JohnS' Smoking Diary 2022

[JohnS]

Oliva Serie V Melanio Gran Reserva Limitada

The Melanio series pays tribute to Melanio Oliva, who first grew tobacco in Cuba in 1886. This Parejo cigar is box-pressed. It is 127 mm (or 5 inches) long and has a 52 ring gauge. It comes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The binder and filler are both Nicaraguan.

The wrapper smells of cedar while the cold draw introduced coffee to add to the cedar.

The first few draws of this Oliva Serie V Melanio Gran Reserva Limitada opened up with coffee and chocolate flavors supported by sweet cedar and a little spice. I was impressed by how balanced and flavourful this was.

In the second third this cigar continued to be carry the same wonderful combination of flavours such as  coffee, bitter chocolate, cedar and sweet tobacco with just a touch of leather. The retrohale was a touch spicy but quite manageable; in other words, I've had more pungent cigars through the nose which have brought tears to my eyes. Thankfully, this cigar was not like that.

As to be expected, the strength of the Melanio increased into the final third of this cigar, both the strength and the body. The main flavors were espresso coffee, tobacco, cedar, a pleasant almond nut sweetness and chocolate. All throughout, the draw was perfect, the burn-line consistent and the ash-length never wavered. Like pretty much every Oliva Melanio Series cigar I've sampled, I was very impressed after finishing this. It only took me 65 minutes to complete but I didn't feel that I smoked it too quickly.

It goes without saying that I'm enamoured with Oliva Melanio series. I understand the blend is unique amongst Non-Cuban cigars in regard to the leaf used but to me it is no doubt a winner.

[JohnS]

Partagás Serie P No.2 TLE Feb 2022

This is my first Partagas Serie P No.2 I've had from a 10-count TLE Feb 2022 box and the first Partagas P2 I've had in just under twelve months. I had three in a short time in the middle of 2021 and rated them all highly, as there was a nice interplay in balance between their savoury and sweet flavours.

I had mentioned a year ago that amongst Piramide cigars, you would have to say that the Montecristo No.2 and Diplomaticos No.2 have the most following, with the latter of these two more so amongst cigar aficionados. The Partagas Serie P No.2 and H.Upmann No.2 would be in the next tier of following, if we were to categorise in terms of sales, in my view, with the Cohiba Piramides Extra and Vegas Robaina Unicos enjoying the least appeal. So, in terms of Piramides, the Montecristo No.2 would stand out by far, one would think, whilst the Cohiba Piramides Extra negates more of a following on account of its cost (which has appreciated even more in the meantime) and competition from alternative choices within the Cohiba marca. The Vegas Robaina Unicos might not garner more publicity due to Vegas Robaina being a minor brand within the Habanos catalogue. I wonder why, therefore, does the Partagas Serie P No.2 and H.Upmann No.2 not have more of a following? Maybe it's simply a case of the fact that there are other more high profile cigars within the Partagas and H.Upmann marcas.

The Partagas P2 has received positive appraisal amongst enthusiasts on our forum this year (I would propose that it is currently the piramide with the highest critical standing amongst our members) and it does stand out in within its marca due to its flavour profile. For me, the P2 emphasises a strong milky coffee base more and the sourdough is not its core feature. El Presidente has remarked in the past eighteen to twenty-four months that the Partagas P2 has been outstanding in 2020 and 2021 and he has been enjoying them due to their milk coffee, raisins and salted nuts profile. I would concur that this description is a wonderful parameter or guide to help us understand as to what tasting notes an average Partagas P2 has to offer.

As for this Partagas P2 I smoked today, unlike the three excellent 91 to 92-point Partagas P2 cigars I enjoyed in mid-2021, this one had no chance due to its rolling. Sure, the wrapper had a wonderful Rosado hue and the leaf quality was 'top-notch' due to flavour, but when a piramide is rolled with a slight under-filling around the centre, one will have a hard time preventing an acrid and bitter outcome. I can understand that piramides are harder to roll and therefore more experienced torcedors roll them but still, I find my self asking the obvious question, "Would this happen if this cigar were rolled in a Padron or Oliva factory?"

I churned through the cigar as the ash was quite flaky and it necessitated a few re-lights. Coffee, sourdough, caramel and a healthy dose of pepper and spice over 90 minutes meant that I was looking forward to the next one from this box as the flavours were quite solid and if this cigar were rolled properly, I have no doubt it would have been another 91 to 92 point cigar.

[JohnS]

Padron 1964 Exclusivo Maduro

Padron is considered amongst enthusiasts as one of the most consistent Non-Cuban brands in both construction and blend.

According to Padron, The Padron 1964 Anniversary Series line was introduced in 1994 to commemorate Padron's 30th anniversary.  This line consists of ten sizes that are all available in sun-grown natural and maduro wrappers.  All tobacco used in this limited production series is aged for four years, creating a smooth and complex flavor.  In honor of the age-old Cuban tradition of box-pressing cigars, the 1964 Anniversary line was introduced as a box-pressed series.

The smell of this cigar of the cold draw was simply wondrous, something I can't say I've encountered before quite like this. Basically-speaking, I was enchanted by a unique musty, cedar smell that in itself doesn't sound appealing but in a cigar like this, trust me, it's ideal.
    
The first few puffs of this cigar greeted me with some chocolate, coffee, earth, and some pepper. The flavors are smooth and well-balanced, no one flavor dominated the others. The draw is spot-on and huge plumes of smoke envelop me with every puff. Did I mention how full-bodied and how much flavour there was? Trust me, a lot!

As I smoked this Padron 1964 Maduro Exclusivo into the second third I picked up some leather in addition to the aforementioned flavours in the first third. The burn and draw continue to be as reliable as ever and the full array of strong flavour on the palate doesn't diminish at all in the middle of the smoke.

At the start of the last third, the coffee becomes more dominant in the blend but the full-bodied flavour stays consistent, as does the volumes of smoke. I gladly nubbed this around 85 to 90 minutes. Perhaps that was a little quicker than I would expect from a cigar of this size (50 ring gauge x 141 mm or 5½ inches; similar to a Habanos Gordito vitola) by about ten minutes but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

In conclusion, if this cigar was not made with aged leaf I would probably find its strength overpowering, but the fact it was of medium to medium-mild strength and yet so full-bodied in its flavour made it quite appealing. Again, I wouldn't rate the blend as overly complex but this Padron 1964 Maduro Exclusivo proved to be a quality smoke and I was glad to have sampled a well-constructed example of its brand today.

[JohnS]

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story

The origin of the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Series lies in the the decline in popularity of the Perfecto shape and the difficulty in rolling the cigar optimally. Named after the cigar-smoking, celebrated American novelist Ernest Hemingway, the Perfectos in this line represent both excellence and a time when these cigars were once extraordinarily popular during the 1920s, 30s and 40s. By the 1980s these vitolas had all but disappeared from the public eye, as no one in the industry was rolling them. According to Cigar Aficionado, the story goes 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 Hemingway 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 is a short length at 4 inches or 102 mm. This doesn't necessarily mean its a quick 30 minutes smoke however.

After smoking an Arturo Fuente Hemingway Classic a few weeks ago, I must admit I've become quite 'taken in' by the blend of this line of cigars. Their mild and sweet, balanced flavours very much resonate with me.

This Short Story opened with a sweet hay, cedar and licorice taste and was light and mild, something I wasn't used to in such a short cigar. When the cigar smoked through to its widest point past the foot, the blend changed again in the way it became more spicy and increased in intensity. However; towards the end of the first third it settled in strength and decreased in spice.

In the middle of the cigar the smoke stayed consistent in its cedar, light spice, touch of leather, and sweet hay. 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 is an excellent cigar. The Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story easily competes in quality with short-sized Habanos cigars and this example was without doubt constructed better than any Cuaba cigar I've ever had. The ash-lengths had an ideal cylindrical shape in parallel series and it made for quite a picture when I finished the cigar, which incidentally took me an hour. Not bad for its size, no?

[JohnS]

Davidoff Grand Cru No.5

According to Davidoff, The Grand Cru series embodies total sophistication. It brings you a depth and character second to none – an enchanting mild to medium-body experience. In regard to the perlas-sized Grand Cru No.5, they describe it as short, elegant, intense; this Petit Corona (n.b. this is Davidoff's term for the size of the Grand Cru No.5) delivers the fullest body in the series. The Grand Cru blend has been adapted to pack the same complexity and aroma into a shorter format, ideal to be enjoyed with an aperitif or during a well-earned coffee break.

The Davidoff Grand Cru No.5 consists of an Ecuador Connecticut wrapper, a Dominican Republic binder using Piloto Seco leaf and a Dominican Republic filler which uses San Vicente Seco, Piloto Seco and Olor Seco. It is a 41 ring gauge x 102 mm (or 4 inches) in length perlas-sized cigar. (Again, Davidoff describes it as a Petit Corona on their website)

If you aren't aware, there was a time when Zino Davidoff had an exclusive relationship with Cubatabaco which culminated in Davidoff cigars using Habanos leaf and being marketed as a premium marca from 1967 onwards. Before that, Davidoff had a licence to distribute the famous Hoyo de Monterrey Chateaux series after the Second World War. By the late eighties this relationship had soured over quality issues and Davidoff pulled out of using Cuban tobacco in their cigars in 1991. From 1992 onwards Davidoff cigars have been produced in the Dominican Republic (and I believe Honduras). Cubatabaco famously replaced the line with Cohiba.

The first few puffs of this small cigar indeed proved to be interestingly mild with Earthy notes, cedar and hay. As I smoked through the cigar there were notes of grass in addition to the cedar profile, which now resembled a light and savoury sandalwood flavour. Towards the end the grass became a bit more prominent but it remained very easy to smoke.

Davidoff's website suggests that the Grand Cru No.5 may be enjoyed over a twenty minute smoking time. On the contrary, I took fifty minutes to enjoy it. It very much reminded me of a Fonseca brand cigar, especially in its sandalwood and I found that quite delectable in such a small cigar.

[JohnS]

Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 UTL Jul 2019

This was my sixth Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 from a 5x3 cardboard pack I acquired in late 2019. I smoked the first four HdM Epi 2s within six months but the fifth was smoked twelve months later. This sixth one was smoked three months after the fifth one. After smoking now through two-fifths of this cardboard pack, I'm confident that the question of aging in cardboard packaging will be but a moot point as five of the six cigars thus far smoked have been great to excellent, and the other one was serviceably fine.

Unlike my last HdM Epi 2, which was tightly packed, the draw here was fine. The flavours were much like the rest of the HdM Epi 2s thus far; light milk cocoa, cedar, malt, cream and vanilla. In other words, quintessential, classic Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2.

All my HdM Epi 2s from this box code have been light in strength. The last one had quite a lot of flavour to it and the smoke per puff was quite voluminous. It took me an unbelievable two hours to smoke. By contrast, this HdM Epi 2 took me a more standard 70 minutes to smoke.

I was really glad to smoke this Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 today. I was confident that this example would be more than likely very good to excellent in grade, based on my previous smokes from this box code, and I was not let down in the least.

[JohnS]

Montecristo Petit Edmundo ESO Sep 2014

The Montecristo Petit Edmundo is a Petit Robusto (52 rg x 110 mm or 4⅜ inches in length), released in 2006.

I only opened this ESO Sep 2014 box of Montecristo Petit Edmundos late in 2021. Overall, they've been consistently mild and smooth. Today's Montecristo Petit Edmundo was much the same.

In general, as this box approaches eight years, the fullness of flavours (especially when it comes to the Montecristo cocoa and coffee) has greatly diminished and now these have been mainly been nutty, leathery and there's been more room for any citrus twang to 'shine'.

These aged Montecristo Petit Edmundos have also acquired an additional creamy texture to the cocoa, nut and light coffee blend, which I quite like. If you desire stronger coffee and/or cocoa in your Montecristo cigars, then you are best to have them before the 3 to 5 year window, depending on the specific vitola of course.

At the 10 to 15 year mark, the Montecristo brand can begin to develop floral notes and the nuttiness becomes more generic and less savoury, something akin to walnut or similar. At that point, you aren't likely to be enjoying any dominant coffee flavours. I have no desire to let this box age that long, though.

[JohnS]

Nudies N1 Lancero

The Nudies N1 Lancero was blended with the intention of replicating the 2010 discontinued Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.1. The Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.1 was a lancero size with 38 ring gauge by 192 mm (or 7½ inches) in length dimensions, which the Nudies N1 Lancero shares.

It's been nine months since I've had my last Nudies N1 Lancero. Usually I smoke one after I've had a Nudies N3 Carlota but this time I left a month between smoking my last Nudies N3 Carlota and smoking this Nudies N1 Lancero today.

Within the first twelve months of smoking through this batch of the initial release of Nudies N1 Lanceros, the cigars tended to have a minimal sweet cocoa, your usual leather and sourdough and sometimes, a Partagas-type spice. After this point, I've detected more of a sour lemon citrus. quality cedar and even star anise-type flavours in the blend at times.

This Nudies N1 Lancero was more vegetal or grassy then my last one. There was a nice sour lemon citrus to the cigar which I enjoyed, but overall this was not quite to my liking in comparison to my other excellent Nudies N1 Lanceros I've smoked thoughout 2020 and 2021. No matter, I have one left and I'm curious to see how it will turn out.

[JohnS]

Juan López Selección No.2 MEL Dic 2016

The last time I had a Juan Lopez Seleccion No.2 was twelve months ago and I wrote in my review at the time that Juan Lopez was one of those marcas I tended to struggle connecting with. I regret to say that this hasn't changed after smoking this JL2 today.

I've said on previous occasion, and this remains true to this day, that I haven't had the best time with young Juan Lopez in the past, I haven't loathed them, but I haven't loved them either. With younger examples of JL2s I mainly found that they would have some Cointreau orange, citrus and chocolate to interest me but the stronger espresso coffee, toasted tobacco and spice notes tended to dominate the cigar, in general, and this was not to my liking.

This Juan Lopez Seleccion No.2 started with some beautiful orange citrus, Cointreau-cake type flavours intertwined with milk chocolate and light cedar. This really appealed to me until the middle of the first third when the cigar transformed into those staid strong espresso coffee, toasted tobacco and spice flavours one can get in a JL2. Sure, I did get some orange, chocolate and cointreau-type flavours on the edges here and there, but it wasn't enough to redeem the cigar to the heights of greatness. No, this was just 'run-of-the-mill'.

This box has just over five-and-a-half years on it already and, according to my palate, it still has some time to go until those stronger coffee and tobacco flavours recede. I've smoked through half the box, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was another year until I re-visit it.

[JohnS]

San Cristóbal de la Habana El Príncipe TOS Jun 2016

I've returned to this cigar after twelve months. In 2021, I had two outstanding examples from this box and one very good one (it was a little unbalanced otherwise it would have been outstanding too).

This box has just hit the six-year mark and in my opinion there has been no let-up in quality as today's cigar was on-point in terms of flavour. Again, it was the pancake texture, together with no spice, no harshness or edges which made this 45 minutes of pure smoking 'heaven'.

This was simply another 5-out-of-5 cigar today. I now have five of these San Cristobal de La Habana El Principes left in my humidor. I wonder whether they'll last another twelve months based on how good the last three or four have been?

I mentioned a year ago that I considered that it was time to acquire another box and I'm glad I acquired one late last year. I also acquired another half-box after that, just before the recently announced price re-structure by Habanos S.A. After smoking this San Cristobal de la Habana El Principe today, I'm elated that I did!

[JohnS]

Cohiba Medio Siglo UTL Nov 2019

The Cohiba Medio Siglo was released in 2016. Medio Siglo means “half a century” in Spanish, which coincides in 2016 with the 50th anniversary of the advent of the Cohiba marca.

It's easy to compare this cigar to the Cohiba Robusto, after all, they almost share the same ring gauge, the Medio Siglo is about an inch shorter and yes, it is another Petit Robusto addition to the Habanos regular production catalogue. However, I'd like to theorise that the Cohiba Medio Siglo has more in common with the Cohiba Siglo VI than the Cohiba Robusto. There are a number of reasons for this.

Firstly, the Medio Siglo is a 52 ring gauge cigar like the Cohiba Siglo VI. The Cohiba Robustos is a 50 ring gauge cigar. Secondly, when the Cohiba Siglo VI was added to the Linea 1492 range in 2002 it was the biggest cigar in the Habanos regular production catalogue, at the time. Similarly, when the Medio Siglo was added to the Linea 1492 series in 2016 it was the largest ring gauge cigar in the Petit Robusto format for cigars of 4 inches length (102 mm). Thirdly, like the Cohiba Siglo VI, the Medio Siglo shares similar qualities in its rich flavour profile. In my opinion, both the Siglo VI and Medio Siglo are richer in flavours, more fuller-bodied than the other Siglo cigars.

The Cohiba Medio Siglo has the hallmarks of a Linea 1492 cigar in its quality hay and sweet honey notes. What I feel it borrows from the Cohiba Siglo VI is the buttery texture and coffee flavours, albeit in the Medio Siglo the coffee is much darker. This Medio Siglo also had really nice biscuit qualities to complement the coffee flavours.

The Cohiba Medio Siglo does have a buttery texture and coffee notes which relate it to the Cohiba Robusto. However, I'd classify it amongst the richer flavour profiled cigars in the Linea 1492 series, together with the Cohiba Siglo VI.

I can't believe it's been twelve months since I last had a Cohiba Medio Siglo from this box code! This had a decent mix of honey, biscuit, hay and mocha coffee over an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes, which I greatly enjoyed. When the Cohiba Medio Siglo is 'off' you can tell usually that the balance of flavours is askew, they can smoke 'hot' and are more intense in coffee and spice.

The construction here was quite excellent and the smoke per draw was more voluminous than your typical Cohiba cigar, which very much necessitates a change in smoking technique to properly savour (i.e. you need to smoke much more slowly).

What more can one ask for? Maybe a forlorn request that the price-point of these return to 2020 prices. I guess I could always dream!

[JohnS]

Rafael González Petit Coronas SOM Ene 2017

It was only a month ago that my last Rafael Gonzalez Petit Coronas I had was a disappointment because it was not as balanced in its flavours as I would have liked it to be. I wrote in my last review on this cigar that it had cocoa, wood and some dried fruit to it but it lacked that subtle honey sweetness and at times it was too 'Earthy' for my liking. Obviously, it wasn't the best Rafael Gonzalez I've ever smoked. I did state, however, that my experience overall with Rafael Gonzalez marca cigars has been quite good and I was willing to bet that my next RGPC will be a much better smoking experience. And boy, did that prove true today!

The reason why this particular Rafael Gonzalez Petit Coronas was so good was because it had a perfect balance in its flavours. It had a mild, soft cocoa and baking spice core flavour which was joined by a distinct earthiness into the middle third, together with some dried fruit and honey. In the last third the earthiness 'ramped up' a little and I would not normally favour this outcome; alas, the soft cocoa continued to counter-balance that serenely.

Although I didn't consider the draw too tight, I still had to puff a little more than what I do by standard to get some decent smoke from each puff. The smoke volume was sufficient but this Petit Coronas-sized cigar took me a whopping ninety minutes to finish. On average I would expect sixty minutes to finish a cigar this size, but when a Habanos cigar smokes as well as this did, well...trust me, you don't mind at all!

[JohnS]

Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial TOS May 2016

The Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial was the first Limited Edition to be re-released as a regular production cigar. Like the 2004 Limited Edition, the regular production Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial, released in 2008, is a 50 ring gauge x 141 mm (or 5½ inches) in length Gorditos vitola. Like the HdM Epicure No.1 and No.2, it was released in a 25-count and 50-count Slide lid box, as well as a Display box of 15 aluminum tubed cigars in 5 cardboard packs of 3. The HdM Epicure No.1 and No.2 also come in a Display box of 15 cigars in 5 cardboard packs of 3 whereas the HdM Epicure Especial comes in a Slide lid box of 10 cigars. The Epicure No.2 is the only vitola of these three still released in 50 cabs. (The Epicure No.1 50 cab was discontinued in 2010 and the Epicure Especial 50 cab was discontinued in 2012.)

The Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial is noted for being the 'king of cream' amongst Hoyo de Monterrey vitolas. For me, when they lack that creamy texture their appeal wanes. On the contrary, when the HdM Epicure Especial is 'on', both in terms of flavour and construction, it will invariably give you a light cocoa, cedar and vanilla core flavour often mingled with some spice, with a consistent cream texture throughout. And this is what you really want from this cigar, in my opinion.

Construction on this Epicure Especial was sub-par, quite frankly. It did not burn consistently, I had to re-light it a few times and there was a section at the end of the first third and into the middle third that didn't burn at all due to bunched leaves, which I had to correct with my lighter. Flavour-wise, there was a little creaminess at the beginning of this cigar but it lacked any light cocoa. There was some cedar and hints of vanilla but honestly, it lacked lustre, was ordinary, boring and 'ho-hum'.

My last Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial, smoked a little over a year ago, was brilliant so I was greatly disappointed that this cigar turned out like this today. I will most probably take some time to re-visit it in the future... another year perhaps.

[JohnS]

Cuaba APAC 2020 - Edición Regional Asia Pacifico LTO Mar 2021

Pacific Cigar Company (or its more common abbreviation, PCC) brought out the 2020 Cuaba APAC in mid-2021 as an Asia-Pacifico Regional Edition, the very first Regional Edition since the program was conceived in 2005.

The Cuaba APAC is packaged in a 10-count box, with PCC distributing a run of 8888 boxes. The cigar is a Tacos vitola, a 47 ring gauge x 158 mm (or 6¼ inches) in length Perfecto, the same size as the LCDH Hoyo de Monterrey Elegantes, 2020 Mexican Regional Edition Ramon Allones Perfecto and the regular production Partagas Presidentes. The Tacos vitola differs a little from regular production Cuaba Perfectos in the shape of the head, which in the case of the APAC, is more conical (or streamlined/straighter at the head and foot) than your standard Cuaba.

This is my fourth Cuaba APAC, but my first in nine months, after I smoked three in 2021 that I found quite impressive. Those cigars shared a typical Cuaba peanut and orange Cointreau citrus profile with a smooth, mild and refined strength and body.  They also had a quality shortbread and cedar aspect to them together with some quintessential Cuaba toasted tobacco and even vegetal flavour on the edges. For Cuaba, these flavours are complex and I have admired that about this cigar, thus far.

This Cuaba APAC never stood a chance in smoking as well as those three aforementioned cigars today because the construction of this cigar was poor. From the onset, I was battling burn issues, with the whole of the middle third a colloquial 'write-off' (i.e. an insurance term...as in a loss) because of bunched leaves which would not allow the cigar to burn the wrapper at all on one side. As a consequence, it was only in the first third and last third that I got to appreciate something of what this cigar can offer; which was, a wonderful Cointreau orange citrus and shortbread flavour combination at the beginning of the cigar and a toasted tobacco and soft vegetal blend at the end. In between, that toasted tobacco and vegetal quality was too dominant and for my tastes, unsavoury.

Still, I persevered over two hours with this cigar. If the cigar was rolled correctly, and if it burned correctly, I have no doubt that it was have been as excellent as my first three that I have savoured from this box. Alas, it wasn't to be.

[JohnS]

Oliva Serie V Belicoso

It goes without saying that Oliva has forged a strong reputation in the last fifteen years or so as a premier Nicaraguan cigar manufacturer on account of how consistent their brand is, both in terms of flavour and construction. In the case of this Oliva Serie V Belicoso, it's featured in the Annual Cigar Aficionado Top 25 list twice; once in 2012 and once in 2017. I wouldn't necessarily always agree with the choices in these subjective lists made popular by journals, however, in regard to the Oliva Serie V Belicoso, I must say that I indeed would.

The Oliva Serie V Belicoso is a curious vitola for a Piramide-type cigar. Most Habanos examples are 52 ring gauge, this is 54. Most Campanas-sized Belicosos cigars in the Habanos catalogue are 5½ inches long, this is shorter at 5 inches. Don't let these dimensions fool you though, it still took me 1 hour and 55 minutes to smoke this!

One thing that I must commend Oliva for is the quality of their wrappers on their cigars. Every Oliva I acquire always seems to appear flawless. The wrappers are seamless and the caps are perfectly smooth.

There were no surprises when I lit this up and was greeted with a ton of flavour and smoke. The first third was all coffee, wood and sweet cocoa. This cocoa was more akin to what you may find in a Ramon Allones cigar than a San Cristobal de la Habana one. Again, I marveled at how full-flavoured this cigar was, yet it never appreciated in strength beyond a medium to medium-full cigar and it maintained its balance of flavours.

In the middle third, those core flavours remained but there was a little more spiciness to the flavour profile, together with some leather on the edges.

The final third remained much the same, only the coffee and cocoa dominated to produce a very pleasant cigar-smoking experience which I gladly smoked down to the final nub.

After smoking this cigar today, my thoughts turn to acquiring some more to sample down the track. Indeed, they have been that good and that consistent for me, thus far.

[JohnS]

H. Upmann Connoisseur No.1 BRE Nov 2018

It's been eighteen months since I last had a poor or ordinary cigar from this box code. In the meantime, I've had five 91 to 92 point cigars. Despite this, I have to say that this box of H.Upmann Connoisseur No.1 has been quite good overall.

Thankfully the cigar wasn't sour, bitter or acrid like you would experience if it was rolled with unfermented leaf (as late quarter H.Upmann Connoisseur No.1 from BRE 2018 have been known to be) but it did have an excess amount of white pepper from beginning to end. Now, I don't mind some white pepper in my H.Upmann cigars but not to this extent! There was still enough cedar, coffee and shortbread notes in the the cigar though to not render it irredeemable, but I had no qualms about letting the cigar go early into the final third.

So overall, this was a disappointment and the embodiment of what we mean when we reference an 'unbalanced' cigar. So sure, they can't all be great and on the flip-side, they can't all be as bad as this either!

[JohnS]

Montecristo No.4 UEB May 2018

I finished my UEB Ago 2018 box last year but I still have seven sticks of this UEB May 2018 box left, thankfully, as well as some quarter-box acquisitions of other Montecristo No.4 with post-2019 box codes.

I was amazed how tightly packed this Montecristo No.4 was, but despite this the cigar smoked well, it was not plugged. Ash length and ridges were quite good. Flavour-wise, this was not heavy on dark cocoa at all. Rather, it had light milk coffee, leather, almond nut and citrus twang throughout and kept me interested in smoking it until about halfway into the final third, when the cigar became somewhat generic and I extinguished it.

Overall, if the cigar didn't lose appeal in the last third, I would have rated this quite well. In summary though, it wasn't great, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't average either. In the end, it doesn't matter all that much really. We all know that I will be reaching for another Montecristo No.4 sometime soon!

[JohnS]

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Best Seller

I've had a ordinary run of cigars in the last few days so I was looking forward to smoking this Arturo Fuente Hemingway Best Seller today. After smoking the Classic and Short Story in the last few weeks, and being very much agreeable with the blend, I was anticipating a milder array of flavours. I was not to be disappointed.

With a name like 'Best Seller' my thoughts couldn't help but allude to the fact that Arturo Fuente locked themselves into a 'hit' of a cigar when they first released this. After all, who would want to smoke the Non-Cuban equivalent of a Cuaba Tradicionales? Thankfully for Arturo Fuente, this remains popular, long after it was nominated at the No.12 spot in Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 cigars of 2005.

The Best Seller, being a Perfecto-shaped cigar, is tapered gradually from being a 43 ring gauge at the head to being 55 ring gauge at its widest near the foot. It is a short length at 4½ inches or 114 mm. It's not too much bigger than the Short Story, but again, you shouldn't necessarily expect a quick 40 minutes smoke.

Upon lighting, I was greeted by the quintessential sweet hay and cedar that I've come to enjoy and was pleased in its mildness. This time, when the cigar smoked through to its widest point past the foot, the blend changed in how it was more spicy and increased in its strength, much like my Short Story smoked recently. However; again towards the end of the first third it settled in strength but the spice remained consistent.

In the middle of the cigar the smoke stayed consistent in its balance of sweet and savoury flavours. On the one hand there was cedar and leather and on the other sweet hay and some caramel with the spice complimenting it all, on top.

After 75 minutes I was very much satisfied. Construction was once again on point as the ash-lengths were all about an inch long and I only ashed three times. One wonders what this specialised team of Arturo Fuente rollers could do with Cuaba if they had the chance?

[NSXCIGAR]

On 3/20/2022 at 12:49 AM, JohnS said:

Today's Montecristo Supremos LE was quite as 'night and day' as the last one I smoked four months ago but I can assert that it was still wonderfully balanced in its contrasting flavours. On the one hand, you have cocoa, wood and spice; on the other you have notable creamy texture and orange citrus which brings out the very best in Montecristo as a marca.

Finally had one of these today and I agree with you for the most part. This is 100% Monte DNA and a very serious Montecristo. A true medium, maybe a touch over at times. This cigar is quite approachable for a richer Monte. 

I would have to say this cigar is most of what is great about Montecristo. A bit of a step up in class and richness from a Double Edmundo. 

I didn't get too much tanginess or citrus unfortunately. Just the rich chocolate. A little darker than the typical Monte milk chocolate. A bit more like the Famosos chocolate. 

I would give mine 94 points. If it had been more complex with the citrus/tanginess it would pull a 96 easy. Perhaps mine just needed some more time. I certainly think these can go strong for 5-10 years but they are very approachable now. Not sure where they'll end up in 15-20 years. Might be a bit too close to medium to really stand up to that much time. 

[JohnS]

6 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

I didn't get too much tanginess or citrus unfortunately. Just the rich chocolate. A little darker than the typical Monte milk chocolate. A bit more like the Famosos chocolate. 

I would give mine 94 points. If it had been more complex with the citrus/tanginess it would pull a 96 easy. Perhaps mine just needed some more time. I certainly think these can go strong for 5-10 years but they are very approachable now. Not sure where they'll end up in 15-20 years. Might be a bit too close to medium to really stand up to that much time.

Interesting point there, @NSXCIGAR. I'm finding that 'citrus twang' is hit-and-miss of late. By that I mean that in some Montecristo vitolas it's self-evident and in others there is none to very little.

[NSXCIGAR]

5 hours ago, JohnS said:

Interesting point there, @NSXCIGAR. I'm finding that 'citrus twang' is hit-and-miss of late. By that I mean that in some Montecristo vitolas it's self-evident and in others there is none to very little.

I'd say it's more miss than hit these days. I don't know if age will bring it out (I've typically found more of the tanginess in older Montes like 07-10 examples) or if it was just more prevalent in older production. I do miss it.

[JohnS]

H. Upmann Half Corona OPG Feb 2015

The H.Upmann Half Corona was released in 2011, has a 44 ring gauge and is 90 mm or 3½ inches in length. It typically smokes around 25 to 35 minutes. It comes packaged in a 5-pack metal tin or 25-count dress box. This OPG Feb 2015 H.Upmann Half Corona I smoked today came from a dress box.

When young the H.Upmann Half Corona is noted for its espresso coffee, toasted tobacco and white pepper/spice flavours. I opened up this box after five years and I've gone through just over half a box. I must admit that I haven't been 'blown away' by it but as the box approaches its eighth year I've found that the flavours have melded and the cigars have diminished to around the medium mark in strength.

This HU Half Corona was brilliant though today. The reason for this simply lies in the fact that the flavours were bold and balanced. It had everything. From the get-go, there was coffee, a little shortbread, sweet licorice, toasted tobacco and white pepper and it didn't let up until I put the cigar down after an hour.

I wouldn't say that I was so enamored with how this HU Half Corona smoked today that I'm tempted to smoke another one or two in the next week. Rather, I'm just happy this smoked so well.

[JohnS]

Rafael González Petit Coronas SOM Ene 2017

It's very rare that I would smoke from the same marca, vitola and box within the same week but my last Rafael Gonzalez Petit Coronas was so good that I simply had to have another!

My last Rafael Gonzalez Petit Coronas was perfectly well-balanced in its flavours. These were a mild, soft cocoa, 'Earth', dried fruit and honey. That cigar became a little 'Earthy' in its last third but it was counter-balanced by the mild, soft cocoa.

Once again, believe it or not, this RGPC took me ninety minutes to finish. On average, sixty to seventy is more standard. The flavours were pretty much the same; it even had the same 'Earthiness' in the last third!

I couldn't believe that I could 'catch lightning twice in the same bottle', so-to-speak, within the same week but there you go!

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Churchills ASO Nov 2016

Like many Habanos cigars post-2019, the Romeo y Julieta Churchill has been a standout cigar, in general, in the last few years. 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.

I enjoyed four Romeo y Julieta Churchills in a two-month period in mid 2021 but I've only had two since then. (Technically speaking, it may be three but I'm not including the 2007 Romeo y Julieta Churchills Anejados I had four months ago - and that was fantastic, especially for an Anejados release!) I think the unavailability of this cigar in 2022, amidst the supply issues and prices changes for Habanos S.A., may have some bearing on my current reticence to light up a RyJ Churchills as often as I did in the past.

This RyJ Churchill had a nice rosado-shade wrapper, an ideal draw and was easy to smoke. The construction was consistent in ash-lengths and burn.

In terms of taste, I've found my ASO Nov 2016 Romeo y Julieta Churchills have not performed as highly as my other post-2018 RyJ Churchills I've had in the last few years across a number of box codes. That being said, this particular example was great and it served as a timely reminder that I need to do something about my current stock levels of this cigar, as I confess that they are a favourite of mine.

It's been two-and-a-half years since I last touched this particular box code, but that ever-reliable cherry, anise or licorice sweetness, rosewater essence, dried cocoa and strong tobacco flavours were very much all there. The combination was consistent over 2 hours and 15 minutes of smoking time, but I still had no hesitation in nubbing this as far as I could go.

[JohnS]

Cohiba Secretos MSU Nov 2017

This is the third Cohiba Secretos from this MSU Nov 2017 box I've sampled. It was acquired from PCC and sourced from the Spanish Habanos distributor, Altidis. The Secretos is a Reyes-sized cigar with a 40 ring gauge x 110 mm (or 4⅜ inches) length. Of the three Cohiba Maduro 5 releases first introduced in 2007 (the Genios, Magicos and Secretos) I would opine that the Secretos remains the most popular amongst enthusiasts, followed closely by the Genios.

In my experience, the Cohiba Maduro series takes a very long time to peak, somewhere in the vicinity of 7 to 10 years. In contrast, I've found the Partagas Maduro series much more approachable much sooner. The reason I say this is because the Cohiba Maduro 5 series tends to be more full-bodied when young, packing strong flavours which very much benefit from melding with time down.

This Cohiba Secretos was medium-strengthed and medium-bodied. It started off well, with some nice notes of baking spice complimenting the luscious milk chocolate, but the cigar quickly became somewhat generic after that...a muddled, undefinable mess of chocolate, coffee and Cohiba grass/hay from the ten-minute mark until I finished the cigar after forty minutes.

That's how it's been with this box though. When I've had one with a little baking spice and perhaps floral notes on the edges it was incredible, when they were like this one today it can only be described as nondescript and very ordinary. This outcome is rare though, I can't recall so much of variance within the same box in terms of flavour often at all. Construction...yes, but flavour, no.

I've gifted a few from this 10-count box so I only have four left. I will probably smoke these sooner rather than later as I don't foresee any improvement from more rest.