. I'll smoke the Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed natural-wrappered Melanio Figurado after this one.

The first third started off with notes of sweet dark chocolate, baking spice, espresso coffee, Earth and leather. It was certainly a very interesting combination that sounds that it would be heavy on the palate; only, it wasn't! The one characteristic you simply admire about the Melanio line is how smooth these cigars are to smoke.

The middle third had similar flavours. They only differed in that the nut became more like peanut butter and there was some woodiness in the mix. At this point of the cigar it continued to burn evenly and maintain a strong and consistent long ash.

The final third increased in intensity just a tad. I picked up a little spice or pepper but nothing that diminished the wonder core, sweet flavours I enjoyed over one hour and three quarters of smoking time. In saying this, I feel that if you are an experienced cigar smoker the pepper or spice will not hinder you at all, you might only pick it up if you aren't used to these type of cigars.

I'm happy to have sampled this cigar today. It was well-constructed, burned efficiently and the flavours were quite good too. Personally-speaking, I'd probably not choose this cigar over a standard Oliva Serie V Melanio Churchill but for a change-of-pace option it 'ticks all the boxes'.

[JohnS]

Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado

I know I've mentioned it before, but in case you've missed it, the Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado won Cigar Aficionado’s #1 Cigar of 2014 with a rating of 96 and some very high praise. I actually sampled one in 2015 and I remember it as a peppery two-hour smoke; albeit, a good one. I sampled another around six months ago and my appreciation of it has evolved since then, I guess. It certainly wasn't peppery in the same way.

I smoked a Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Figurado immediately prior to this cigar today so I was eager to see how it would compare.

This Figurado-shaped cigar is tapered at both ends and is box-pressed (as in almost square). It is 165 mm (or 6½ inches) long and has a 52 ring gauge. It comes with an impressive Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The binder and filler are both Nicaraguan.
    
On the cold draw I got some Earth, cedar and barnyard notes. The first third opened with a medium-bodied smoke replete with coffee, bread, nut and cedar. Once again, there was a sweet note that was akin to vanilla on my palate. I found the blend typical of the Oliva Melanio line.

Toward the middle of the cigar that bread was more like toast and the nuttiness settled to reveal an almond-type quality. There was also some coffee, wood and pepper. I consider these standard flavours for this cigar. Again, these flavours enhanced the main core flavours I picked up in the first third and were quite nuanced, they didn't overpower the smoke.The burn which remained straight and the ash held on average for an inch. I mention this because, for me, Oliva Melanio cigars are regularly like this.

Moving in to the final third, body and strength continued to be around the medium mark. The cigar at this point became a little more herbal but the flavour profile remained fine and desirable to my palate.

Overall, this was an excellent and delicious cigar enjoyed on a pleasant weekend afternoon over two hours and five minutes. Like the Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Figurado I smoked prior to this cigar, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this cigar to sample for regular Habanos cigar smokers as a change of pace. I'm confident you won't be disappointed.

[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 the other brands ironically re-classified in the last few years by Habanos S.A. as "other 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 pre-eminent 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). I have four late '15 VR Don Alejandros left. I've been smoking two of these a year, in the last few years, and although I had mentioned in a review on the Partagas Lusitanias a few weeks ago that I was reticent to smoke a Double Coronas due to their current unavailability, I wanted to re-visit this cigar today as Vegas Robaina is known for its distinct chocolate profile and the Vegas Robaina Don Alejandro is known for its unique flavour profile amongst Double Coronas.

My last few Vegas Robaina Don Alejandros have all been excellent and this VR Alejandro today was similar; again lasting two-and-a-half hours. The luscious chocolate was lighter than before upon opening, but raisin sweetness and sour dark cherries or prunes was still quite evident. I appreciated, moreover, the 'pure tobacco' or grassy core flavour/s in the opening third. This was not like a Cohiba-type grass, rather it was something that I've found in my aged Vegas Robaina Famosos of late and which I believe is characteristic to this marca.

In unison with the last few VR Don Alejandros I've smoked, the baking spice in this was less prominent in its overall flavour profile. In the middle of the cigar the strength picked up a bit, as did the nuttiness and marzipan texture to the cigar. This nuttiness was like almond. It was all very light and pleasant until the last third when the cigar got a touch heavier in body and there were some forest floor flavours coming into the mix.

Construction-wise, the cigar was very good. I re-lit a few times, but only towards the end in the last third. This was after I had smoked the cigar for two hours and ten minutes already anyway, so it didn't deter or bother me that much. The ash was consistent and the burn-line was even throughout.

It's a shame this Double Corona has been deleted from the Habanos S.A regular production catalogue although I could understand why the VR Don Alejandro was a slow-seller. Simply speaking, judging by my personal ratings of the cigar within my Smoking Diary on Cuban Cigar Website, none of the VR Don Alejandros I've smoked with less than three years on them ever got more than a three-star rating. In contrast, the last few around the five-year mark and over have been much higher.

[JohnS]

Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo des Dieux MER Abr 2013

The last run of Hoyo de Monterrey des Dieux manufactured prior to being discontinued was in 2013/14. The Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo des Dieux was a 42 ring gauge x 155 mm (or 6⅛ inches) in length Coronas Grandes cigar. Today, only the Cohiba Siglo III and Montecristo Tubos have these dimensions and are in regular production. I would assert that their respective marcas, being highly unlikely to being prone to deletion, has ensured their survival whereas other Coronas Grandes cigars have not.

My initial exposure to the Hoyo de Monterrey des Dieux were from a 2003 box code. Those HdM Le Hoyo des Dieux were especially creamy in texture. With time, I've come to understand that those '03 des Dieuxs were a 'class above' and other HdM Le Hoyo de Dieux (up to when they were discontinued in 2014) were subject to normal development over time like other Le Hoyo cigars.

When I mention the aging development of Le Hoyo line cigars I am naturally not including the recent additions to the line, the 2018 de Rio Seco and the 2014 de San Juan. Like Cohiba in the past five years or so, these two Le Hoyo additions seem to develop their peak flavours much younger than in the past. In the case of the de Rio Seco and de San Juan, this means the advent of creaminess in the cigar, with the de Rio Seco being noteworthy for creaminess even sooner than the de San Juan. (Personally speaking, I have found the HdM Le Hoyo de Rio Seco especially approachable once they've hit the two-year mark.)

So what have traditional Le Hoyo cigars been like, in general? In a word, they have been characterised by their woodiness when young. The aim of resting them long-term is to let them become more creamy. As mentioned, like traditional Cohiba, developing those peak flavours can take five to ten years (or even longer).

At around nine years rested now the woodiness in this HdM Le Hoyo des Dieux has definitely receded to become a quality cedar. When Le Hoyo cigars are under five years they can have a mushroom/forest floor-type flavour to them that can dominate the cigar. This des Dieux had a beautiful forest floor flavour that intermingled very nicely with the cedar upon opening. It also had a sweet vanilla flavour to it. The creaminess in this cigar was still light which in my mind suggests it has the potential to develop further for many years to come. It had no clove spice elements to it though, which is another characteristic of Le Hoyo cigars.

The strength of this cigar was definitely mild but it was medium-bodied. In other words, it didn't lack at all in regards to flavour. Like aged cigars in general, once that strength wears off it becomes quite easy to smoke. I smoked this in around 65 minutes and was very much satisfied with it.

In my mind, when the last third start to develop more creaminess and the flavours have melded from beginning to end, then that's the time when the Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo des Dieux has peaked. We may be a few more years away in the case of the batch of the last run of the HdM Le Hoyo des Dieux from 2013/14.

[JohnS]

Trinidad Esmeralda GEM Nov 2019

The Trinidad Esmeralda is a Dinoras size with a 53 ring gauge x 145mm (or 5¾ inches) length. Initially I thought that the name 'Esmeralda', meaning Emerald in Spanish, was a gemstone reference, but the origin of the name has been included in the internal advisory note which comes with the box. To quote directly, "The charming name of Esmeralda is a reference to one of the famous streets of Trinidad city."

I've written previously that the Esmeralda is one of those cigars that doesn't need any further accolades to assuage one of its virtues, in my opinion. It's simply a quality cigar that, for me, delivers satisfaction time-and-time again. The Esmeralda exemplifies the best qualities of the Trinidad marca because it is so true (to it). It's like the Cohiba Siglo VI of the Trinidad range.

I've now gone through half this 12-count box smoked (and with one gifted). Each one I've had has been similarly exquisite in their quality of construction and more importantly, balance of flavours. It's been sixteen months since I've last had one, in fact, and this Trinidad Esmeralda did not disappoint any less either.

This Esmeralda, had perfect construction, perfect burning and yes, perfect flavours. I untwisted the pig-tail this time instead of using a cutter and that didn't prove to be a problem at all on the draw. It smoked like a premium cigar should; providing wonderful flavours of coffee, wood, butter and salt. With a little more downtime on this box I found the strength had lessened to medium-mild and honestly, I much preferred it this way. This time any hints of nuts or Earthiness was largely negligible. I nubbed the cigar to my fingers after 110 minutes of smoking pleasure.

To best summarise these new 50th Anniversary Trinidad releases in terms of blend, think of them as refined medium-strength cigars (the Media Luna being the strongest of the three, ahead of the Topes and Esmeralda) with a premium brand onus on delivering rich flavour (typically a combination of coffee, wood, dough or cake, spice, earthiness, nuts and butter). They are the type of cigars that you would finish a night with. As this Trinidad Esmeralda box has just gone past the two-year mark I'm finding them getting even better, in my view.

[JohnS]

I'd like to take the opportunity to again thank you for taking the time to peruse and support this blog.

As usual, I intend to take a break but in the meantime I wish all our members a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2023!

[cgoodrich]

John, it is I that must thank you. Your blog is a journey for me. I appreciate your time spent sharing with us, and hope it will continue in the new year.

I wish nothing but peace and joy to you and yours for the coming year, may it surpass your expectations.

Chris

[joeypots]

Thanks for the reviews, John. 

[gormag38]

On 12/29/2022 at 6:11 PM, JohnS said:

We may be a few more years away in the case of the batch of the last run of the HdM Le Hoyo des Dieux from 2013/14.

I was generously gifted a HdMDD that is production year 2014. I instantly started thinking of good opportunities to smoke this stick (as it will almost surely be my one and only). I must say that after reading your review I think I'm going to have to hold off for at least another year or two; that hoyo cream is magic when it's there and I want this cigar to have it in spades! 

And as always, thank you kindly for all your reviews. They are a pleasure to read. 

[DikkeSigaar]

Dear John,

Just want to express my thanks and amazement. Your smoking diary is truly the cherry on top of this forum. Your cigar writing is pure art. Long may it continue.

[karp]

On 12/29/2022 at 6:35 PM, JohnS said:

I'd like to take the opportunity to again thank you for taking the time to peruse and support this blog.

Thank you for writing it! It’s always a highlight on FOH to read these reviews and compare tasting notes for the cigars that I’ve tried thus far. Keep it up!! 

[GoodStix]

Another great year of reviews.  Enjoyable as always.  Thank you @JohnS