"Jose l. Piedra" Jose #2

[MontrealRon]

Of course, there is no such thing as a Jose L Piedra piramide.

These were from a shipment of unbanded, unboxed, unbranded cigars, shipped to Havana House,

the Canadian distributor, in or around 1996.

Originally sold as singles at the LCDHs, for around half the price of similar vitolas.

There were DCs, Churchills, Corona Gordas, Robustos, Hermoso #4s, as well as the Piramides.

Even at the discounted prices, sales were poor. After a couple of years, they vanished from the shelves,

only to re-appear, packaged in cardboard five-packs, and banded as Jose L Piedra!

This was surely done without authorisation from HSA.

In their new incarnations, sales were brisk, as the discounted prices still applied,

and the packaging was not unattractive. In a year or so, they were sold out.

There were no further shipments of bulk cigars from Cuba to Canada.

Surely a rare cigar, as even MRN states in his book that he had never even seen them.

As to this example -

Construction is quite good, as is the draw, though it burns quickly.

The taste is simple toasted tobacco, with little change from beginning to end,

The ash is light and flaky, dropping too easily.

Body is very delicate, reminiscent of a FDC Selecto.

Basically, it has really faded, as in my memory these were tastier some years ago.

A not unpleasant smoke, but simple and boring.

Obviously not rolled with first-rate tobacco, possibly not even from the Vuelta Abajo.

At this point, a curiosity, not much more.

Score? 75.

[Natedog]

That was great! Thank you !!!

[laficion]

They can't be THAT bad, These cigars are made up of Vuelta Arriba tobaccos,Not a bad cigar ,just an everyday blend .

[MontrealRon]

They can't be THAT bad, These cigars are made up of Vuelta Arriba tobaccos,Not a bad cigar ,just an everyday blend .

Salut, Guy!

I never meant to imply that this was a bad cigar;

my score of 75, for me, represents half way between the worst (50), and the best (100).

When these "JLP"s were first released, already aged a few years, they were pretty decent.

At that time, I had not started visiting Cuba, and had not yet discovered internet sales,

so my only access to Cuban cigars was Canadian retail.

These "JLP"s, at their reasonable prices, came as a blessing,

I bought quite a few, which I found much more to my taste than the NCs that I picked up in frequent trips to the US.

My wife and I took the first of our annual vacations to Cuba in 2001, bringing along three adult children.

That meant ten boxes!

By 2004, I started buying online.

My stock of "JLP"s were put aside, along with all the NCs I had accumulated -

most of which I still have.

Though I rarely am tempted by an NC, I have been smoking the "JLP"s,

and have only a few left, mostly DCs.

Yesterday's #2 (Jose #2 was the name printed on the cardboard pack)

seemed to be well past its "best before" date.

Not that bad, but not that good either.