The Seychelles - a holiday through the prism of premium tobacco

[gustavehenne]

I love beaches but I hate the sand – I’m weird like that. I recently came back from eleven days in the Seychelles which was nothing short of paradise. The drink flowed, the food was plentiful, the weather shone, and my bank balance cried. I was warned well in advance to take cigars with me and thank God I did – the only cigars I found in Doha was some crusty NC La Aurora (zero Cubans) and nothing in the resort I was staying. Before we get on to the cigars, here are some pictures of where we were:

I packed up an abundance of sticks to keep me busy through the holiday and stuck to a routine of one cigar at lunch and one just before dinner. The lunch cigars were paired with the finest carbonated water known to man, Coke Zero and some mid-tier coffee. The pre-dinner cigars were paired with the local beer – I could have chosen some rum but decided against it was my hangovers are starting to reach fever pitch at the tender young old age of 36.

For those that know me I love all different types of cigars but have a particular affinity for those that kick one in the bollocks such as Padron and Fuente Fuente Opus X although on the other side, I love a lighter more mellow cigar such as El Rey Del Mundo La Reina and Upmann Sir Winston. I guess it depends how much pain I want to cause myself. @torsion couldn’t believe it when I was lighting up a Padron 1926 No. 1 Maduro before breakfast – in fairness, I knew it was going to be a really shitty day and boy, I love those cigars.

I’ve chronicled my cigar experience over the holiday below with some notes and some general scores by way of which to keep some form of ‘league table’. I pre-cut all the cigars before I went to avoid the usual sucking of one’s golf ball and getting frustrated in paradise and to avoid any rants directed towards the QA department at HSA. You can see my packing here:

 

DAY 1 (ARRIVAL AT MIDDAY)

Ashton ESG 20-year Salute

This is one of my favourite NC smokes. I describe it to others as an almost perfumed cigar that transitions from floral to light spice and builds in strength. One could be forgiven for thinking this is a light cigar for the first third but as the second and final third builds, the nicotine hit certainly ramps up. I prefer darker wrappers on these and this was an almost Colorado Maduro wrapper. The construction was perfect, the taste fantastic and it was the right choice to begin the holiday.

91/100 – I’ve had better examples of this cigar and found the flavours of this to be balanced but not as pronounced as others. The perfume and nicotine hit was there which is what I expect in an ESG although it wasn’t as vibrant. I’d still recommend anyone trying one of these.

 

DAY 2

Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial

Not my go-to Hoyo but I needed something light to start the full first day off. The draw was ok but as I lit the stick it became quite tight to draw from – it wasn’t plugged but it certainly wasn’t the most easy draw. As anticipated, a lot of cream, nut and bread notes although towards the second and final third I was just tasting burned tobacco. It was a pleasant stick but not something I would rant and rave about. I’ve had some magical Epi Especial’s and this certainly was not it.

88/100 – A middle of the road stick which kept me satisfied for a good half hour then got a bit boring. The Epi Especial usually delivers and sadly this one did not. I reckon there were some construction issues as the cigar required quite a few touch ups along the way and didn’t stand out in any flavour, except cream which wasn’t overtly pronounced.

 

Upmann Sir Winston (2017)

Majestic. Glorious. Sublime. Beautiful. I love a Sir Winnie. Some say this is the most elegant cigar of the Upmann line and indeed out of many other marcas and I would gladly agree. It didn’t have the stone fruit character that I associate with Upmann but it was beautifully balanced and I tasted more cream and bread notes. It was a true pleasure to smoke, constructed well and made me focus in on the cigar rather than the surroundings.

91/100 – I’ve had better ’17 Sir Winnie’s before and whilst this was supremely enjoyable it was lacking against the others that I’ve had in the past. I missed that stone fruit character, and I would have liked more flavour on it but frankly, I’m just being picky now.

 

DAY 3

Bolivar Libertadores

This is my favourite cigar from Bolivar (although why, oh, why do they not do it in a Dalias) and I love the deep earth, spice, and wood character that I get from it. Some find Bolivar to be overly strong and frankly, I find them very rich cigars but not particularly strong (vis-à-vis the Padron 1926 line). The cigar was constructed well, tasted comparatively well with the best Libertadores I have smoked and delivered. Hard to find anything wrong here.

93/100 – A beautiful stick that has so many layered flavours and is, to my taste, wonderfully complex but with a very rigid Bolivar gamey/meaty backbone. The evolution of this cigar was from wood to earth to spice and back again. Maybe it was just the beer but I fell in love again with this cigar.

 

Cohiba Lanceros

A fantastic conclusion to the day. This Cohiba Lanceros drew well, gave off oodles of honey, cream and caramel and was everything I was expecting it to be. I’ve rarely had a bad Cohiba Lanceros (albeit when I do have a bad one its because it’s a super tight draw) and this didn’t disappoint. My taste buds aren’t as refined as Ken, Rob’s or many others but I always find there is something unmistakeable about a great ‘CoLa’.

92/100 – Beautiful, powerful and rich. I loved this Lanceros and it was a perfect accompaniment to a coffee, coke zero and 30 degree beach weather. Couldn’t really ask for more.

 

DAY 4

El Rey Del Mundo La Reina

Disappointingly tight draw from a cigar that was allegedly rolled by only two torcedors in El Laguito and famed the world over. This isn’t the first La Reina I have had and given that it has no ligero in the blend I usually smoke it pre-breakfast or just after. ERDM is probably my most favourite marca in the Cuban line-up and I just adore the Choix Supreme. This stick was citrusy and creamy at the same time and was very pleasant but just not up to the other La Reina’s I’ve smoked. I’ve listened to a few interviews with the Sahakian’s that reckon that the La Reina is at a point of its evolution it needs to rest – based on my experience I’d wholly agree.

89/100 – Still some beautifully delicate and great flavours although muted and not as pronounced or pleasant as I remember the other sticks. Luckily, I have a box so I’ll wait it out with these.

 

Padron 1926 No. 1 Natural

I freaking love Padron and I’ve said time and time again, if the Cuban cigar industry did disappear I could live off Padron and Fuente for the rest of my days. When it comes to Cuban cigars I’ll chose Colorado over Maduro any day of the week but when it comes to Padron, it’s the complete opposite. This stick – as with all Padron – was constructed beautifully, had a wonderful leather and earth character that kept on evolving, It is a strong smoke and the first few retrohales brought tears to my eyes but it was an immensely enjoyable experience.

92/100 – Very strong cigar, rich in flavour and high in nicotine although has leather and earth undertones which really mix well. It doesn’t offer the sweetness that I love in the maduro but it does bring out some great woody character. Lovely.

 

DAY 5

Cohiba Siglo VI

One of my favourite Cubans and a powerhouse known to all. Upon lighting I got a blast of honey, caramel and an almost citrus character to the cigar. I don’t know how the Siglo VI manages to deliver this integrated flavour but it always seems to do it for me. Sadly, as the first third commenced the wrapper split apart and almost exploded. This destroyed the experience and made the cigar almost unsmokeable. I managed to save it in the final third but by then it was ruined. 

84/100 – The Siglo VI is my favourite Cuban cigar and I love it dearly but I find that they do have quite a few construction issues. I’ll never fall out of love with the Siglo VI but I can’t give this high points as the construction was bad, the cigar tasted like dog shit (sorry!) as it was going through its mid-life crisis and turned me off the whole thing. Gutting. 

 

Fuente Opus X Oscuro Reserva d’Chateau

The cold draw on this cigar was insane – and I don’t usually taste much from cold draws. Most Opus X cold draws I detect cinnamon and spice. This was like cinnamon upon cake upon more cinnamon. Wow. I’m a huge fan of the Opus X series, I find it difficult to describe what they taste like other than spice on steroids with nicotine to boot which admittedly doesn’t sound very palatable but I cant get enough. The Oscuro blend, to my taste, brings Opus X to the next level – it was absolutely outstanding.

94/100 – Opus X isn’t for everyone and it does come with some health warnings (i.e. don’t operate heavy machinery after smoking this) but for me, it was an absolute pleasure. I’d take the Oscuro blend over the regular Opus line any day, and this was a total treat from start to finish.

 

DAY 6

Vegas Robaina Don Alejandro

This was a gift from Rob the last time he was over in the UK (what a gentleman). I described the cigars I usually liked to him (stronger, more ligero driven blends) and he said “you probably won’t like this”. The first one he gave me was utterly phenomenal and this one was even better. I describe this as an almost ethereal cigar, it transitioned between light wood and cream flavours into more woody and spice notes. It vies with the Partagas 898 for the cigar of the trip. 

95/100 – a beautiful, ethereal, balanced and delicate cigar but packed full of flavour and a delight to smoke. Alongside the Hoyo Double Corona this is my favourite DC and one that I would gorge on if they were readily available. For those that haven’t tried it and get the chance, do so !

 

Padron Family Reserve No. 45

The Family Reserve line has tobacco that has been aged for ten years. The 1926 (from memory) is five years and the 1964 is four years. Comparable to the Gran Reserva and Reserva cigars from Cuba but without the massive price point. I’m a cigar amateur so couldn’t comment on what the various ageing and maturation does to a cigar but I find the No. 45 to be exceptionally smooth to smoke – it feels like a 1926 but without the edge. It’s certainly a strong cigar which is mighty complex but without the ‘mongrel’ to quote a certain person. Hugely enjoyable but would I pay over the odds vis-à-vis a 1926 No. 1, no.

90/100 – Beautifully balanced, exceptionally smooth, and very strong. The taste profile is there and it will certainly give a lot of people pleasure but I’d still take a 1926 line offering over this (maybe with the exception of the 80-year anniversary)

 

DAY 7

Montecristo Linea 1935 Maltes

I bought a box after hearing great things about the Maltes and Leyenda. Frankly, it was utter dogshit (sorry!) and tasted of burned tobacco. The construction of the stick was terrible and kept on burning down one side, very limited evolution and required constant touch ups. I was so deeply disappointed with this cigar and I nearly tossed it at the halfway point. I mustered through as I wanted to give it a fair shot. I’ll try another few cigars from this box but if they are anything like this one, it’ll be a huge disappointment. Worst cigar of the trip, by a long shot. P.s. – it drew ok. 

82/100 – It’s difficult to articulate anything positive about this cigar. Burned tobacco, no evolution, poor construction, and a generally bad experience. I’d rather be a UK Conservative politician at this point than experience this again.

 

Fuente Destino al Siglo Al Pasion

I first smoked this cigar in Zurich after being recommended it by the wonderful cigar merchant I visit in Nyon. I asked what Fuente he would chose to smoke and he pointed straight at this stick. I always describe this cigar as the ‘Willy Wonka’ of cigars as it veers from fruit flavour, to spice, to leather and back again. It’s such a strange cigar to experience but one that brings a smile to my face every single time. On this occasion it didn’t fail to impress and I had a wonderful ninety odd minutes with it.

93/100 – I always recommend the Destino al Siglo line (if you can get it!) to folk who like the blends at Fuente. It’s completely different to the regular Opus X and whilst it does feel like the sibling of the Opus X Oscuro it goes off in a slightly different direction.

 

DAY 8

Ramon Allones Gigantes

Those that know me well know I have a love-hate relationship with the Gigantes. I’ve had more than my fair share of them and often, they would be better served as foundations for houses than something one can smoke. Not this one. This was beautifully constructed, oodles of fruit character that I associate with Ramon Allones with a nice cream finish. I took a long walk on the beach with this, and it never failed to disappoint. 

90/100 – A beautiful example of the Gigantes and a delight to smoke. At this point I only wish it came in an ‘A’ vitola as I could have smoked this all day. Not an issue with it.

 

Partagas 898

Cigar of the holiday. I can STILL taste it. I’ve had mixed experiences with the Partagas 898 and usually find them to have incredibly tight draws – not this one. This stick had a deep earth and bread character that kept evolving into different places. The aroma of the cigar was out of this world and whilst I find it difficult to describe, even the waiting staff popped over and asked what on earth was I smoking. It felt like a D4 combined with an E2 combined with a Lusitania, and then some. I can’t describe how good this thing was.

97/100 – The best 898 I’ve ever smoked from Partagas. Banging full of flavour, rich and earthy it provided ninety minutes – as Davidoff would say – of time beautifully spent.

 

DAY 9

Padron 1926 No. 1 Maduro

My favourite NC cigar, and maybe, my most favourite cigar of all time. I love the look, the feel (the box press is awesome) and the taste eclipses any other cigar. The maduro wrapper imparts a sweetness to the cigar that makes me taste nougat, leather, earth, and some cake – almost like a mix between ERDM, Bolivar, Partagas and Saint Luis Rey. This cigar has never failed to deliver and it was again a terrific experience. I’ve never had less than a 92-pointer with the 1926 No. 1 Maduro.

94/100 – Beautiful, Powerful, Eye-wateringly good (especially if you retrohale). I really couldn’t recommend this stick any higher but it’s not for the faint hearted. I do find the No. 1 less strong in profile than the No. 9 which is a firecracker.

 

Bolivar Libertadores

I brought a few of these along as I knew how much I liked them. Like the last Libertadores I had smoked a few days before this one had a great deep earth character and more of the Bolivar gamey flavours. Annoyingly and surprisingly, the Libertadores totally unravelled on me during the final third so much so I felt like I needed to get some glue to get it back together. The bar was incredibly dark when I smoked this and I really struggled to first of all see what was happening and then to try and remedy it. 

88/100 – marked down only because of the construction issues towards the end. Had it not unravelled upon me it would have received the same score I had given the other stick. It’s the first time I’ve had it with this cigar but wasn’t particularly pleasing.

 

DAY 10

Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona

The cab of 50 I got from FoH seems to be sent from heaven itself. The wrappers even shimmer in the sunlight. I’ve never had a bad stick from this box and long may that continue. I always call this cigar the Cream King and it never fails to disappoint. The Hoyo DC along with the Vegas Robaina Don Alejandro are my two favourite Double Coronas that deliver time and time again. I love the complexity, full flavour but relative light-heartedness of the Hoyo DC blend.

92/100 – A beautifully balanced cigar with oodles of cream flavour that delivered from the get-go. It’s difficult to say anything negative about this cigar as it was perfection. 

 

Padron 1926 No. 1 Natural

Not much more to add than when I smoked this a few days before. Beautifully balanced, leather and earth combined with some spice. It was as good as the cigar I had before. It was a nice cigar that I enjoyed with some beer and some other American smokers also took note of the Padron cigar whilst I was smoking it. Shame it was their final evening as the guy wanted to smoke a Cuban but his wife wouldn’t let him stay out. Under. The Thumb. 

91/100 – Always a great smoke although I feel the Natural doesn’t bring the nougat and cake character I search for in Padron cigars. It’s just a matter of taste but this didn’t disappoint.

 

DAY 11 (DEPART AT MIDDAY)

Cohiba Lanceros

We had a colossal wait at the jetty before we got our 23:55 flight from the Seychelles to Doha. I was edging towards another Upmann Sir Winston but the Cohiba Lanceros was just winking at me. This stick had a tighter draw than the Lanceros I had smoked earlier in the week but it was still a beautiful mix of honey, caramel and cream – it tasted and smelled fantastic. Unfortunately it required quite a few touch ups and the construction clearly wasn’t as on as the other sticks but it was still a beautiful way to put the holiday to an end.

89/100 – This is one of my ‘treat’ sticks and whenever I’ve had a really shitty week I pull one of these out and it usually makes me feel better. This stick was enjoyed as the sun was setting in the  Seychelles with a nice breeze in 30c temperature. Very hard to beat.

 

[El Presidente]

   Nominee for post of the year 

[Low]

Went on vacation for 10 days and spent half the time smoking some of the hardest to find cigars (in the current market). Legendary post.

[Rhinoww]

Excellent post. It was a short vacation for me while I enjoy a recent punch punch (out of my typical wheelhouse). 
you are trouble though. I’m starting to think about cracking my 2017 box of Sir Winnie’s. Maybe. 

[Nevrknow]

Well that just took out all the prizes for reviews for the next 6 months!

Well done and appreciated Sir! Well done.

👍

[Rhinoww]

2 minutes ago, Nevrknow said:

Well that just took out all the prizes for reviews for the next 6 months!

Well done and appreciated Sir! Well done.

👍

I was thinking this was worthy of a prize pack.

[Hoepssa]

 

Padron 1926 maduro series have the best cold draw among all cigars in this world,  scented candles for me.

[TheDonTX]

Wow. Legendary indeed. Had to log in and comeback to comment. Felt like an injustice if I didnt! Thank you. I really enjoyed that.  

[Lewberry]

Fantastic review! With a destination and sticks I can only dream about, for now! Enjoyed that, thanks!

[Ford2112]

Love this! And I was thrilled to hear about the 8-9-8. My favorite cuban! Thank you for sharing!

[Tstew75]

Dude...unreal detailed post that was so much fun to read. I love that you mix baller CCs with NCs...I know nothing about NCs but maybe I should branch out a little 🤔

The unfortunate takeaway (other than your absolute joy of smoking cigars!) is the relative poor craftsmanship of Cuban vs. NCs. I've had the same experiences with Libertadors & the larger 1935 vitolas, man there's no excuse at those prices. This was a sobering post, I need to stop defending CCs at all costs.

Thank you. Also the South Pacific looks dreamy (& expensive lol)

[ha_banos]

What does it take to get you to score high 90s!? Soak the best cigars in mushroom juices or stuff them with ganja?! 🤣

And not one mention of the flip flops ..... 🤫

Looks idyllic.

 

[gustavehenne]

1 hour ago, ha_banos said:

What does it take to get you to score high 90s!? Soak the best cigars in mushroom juices or stuff them with ganja?! 🤣

And not one mention of the flip flops ..... 🤫

Looks idyllic.

 

I missed a trick for some self-deprecation there!

I brought one pair of flip flops which fell apart on day one. I used my girlfriends very manly pink flip flops for the rest of my time which was caught in this photo 😅😅

... this was the bottom of the Sig VI

 

6 hours ago, Hoepssa said:

Padron 1926 maduro series have the best cold draw among all cigars in this world,  scented candles for me.

Interesting... I never can get much on the cold draw for 99% of cigars. The only ones I can detect anything is the Fuente Opus X line. 

I'll put more effort into this next time I smoke one

[joeypots]

Fantastic post, well done. I love the mix of Cuban and non Cuban write ups. 

[cnov]

Great write up, you know how to holiday!

[BoxPSI_ed]

Awesome write up and vacation destination! I love a great Padron as well, they never disappoint! 

[jakebarnes]

Beautiful writeup @stevenhaugen! You've convinced me to grab a Padron 1926 next time I'm at my lounge.

Also, I am sure those 898's aren't THAT good--so let me know if you ever want to ditch those for some real cigars in a trade with me 😁

[karp]

What a great post - great info about NCs - thanks for sharing!

[gormag38]

Awesome post. As one currently planning a vacation, it was nice to live vicariously through this post!😂

[Fezztone]

Great post and notes made on some N/C to try and some hard to find sticks to search out. 

[Connoisseur Kim]

What a fantastic holiday cigar review @stevenhaugen! As a big fan of long and skinny CCs, I would like to try COLA and Partagas 898 in some day 🙂

[gustavehenne]

9 hours ago, Connoisseur Kim said:

What a fantastic holiday cigar review @stevenhaugen! As a big fan of long and skinny CCs, I would like to try COLA and Partagas 898 in some day 🙂

Based on what I've been smoking, the Partagas 898 well eclipsed the Cohiba Lanceros... Next time you are in London we shall make sure you have one of each  

[PuroDiario]

Great post, loved it. That 898 moment must have been absolutely fantastic. Thanks for sharing

[Connoisseur Kim]

21 hours ago, stevenhaugen said:

Based on what I've been smoking, the Partagas 898 well eclipsed the Cohiba Lanceros... Next time you are in London we shall make sure you have one of each  

Thanks mate! Like COLA, I've always wanted to try Partagas 898 but didn't have a chance to puff that wonderful Lonsdale CC. Hope we can have a puff together when I'm traveling to London in some day 😄🙂

[Bigkahuna]

Destination is in a bucket list as well as most of the cigars. That looks like you had a fantastic time !