JohnS' Smoking Diary 2024

[JohnS]

Partagás Serie D No.4 PMS Nov 2013

The Partagas Serie D No.4 is still the leading Habanos cigar in the world currently, ahead of the Montecristo No.4 and Montecristo No.2. It is a 50 ring gauge x 124 millimetres (or 4⅞ inches) robustos-sized cigar and it was around pre-Revolution. In other words, pre-1960, when robustos-sized cigars weren't popular in comparison to thinner ring-gauged cigars.

I believe this is the thirteenth Partagas Serie D No.4 that I've smoked since the beginning of 2022. This compromises five in 2022, seven in 2023 and now this first one in 2024, across a few box codes; mainly a superlative 10-count box of ROP Feb 2020 PSD4s. If you aren't aware, post-2020 Partagas Serie D No.4 have been consistently very good. For a time I had 'waned' off this popular cigar. In fact, I had none in 2021 but their virtuous smoking performance lured me back. And yes, I'm glad I have smoked a number (of them) since 2022.

This late-2013 box of Partagas Serie D No.4 was rested ten years prior to opening it. How did the first PSD4 from the box fare? In a word, magnificently! I was expecting it to be more milder in strength and body than what it was, but what factored the most in its smoking, in my view, was the magnificent rosado-shade wrappers, in general, on these cigars from this 25-count box. Yes, trust me, they made a huge difference.

This second one, smoked two-and-a-half months after I first 'cracked' the box, was again mild-medium in strength, simple in its flavour profile, yet medium-full in its body. The flavours were a simple combination of sourdough, coffee, leather...even a touch of honey sweetness, like the first one from the box. In comparison to my more recent PSD4s, I guess I can say that those had more coffee to them. This 2013 example certainly had more sourdough and leather. It was very much still flavoursome. There was no reason to suggest that the box has 'peaked' and the strength and body have now started to deteriorate. That is not the case at all!

I envisage that I will smoke the third PSD4 from the box after a longer gap than the first and second cigars, perhaps somewhere in the vicinity of three to six months, I guess. If that is as good as the first two, you can expect that I will be on track to go through one-quarter of the box, at least, by the end of 2024!

[JohnS]

San Cristóbal de la Habana El Príncipe LGR Jun 2018

This is my eighth SCdLH El Principe from this box since opening it just over two years ago, but I've had other San Cristobal de la Habana El Principes in the meantime from other box codes. In fact, I've had three: the first was from a newly acquired LGR Jun 2019 box code which was too strong and spicy for my liking, and two others from my TOS Jun 2016 which were much more in-line with my expectations.

My last San Cristobal de la Habana El Principe from this box was a touch spicy in the middle. The flavours were otherwise well-balanced and nuanced. They were fairly typical for what you'd expect from this vitola; cocoa, coffee, some molasses sweetness and a semblance of pancake-texture throughout.

This one, smoked three months later, started off with that beautiful pancake-texture again. This time the middle was more coffee and molasses. The last third continued to be more dominant in cocoa until the halfway point of the final third saw the cigar become all cocoa and coffee, without any sweetness we come to normally adore in the San Cristobal de la Habana El Principe. It was at this point of the cigar that I gave it up, but up to this point it was quite fine, so I didn't feel that I had any reason to grumble. After all, one can't nub every cigar, can they?

So, as this box now has past five-and-a-half years of age I continue to be quite content. In fact, much more content than if I had to buy the same box at current prices. Then again, I think the San Cristobal de la Habana El Principe is a cigar that will continue to have a place in my humidor, despite the recent price changes.

[JohnS]

Nudies N4 Mareva Fuerte "Pilot"

This was the fourth cigar smoked of a 25-pack of Nudies N4 Mareva Fuerte "Pilot", a 42 ring gauge x 129 millimetres or 5⅛ inches in length Petit Coronas that was blended by Hamlet Paredes as a test blend in conjuction with El Pres. It came solely in a Colorado Maduro wrapper. After smoking this marevas-sized cigar for the first time a little over fifteen months ago, and again today, I can attest to how different it was to the initial run of Nudies N1 Lanceros and Nudies N3 Carlotas.

For starters, the term 'fuerte' means strong or power in Spanish and the Nudies N4 Mareva certainly was blended to be strong. There's no doubt whatsoever that this cigar was medium-full in body when I first smoked it last year. Fast forward a year and it has tapered off somewhat a little in strength. It certainly was more approachable.

It started off with a baking spice in the first third and was soon joined by some cocoa and espresso coffee, more so from the first third onwards. There was some spice through the nose when retrohaling but I wouldn't say the cigar was overtly full of spice though, at all. On the contrary, it was quite a pleasure to smoke. Unlike the last time I smoked this cigar a few months ago, the second half of the last third did not see the strength and body increase markedly in comparison to the rest of the cigar. On the contrary, the change in body and strength from the halfway point was more gradual, this time.

In terms of construction, there remains no qualms whatsoever. Perfect white ash, dime-stacked and ash-lengths approaching one-and-a-half inches each time, with no re-lights and obviously no tunneling or under-filling. This cigar was possibly the best example of a Nudies cigar I've ever had. And let's be honest...that's saying something folks!

El Pres described this cigar a cross between a Montecristo No.4 and Partagas Short. One of the last times I smoked a Nudies N4 Mareva Fuerte "Pilot", I shared it with Trevor Leask, the founder of Cuban Cigar Website, and we felt that this Nudies N4 Mareva had more of an Old School Partagas flavour to it. A little over one year later, I continue to feel the same way. Yes, this is a simple cigar, but that's the way it was blended to be.

[JohnS]

Padron Serie 1926 #1 Natural

The Padron 1926 Series No.1 Natural 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 Natural, 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, only its girth is larger (i.e. the Partagas 8-9-8 has a 43 ring gauge by comparison). It's size means that it's certainly 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 just over two hours on this cigar today but of course, it was time well-spent!

The aroma on the cold draw was a typically Padronesque musty, cedar and hay concoction. The cold draw itself revealed a leather, Earth and cedar blend that was quite enticing. I couldn't wait to light it up!

I took my Punch cutter to head because with Padron cigars, you don't need such an open cut to appreciate the flavours or get a decent amount of smoke on your palate.

The first third started with a balance of cedar, leather and hay. The draw was a little loose, as is common with Padron cigars.

The middle third had similar flavours of cedar, 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, especially on the retrohale. There was still plenty of flavour to be had after two hours when I nubbed the cigar.

Unlike other Padron cigars I've smoked in the last few years, any spice or pepper to be had was minimal, overall.

I finished the cigar quite satisfied. What I appreciated the most was the nuanced flavours within this Padron Serie 1926 No.1 Natural whereby no one flavour dominated the other. I mean, it was blended so well. I found myself thinking how typical that was of Padron. The consistency in their cigars is so highly admirable, in my view.

[JohnS]

Padron 1964 A Maduro

I smoked a Padron 1964 Diplomatico Maduro around nine months ago and I considered, at the time, that it was a long cigar, with a 50 ring gauge x 178 mm (or 7 inches) length. Well, let me tell you that the Padron 1964 A Maduro is even longer! It has the same 50 ring gauge but its length is 210 mm (or 8¼ inches). Are there even that many cigars, whether Habanos or New World, that approach that length. Well yes, there are, but let me reassure you...there's not too many!

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.

Just like the Padron 1926 No.1 Natural that I smoked prior to this cigar, I decided to punch-cut the head of this cigar today rather than straight-cut it. The reasoning was the same. Simply put, Padron 1964 cigars tend to be full-bodied (or flavoured), produce plenty of smoke per draw, are medium to medium-mild in strength due to their aged leaf and a rolled with a slightly loose draw. Hence, I figured I would be able to smoke this cigar comfortably with the middle option of my 3-in-1 Credo Punch Cutter. This cut makes a 10 mm punch for cigars up to 48 ring gauge. Of course, I was proven correct upon smoking.

The Padron 1964 A Maduro, as mentioned has a 50 ring gauge x 210 mm (or 8¼ inches) length. Amongst Habanos cigars, I can only think of the Montecristo A, which has a slightly smaller 47 ring gauge but is 25 mm or one inch longer, compares in size with this cigar.
    
The first few puffs of this cigar greeted me with typical Padron flavours of coffee, leather, perhaps even some minimal cocoa and baking spice. The flavours were refined and smooth. The draw was a tad loose (as is normal for Padron cigars) and notable plumes of smoke were evident with each puff. This was about as medium-full in body as my last Padron 1964 Diplomatico Maduro I smoked nine months ago, a cigar with the same ring gauge but 40 mm or a little under 1⅝ inches shorter, nevertheless the strength was similarly less; somewhere akin to mild in strength rather than medium-mild to medium for the a Padron 1964 Exclusivo Maduro, for example.

Into the second third the blend had some Earth notes to it that complimented the core blend, but honestly not too much. The burn and draw continued to be as reliable as ever. The blend remained much the same into the last third. I finished the cigar around the 105 minute mark. This was actually 5 minutes shorter than the Diplomatico Maduro, but this 'A-sized' cigar was so mild that it was very, very easy to smoke (well, at least in comparison to other Padron 1964 Maduro cigars).

In conclusion, again, I wouldn't rate the blend as overly complex but this Padron 1964 A Maduro turned out to be a great smoke. It was simple, but it met my expectations quite nicely.

[JohnS]

Por Larrañaga Montecarlos TOS Mar 2017

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

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

Three months ago, I did get some nice notes of sweet caramel and honey, as well as coffee and nut. It was still a touch 'woody' and there were some sour notes in the middle, like lemon tea. Today's PL Montecarlos opened with some pleasing caramel and soon settled into its core coffee and wood-type flavours, along with toasted tobacco in the back half. This time, there was no sour element to the cigar at all, nor were there really any notes of honey. Still, I am pleased with how this box is progressing after nearing its seventh year of rest.

I wrote in my last review on this cigar how it's often said among cigar enthusiasts that a box that is smoking poorly or below expectations in its early stages can benefit from aging. Whilst this can be true, I think it's a rare thing for a box to turn out 'wondrous' after a few years of rest, as in the principal idea in the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, 'The Ugly Duckling' whereby the ugly duckling realises they are a beautiful swan by the end of the story. It is possible, but realistically its better to desire maturity and improvement in the relevant box incrementally, just as was evident with this Por Larranaga Montecarlos again today.

[JohnS]

Montecristo No.1 ESL Dic 2017

The last few times I've written a review on the Montecristo No.1, I've mentioned that if I had to guess what sells within the Montecristo marca, in terms of annual volume, in the original Montecristo line when it was first released in 1935, I would say the No.4 followed by the No.2 sell in the greatest numbers. The Montecristo No.5 would be next followed by a distance by the No.1 and No.3. The reason the last two would be less in demand, in my view, would be due to their vitola dimensions rather than how good a cigar they are. Lonsdales and coronas respectively don't currently sell in great numbers, hence their recent mass deletions in the last 15 to 20 years. I find it a great shame how 'under-the-radar' the Montecristo No.1 (and No.3) is, but I'd say that would be less so amongst enthusiasts on our forum.

Stocks of 2019/20 Montecristo No.1, prior to the Habanos pricing re-structure of mid-2022, have been smoking very well, as their sales on 24:24 listings in that time would attest to. I was low on Montecristo No.1 stock in my humidor at that time so I acquired a GEL Nov 2020 quarter pack in the middle of 2021. For this reason, I hadn't visited this ESL Dic 2017 Montecristo No.1 since the latter half of 2020.

My last GEL Nov 2020 Montecristo No.1 was light in milk coffee and cocoa/chocolate, it had a distinctive citrus twang, leather and some nuttiness but it was a tad lighter in any creamy texture on the palate. It was around mild-medium in strength, improved as it went along and only got a little spicy towards the very end. By comparison, this ESL Dic 2017 Montecristo No.1 was obviously milder, had a core milk coffee and cocoa, with a hint of citrus twang, but it wasn't cream-textured at all. Rather, it had more of a toasted tobacco and leather combined flavour that dominated it, especially after the first third. It also had no nuttiness to it at all. So, it was very different but no better or worse than the four GEL Nov 2020 Montecristo No.1s I've smoked in the last few years.

I still maintain that it's a pity the Montecristo No.1 doesn't get more attention from cigar enthusiasts. After all, it's only 10 millimetres (or two-fifths of an inch) longer than a Cohiba Siglo III but a lot better value in terms of price in comparison, especially since the changes in the pricing of the luxury Cohiba and Trinidad brands by Habanos S.A. in mid-2022.

[JohnS]

Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo du Prince SOM Jun 2016

It has now been seven years since the Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo du Prince was discontinued. Can you remember how popular this cigar was on our forum during 2015 and 2016? It seemed that every time they came out on a 24:24 listing they were snapped up in a proverbial blink! There's a reason for this, I think, and it lays in the fact that this cigar, although an almuerzos at 40 ring gauge x 130 mm and not quite a petit corona (42 ring gauge x 129 mm), offers a nice change-of-pace in the petit corona range.

Unlike the Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo du Prince I smoked nine months ago, this HdM Le Hoyo de Prince was relatively heavy in those typical forest floor or Earth and 'woody' flavours common with the Le Hoyo range and it did have a semblance of a mushroom core. It had no cream and vanilla element, in fact, which is more like what I've experienced in smoking through this box code in the last few years. In terms of strength, the cigar was equally as full as what I've experienced in the past, being medium in strength. The last third was quite intense in Earth and forest floor flavours and so I didn't nub it. Not bad for a cigar of this age, you'd agree. It would suggest that there's plenty of development yet in these if you have them on hand.

In comparison to the most recent Le Hoyo releases of the de San Juan (a Geniales at 54 ring gauge x 150 mm) and Rio de Seco (an Armorosos at 56 ring gauge x 140 mm), those cigars are different to this du Prince box in that those cigars have more crispy, toasty flavours when young, can have a distinctive tea flavour, and in my opinion, are more approachable in their youth.

This was my last Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo du Prince from this box, but I have another unopened box that I hope to 'crack' down-the-track. I am hopeful that the first stick from that box will be light in forest floor and Earth flavours and contain a cream texture with evidence of some vanilla sweetness on the edges. That would be well within my 'wheelhouse' or quite simply, that phase where I prefer them to be. Unfortunately, this one was not, but I am hopeful that the next one is, whenever that is.

[JohnS]

Partagás Serie P No.2 GEM Ene 2020

I acquired a quarter pack of GEM Ene 2020 Partagas Serie P No.2 in mid 2021 and proceed to smoke half of that acquisition within two months! If you know how to do math, that's three cigars. They were all quite solid in their construction and flavours, consistent in ash, drew and burnt well. At the time I remember having a nice interplay in balance between a mix of savoury and sweet flavours in those particular Partagas Serie P No.2s.

So, why has it been almost two-and-a-half years since I smoked my fourth one? Well, one could say that there's a plethora of reasons. Firstly, I acquired a 10-count of TLE Feb 2022 Partagas Serie P. No.2s in August 2022 and smoked three of them. Secondly, if you've casually perused this blog, I have smoked a wide array of other cigars in the meantime.

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 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, in general? Maybe it's simply a case of the fact that there are other more high profile cigars within the Partagas and H.Upmann marcas.

Amongst enthusiasts, the H.Upmann No.2 and the Partagas P2 do receive positive appraisal. The Partagas Serie P No.2 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 recent past that the Partagas P2 had been outstanding in 2020 and he had been enjoying them due to their milk coffee, raisins and salted nuts profile. I would concur that this description is a wonderful parameter or guide to help us understand as to what tasting notes an average Partagas P2 has to offer.

As for this Partagas P2 I smoked today, I can attest that the last one may have been an excellent 91 to 92-point cigar, this one I would have to mark slightly lower, perhaps 88 to 89 points. This time around the savoury flavours of salted peanuts dominated the sweet flavours of chocolate hazelnut (think Nutella), caramel and dried fruits. There was still some milk coffee in the blend, but any sourdough bread was at a minimum.

Thus, in conclusion, perhaps I was wise to smoke three Partagas Serie P No.2s within three months of acquisition as, on the whole, they were more finely balanced in their flavours than this example smoked at three years of age. I have one cigar left from this box code (as I gifted one, hence explaining why this was the fourth one smoked), so we'll see when I smoke the last one. At least I have a box of TLE Feb 2022 to keep me occupied in the meantime.

[JohnS]

Cuaba Distinguidos LGR Nov 2018

Cuaba is a brand often derided on our forum for two reasons mainly. Firstly, for inconsistency in delivering quality construction and/or flavour and secondly, for never really being a comparative premium marca to Cohiba and Trinidad as Habanos S.A intended when the marca was first released in 1996. As a consequence, Cuaba doesn't get new regular production additions and is the last marca (yes that's correct...the last marca!) to receive a Regional Edition release.

In 2020 Habanos S.A intended to bring out a 10-count of Cuaba Britanicas Extras in tubes (48 ring gauge x 137 mm or 5⅜ inches in length), although true-to-form this has yet to occur at the time of writing this review (yes, after four years!) and Pacific Cigar Company (PCC) aimed to release a lucky number of 8888 boxes of 10-count Cuaba Tacos Asia-Pacific Regional Editions (47 ring gauge x 158 mm or 6¼ inches in length). The PCC Cuaba Tacos did indeed come to market in mid-2021 which made it the first Cuaba Regional Edition.
 
The two main Cuaba cigars that have come up in the past on 24:24 listings are the Divinos (43 rg x 101 mm or 4 inches in length) and the Distinguidos (52 rg x 162 mm or 6⅜ inches in length), albeit not that often. Since Habanos cigar production was rationalised in mid-2022, and subsequently prices were increased, there has been more instances of the Tradicionales (42 rg x 120 mm or 4¾ inches in length) making an appearance on 24:24 listings but, from what I understand, these have never been rated highly by cigar enthusiasts. I believe this continues to be the case. Interestingly, since mid-2022, I haven't seen too many Distinguidos around either, but the Divinos continues to be available.

This Distinguidos, I have to confess, flavour-wise was outstanding. I got peanut, cointreau-essenced orange citrus and mild shortbread through-and-through. Paradoxically, the cigar only got better when it reached the final third because the aforementioned flavour profile became even more refined rather than intensify, which is what one usually expects. It goes without saying that I greatly, greatly enjoyed this two-hour and fifteen minute ride!

In regards to construction, the cigar was excellent because ash-lengths were consistently over the inch mark, ridges were seemingly in an identical and parallel formation and the burn was on-point without the need for re-lights. Unlike the Divinos which I find more prevalent in toasted tobacco, this Distinguidos was smooth, mild and sufficiently sweet in its flavours. I wish all my Cuaba cigars were more like this one today.

I now have one Cuaba Distinguidos left in my humidor, but at least I know that after five years of age they continue to smoke well. Once I smoke that last one, I may have to content myself with other Cuaba stock that I have (i.e. some APAC and Salomon sticks) and smoke the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Classic, although obviously it's not the same cigar!

[JohnS]

Montecristo No.4 BOE Abr 2019

I have had a good run with a variety of UEB 2018 box code Montecristo No.4s in the past few years so I was excited to acquire this quarter pack from FoH to compare a 2019 Monte 4 in the second half of 2021. This was my fifth cigar from that quarter pack. I had the first two within a month of this acquisition, the third one was smoked eighteen months later, the fourth one smoked six months after the third and this fifth one was smoke three months after that.

These cigars have had a strong colorado hue to their wrapper but that hasn't been their standout feature. Rather, the box-pressed shape of the quarter pack has been the most curious characteristic of these cigars; but for me, I don't mind box-pressed cigars on occasion.

How did it smoke? Well, my last Monte 4, smoked three months ago, was not as well-balanced because it was heavy in cocoa/chocolate and light in those sweeter Montecristo flavours we all know and love. In fact, at times it was quite a chore to smoke through because of its heaviness on the palate. It was also a tad dry, with the wrapper being on the brittle side, By contrast, this Monte 4 today started off a little on the light side in terms of strength and body. It was also light on cocoa and coffee flavours but the nut and citrus twang notes on that Monte 4 were very appealing. It was also quite delicious.

I had mentioned, in my last review on this cigar three months ago that, without any hint of cynicism I wouldn't be surprised if my next Monte 4 from this box code was markedly different and replete with nut, citrus twang and coffee flavours. And that turned out to be the case, roughly! It doesn't always turn out that way, but it's a nice feeling when it does.

[JohnS]

Rafael González Petit Coronas UTE Oct 2015

The Rafael Gonzalez Petit Coronas is commonly viewed as an under-rated cigar. Enthusiasts laud it, casual cigar hobbyists and tourists outright ignore it.

At eight years of age, this cigar has lost none of its vigour in the flavour department, trust me. Like my last RGPC from this box, smoked three months ago, I especially loved the combination of cocoa, light earthiness and baking spice in this cigar, together with a floral mildness throughout. The difference again this time was that, unlike previous UTE Oct 2015 RGPCs I've smoked, I didn't really get notable hints of honey sweetness.

This RGPC, construction-wise, had an ash that was grey, consistent, held well and did not need any re-lights. I only have one left from the box and I feel at this point that I don't need to age them much more; they're quite fine at this point in their development. Then again, I said that in the first half of 2021 with that RGPC I smoked.

So there you go. These 2015 Rafael Gonzalez Petit Coronas are in their 'peak' window right now. I wrote three months ago, in my last review on this cigar, if it will be another two-and-a-half years before I smoke my next one that I have in my humidor? I certainly don't think so!

[JohnS]

Quai d'Orsay Baalbeck 2018 - Edición Regional Líbano SMA Abr 2019

The Quai d'Orsay Baalbeck is a 2018 Libano Regional Edition that was released in mid-2021. What can account for this long delay? According to Cuban Cigar Website, the QdO Baalbeck was ready for release in 2019, but was held back for an additional period in the distributor warehouses due to unrest in Lebanon at that time. The cigars were produced in two batches, with the first numbered out of 1,200 and the second 2,400 (beginning at 1,201). Because of the delayed release, both were available in market at the same time.

So, there you go, this explains why the initial outlay of 1200 numbered boxes became 2400. Furthermore, this is a unique Quai d'Orsay release (and perhaps for any Habanos brand nowadays, for that matter) in that it was packaged in 50-count Slide Lid Boxes. The cigar itself is a 54 ring gauge x 140 mm (or 5½ inches) in length Duke. It's the same size as a regular production Partagas Serie E No.2.

Another characteristic of this release that makes it stand out within the Quai d'Orsay marca is the fact that it wasn't a French Regional Edition. You see, apart from the 2011 Asia-Pacifico Superiores, all Regional Editions up to the 2018 Baalbeck were directed for the French market. Since then, the Nro. 109 Selection Royale was released in Switzerland, the Half Corona-sized Ambassadeur was released in Andorra and the Petit Belicosos Acuerdo was released in Russia. Again, according to Cuban Cigar Wesbite, Quai d'Orsay's connection with France comes from the former French Economy and Finance minister (and later President) Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, who proposed a cigar with a light flavour to pair with French luxury brand products such as champagne and foie gras. This eventually led to the French tobacco monopoly (SEITA) approaching Cubatabaco with the concept. The brand gets its name from the street (and quay) in Paris where SEITA's headquarters was located.

The name for this Lebanese Regional Edition cites the Temple of Jupiter in the ancient city of Baalbek, which is believed to be one of the oldest continually-habited cities in the world, ranging somewhere from eight to eleven thousand years. Today, it is a small city of one hundred thousand people, yet it was designated a UNESCO World heritage site in 1984. As for the temple itself, apparently it took around three hundred years to build, was almost twenty metres high and its columns were 2.5 metres thick, the biggest in the classical world.

Alongside the Ramon Allones Phoenicio 40, the Quai d'Orsay Baalbeck was launched in June 2021, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Phoenicia Trading Company. The event was originally supposed to take place in November 2019, but was postponed twice on account of political protests in Beirut and then due to the COVID-19 pandemic (and subsequent social restrictions related to that).

So, there's a lot to 'unpack' even before we light up the cigar. To get back to the 'crux of the matter', how did this QdO Baalbeck actually smoke? Well, the cold draw revealed a wonderful cedar and barnyard hay combination which for me, augured well for the first third. And I was not to be disappointed. The first inch of this cigar reminded me of those halcyon days in 2018 when the initial runs of regular production Quai d'Orsay Nos. 50 and Nos. 54 oozed flavours such as butter brioche bread and cream. This Baalbeck though, I must say, was better than that.

The second third developed further in that the cigar was no longer as cream-textured. Rather, the hay and pepper took over. Now, that pepper was in no way overwhelming. I mainly drew out that flavour through retrohaling through the nose. The mildness of the smoke made sure that the flavours stayed well-balanced.

In the last third, you could say that the cigar became more 'woody' or 'Earthy'. Along the way there was a plethora of smoke. This meant that there was no need to continually puff on the cigar as each draw filled my palate with flavour for minutes at a time. This explains why the cigar took me a whopping two hours and twenty minutes to smoke!

So there you have it. The Quai d'Orsay Baalbeck is a cigar that was a long time in its planning and realisation, yet it represents a cigar that is faithful in its flavours to the Quai d'Orsay marca, and at the same time a class above regular production cigar such as the Coronas, No.50 and No.54.

[JohnS]

Montecristo No.2 PMS Abr 2015

Around seven to eight years ago I purchased two 10-count PSP standard PMS Abr 2015 Montecristo No.2s from a 24:24 listing. I smoked through the first box between 2018 and late 2020. The wrappers on these cigars were a colorado/colorado rosado shade (i.e. one step short of colorado maduro) so I was expecting a strong cocoa and coffee hit when I 'cracked open' the first box in 2018, which was the case. There was some nut and leather, but no cream texture to those first few cigars smoked, unlike some lighter-wrappered Montecristo No. 2's I've had this past few years.

The best Montecristo No.2 from that first box was the last one smoked. The reason it was so good was because it was well-balanced, there was ample amounts of nut, coffee, cream and even citrus twang on the edges but it was the generous serving of quality cocoa which made it stand out for me.

Fast forward twelve months and the first cigar from this second box was very different to all ten cigars smoked from the first box. After six years the cocoa and coffee had receded and what we have now is the next stage of development in a cigar of this age. A mild-bodied cigar with some nut, leather and citrus twang which I feel may not be everyone's 'cup-of-tea' when it comes to smoking a Montecristo No.2 but I don't mind it like this.

Fast forward three months short of three years, and at almost nine years of age this seventh Montecristo No.2 from this 10-count box quite simply 'oozes' class. It was replete in soft milk chocolate/mocha coffee from the beginning and stayed that way. In the middle of the cigar, the nut, citrus twang and leather aspects to the blend came out more to the fore. The last third remained much the same in flavour, only the strength increased a touch. Still, I had no hesitation in nubbing this to its end.

There were no harsh or obvious edges on this cigar, it was well-balanced. Frankly, it was ideal for my taste and furthermore, I lament the fact that I have only three more left. The construction was about as ideal as one could wish for. Each ash-length was a minimum of one inch, a few were indeed longer. The only regret I had was that it only took around ninety minutes to smoke. I wish it was longer!

I have Montecristo No.2s from five different box codes within my humidor/s but I've only reached for Monte 2s from this box since the beginning of 2022 because frankly, they've been smoking so well. The rest are three to four years of age and in my opinion, they can wait.

I mentioned the following in my last review on a Montecristo No.2 from this box, but it's worth referencing again in my view, that it's all very interesting to reflect upon because there are generalisations made concerning the Montecristo marca, whilst, yes; they have validity when it comes to strength, yet when it comes to variance in flavours...well, that's a whole other story. One thing I know, if you have a predilection for Montecristo as a marca, then you most likely have a wide range of tastes when it comes to smoking the different vitolas within this marca. Yet, when they 'hit the mark', so-to-speak, there can almost be no finer example of what can potentially represent the very finest of what Habanos cigars have to offer. I guess that is what makes us all come back to the Montecristo marca time and time again!

[JohnS]

Ramón Allones Phoenicio 40 2019 - Edición Regional Líbano TUA Mar 2021

The Ramon Allones Phoenicio 40 Edicion Regional Líbano is a 2019 Regional Edtion cigar that was commissioned to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Phoenicia Trading. The company is one of the world’s largest Habanos distributors, covering the Middle East, part of Europe (Greece, Malta, Cyprus and Ukraine) and most of Africa, sixty countries in all.

The cigar is packaged in twenty thousand numbered semi boîte nature box of 10 cigars (200,000 sticks), ten thousand numbered semi boîte nature box of 20 cigars (again, 200,000 sticks) and finally, 440 humidors of 40 cigars (17,600 sticks). So, in total, that makes 417,600 sticks. That is a lot of cigars!

According to Cuban Cigar Website, the 440 humidors are produced in five different designs; 100 each of the 'Phoenicians' (red, yellow and blue), 'Mediterranean' (blue), 'Volutes' (red) and 'Horizon' (graphite) designs, and 40 of the larger and more luxurious 'Journey' (purple) design. All humidors are accompanied by a matching ashtray and lighter. The 'Journey' humidors are signed by Mohamed Zeidan (Chairman of Phoenicia Trading) and Habanos S.A.

The total number of cigars produced would make it the second largest Regional Edition release, in terms of numbers, behind the La Gloria Cubana Serie D No.5 Edición Regional España 2017 (fifty thousand boxes of 10 cigars making 500,000 in number). That is a huge amount of cigars to sell. In regard to the LGC Serie D No.5, I recall that it wasn't long after its release that retailers were offering discounts to move them. I can't see that happening for the Ramon Allones Phoenicio 40.

In another unique turn of events, the blend tasting was promoted by Habanos S.A. and Tabacuba at the Meliá Cohiba hotel in Havana in which more than sixty people tried two cigars to select the final blend. Furthermore, the leaves were to come from Hector Luis' farm and the cigars were rolled by the best cigar rollers at the Partagas Factory under the supervision of Jose Castelar, a.k.a Cueto. The world premiere of this release was to be held in Beirut on November 8, 2019, but was delayed until mid-2021 due to a combination of political unrest in Lebanon and the advent of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.

Now, what are we to make of all this? Firstly, it does seem incredible that one particular farm has been cited to provide the leaf for this release. Secondly, the method for rolling it is highly atypical for the usual procedure for manufacturing Habanos cigars. There was at time when Zino Davidoff sourced the best leaves from the famous 'hole' in Monterrey (i.e. the Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo series), and I have no doubt that prior to the time that Cohiba, Davidoff and Dunhill have taken turns for being the most luxurious Habanos cigars available, the best leaf went into what was considered the luxury cigars immediately prior to the Cuban Revolution in 1959; that being, El Rey del Mundo and Rafael Gonzalez. (One could consider these latter two marcas as the Cohiba and Trinidad of their time.) In my view, it seems hard to fathom how all this could be possible in light of the current problems that Habanos S.A has in quite simply providing the world market Montecristo No.4 currently, for example.

As for the cigar itself, it is a 54 ring gauge x 164 millimetres in length (or (6½ inches) Sublimes. Traditionally, in recent times, we have seen some exceptional releases in this vitola. Think of the 2004 Cohiba Sublimes Limited Edition, the 2008 Montecristo Sublimes Limited Edition and the 2011 Edmundo Dantes Conde 54 Mexican Regional Edition, for starters. The regular production LCDH  Bolivar Libertador has the same dimensions too. What I find intriguing is why there are so few cigar reviews published in print and on-line for this cigar since its release. Indeed, it is all a mystery.

So here goes...this may be possibly one of the few reviews that references what the Ramon Allones Phoenicio 40 actually tastes like. Having sampled a number of the similarly-sized 2016 Edicion Regional Emiratos Arabes Unidos La Palmera, I can unequivocally state that the RA Phoenicio 40 is a 'step above' that release. And the La Palmera was without doubt a quality cigar. That release was noted for its minmal Ramon Allones-type cocoa. instead, it was replete in baked bread, walnut, apple and pear citrus and wood. Likewise, this RA Phoenicio 40 had no true elements of cocoa. Rather, it opened with some baking spice, sweet citrus and cedar and remained much the same until the final third where the cedar became more 'woody' and there were notable instances of spice on the palate and through the nose. It was very, very smooth and took a long time to smoke, perhaps somewhere in the vicinity of two-and-three-quarter hours.

In summary, yes; this is a quality cigar that keeps up the impressive tradition of quality Phoenicia Trading Regional Editions that have been released over the years in various regions in the Middle East, especially Lebanon. That being said, prepare yourself to outlay quite a bit of funds to acquire it.

[KCCubano]

On 4/1/2024 at 7:19 PM, JohnS said:

Quai d'Orsay Baalbeck 2018 - Edición Regional Líbano SMA Abr 2019

The Quai d'Orsay Baalbeck is a 2018 Libano Regional Edition that was released in mid-2021. What can account for this long delay? According to Cuban Cigar Website, the QdO Baalbeck was ready for release in 2019, but was held back for an additional period in the distributor warehouses due to unrest in Lebanon at that time. The cigars were produced in two batches, with the first numbered out of 1,200 and the second 2,400 (beginning at 1,201). Because of the delayed release, both were available in market at the same time.

So, there you go, this explains why the initial outlay of 1200 numbered boxes became 2400. Furthermore, this is a unique Quai d'Orsay release (and perhaps for any Habanos brand nowadays, for that matter) in that it was packaged in 50-count Slide Lid Boxes. The cigar itself is a 54 ring gauge x 140 mm (or 5½ inches) in length Duke. It's the same size as a regular production Partagas Serie E No.2.

Another characteristic of this release that makes it stand out within the Quai d'Orsay marca is the fact that it wasn't a French Regional Edition. You see, apart from the 2011 Asia-Pacifico Superiores, all Regional Editions up to the 2018 Baalbeck were directed for the French market. Since then, the Nro. 109 Selection Royale was released in Switzerland, the Half Corona-sized Ambassadeur was released in Andorra and the Petit Belicosos Acuerdo was released in Russia. Again, according to Cuban Cigar Wesbite, Quai d'Orsay's connection with France comes from the former French Economy and Finance minister (and later President) Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, who proposed a cigar with a light flavour to pair with French luxury brand products such as champagne and foie gras. This eventually led to the French tobacco monopoly (SEITA) approaching Cubatabaco with the concept. The brand gets its name from the street (and quay) in Paris where SEITA's headquarters was located.

The name for this Lebanese Regional Edition cites the Temple of Jupiter in the ancient city of Baalbek, which is believed to be one of the oldest continually-habited cities in the world, ranging somewhere from eight to eleven thousand years. Today, it is a small city of one hundred thousand people, yet it was designated a UNESCO World heritage site in 1984. As for the temple itself, apparently it took around three hundred years to build, was almost twenty metres high and its columns were 2.5 metres thick, the biggest in the classical world.

Alongside the Ramon Allones Phoenicio 40, the Quai d'Orsay Baalbeck was launched in June 2021, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Phoenicia Trading Company. The event was originally supposed to take place in November 2019, but was postponed twice on account of political protests in Beirut and then due to the COVID-19 pandemic (and subsequent social restrictions related to that).

So, there's a lot to 'unpack' even before we light up the cigar. To get back to the 'crux of the matter', how did this QdO Baalbeck actually smoke? Well, the cold draw revealed a wonderful cedar and barnyard hay combination which for me, augured well for the first third. And I was not to be disappointed. The first inch of this cigar reminded me of those halcyon days in 2018 when the initial runs of regular production Quai d'Orsay Nos. 50 and Nos. 54 oozed flavours such as butter brioche bread and cream. This Baalbeck though, I must say, was better than that.

The second third developed further in that the cigar was no longer as cream-textured. Rather, the hay and pepper took over. Now, that pepper was in no way overwhelming. I mainly drew out that flavour through retrohaling through the nose. The mildness of the smoke made sure that the flavours stayed well-balanced.

In the last third, you could say that the cigar became more 'woody' or 'Earthy'. Along the way there was a plethora of smoke. This meant that there was no need to continually puff on the cigar as each draw filled my palate with flavour for minutes at a time. This explains why the cigar took me a whopping two hours and twenty minutes to smoke!

So there you have it. The Quai d'Orsay Baalbeck is a cigar that was a long time in its planning and realisation, yet it represents a cigar that is faithful in its flavours to the Quai d'Orsay marca, and at the same time a class above regular production cigar such as the Coronas, No.50 and No.54.

How do you feel about long term aging potential with the Baalbeck? I have a Cab but have yet to sample. 

[JohnS]

5 hours ago, KCCubano said:

How do you feel about long term aging potential with the Baalbeck? I have a Cab but have yet to sample. 

Judging by the development through the thirds that I experienced, I would be willing to gauge that this cigar would lend itself nicely to aging in the long-term, in my view.

[KCCubano]

14 hours ago, JohnS said:

Judging by the development through the thirds that I experienced, I would be willing to gauge that this cigar would lend itself nicely to aging in the long-term, in my view.

Thx John! Think I will wait a few more years. QdO always seemed to age well in the past but I have only had those examples from the old blends.

[Chucko8]

On 4/3/2024 at 3:43 AM, JohnS said:

Judging by the development through the thirds that I experienced, I would be willing to gauge that this cigar would lend itself nicely to aging in the long-term, in my view.

Agree with you on that John. The handful that I have tried at 1 per year since acquiring have displayed that the blend has been becoming more balanced. The pepper that you mentioned I felt was stronger back in 2019 on my first. 

[JohnS]

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story

Ever since I added various vitolas of the Arturo Fuente Hemingway series line to my regular rotation in 2022, I marvel at how consistent they are, both in construction and delivery of flavours. The one feature of this series is their Perfecto shape, which is a 'throwback' or an homage to the popularity of this vitola amongst Habanos cigars prior to the 1930s.

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

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 42 ring gauge at the head to being 49 ring gauge at its widest near the foot. It has a short length at 4 inches or 102 mm. This doesn't necessarily mean its a quick thirty to forty minutes smoke however. On the contrary, the AF Hemingway Short Story usually takes me around an hour to smoke, as today's example once again did today (in fact, it took sixty-five minutes to smoke).

This is just the sixth Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story I've had since mid-2022; however, this box has seen an ever-reliable outcome of mild and sweet, balanced flavours very much resonating with me and I was again intrigued if this would continue with this Arturo Fuente Short Story today, especially since it has been six months since I've had one.

This AF Short Story again opened with a beautiful sweet hit akin to white chocolate, mixed with cedar and hay. In the middle of the cigar the smoke settled into its usual leather and hay combination. This is a normal transition in line with what I've experienced with other AF Short Storys I've smoked in the last year-and-a-half. What can one say about this? Frankly, I've said all this before in previous reviews but if you get consistency in construction you're likely to be pleased, but when a cigar is consistent in its flavour transitions even, and across different boxes, well you'd have to agree that this is quite impressive.

Towards the end of the cigar, the hay and sweetness dropped off and it was mainly all leather, perhaps even a touch of spice. Normally though, I don't get any notable spice in AF Short Storys.

Again, I've said it before, but in my opinion, the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story easily competes in excellence with short-sized Habanos cigars and this example was again better than any Cuaba cigar I've ever had, principally in construction, flavour and the volume of smoke output per puff. If I didn't smoke a variety of Habanos and Non-Cuban cigars within this blog series I would definitely smoke the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story more often. It goes to show how highly I think of it. It's quite simply an awesome, versatile cigar!

[JohnS]

Arturo Fuente Don Carlos - Eye of the Shark

The Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Eye of the Shark was released in 2015 to commemorate the 80th birthday of family patriarch Carlos Fuente Sr. I first sampled an Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Eye of the Shark a year ago and I enjoyed it so much, I acquired some more sticks to compare that initial smoking experience. Of course, after receiving the Cigar of the Year prize from Cigar Aficionado magazine in late December 2017, it's not that easy to acquire either as demand for it is quite high.

The Shark is unique because it's box-pressed, yet at the same time, its head carries a sharp apex around its belicosos tip. As a result of how intricate it is to roll this vitolas, the AF Don Carlos Eye of the Shark is produced in limited qualities. I believe the same applies for the two other current Arturo Fuente Shark releases, the Anejo No.77 Shark and the Fuente Fuente Opus X Perfecxion No. 77 Shark.

The Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Eye of the Shark has a Cameroon wrapper with Dominican binder and filler. Cameroon wrappers are known to impart a sweeter flavour on the cigars they are used on. It is 52 ring gauge x 5¼ inches (or 133 mm) in length according to Arturo Fuente's website. Please note, that this cigar was quoted as being half an inch longer in many on-line articles after it's Cigar Aficionado No.1 cigar of the year award, but currently it is in fact slightly shorter than a Bolivar Belicosos Finos or Romeo y Julieta Belicosos, both of which measure 5½ inches in length. (The Anejo No. 77 Shark, by comparison, is longer 5⅞ inches). It comes packaged in 20-count ornate boxes.

Like each time I have smoked this cigar, I used my Colibri V-Cutter to make a satisfactory deep cut into the head. The draw was again ideal. This AF Don Carlos Eye of the Shark began with notes of cedar and nut. Previous versions have had some more prominent lemon citrus, this one did have some but it was more subtle in comparison to the hay and nut flavours.

During the second third, I found this time that the cigar had a similar walnut texture to it, like the last time I smoked it. Again, in the final third, the flavours remained relatively the same (as per usual). They usually take around one-and-three-quarter hours to smoke. This AF Don Carlos Eye of the Shark took around five minutes longer.

The Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Eye of the Shark is certainly not a complex cigar but it exudes quality on account of how easy it is smoke. In my view, either you're going to like it or not as it may be a touch bland in comparison to other Arturo Fuente options (for you). No matter, I have no regrets about having it in my humidor.

[JohnS]

Punch Punch RAT May 2020

Did you know that Punch was once a major brand and that it once had six Coronas Gordas in its marca? These were the Punch Punch de Luxe, the Royal Selection No.11, the Super Selection No.2, the Black Prince, the Nectares No.2 and the Seleccion de Luxe No.1. The last two were discontinued in the 1980s. In the mid-80s the Punch Punch de Luxe was renamed the 'Punch Punch Punch' (yes, it actually has three 'Punches' in its name!) and between 2002 and 2010 the other aforementioned Punch coronas gordas were deleted.

The Punch Punch, with dimensions of 46 ring gauge x 143 mm in length seems somewhat small in girth nowadays than what it used to. I had acquired a 10-count box of Punch Punch Tubos in May of 2022 and had the first one 'right-off-the-truck' (or ROTT) and it was quite 'run-of-the-mill' or average. I had the second and third cigars from the box at two month intervals thereafter and both of those were a bit better than average. The fourth one, smoked again two months later (and so six months after having the first right-off-the-truck) was very different to them all. It was simply sublime! The fifth Punch Punch was smoked five months later. It wasn't as ethereal (or other-worldly) as my last one, but if it had been a little bit better constructed, who knows?...it may have been! The sixth one, smoked nine months ago, was more like the fourth one, a wonderful example of how good Punch can be when everything 'aligns', so-to-speak.

I've said this in previous reviews on this cigar, but to me, the Punch Punch is always a cedar and classic 'Cuban Twang' affair when its at its best. I esteem it as perhaps one of the few Habanos cigars to encapsulate the ideal of perfect 'Cuban Twang' within a cigar which makes Habanos cigars so distinctive. On the other hand, it can also be quite variable in its flavour delivery on account of the balance within its simple flavours, in my view. If you find your Punch Punch is not balanced, then it's likely to be quite 'woody', 'leathery' or dare I say - bland.

This Punch Punch, like my last one, opened with what I would term as a flavour akin to Wrigley's Juicy Fruit Chewing Gum. Now, to ascertain precisely what flavour that is presents difficulties, for sure, as Wrigley's have never offered a flavour guide to their famous product; unlike Wine or Coffee Producers over the years, for example. I suppose one could describe it like a jackfruit taste which can be sweet, yet have a 'leathery-type' texture to it. I haven't always found this 10-count box replete in sour cream and if this Punch Punch had more sour cream to it, in my opinion it would have smoked quite differently, but it was quite fine, nonetheless - basically a mix of cedar, leather and a sweetness like jackfruit.

The wrapper too was far from perfect. It had a green stain, which occurs when the tobacco is dried at too high a temperature and too low a humidity. The drying process in this instance doesn't allow the chlorophyll to break down completely. It's not a major concern, in my view. Yellow stains, which this cigar wrapper had, are again related to low humidity during the drying process. This leads to a partial concentration of yellow pigments which survive fermentation and constitute a wrapper fault. These wrappers technically shouldn't be used but we are talking about Habanos quality assurance, aren't we? They try not to waste or jettison anything and if we didn't smoke any cigars in our humidor with yellow stains we may find that we'd would have to get rid of a cigar or two for every 25-count box. Whose going to do that?

So, in summary, today's Punch Punch Tubos, thankfully continued the upswing in trend, in my opinion. At three months short of four years of age, this box is coming along quite nicely, in my view.

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Petit Royales SMA Sep 2020

I need to address my bias, I suppose, when it comes to the Romeo y Julieta Petit Royales as I've had a few of these now, across a number of box codes, and frankly this RyJ Petit Royales was every bit as good as the last time I had one from the same box code! Now that's saying something, as that was two-and-a-half years ago. I have had nine other RyJ Petit Royales from three different box codes in the meantime, though.

I guess you really need to connect with Romeo y Julieta as a marca to have a full appreciation of just how good these are (and have been). Judging by frequent polls on FriendofHabanos however, Romeo y Julieta isn't everyone's 'cup of tea' and I can accept that. However, if you do like Romeo y Julieta you really owe it to yourself to try this cigar, in my opinion.

So what exactly made this Romeo y Julieta Petit Royales so exemplary? Simply put, it was the combination of its ideal construction, draw, ash-length and flavours. In regards to those flavours, think of a balanced mix of chocolate, anise sweetness, turkish delight and cherries...simply magnificent!

I didn't want this to end after forty-five minutes but alas, of course, it did. Never mind, there's always the next Romeo y Julieta Petit Royales to look forward to!

[JohnS]

Rafael González Perlas UBM Feb 2019

I acquired this box code four months ago and I waited until it was five years of age to smoke the first cigar. Mind you, it's been three years since I've had a Rafael Gonzalez Perlas that wasn't an original 2013 release, so I was looking forward to see how this would fare.

The Rafael Gonzalez Perlas is probably the mildest minuto/perlas/reyes option one could go for. Habanos cigars this size are a little more intense in flavour delivery than their larger brethren, but the Rafael Gonzalez Perlas (and Petit Coronas) tends not to be as intense, generally.

This RG Perlas was a great way to finish an afternoon. It had a core and dependable cocoa, earth, tobacco and slight honey sweetness to it which was great, but it still had some floral notes and baking spice to make it interesting. Of course, the floral notes and baking spice wasn't as prevalent as what I would expect in an older version of this cigar, yet it was fine nonetheless.

Forty minutes of smoking enjoyment. I'm so glad I acquired more Rafael Gonzalez Perlas for my humidor collection.

[JohnS]

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

Did you know, apparently, that the La Gloria Cubana marca now has not one, not two but three vitolas, the Medaille d'Or No.4, the La Casa del Habano Exclusivo Glorias and the Turquinos? The LCDH Glorias, a 49 ring gauge x 156 mm (or 6⅛ inches) in length Flechas was released in October 2022. The third regular production cigar, the La Gloria Cubana Turquinos, a 50 ring gauge x 141 mm (or 5½ inches) in length Gordito was released in early 2023.

From 2014, when the La Gloria Medaille d'Or No.2 was discontinued and the LCDH Immensos stopped been made, there was only one regular production vitola in the La Gloria Cubana marca. Now, in the last two years we have three. Wouldn't it be nice if the Diplomaticos marca had some additions to its marca, especially since no-one has even seen any Diplomaticos No.2 since late-2022? Mind you, the La Gloria Cubana marca has enjoyed a steady stream of special releases since 2008, and notably so since 2017.

The La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or No.4, the LGC vitola that many of you no doubt are familiar with, had been in hiatus since the first quarter of 2018. The La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or No.4 had only just recently come back into production in the first quarter of 2021, with box codes indicative of late 2020. Unfortunately, it seems that the recent mid-2022 update to pricing by Habanos S.A has seen stock once again diminish.

For me personally, the prolonged hiatus of this cigar has had an affect on my smoking habits as I smoked six La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or No.4s in 2021, only one in 2022, three in 2023 (although one was generously gifted to me) and this is now my first one smoked in 2024.

The LGC Medaille d'Or No.4 has two unique characteristics as a Habanos cigar; firstly, it's one of the last truly 'long-and-skinnies' (i.e. a cigar that is less than 35 ring gauge and at around six inches in length or longer) and secondly, it has a complexity of flavours unique to its brand.

In terms of this array of contrasting flavours, these can range from savoury to sweet to spicy. This LGC No.4 had a core almond nut flavour, wood and creamy texture overall which remained throughout the cigar. There was a some fruit and herbal notes in the middle, whereas the final third was more 'earthy', by contrast. As this particular cigar has now reached eight years of age, the band was easy to slide off and the cigar was very easy to smoke. Normally, experienced cigar enthusiasts would advise to smoke these long-and-skinny cigars slowly to prevent overheating and therefore inducing 'bitter' flavours, but due to its age, I finished this cigar in seventy minutes (normally it would take a tad longer).

My last LGC No.4 from this box code had a tight draw so it negatively impacted upon the flavours. By comparison, this was a wonderful 'return to form', so-to-speak.

One could say that my appraisal of this LGC4 today is influenced by my bias and continued lament of its unavailability. However, when these smoke like this one did today, the acclaim is definitely well-merited.