JohnS' Smoking Diary 2021

[JohnS]

Quai d'Orsay Coronas Claro TUA Dic 2020

The introduction of the new regular production additions to the Quai d'Orsay marca in late 2017, the Nos. 50 and 54, has affected the availability of the aptly-named Coronas-sized (i.e. 42 ring gauge x 142 mm or 5⅝ inches in length) Coronas Claro of late. Thankfully, these have come back to the market in 2020. I smoked my first one from the box a little over a week ago and I was eager to try another one today to compare.

Despite recent larger price rises for Quai d'Orsay of 8% they are still very much in-demand. In fact, they've been colloquially termed the 'poor man's Cohiba' by enthusiasts. Incidentally, the Quai d'Orsay No.54 has been the more popular of the two new releases than the No.50, both on our forum and worldwide.

I stated in my previous review on the Quai d'Orsay Coronas Claro that the one characteristic common to the very best Quai d'Orsay Nos. 50 and 54 I've enjoyed in the past 18 to 24 months has been without a doubt a rich egg-and-butter brioche bread pastry texture. Other flavours of note include, quality hay, cedar, cream, ginger or cinnamon spice and toffee. When these Quai d'Orsay Nos. 50 and 54 have not been on-point it was usually due to the cigar being unbalanced, often with flavours of oak wood and/or spice dominating and detracting from those sweeter cake-type aforementioned flavours.

This Quai d'Orsay Coronas Claro unfortunately was not like my last one I enjoyed recently. To begin with, it was a little under-filled and when cigars lack firmness and are spongy like this one they can be prone to being bitter and difficult to smoke. This cigar had quite a bit of smoke per draw and was more woody and spicy in texture, although it did have that quintessential egg-and-butter brioche bread, hay and orange citrus element to it which saved the cigar from being irredeemable.

To compensate for the more pungent and strident texture of the cigar I had to smoke it much slower than what I would have liked. Ironically, the flavours flattened out towards the end of the second third and the cigar became more balanced, which resulted in the last third being the most elegant part of my smoking experience today. Usually, the last third of a cigar is when it's at its most intense.

I think I'll leave the box to settle for now and re-visit it in a few months to see how it is progressing.

[JohnS]

Cohiba Espléndidos MUO Ago 2014

My Cuban Cigar Website Smoking Diary indicates that the last Cohiba Esplendidos I smoked, prior to this one, was almost twelve months ago. My, how time flies! At a bit under seven years of age, this Cohiba Esplendidos was a touch under medium in strength, which is a little more dynamic than what I'd like it to be for its age.

I got some very typical Esplendidos flavours, consistent with the Cohiba Clasica line, such as milk coffee or mocha, butter, honey and some hints of vanilla. There was no real spice nor Cohiba grass/hay, which you can get in these Clasica line cigars at times.

In summary, whilst the aforementioned core sweet Cohiba flavours kept me intrigued with the cigar, I have to honestly admit that I've had better Cohiba Esplendidos in the past. The reason for this is because this was more dominant in mocha coffee which diminished the other flavours. On the whole, over the years I've found the Cohiba Esplendidos to be an accomplished, balanced cigar worthy of its elevated status within the Cohiba marca. Today's cigar was merely average in comparison, an anomaly amongst a plethora of great Esplendidos I've smoked both youthful and aged.

[JohnS]

Diplomáticos Norteños 2018 - Edición Regional Canadá UEB Ago 2018

It's been two months since I last enjoyed this recent (and due to plain packaging laws, possibly last) Canadian Regional Edition to review. I had smoked two superlative examples in 2020 so I looked forward in anticipation to smoking this today.

The Diplomaticos Nortenos was released in the second half of 2018 in six thousand 10-count dress boxes. There have been seven Regional releases in the Diplomaticos marca, three in 2018 alone! This cigar also represents the tenth Canadian Regional Edition since 2007. It is a Robusto vitola, with a 50 ring gauge x 124 mm (or 4⅞ inches) length.

I had written in past reviews on the Diplomaticos marca that when I find the Diplomaticos No.2 on the savoury side, it can have strong notes of capsicum or bell pepper and paprika spice. Other Diplomaticos cigars I've enjoyed over the years have been sweeter...more cinnamon spice and nutmeg. This Nortenos Robusto was again definitely and unmistakably on the sweet side.

From the very first puffs I again experienced a refined core flavour combination of sourdough, cream and strawberries, like my last Diplomaticos Nortenos. I've had Diplomaticos No.2 cigars that have been quite toasty and potent in paprika spice, and others dominant in capsicum or bell pepper, but this cigar had none of those traits.

The construction was once again excellent. I only ashed a few times and again I nubbed this as far as I could go. The mild, sweeter Diplomaticos flavour profile very much impressed me.

If this is indeed the final Canadian Regional Edition Habanos cigar then I'm grateful to have sampled it. If you have a box (or two) of these I'm sure you will be too!

[JohnS]

Montecristo No.5 AUM Jul 2014

This mid-2014 Montecristo No.5 was similar to one I smoked around two months ago and that was the best one from the box! After smoking this Monte 5 today I immediately wished upon another!

The qualities I appreciated from that cigar two months ago was the luscious chocolate which coated the palate thickly, a molten texture that lingered long after each draw was taken and some baking spice, light milk coffee and a bit of nuttiness. This Monte 5 today was similar in taste and texture.

I'm now down to five sticks left from this box. I guess it's time to think about ordering another!

[JohnS]

La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or No.4 (circa 2014)

If you aren't familiar with the La Gloria Cubana marca because you've come into this noble hobby (of Habanos cigar smoking) of late, then know that the brand has been whittled to one vitola, the Medaille d'Or No.4 and this cigar has been in hiatus since the first quarter of 2018. The LGC Medaille d'Or No.4 is a cigar enthusiast favourite I believe for two reasons; 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.

The La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or No.4 has only just recently come back into production, with box codes indicative of late 2020, so it's welcome to know that we will soon be enjoying the option of acquiring it again. It is a slim panetela which demands your attention when smoking it due to its thin ring gauge and its propensity to overheat and smoke 'bitter' if it's drawn upon too quickly. I must thank an anonymous benefactor in gifting me this cigar to smoke today (thank you dear friend - you know who you are), especially as this cigar was already aged circa seven years and La Gloria Cubana is known as a marca that benefits greatly from aging. The La Gloria Cubana marca also has the LCDH Inmensos in regular production but this Sublimes-sized cigar hasn't been seen since 2014.

In regards to flavours, the LGC No.4 is reputed for its fruit, pepper, herbal and wood flavours. This had an element of those flavours, perhaps not spice or pepper, but what it did have dominating was the almond nut, cream, floral notes and hints of vanilla balanced with savoury herbal notes and wood. Soon after lighting, within the first few puffs, it was quite evident that this cigar was quite good, especially in relation to creaminess. This creaminess is an example of the 'cake-like' texture that La Gloria Cubana cigars can exhibit with aging and is a characteristic I look for when smoking the brand.

What a gorgeous cigar this was, with lots of quality smoke and flavours and a finish on the palate that resonated for many hours afterwards.

[JohnS]

Partagás 8-9-8 (circa 2015)

Prior to 2002, there used to be two cigars in the Habanos regular production catalogue named Partagas 8-9-8. Informally, aficionados referred to the other Coronas Grandes-sized 42 ring gauge x 155 mm (or 6⅛ inches) 8-9-8 as an unvarnished version because the distinctive bowed-sided semi boite nature box it came in was plain. The modern and current 8-9-8 is a Dalias-sized 43 ring gauge x 170 mm (or 6¾ inches) and comes in a varnished box with cigars layered in three rows of eight, nine and eight respectively...hence the name!

I must once again thank an anonymous benefactor in gifting me this cigar to smoke today (thank you dear friend - you know who you are), especially as this cigar was already aged circa six to seven years.

The Partagas 8-9-8 is is a cigar noted as being more suitable for experienced cigar enthusiasts rather than newcomers to Habanos cigars. This is because of both its power and complexity in flavours. It's the type of cigar where familiarity assists in its appreciation and enjoyment. In my mind, the best way to classify this cigar is to say that it's a smaller version of the Double Corona-sized Lusitanias, only stronger and bolder in flavour. It's also an example of a cigar which goes into periods of lengthy hiatus because of its vitola dimensions (the similarly Dalias-sized Cohiba Siglo V goes into regular hiatus periods too). In other words, because there aren't many dalias around anymore the Partagas 8-9-8 tends to get overlooked in production in favour of other higher-selling and more popular cigars.

This 8-9-8 had a fantastic hit of sourdough and leather upon the first few puffs and was at its strongest in the first third. This 'bready' sourdough and leather remained at the core of the cigar throughout. Along the way I got various flavours of coffee,  Earth, Forest Floor or mushroom, cedar, tobacco and hints of pepper. It had decent strength too, coming in around the medium mark. Even after six or seven years this was still a solid, complex and reputable cigar. Overall, I knew I was smoking a quality cigar today but its flavour profile didn't connect with me as much as the Double Coronas-sized Lusitanias, which tends to be much more sourdough and coffee and much less on the spice and pepper, hence why I favour it so much more.

Nevertheless, there's a reason why this sells so well on 24:24 listings and that's because it not as available as other Partagas cigars and it appeals to enthusiasts who adore pepper and complexity in a Partagas cigar. If that's you then don't hesitate acquiring a box, if you can!

[JohnS]

Vegas Robaina Don Alejandro OMR Oct 2015

Vegas Robaina is a marca that admittedly doesn't enjoy a notable profile, is unlikely to be in your 'go-to' rotation and like the other brands ironically re-classified recently by Habanos S.A. as "other brands", has had a few regular production vitolas deleted since its inception as a brand in 1997. It was named after the famous Cuban tobacco grower, Alejandro Robaina, whom the Cuban Government decided to honour as the pre-eminent tobacco grower in Cuba in the 90's by naming a marca after him. A little over 20 years later there is only the Piramides-shaped vitola, the Unicos (52 ring gauge x 156 mm or 6.1 inches) and the Hermosos No.4, the Famosos (48 ring gauge x 127 mm or 5 inches) left. Like many other Lonsdales, Coronas and Double Coronas in the last 15 to 20 years, the Clásicos, the Familiar and the Don Alejandro have since been discontinued.

The Don Alejandro is the most recent deletion, although still available until 2017, it was a very slow seller (as is the Vegas Robaina marca overall). The late '15 Don Alejandro I smoked today has rested around six-and-a-half years and I wanted to re-visit it as Vegas Robaina is known for its prominent chocolate profile and the Vegas Robaina Don Alejandro is known for its unique flavour profile amongst Double Coronas.

This Double Corona was around two-and-a-quarter hours of smoking pleasure. It had a lovely luscious chocolate and slight raisin sweetness balanced by a hint of sour dark cherries or prunes. Unlike previous VR Don Alejandros I've smoked and enjoyed, the baking spice in this was not as strong in its overall flavour profile but it was still there and it contributed, in my view, to how well the cigar smoked. Construction-wise, the ash was a little flaky in parts, in other sections more towards the back half it held consistently well. Nevertheless, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the cigar.

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

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Club Kings RAT Dic 2019

The Romeo y Julieta Club Kings was discontinued originally in the mid-1980s. It actually came in a two formats; the handmade marevas and machine-made petit coronas although only the marevas was offered in a 5-pack tin. (The machine-made petit coronas Club Kings came in a cardboard pack.) This release was actually announced in 2015 but production was delayed, probably due to the packaging.

This was my fourth RyJ Club Kings from a 5-pack tin. Upon lighting the cigar had some very nice cherry fruit, RyJ Rosewater and toasted tobacco core element to it which made it quite flavoursome. At around the halfway mark the cigar settled into a dull cocoa and tobacco smoke.

In regards to construction the draw was a tad tight, whereas my previous Club Kings were firstly loose, secondly tight and thirdly spot-on. I got consistent half-inch ash-lengths and only one re-light was required.

I've given one of these away to a friend to sample and so this completes the 5-pack tin I acquired. In summary, I don't believe that I'll be seeking these out in the near future as I get more satisfaction out of my current Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4s, Churchills and Petit Royales. I've scored all of my Romeo y Julieta Club Kings three-out-of-five on my Cuban Cigar Website Smoking Diary because frankly they're just average cigars. It's a pity their price point doesn't reflect that.

[JohnS]

La Flor de Cano Grandiosos 2013 - Edición Regional Asia Pacifico ROL Oct 2013

If you aren't aware, the thinking on our forum behind Asia Pacifico Regional releases is that they generally need 5 years to 'open up'. The only recent exception to this maxim that I can recall could be the 2014 Diplomaticos Bushido, which was exemplary from the 'get-go' when it finally came out in 2015 or perhaps even the recent 2019 Punch 8-9-8 (although one could argue that this dalias-sized cigar can benefit from aging too).

I've had this cigar around the four and five-year mark and I've found it to be a combination, at that time, of butter cake and cream, floral notes, almond nuts and spice. Around the six-year mark the cigar progressed to a flavour profile of floral notes, citrus, almond nut and light cocoa 'on the edges' with a bit of spice to it

This LFdC Grandiosos smoked today is just around seven-and-a-half years of age, and smoked a little differently, further still. This one was more a combination of shortbread, cream, hay, almond nut and floral notes, with the slightest hint of vanilla or cinnamon spice to compliment the mild-medium strength of the cigar.

Construction and draw on this was impeccable all the way as the cigar was not under-filled. It was a great cigar to enjoy on a warm Autumn's afternoon!

[JohnS]

Partagás Maduro No. 2 TUE Dic 2020

The Partagas Maduro No.2 was added along with the Partagas Maduro No.3 in 2018 to form the Linea Maduro with the Partagas Maduro No.1 introduced in 2015. It is a Short Piramides with a 55 ring gauge by 120 mm (or 4¾ inches) length. If the large ring gauge augurs visions of a jaw-breaking cigar-smoking experience, rest assured, the conical head makes it much easier to smoke after cutting than it would otherwise.

I've had quite a few Partagas Maduro No.1s since acquiring a box in September 2020 so I was quite keen to smoke this cigar to compare it to that original Partagas Maduro cigar. The Partagas Maduro No.1 has been a refined cocoa, chocolate, coffee, anise and sour cherry smoke according to my palate, in general. I wouldn't necessarily classify it as a classic Partagas-flavoured cigar. Having said this, I would categorise 2019/20 Partagas Maduro No.1 as a quality cigar well worth your time in acquiring.

This initial Partagas Maduro No.2 had an almost identical flavour profile to the majority of TUE May 2020 Partagas Maduro No.1s I've enjoyed in late 2020/early 2021, only it had more strength and more body or fullness of flavour. I can easily foresee myself reaching for another one or two in the next few weeks or so to compare further.

In regards to smoking time, give yourself around 60 to 65 minutes for the Partagas Maduro No.2. The Partagas Maduro No.1 requires a little longer, perhaps 80 to 90 minutes to smoke.

[Chibearsv]

Instead of clicking "like" on all of your reviews, may I simply just state that I think all of your reviews are great describers of your cigar experiences and obviously honest and genuine.  Thank you very much for the time and effort you put in to these.

SV

[Islandboy]

22 hours ago, JohnS said:

La Flor de Cano Grandiosos 2013 - Edición Regional Asia Pacifico ROL Oct 2013

If you aren't aware, the thinking on our forum behind Asia Pacifico Regional releases is that they generally need 5 years to 'open up'. The only recent exception to this maxim that I can recall could be the 2014 Diplomaticos Bushido, which was exemplary from the 'get-go' when it finally came out in 2015 or perhaps even the recent 2019 Punch 8-9-8 (although one could argue that this dalias-sized cigar can benefit from aging too).

I've had this cigar around the four and five-year mark and I've found it to be a combination, at that time, of butter cake and cream, floral notes, almond nuts and spice. Around the six-year mark the cigar progressed to a flavour profile of floral notes, citrus, almond nut and light cocoa 'on the edges' with a bit of spice to it

This LFdC Grandiosos smoked today is just around seven-and-a-half years of age, and smoked a little differently, further still. This one was more a combination of shortbread, cream, hay, almond nut and floral notes, with the slightest hint of vanilla or cinnamon spice to compliment the mild-medium strength of the cigar.

Construction and draw on this was impeccable all the way as the cigar was not under-filled. It was a great cigar to enjoy on a warm Autumn's afternoon!

Nailed it John, exactly what I experienced the other evening....all the flavors made for such an alluring aroma. And the only other observation I made was the longer than average finish...the flavors seemed to linger on my tongue. Cheers!

[JohnS]

13 hours ago, Chibearsv said:

Instead of clicking "like" on all of your reviews, may I simply just state that I think all of your reviews are great describers of your cigar experiences and obviously honest and genuine.  Thank you very much for the time and effort you put in to these.

SV

Thank you kindly. I do enjoy it, although I've learnt simply to say now that a cigar may be just like the previous one from the box and not fear that I'm repeating myself. Sometimes, as in yesterday, you get wonderful surprises like a RUM Abr 18 Sancho Panza Non Plus which has developed to the next stage or a 2015 Rafael Gonzalez Petit Corona which smoked fantastically well. I look forward to publishing those reviews soon.

I guess the advantage of a blog such as this one is that it allows for anyone interested to follow through particular cigars I'm smoking, over the year, to see their development. If that helps inform our members in regards to this hobby and saves them (the expense of) time and money, I'm satisfied.

7 hours ago, Islandboy said:

Nailed it John, exactly what I experienced the other evening....all the flavors made for such an alluring aroma. And the only other observation I made was the longer than average finish...the flavors seemed to linger on my tongue. Cheers!

Yes, you are so right...absolutely spot on! Thank so much for the feedback!

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Petit Royales SMA Jun 2019

My love affair with this cigar continues on, it seems! What more can I say anew about this wonderful addition to the Romeo y Julieta marca?

From the very first puff I instinctively knew that I was in for a treat. This RyJ Petit Royales had strong notes of cocoa/chocolate, toasted tobacco, cherry, rosewater and walnut and smoked well from beginning to end. This time there was no spice.

If you have a predilection towards the Romeo y Julieta marca than do yourself a favour and find out for yourself what a good, short smoke these are! Give yourself around 30 to 35 minutes to savour it.

[JohnS]

Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo du Maire TEO May 2018

In my last review I had written that when it comes to the Le Hoyo series I sometimes wonder why the du Gourmet, du Roi, du Prince and des Dieux were discontinued but the du Maire remains. I surmised then (and I still do) that the cold hard facts is that the du Maire continues to sell, while the other aforementioned cigars of the Le Hoyo series did not, but I still reminisce and pine for a des Dieux or du Prince at times; whereas I never pine for a du Maire other than when I need a cigar to smoke for a 20 to 25-minute duration.

This box is now coming onto three years of age and it's been an up-and-down ride thus far. The last HdM Le Hoyo du Maire I had around two months ago was ordinary; in contrast, this du Maire today was brilliant. It had everything one could ask for from a Habanos cigar. It was well-constructed, the draw was perfect and it smoked well and cool. The flavour profile was ideal too - light cocoa. cedar and vanilla and no spice or bitterness on the draw whatsoever. I just wish I could have HdM Le Hoyo du Maires like this more often.

[JohnS]

El Rey del Mundo Demi Tasse MLU Dic 2018

Like the Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo du Maire, I've had too many fluctuating cigar-smoking experiences of the El Rey del Mundo Demi Tasse in the last two years for my liking ranging from superlatively great to stinkingly-awful. Thankfully, I've had more good ones than bad ones but these smaller ring-gauge cigars are prone to rolling errors ranging from plugged to under-filled because simply-speaking they're harder to roll. Therefore, it's imperative not to buy Entreactos-sized cigars from vendors 'blind' which admittingly is hard to do when these cigars are often discounted.

This ERdM Demi Tasse was tight in the draw but it smoked okay. Thankfully, I did not need my PerfecDraw tool to open it up. The flavours were much like my last ERdM Demi Tasse two months ago; a mix of toasted tobacco, floral notes, fruit and honey. I now have four cigars left from this box and I don't think I care to age them as I have a SGA Sep 2016 box for that purpose and I hope to explore that box as it approaches five years of age this year.

[JohnS]

Bolívar Petit Coronas ETP Mar 2017

A case can be made to suggest that both the Bolivar Petit Coronas and Rafael Gonzalez Petit Coronas are quite under-rated in comparison to other Petit Coronas such as the Montecristo No.4, Por Larranaga Petit Coronas and Cohiba Siglo II. As for the BPC, one could make a case however for how consistent they are and this one was no different.

As many of you know, I'm not as favourably-inclined to the Bolivar marca as I am to Cohiba and Montecristo, for example, but that's because I don't connect with the 'Earthy' flavours of Bolivar. It seems to me though that Bolivar was more 'Earthy' in the past than it is nowadays and I think this is true of recent Bolivar Petit Coronas and Belicosos Finos I've enjoyed in the last year or two.

This Bolivar Petit Coronas was firm yet smoked well as the draw was neither tight nor loose. The flavours were once again excellent. These included a mix of leather, Earth, cocoa, wood, fruit or berries and malt (or stout). I've now gone through two-fifths of the box (i.e, I've smoked eight and given away two) and they've all been great to excellent in my view. I hope to see the remaining stock through to its fifth year, which is a just under twelve months away.  If they continue to excel as they have done thus far, the box may not make it (to its fifth year)!

[JohnS]

Trinidad Esmeralda GEM Nov 2019

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

The Esmeralda is one of those cigars that doesn't need any further accolades to assuage one of its virtues, in my opinion. It's simply a quality cigar that, for me, delivers satisfaction time-and-time again. This Esmeralda had perfect construction, perfect burning and yes, perfect flavours. It smoked like a premium cigar should; providing full flavours of coffee, wood, butter and salt with a hint of nuts and earthiness on the palate at around a medium strength. I nubbed the cigar to my fingers after 105 minutes of smoking pleasure.

To best summarise these new 50th Anniversary Trinidad releases in terms of blend, think of them as refined medium-strength cigars (the Media Luna being the strongest of the three, ahead of the Topes and Esmeralda) with a premium brand onus on delivering rich flavour (typically a combination of coffee, wood, dough or cake, spice, earthiness, nuts and butter). They are the type of cigars that you would finish a night with, in my view.

[JohnS]

Cohiba Siglo I OBM Nov 2015

The Cohiba Siglo I is the smallest of the Siglo range, a perlas (like the Montecristo No.5 and Rafael Gonzalez Perlas), it is slightly smaller than a minuto (like the San Cristobal de La Habana El Principe or Partagas Shorts) at 40 ring gauge x 102 mm or 4 inches in length. It's been around three months since I've had my last Siglo I and since I enjoyed that one so much, I figured I'd try another, especially as these have now reached the five-year mark.

I've found that the Siglo I tends to be the strongest of the Linea 1492 range (i.e. Cohiba Siglo I, II, III, IV, V and VI). That doesn't necessarily mean that it gets above medium to medium-full, rather they are more intense in those typical Cohiba flavours than other cigars in this line. This was true again in this case, just like my last Siglo I three months ago. In fact, I'd rate this Cohiba Siglo I at five years of age as stronger comparably even to similar-aged minutos and perlas such as the San Cristobal de La Habana El Principe, Rafael Gonzalez Perlas or Montecristo No.5, in general.

This Siglo I was still full-flavoured, with core notes of black espresso coffee, honey, some Cohiba grass or hay intermingled with a little vanilla and citrus twang. I enjoyed this today over 40 minutes on a pleasant Autumn's afternoon.

[JohnS]

Punch Short de Punch TPO Sep 2019

The Punch Short de Punch is a recent 2019 release by Habanos S.A. In my opinion, there's nothing 'short' about it. Firstly, its length is only 4 mm (or ⅙ of an inch) shorter than a robusto and secondly, it takes quite some time to smoke. A robusto would normally take me around 70 to 75 minutes to smoke but this took me around 105 minutes to finish! This was no doubt due to the copious amounts of smoke per draw which necessitates a slower smoking time. Nearly all of my Punch Short de Punch cigars from this 10-count box have smoked this way.

This was my last cigar from the box and it took me a little over twelve months to finish. I traded one away, but of the other nine, seven were smoked within the first six months and the last two in the last six months. So yes, you can say I definitely enjoyed them! I rated those nine cigars smoked on my Cuban Cigar Website Smoking Diary thusly; 1 rating of two-out-of-five, 1 rating of three-out-of-five, 3 ratings of four-out-of-five and 4 ratings of five-out-of-five, including the last three. This would suggest that these cigars get better with some settling but in my view, they're best enjoyed within the first 12 to 24 months.

In regards to flavours, like the previous Punch Short de Punch cigars I've had, was all classic Punch...the sour cream, leather, cedar and Cuban twang was all there from beginning to end. Again, it wasn't a complex cigar, but if you like Punch in general then I'd recommend that you definitely give this a try.

[JohnS]

San Cristóbal de la Habana El Príncipe TOS Jun 2016

Before the advent of the Cohiba Medio Siglo, Punch Short de Punch and Romeo y Julieta Petit Royales, for me, there was but one king of the smaller cigar and that was the San Cristobal de La Habana El Principe. There was a time when I would smoke these consistently because they consistently delivered in one important category: flavour!

It's been awhile since I've had one and the reason is not due to personal demand or competition from other meritorious candidates at the moment; rather, I have around two-fifths of a box (i.e. 10 sticks) left in my humidor and they are all buried below a few layers of other Habanos cigars. I'm sure you can sympathise. If you've been at this hobby for awhile then playing 'Tetris' (i.e. re-organising your humidor space) from time-to-time is all part of the fun!

This box is around the five-year mark and I can tell you with confidence that this SCdLH El Principe has not diminished one iota in the flavour department at all. The strength is around medium-mild but the cocoa, coffee, molasses sweetness, touches of spice all wrapped up in a gorgeous pancake texture is all there.

It goes without saying that I very much enjoyed this cigar today. I now regret not pulling out another one or two from my humidor prior to re-arranging it. No matter, I'll just do it soon anyway just so that I can savour another delicious San Cristobal de La Habana El Principe!

[JohnS]

Sancho Panza Non Plus RUM Abr 2018

The Sancho Panza Non Plus was discontinued in early 2019. It was never a big seller in the Habanos catalogue. I speculate the main reason for this is because of the generic flavours the SP Non Plus is known for in its youth. In other words, it needs a really long time to develop its potential, unlike other premium marevas cigars.

So far these Non Plus cigars from my RUM Abr 2018 box, which are light-wrappered, have been better than the Non Plus cigars from my SRO Feb 2018 box, which are darker-wrappered. Admittedly I've only had three from each box.

My last RUM Abr 2018 SP Non Plus, smoked nine months ago, had mainly generic toasted tobacco, hints of wood and salt and some floral notes on the edges. It was a solid cigar, nothing more. This next cigar from the box has just reached the three year-mark and it pleasantly surprised me in its hints of complexity and flavour. I got the same core wood, salt and floral notes to the cigar but in-between I got splashings of sweet tea at times and alternatively, white pepper at other times.

On a 100-point scale my last RUM Abr 2018 Sancho Panza Non Plus was 85 points (i.e. very good to excellent). In contrast, this RUM Abr 2018 Sancho Non Plus, smoked nine months later, was more around the 90 to 91-point mark (i.e. excellent to outstanding).

[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 around five-and-a-half years of age, this cigar has lost none of its vigour in the flavour department. Like my last RGPC smoked around eight months ago, I especially loved the combination of cocoa, earthiness and baking spice in this cigar, together with a floral mildness throughout. I even got hints of honey sweetness.

My last one from this box had ash which was volcanic white and flaky but did not detract from the flavours or burn. This RGPC construction-wise was much better as the ash was grey, consistent, held well and the cigar did not need any re-lights. I only have three 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.

On a 100-point scale this Rafael Gonzalez Petit Coronas was identical to my last one in rating, which was 90 points (i.e. excellent to outstanding).

[JohnS]

Montecristo No.4 UEB Ago 2018

The various UEB 2018 Montecristo No.4 box codes have been, in my view, generally outstanding to excellent in their smoking. Tonight I finished this August box. Thankfully, I still have just under half a box of my May box left!

The main characteristic that has defined these box codes has been their notable and delectable citrus twang. I gifted one (i.e UEB Ago 2018 Montecristo No.4) to a dear friend and fellow experienced cigar enthusiast and smoked the other. He graciously thanked me for gifting him an outstanding cigar to smoke. It pleased me no end to hear that without giving him the background to the cigar. Sometimes it's nice to enjoy a cigar for just how good it is!

My example was a little heavier in cocoa than other previous cigars from this box; however, it had enough citrus twang, milk coffee and nuttiness to it to redeem it as noteworthy in reputation with the other cigars from the box. I now look forward to smoking from my UEB May 2018 box!

[JohnS]

H. Upmann Half Corona OPG Feb 2015

I opened this box in 2020 and I've now gone through around two-fifths of it (including gifting three for others to sample). Overall, this was a little better than my last one around two-and-a-half months ago. It started off promising and descended into an average cigar by the end.

When it comes to H.Upmann as a marca I must admit I have a strong preference for the milder shortbread-intensive vitolas such as the Connoisseur No.1 and Connossieur A so these HU Half Coronas, at around six years of age, have been quite a pleasure to smoke thus far. This one was still under medium-strength, had a pleasant licorice sweetness combined with a core espresso coffee and toasted tobacco in the first half but became more intense in the final half and not to my liking.

I mentioned last time that according to my palate, this box was still peaking so I envisaged that I would return to it a little later down-the-track to see how things were coming along. I opined that it would be at least six months but it turned out to be just under three. I think the next one will be sampled around the end of the year, at least.