JohnS' Smoking Diary 2022

[JohnS]

5 hours ago, LLC said:

Enjoyed going through this batch of reviews John. I have not had a Perlas yet but I recently received a box from 2015. Not sure it’s a cigar that I would think of as being in my “wheelhouse” but part of the fun of this hobby is trying new things and expanding one’s horizon. I’ll let the settle a bit and then give them a try. 
 

On another note, I’m quite tempted to open my last 2007 BGM box after reading your review. Cheers. 

I certainly agree with the idea of trying new things. Whether you open your box of BGM or not soon, the main thing is that I understand the hesitancy in not doing so. It's hard to smoke Habanos cigars these days that have been discontinued in years past and which you know you can't replace.

5 hours ago, Goodfortune said:

Some gorgeous smokes and excellent reviews to start the year! Thank you @JohnS for all the reviews, really enjoy reading and smoking them vicariously through you. Looking forward to more! Cheers 🍻

Thank you most kindly!

[99call]

On 3/20/2022 at 7:38 AM, JohnS said:

Partagás Salomones Espanola 1995 - Salomones Espanola Humidor (circa 1995)

Holy moly!!          wow! white whale ..........and then some.

[joeypots]

Well done, John. Thanks for another great series of reviews.

👏👏👏👏

[JohnS]

23 hours ago, 99call said:

Holy moly!!          wow! white whale ..........and then some.

True. I was just discussing this cigar with El Pres last night in fact. I'm very lucky to have sampled it and I'm glad to have reviewed such a rare cigar!

41 minutes ago, joeypots said:

Well done, John. Thanks for another great series of reviews.

👏👏👏👏

Thank you so much. I was telling El Pres last night that things have slowed down in the past few months for me in terms of cigars smoking, yet when I looked on the 2022 blog I could still see great value in the types of cigars smoked (i.e. much less common) so yes, I'm pleased.

[Chucko8]

Quality reads as always thank you John. I truly appreciate your time and effort.

[JohnS]

Por Larrañaga Galanes RAT Nov 2020

The Por Larranaga Galanes is a 52 ring gauge x 120 mm (or 4¾ inches) in length Robusto. I'm not sure why it has a unique size but if it was slightly smaller in girth I'd like to think it to be like a Punch Short de Punch, which is 50 ring gauge, but the same length. Why it's not is anyone's guess. One thing I do know, I've quite enjoyed the Punch Short de Punch and I've taken a serious liking to the Por Larranaga Galanes too.

It's been eleven months since I had the first cigar from this 10-count box and today's cigar was my fifth from the box. I have written previously that some of my PL Galanes have been quite 'buttery' upon their opening and some have exhibited a core butter bread flavour; something akin to a recent Quai d'Orsay no.50 or 54 with its brioche characteristics. Other Por Larranaga Galanes have also had a milk coffee flavour in their opening to compliment that brioche-type butter bread taste on the palate, whereas others have had a characteristic dull oak wood flavour come to the fore.

This fifth cigar, after eleven months, again reinforced the notion that this regular production Por Larranaga release is currently simply fantastic. This time, the flavours I picked up were a combination of milk coffee, brioche bread and a wonderful butterscotch sweetness in its core throughout the cigar. I didn't get as much dull oak wood flavour today in this cigar. After going through half a 10-count box now I still feel that the best way to characterise that PL Galanes would be to state that it was like a Punch Short de Punch with a butterscotch sweetness, if you could imagine such a thing! This PL Galanes, smoked over 85 minutes, would be much the same. So, if you are looking for that typical Por Larranaga caramel sweetness, I would advise to look elsewhere as again it wasn't present in this cigar.

I am aware that the Por Larranaga Galanes has not been easy to source, but if you have a box or two, then I'm confident that you can relate to my acclamation of this outstanding cigar. I am certainly glad I have more than one 10-count box in my inventory.

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Hidalgos MGL May 2021

First there was the Cohiba Behike line, released in 2010 and then came the Montecristo Linea 1935 series, released in 2017. (Okay, it came out in mid-2018 but it did commemorate the founding of the brand in 1935.) Now comes the Romeo y Julieta Linea de Oro (i.e the Gold Line), released in 2020 to commemorate the 145th anniversary of the Romeo y Julieta marca founded in 1875. Like the Montecristo Linea 1935 series, there are three cigars all released with an ornate band on the foot. Like the Montecristo Line 1935 series too, this new premium cigar addition to the regular production line of the Romeo y Julieta marca was released later, towards the second half of 2021.

The Romeo y Julieta Linea de Oro series was first introduced to the public at the XXII Festival del Habano in 2020. It consists of three new cigars, the Hidalgos, (57 ring gauge x 125 mm or 4⅞ inches), the Nobles, a figurado (56 ring gauge x 135 mm or 5⅜ inches) and the Dianas (52 ring gauge x 145 mm or 5¾ inches). Keep in mind that the Hidalgos has the largest ring gauge in regular production currently in the Habanos catalogue.

Each of these three vitolas comes in ornate presentations. Each Línea de Oro cigar has two golden bands, including holographic elements, similar to those found on the Cohiba bands since 2014. The second band, found at the foot of the cigar, bears the nomenclature "Línea de Oro".

Each of these three new cigars are presented in an elegant, high-quality box containing 20 cigars. The exterior of each box is made of sycamore wood with a high-gloss, blood-red lacquer finish. The sides of the upper and lower parts are enhanced with a golden frieze. The top is has a golden relief plate representing Romeo and Julieta at the classic balcony scene decorated with the various gold medal awards.

I must thank @El Presidente for allowing me to sample this new release. Romeo y Julieta is a marca that cigar enthusiasts tend to either love, tolerate or loathe, depending on the vitola. In my case, I definitely love certain vitolas within this marca such as the Churchills cigars (i.e the Julieta No.2-sized Churchills, Wide, Petit and Short Churchills), the Exhibicion No.4 and Petit Royales. Others I tolerate (such as the Cazadores and Cedros de Luxe cigars) whilst others I don't care for (such as the Romeo Nos. 1, 2 and 3 - these are commonly found in tubos in LCDHs for the tourist market as duty-free acquisitions for casual cigar buyers).

The 57 ring gauge was not immediately evident to me upon lighting, in fact, I had to research its girth on-line. This suggests a disturbing revelation; the gradual accustomisation of larger ring-gauged cigars in the last ten years or so has meant that cigars this size no longer look as big as they once did. I can certainly remember, for example, being aware that the 2014 Cohiba Robustos Supremos and 2015 H.Upmann 56 Limited Editions stood out as large ring-gauged cigars.

So how did it taste? If you expect elements of cocoa like one can find in Romeo y Julieta cigars then I suggest to look elsewhere. This had all the aspects of a premium quality cigar in its taste and texture. The dominant flavour was walnut or hazelnut, with some fruitiness on the edges. The strength of the cigar is marketed by Habanos S.A as being medium-strong. I would suggest that it was more mild than that, but the nuttiness in this cigar coated the palate with a long finish. I also got some wood and leather in this cigar but I can unequivocally say that the texture of this Hidalgos necessitated me smoking more slowly than what I would normally do.

So, in conclusion, this RyJ Lineo de Oro Hidalgos was a densely-textured premium cigar that would benefit from a little more time down, in my opinion, before one would smoke them on more than the' odd occasion', as I would with the cigar at this stage. It's classy, but it needs time to settle.

In the meantime, now that the Cohiba, Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta brands have premium lines I wonder whether we'll see some additions to the other global brands in the near future? Who knows, perhaps we'll see a commemoration of the 180th anniversary of the H.Upmann brand in 2024 or even the 160th anniversary of Hoyo de Monterrey in 2025. Let's not forget the 180th anniversary of the Partagas brand in 2025 either. For my liking, if we do see new premium cigar additions to these other global brands I know that these Romeo y Julieta cigars would be more delineated by then than what they are now and probably more ready to smoke!

[JohnS]

Alex Puntilla Custom (circa 2016)

The Alex Puntilla Custom...have you had one and if so, when was the last time you had it? The Alejandro and Reynaldo Custom Habanos cigars have been quite reputable for some time on our forum amongst our members. Now that both Torcedors have left Cuba recently, a new sentimental meaning has been attached to their bespoke creations.

The Alex Puntilla Custom was gifted to me by @Fuzz (thank you) and was blended in a similar flavour profile to the 2019 Nudies Lanceros, as El Pres has mentioned to me, only it's a little sweeter. Certainly this had a sourdough and leather core to it, was slight 'toasty' in texture and had a slight honey sweetness to it which made it quite enjoyable to smoke.

After finishing it, I guess I had a newfound appreciation for Alejandro's custom Habanos cigars and Hamlet and El Pres' work in blending a similar cigar with Non-Cuban tobacco (i.e the Nudies series). I guess I have a certain sense of ambivalence when I reflect upon this cigar today. On the one hand I'm saddened that they are gone; one the other hand, I'm glad we have the Nudies series to enjoy in their place.

[Chucko8]

I have noted the change in the floral print on the tablecloth John!

[JohnS]

1 hour ago, Chucko8 said:

I have noted the change in the floral print on the tablecloth John!

I have to credit my wife Eleni as she suggested that it was time to put out a new tablecloth! 🤣

[JohnS]

Partagás Selección Privada 2014 - Edición Limitada OPG Dic 2014

The Partagas Seleccion Privada Limited Edition was released in 2014, along with the Bolivar Super Corona and Cohiba Robustos Supremos. Initial reviews suggested that it was like a Partagas Serie D No.4, only richer. The consensus, at the time, was that this cigar was ripe for aging, with a 3 to 5 year window.

A double robusto with a 50 ring gauge by 160 mm (or 6¼ inches) length, my last Partagas Seleccion Privada Limited Edition, smoked nine months ago, only took a little over 90 minutes to enjoy, as against the more usual 2 hours for the others smoked from the box. It had core flavours of coffee, sourdough, wood, leather with definite signs of Partagas spice throughout.

This cigar also had core flavours of coffee, sourdough, wood and leather, only this had more toasted tobacco to it, was more full-flavoured than my recent Partagas Seleccion Privada cigars and had practically no cream-texture to it, unlike some cigars from this box. In fact, the woody aspects of the blend really stood out also in this cigar today.

I still fell that the remaining three cigars from this box has 'peak' flavours for some time yet. I aim to rest them for a while further to see how they develop.

[JohnS]

Montecristo Especial LTO Mar 2021

Together with the Cohiba Lancero, 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 it had been about four months since my last one. Still, I do very much look forward to these when I invariably light them up.

This Montecristo Especial opened with quite an nice combination of soft cocoa/milk chocolate combined with a slightly creamy texture. To say it was delicious would be an understatement. I didn't really get that much of a citrus twang and the coffee aspect to this cigar was again a tad lighter than what I've previously encountered from this box. These are by no means complex cigars, but that hasn't affected how enamored I've been with the simple blend of flavours I continue to experience when I smoke them.

Construction, this time, was spot-on. I had no complaints as the burn and ash were fine. I did not have to re-light at any point and the draw was ideal for my liking, unlike my last Montecristo Especial which was a 'pain' to smoke because I had to re-light it seven to eight times!

I can't say at the present time, when the next time I smoke my next cigar from this box, will in fact occur. Judging by how well this smoked and how enjoyable it was, I would say a lot sooner than the four months it took to smoke this Monte Especial after the last one that refused to stay alight!

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Petit Royales RAT Ene 2020

I've found the Romeo y Julieta Petit Royales excellent in quality throughout 2020 and 2021 and I think this is just the second example I've had in the last few years that wasn't above average to excellent in my view.

I still got those wonderfully rich and intense chocolate and cherry notes, with a bit of spice at times, throughout the cigar but the smoke output was so voluminous that I had to ease back on the draw after the halfway point, ironically enough. It was also more 'toasty' in texture than what I would have preferred.

So, in summary, I've found the greater majority of these RyJ Petit Royales more well-balanced in general and I consider this cigar today an anomaly. I'm eager to try another one soon in the confidence it will smoke better than this RyJ Petit Royales today.

[JohnS]

Por Larrañaga Montecarlos LGR Ago 2018

A recent thread on our forum highlighted what a 'forum favourite' this cigar is. By that I mean a cigar that the average consumer would bypass in favour of more well-known marcas and vitolas such as the Montecristo No.2 and No.4, Partagas Serie D No.4 and Cohiba Linea 1492 Siglo Series, for example. The fact is that the Por Larranaga Montecarlos is popular amongst cigar enthusiasts but it remains little-known elsewhere. So why is that? Maybe because of the simple fact Por Larranaga is lesser-known as a marca. Also, long-and-skinnies have never been overwhelmingly popular in the history of Habanos cigars and now they are virtually down to their two last-known examples. Of course, I am speaking about the Por Larranaga Montecarlos and La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or No.4. (Which incidentally has enjoyed a lengthy hiatus in production in the past few years to make enjoyment of this cigar even more challenging for the average cigar enthusiast. Of course, I am being 'tongue-in-cheek' here in my insights!)

The Por Larranaga Montecarlos is a 33 ring gauge x 159 mm (or 6¼ inches) in length Deliciosos, which is its Factory Name and by which no-one virtually outside of Cuba calls it as such. It's Common Name for its size, a Slim Panatela, is incidentally indeed more common. On our forum it's what I consider a 'forum favourite'...you know, a cigar that has many admirers for providing value for money when it comes to its smoking performance.

Personally-speaking, I quite enjoy the Por Larranaga Montecarlos but even I was surprised to learn that it's been seven months since I've enjoyed this cigar. I've been smoking from three different box codes in the last few years and they each tell a different story. My LGR Oct 17 box has been by far my favourite because it is the most light-wrappered and has been consistently caramel in its profile. This box is down to three sticks. My LGR Ago 18 box has been best described as dependable. I've gone through half this box and the wrappers in this box are darker. My third box, a TOS Mar 17 example has the darkest wrappers and has been the woodiest of the lot. I've gone through 60% of this box but they are nowhere near their peak so I haven't reached for one for a few years now. Neither do I intend to re-visit this last box soon. Maybe I will in another 2 or 3 years.

I was glad today that from the very first puff I got a hit or two of refined caramel in this LGR Ago 18 PL Montecarlos. It is one characteristic that I look for whenever I reach for this cigar. Together with the milk coffee, the honey and the woodiness you can get from a PL Montecarlos it simply makes for a great smoke, flavour-wise.

In regards to construction, what let this cigar down was the slight under-filling towards the back half of the cigar, especially around the band. Now, normally that will facilitate some slight bitter flavours or the cigar smoking 'hot' and this is what occurred in the second half of the cigar, due to the consistent number of re-lights I needed to do to keep the cigar going. In my mind, that would have been due to this PL Montecarlo not having enough volado leaf to maintain a consistent burn.

Still, the cigar in the first half was brilliant and the second half was ordinary. Maybe in summary that even things out and so in retrospect the cigar was nigh on average in my mind. Then again, I prefer the next cigar from this box to have little to no re-lights and that would give me a fairer indication of how this box is developing as it approaches four years of age.

[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 funnily enough I've not had one since! Fast forward six months and I'm ready to have the third San Cristobal de la Habana El Principe, which is certainly atypical of me as I consider the SCdLH El Principe one of my very favourite Habanos 'go-to' cigars. I know many members on our forum share this sentiment.

This third San Cristobal de la Habana El Principe was again sweet in its cocoa/coffee and molasses flavour combination but like the second cigar from this box, it definitely did have the semblance of beginning to open up in its texture, which was more 'pancake-like' than the first SCdlH El Principe I sampled in November 2021.

So, in general, I was quite satisfied with how this performed as a robust, 'go-to' cigar. It smoked it in around sixty minutes, which is excellent considering a normal minuto for me takes about 35 to 40 minutes to smoke. For that alone I was well-pleased and satisfied!

[JohnS]

Partagás Serie D No.6 UTL Abr 2019

The Partagas Serie D No.6 was released in 2014. It's a mercurial addition to the Partagas marca, firstly due to the size (50 ring gauge x 90 mm or 3½ inch length) and secondly (and I believe foremost) due to the packaging. The square wooden single-tiered box made this awkward for Habanos S.A to price competitively in comparison to other similar cigars of the same size and as a result these have been a slow seller. They've only just come into some discounting in the last few years and I can't help but feel it's overdue.

In the meantime, if you've sampled these then you'd know that they pack a ton of flavour in an oft medium-strengthed small cigar. Sourdough, coffee and leather, variously with pepper or spice; in other words, standard core Partagas DNA flavours.

This example was certainly full of flavour, especially spice and it took me forever to smoke because it had a strong finish. In the past the Partagas Serie D No.6 would take me about 50 minutes to smoke but this one took about an hour. That's not bad considering that a Partagas Serie D No.4 usually takes me in the vicinity of 70 to 75 minutes to smoke.

[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 eleven ARS and RAG '17/'18 and '19 box code cigars up until my last one in mid-2021.

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!  

Today's cigar was much like my previous Trinidad Fundadores with its milk coffee, dough, cake and almond nut flavour combination. There was no spice but I did get hints of 'woodiness' along the way. Thankfully, the intensity of the cigar didn't build up at all which allowed me to nub this to my fingertips. Obviously I enjoyed this Fundadores quite a lot, over two hours of smoking time. (Two hours and ten minutes in fact!) I just wish I can have these more often!

[Connoisseur Kim]

Glad to see even more CC reviews @JohnS! I'm surprised that you also took 75 minutes to puff Robustos like me (90-95 minutes for Robusto Extras like Connie A) 😃.

[Ford2112]

Great reviews,I just got caught up!

[JohnS]

Saint Luis Rey Pura Vida 2020 - Edición Regional Costa Rica BLT Ago 2021

The Saint Luis Rey Pura Vida Edición Regional Costa Rica 2020 is the second Regional Edition for the small Central American country of Costa Rica. It was officially launched in September 2021 by Cruz Canela & Trust GB S.A., Habanos S.A.'s exclusive distributor for Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The Saint Luis Rey Pura Vida comes after the Initial Costa Rican release, the Ramón Allones Nuevo Mundo, announced in 2017 and made available in late-2018. (Interestingly enough, this initial offering was actually made exclusive for both Costa Rica and Nicaragua.)

The Saint Luis Rey Pura Vida is a Magnum 54 (54rg x 120 mm or 4¾ inches in length). The H.Upmann 54 is the only other cigar to utilise this vitola. It was produced in 6000 10-count boxes and according to Cuban Cigar Website, "an unknown number of these cigars were erroneously released with H. Upmann bands".

The name Pura Vida represents a popular local saying, which means to wish happiness to the person you are talking to. It can be stated at the start or at the end of a conversation.

Just like a number of other Saint Luis Rey Regionals I've sampled in the past few years, this cigar shares the same complex Saint Luis Rey DNA in its flavour profile. The dominant flavours were certainly the apricot stonefruit encompassed in a hay texture on the palate. I also got notes of dark chocolate, espresso coffee, orange citrus, some floral notes and even a touch of spice on the edges in the back half.

This was more in keeping with how I remember my Saint Luis Rey Serie A's used to smoke, only much more vibrant because of its infancy. This was certainly not like a Saint Luis Rey Regios as it didn't have a 'bread-like' texture or a sour apple tart citrus element to it at all.

I guess the question I have to ask myself is whether I would be willing to outlay some capital to acquire a 10-count box or two. Personally speaking, I wouldn't be so inclined; however, if you a sentimental towards a classic Saint Luis Rey blend you may partial to committing to a purchase. One thing I can vouchsafe for though is that this cigar is not for fans of recent Saint Luis Rey Regios. It is definitely a different cigar to that one!

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Nobles GEM Nov 2021

The Romeo y Julieta Linea de Oro (i.e the Gold Line), was released in 2020 to commemorate the 145th anniversary of the Romeo y Julieta marca founded in 1875. Like the Montecristo Linea 1935 series, there are three cigars all released with an ornate band on the foot. Like the Montecristo Line 1935 series too, this new premium cigar addition to the regular production line of the Romeo y Julieta marca was released later, towards the second half of 2021.

The Romeo y Julieta Linea de Oro series was first introduced to the public at the XXII Festival del Habano in 2020. It consists of three new cigars, the Hidalgos, (57 ring gauge x 125 mm or 4⅞ inches), the Nobles, a figurado (56 ring gauge x 135 mm or 5⅜ inches) and the Dianas (52 ring gauge x 145 mm or 5¾ inches). Keep in mind that the Hidalgos has the largest ring gauge in regular production currently in the Habanos catalogue.

Each of these three vitolas comes in ornate presentations. Each Línea de Oro cigar has two golden bands, including holographic elements, similar to those found on the Cohiba bands since 2014. The second band, found at the foot of the cigar, bears the nomenclature "Línea de Oro".

Each of these three new cigars are presented in an elegant, high-quality box containing 20 cigars. The exterior of each box is made of sycamore wood with a high-gloss, blood-red lacquer finish. The sides of the upper and lower parts are enhanced with a golden frieze. The top is has a golden relief plate representing Romeo and Julieta at the classic balcony scene decorated with the various gold medal awards.

I had smoked a Romeo y Julieta Hidalgos a month ago and I was keen to smoke this Nobles today to compare notes, so-to-speak. Like the RyJ Hidalgos, the 56 ring gauge was not immediately evident to me upon lighting, in fact, it seemed smaller. Perhaps I have indeed come to a gradual accustomisation of larger ring-gauged cigars in the last few years?

So how did the RyJ Nobles taste? Like the RyJ Hidalgos, this had all the aspects of a premium quality cigar in its taste and texture. However, whereas the dominant flavour of the RyJ Hidalgos was walnut or hazelnut, with some fruitiness on the edges. this RyJ Nobles was more akin to a tartiness like sour apples combined with baking spice. It was medium-strengthed and had a long finish, so it lingered on the palate. I also got some leather in this cigar, but not any woodiness like the RyJ Hidalgos. This cigar took me awhile to smoke, something like 110 minutes.

In summary, this RyJ Lineo de Oro Nobles was a densely-textured premium cigar in a similar fashion to the RyJ Hidalgos. Like that cigar, it needs more time to settle. Nevertheless, I'd still maintain that it's classy and it possesses a unique flavour profile for a Habanos cigar.

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Churchills 2019 - Habanos Añejados ALP Mar 2007

The Anejados program was first announced in 2014 with the release of the Montecristo Churchill and Romeo y Julieta Piramides. In 2015 the Partagas Corona Gorda and Hoyo de Monterrey Hermosos No 4 were released and finally in 2016 we got the H.Upmann Robustos. The two characteristics these cigars all shared were that they were aged (anejados in Spanish means 'aged') and they represented vitolas not normally associated with their marcas in regular production. I could further point out a third characteristic: reviews for all these cigars have been mixed, ranging from very good, to acceptable to downright bad. The elevated price points for these cigars hasn't helped marketing either.

I suppose whispers surrounding the authenticity of the whole program haven't helped. I mean, is it plausible that Habanos S.A really kept aside cigars in unique vitolas from the mid-2000s to release to market ten years later? I mean, was some Habanos S.A. executive/s somehow inspired by the well-known story of Joseph telling the Pharaoh of Egypt from the book of Genesis to set aside grain for future famine conditions the motivation for this idea? It's been cynically suggested on our forum that the first five releases were re-packaged unsold vitolas in other marcas. For example, it's been said that the Montecristo Churchill Anejados were simply unsold 2006 Sancho Panza Gigantes. Given that no-one in the Cuban Cigar Industry has gone on record as even knowing the existence of this program prior to 2014, you'd have to say that these concerns have been well-justified.

Fast-forward to 2019 and for the first time in three years a new release to the program was added, only this time it included a vitola that is already in regular production: the Romeo y Julieta Churchills Anejados Tubos. These Romeo y Julieta Churchills come in their historical grey aluminum tubes with a bottom screw- cap in which the cigars were aged for about 12 years. They include their original dress box from 2007, with an additional elegant brown protective case that protects and embellishes the vintage box. The old bottom screw-cap is a nice reminder of days gone past as since 2006 Habanos S.A has gradually phased them out with friction-held slide-off caps at the top of the tube.

Of course, this Romeo y Julieta Churchills Anejados has the typical 47 ring gauge x 178 mm or 7 inches length. Once I opened the tube, this Romeo y Julieta Churchills Anejados looked wonderful with a wrapper that had a beautiful dark brown color, just under colorado maduro shade.There was a wonderful aroma consistent with a quality aged cigar wrapped in a cedar sheet. The cigar comes with the old Romeo y Julieta band, with a second Aged (Anejados) band on the wrapper.

I had a decent draw and the first puffs generated plenty of smoke, with some notes of walnuts and coconut. In other words, it had a strong nutty/creamy texture to it. In the first third, I got some hints of vanilla and gingerbread at a medium strength. I wouldn't exactly equate this as an aged Romeo y Julieta cigar, but it was smoking really well at this point, I had no complaints whatsoever.

In the middle third, the vanilla and gingerbread dissipated and instead there were some rich cedar and Earth flavors with some desiccated coconut. The cigar strength remained the same.

In the final third, I got some more Earthy flavours together with forest floor-type flavours. The strength also increased a little to medium-full.

I smoked this a lot quicker than I would have liked, around 90 minutes believe it or not! I was surprised at how outstanding this cigar was; much better than any other Anejados cigar I've smoked. I wouldn't necessarily get a box, given the more expensive price-point, but I would happily smoke another single or two if I came across them.

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Churchills UEB Jun 2019

The Romeo y Julieta Churchill has been a standout cigar, in general, for a while now, especially after 2019. For a few years before 2015/16, I would say that this definitely wasn't the case; after all, I can recall my fair share of tasteless, bland toasted tobacco RyJ Churchills. Afterwards, the opposite may be true: I have had a great number of excellent RyJ Churchills, mostly replete with delicious fruity flavours.

This RyJ Churchill had a perfect draw and was quite effortless to smoke. The texture of the cigar was quite rich on the palate and construction was consistent in ash-lengths and burn.

In terms of taste, I've quite enjoyed the anise/turkish delight/rosewater and fruitiness of the Romeo y Julieta marca for some time now but this particular RyJ Churchill was slightly different in that it was slightly savoury on account of its underlying cocoa, cedar and Earthiness. Mind you, it still had some classic cherry flavours, but these were to be had on the edges.

I enjoyed four Romeo y Julieta Churchills in a two-month period in mid 2021 but a little over six months have passed since then. I'm really glad I lit one up today as this was a fantastic cigar to enjoy on a beautiful afternoon over two hours!

[JohnS]

Partagás Lusitanias UEB Abr 2019

There was a dedicated thread on our forum on the Partagas Lusitanias recently. It's said on our forum that usually, any one time, a typical Habanos cigar will attract 75% of adherents who 'get it'. The participants in this poll (and there were close to 150 of them) who 'got' the Partagas Lusitanias, considered the flagship cigar of the Partagas brand, was numbered at 94%.

The top five flavours that were singled out in this poll were, in order; cream, wood, nut Earth and bread, although leather was added later on and I would guess that this latter flavour would have polled higher. Coffee, capsicum or bell pepper and mushroom or Forest Floor flavours were not too far behind.

Until 1976, the Partagas Lusitania was manufactured with a 'cabeza tumbada' or a bullet-tip or dropped head. This type of cap is usually reserved for more prestigious cigars nowadays, almost exclusively for Numero 109cigars such as the 2014 Diplomaticos Bushidos, for example.

If you feel that the modern Partagas Lusitanias doesn't quite have the strength of its predecessor in the past than you'd be right. The 'Old School' Partagas blend that cigar enthusiasts on occasion mention and like to reflect upon was jettisoned in the mid-1990s.

This Partagas Lusitanias opened with a gorgeous caramel-like sweetness that you can otherwise list as nougat. It's unmistakable and for fans of this cigar, I'd equate its appeal to how flies are attracted to honey. Partagas sourdough, milk coffee, cedar, nut, leather and honey dominated the cigar. There was also some clove spice on the edges after the middle third.

Like some of my last few Lusitanias, this Double Coronas was flaky in its ashing, unfortunately. A standard cigar will burn around the ligero leaves in the centre, that is if it's larger than around 38 ring gauge and it contains ligero leaves, and in doing so it will leave a slight cone shape as the ash drops signifying that the seco and volado leaves around the core burn quicker and hence drop off accordingly. Sometimes a well-constructed cigar will ash off in seemingly perfect inch-long cylindrical tufts, which this cigar only did in the back half.

In summary, that caramel or nougat sweetness started from the first few puffs and did not let up over two-and-a-quarter hours of smoking time. This was a satisfying and mostly complex Partagas Lusitanias. If I only I could smoke one more often!

[JohnS]

H. Upmann Connoisseur No.1 BRE Nov 2018

The H.Upmann Connoisseur No.1 is a popular cigar on our forum because it's an easy cigar to smoke and fairly reliable in its flavour delivery. It's the type of cigar that enthusiasts colloquially term a 'go-to' cigar; that is, a cigar that they would smoke more often than other cigars in their humidor. The HU Connie 1 may also be the last release with the moniker 'Connoisseur' spelt correctly too!

This H.Upmann Connoisseur No.1 had a wondrous, rich creamy texture with some light coffee notes, cedar and hay. Surprisingly, it had very little shortbread and practically little to no evidence of white pepper.

I have a great admiration for that creamy shortbread profile you can get in H.Upmann cigars that have been rested or aged for a while. This cigar stayed faithful to that profile over 75 minutes of smoking pleasure.

I guess I'm fortunate that this box has been excellent, on the main. but I'm down to my last five sticks left, and even thought I see no need to let this box age any further, I think it's definitely time to consider acquiring more H.Upmann Connoisseur No.1s to savour and enjoy into 2022.