JohnS' Smoking Diary 2024

[JohnS]

Each year I reach this stage of my journey through this Smoking Blog Series and wonder what events will transpire. "Que sera, sera...the future's not ours to see, whatever will be, will be, que sera, que sera" as they say. Could one have predicted what has come about over last four years in our cigar hobby? Apart from the global Covid-19 pandemic, who foresaw the Habanos cigar production crisis from post-2022 onwards and thus being subsequently priced out of playing in the habanos cigar market, so-to-speak?

Last year, I thought I wouldn't smoke as many cigars as I did in 2022, but it turns out that I wasn't that far short of the previous year's mark. I also thought that there would be cigars I wouldn't sample again, but actually, I was the subject of one or two opportunistic surprises. What can I say? I take it all as it comes, and with good grace and with humility!

So, in essence, I'm not going to even tell you what I think is ahead of us within this 2024 Smoking Blog series. All I can do is to counsel you to simply come along and enjoy the ride!

See you within the pages of this year's Series!

[JohnS]

Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo de San Juan OLM Oct 2014

Welcome to the 2024 edition of this Smoking Blog Series. Whereas last year's edition opened with a New World cigar (an Arturo Fuente Hemingway Work of Art), signifying the common change shared by a great deal of Habanos cigar enthusiasts in supplementing their cigar rotation with more smoking options, I think this year's edition will see me sentimentalise a tad more in my smoking of some aged cigar choices that I'll probably never re-acquire again. Well, okay...that all sounds dramatic and may not be strictly true. It may be more realistic to state that I will replace some Habanos cigars in my humidor throughout 2024, just nowhere near as much as I used to.

The Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo de San Juan is a large Geniales. It has a 54 ring gauge x 150 millimetres or 5⅞ inches length. It comes packed in a variety of options; a Slide Lid Box of 10 cigars, a Slide Lid Box of 25 cigars and finally a display box of 15 aluminium tubed cigars in 5 cardboard packs of three cigars each (this was released a little later in 2015).

When they first came to market in late 2014/early 2015 I enjoyed quite a few of these but this HdM Le Hoyo de San Juan is just the sixth I've enjoyed since early 2018. I have been distracted by the de Rio Seco for a little awhile, plus maybe some excellent, recent HdM Epicure No.2s and thus this explains why I've had so few HdM Le Hoyo de San Juans.

I opened this box of Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo de San Juan at the end of October 2023, after nine years, and I did a rare thing for this blog series in returning to the box after one week. I wanted to see if the second cigar from the box was similar in flavour delivery to the first one or not, and I figured I could gauge that question better if I had a second cigar closer in sequence of time than what is usual for me. Normally, that might have been at least four to six months before I re-visited this box again, but since this box is so close to ten years of age I don't think it would hurt to try a few cigars sooner.

While that first HdM Le Hoyo de San Juan had a subtle creamy texture, characteristic tea notes and a cinnamon or vanilla sweetness, the second one didn't have much of a creamy texture past the first third and it was more fulsome in forest floor flavours from the midway point and especially in the last third. It was much more typical of a traditional Le Hoyo cigar I would say. This third one, smoke two months after my last HdM Le Hoyo de San Juan, was much more like my first one from the box in how cream-textured it was.

In general, yes; it did have forest floor characteristics and notable cedar/wood, but from the second third on it settled nicely and that cream texture we all know and love made me appreciate the prolonged rest that I gave this box. So when will I have the next one? Well, I've had three now in the last two months. I envisage the fourth and possibly fifth ones will be smoked in the next three or four months. They are indeed coming along nicely!

[JohnS]

Rafael González Perlas (Circa 2013)

Whilst I've had my fair share of Rafael Gonzalez Perlas in my lifetime (my Cuban Cigar Website Inventory suggests forty since 2016), I've only had two in the last three years and they were of the original 2013 release variety. (As an aside, if you are wondering why I've stated '2013 original release', although Cuban Cigar Website lists the Rafael Gonzalez Perlas as originating in 2012, it's because they didn't first come to market, widespread, until the next year in 2013.)

I'd like to thank @baragh for this Rafael Gonzalez Perlas I smoked today. It's been eighteen months since I've had a RG Perlas, incidentally from the same ilk or vintage (i.e. original 2013 release vintage).

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.

Unlike like my previous RG Perlas of around the same age, this had around the average amount of floral notes and baking spice that what I would expect for an older version of this cigar, yet it still certainly had a core and dependable cocoa, earth and tobacco. This time, unlike last time, this was more milder and softer on the palate, and it had practically no honey sweetness whatsoever.

The back half of this cigar once again had a distinctive 'Earthiness' one finds in the Rafael Gonzalez marca which I noted that you don't get in other minutos or perlas-sized Habanos cigars. It was easy to smoke and I nubbed it. What more could one ask for?

[JohnS]

Trinidad Coloniales APU Jul 2015

The Trinidad Coloniales was released in 2004 in a unique 'Coloniales' size. It has a 44 ring gauge and it is 132 millimetres or 5¼ inches in length. It comes in a varnished semi boîte nature box of 24 cigars, separated in four rows containing six cigars each. Initially, the Coloniales was packaged in a display box of 25 cigars in five cardboard packs of five, but this was discontinued in 2017.

When it comes to specifying the blend characteristics of vitolas within the Trinidad marca, I can verify that such a thing is much easier to do with other Habanos marcas. You see, the Trinidad marca is noted for having a complex blend. This was especially true when it started to expand in the early 2000s as a brand, with the addition of new vitolas. In the past Trinidad has been described as been a combination of coffee, Earth, leather, wood, spice, grass, hay, butter and yes, even honey and/or vanilla. I think that with the advent of the La Casa Del Habanos release in 2017, the La Trova and especially with more recent long-and-skinny Fundadores the blend became sweeter and cake and cookie dough flavours were more prevalent. In my view, the 50th anniversary releases of the Esmeralda, Topes and Media Luna saw a return to classic, savoury and complex blends within the Trinidad brand. This Trinidad Coloniales, my second one from the box, rolled and boxed in mid-2015, was more referential to this classic, savoury and complex blend today. (Much like the first one, smoked two months ago!)

The cold draw again revealed an interesting combination of sweet spices, oak and barnyard. The first third then opened with some oak and 'Earthy' notes. The cigar was milder than my first one from the box at this point, yet still rich in flavours.

The middle third continued on in its rich flavours. There was a coffee, almond nut and leather aspect to the cigar, but unlike my first cigar from the box, the appearance of vanilla spice within the blend proved to make this cigar somewhat 'revelatory' for me. The burn and ash were pleasingly consistent too.

In the final third, the cigar continued on with those some almond nut, leather and vanilla notes. It was all quite pleasing really, because when one reaches for a Trinidad Coloniales I would like to think that it would smoke like this one did today.

Overall, this Trinidad Coloniales was not as rich and potent as my first example from the box two months ago, but nevertheless, it was highly desirable in accordance with my tastes when it comes to the Trinidad marca. The ash was again firm throughout. Even though it was nearly eight-and-a-half years of age, it was still medium to medium-full in body, yet medium-mild in strength.

In summary, the advent of vanilla spice within the blend of this Trinidad Coloniales today transformed its allurement, in my mind, from appealing to 'wondrous'. Rest assured, I think I will be be bringing you another review from this box soon, judging by how this Trinidad Coloniales smoked today.

[JohnS]

La Puntilla (Custom)

The La Puntilla was a Cuban Custom cigar specifically rolled by Alex at the Comodoro Hotel in Havana, at the suggestion of El Pres. It was meant to provide a chance for FoH members, passing through Cuba, to smoke a Cuban long-and-skinny, especially since long-and-skinnies had slowly been deleted from the regular production catalogue from the early-2000s onwards. Below is the original newsletter from El Pres explaining its origin from 2018...

I only met Alex (Alejandro Gonzalez Ariaz) a few years ago. I was hearing rave reports of the “new Hamlet” and so I headed down to the Comodoro hotel where he was house roller and introduced myself. Alex looked about 15 years of age but by jove the bloke could roll.

Excellent rollers are a almost a dime a dozen. Excellent rollers with an understanding of blending are as rare as rocking horse poop. Excellent rollers with an understanding of blending who answer email in a timely fashion are the second coming. Alex falls into this last category.

So last Christmas I popped into Alex’s new store (directly across the road from the Comodoro Hotel entry), introduced Di and sat down with him for a chat. I had just done a run from Conde, Partagas, Riviera, 15th, MH and I pointed out that I was struggling to find cigars that I would want to smoke myself. Elegant cigars, rich blend. Alex simply said “let’s make one” and so we did! Actually the blend started with 6 variations that we tweaked and then we conducted a blind taste test of which Jose (Punch Joe) was also part of. We all agreed on the standout cigar.

And so “la Puntilla” was born. 6 inch x 40 gauge. I chose “Puntilla” as a name as that is the name of the thin stretch of land where my favourite house in Havana is located. “Puntilla” is also the thin nail used to make cigar boxes. Apt.

So if you are in Havana over the coming weeks for the festival, pop down and say hello to Alex. If you don’t know him, introduce yourself and let him know that you are a FOH member. “Puntillas” are available for FOH member pick up from today at Alex’s shop. There is a limit of 30 sticks per person (one bundle + 5 singles) but I suspect they won’t last too long. It is intended that Alex will roll the “Puntillas” when he can and hold them for FOH members passing through Havana. In future you can email him to have them ready. That won't be the case over the next two weeks as the Habanos festival circus comes to town and there will be no time.

I must acknowledge @Fuzz who gifted me this cigar to smoke, as he went to Cuba in 2018 and was able to bring them back. For that, a number of Sydney FoH members, including myself, are truly grateful. The cigar itself actually changed in dimension over time so that the 40 ring gauge remained but the length increased slightly to 160 millimetres or 6¼ inches. It also had a pig-tail and shaggy foot. The blend was intended to incorporate a Montecristo Especial cocoa/coffee base with a Por Larranaga sweetness/nuttiness and a touch of Ramon Allones flavour too.

El Pres mentioned to me a year or so ago that the original 2019 N1 Lancero was intended to mimic its blend; only the Alex La Puntilla custom was a little sweeter. The creaminess was meant to peak around the 3-year mark.

After five years, I can confirm that like a great many quality Habanos cigar, this has continued to evolve and maintain its 'lofty' status. Yes, that cocoa and sweetness is there, but there's a lovely underlying leather aspect that underpins it all now, together with some baking spice. This cigar was constructed well and smoked effortlessly over one hour and three-quarter hours.

No doubt, if you were fortunate enough to pick up a bundle of these La Puntilla customs, you've probably smoked through them all. If not, and you have some on-hand in your humidor, you can take comfort in the fact that they continue to smoke like a quality Habanos cigar should.

[JohnS]

Puro Desnudo N6 Cañonazo Amante VI

The FOH Puro Desnudo N6 Cañonazo Amante VI was among the initial offerings of the current generation of Nudies cigars. It shares the same dimensions as a Cohiba Siglo VI (or near enough) with a 52 ring gauge x 152 millimetres or 6 inches length. I believe the blend took El Pres and Hamlet a little longer to refine due to the larger ring gauge. The size was conceived as an every man's stock-standard cigar option after the price of the Cohiba Siglo VI (which is a Canonazo) increased markedly after the middle of 2022.

El Pres description of the Nudies N6 Canonazo reflects its intention of being a quality option as a potential Cohiba Siglo VI replacement (or supplement), in my view. In his words...

Honey opening. Under Medium. Aroma of coffee beans, toasted tobacco, molasses.

The cigar strolls slowly through the first third and builds intensity. The second third is all bakery/croissant and espresso with a dash of cream. In the last third, a little bit of magic comes into play. Bread and butter pud, almonds and leather all come together.

We love this cigar. The tobacco is all 4+ years of age. Please ensure you rest your cigars the 30 days as you will notice a large difference in the smoking experience.

I would like to acknowledge @Fuzz for gifting me this cigar to smoke. As the recommendation by El Pres was to let these rest for at least 30 days, I actually let my sample rest four months prior to smoking it.

A number of you have had the chance to smoke this cigar, and the response on our forum has been universally effusive. There is a dedicated thread on FoH which contains your feedback...

So, for me to add tasting notes, I consider that the task may be somewhat redundant. In general, similar trends appeared in the aforementioned thread above listing flavours such as Upmann shortbread, coffee, leather, nut, light cream etc. In other words, a suitably impressive Non-Cuban cigar on account of its complexity. There has also been positive feedback given in regard to consistent construction and smoking performance.

What more is there to add? Quite simply, once you manage to burn through the shaggy foot, you'll quite possibly find a cigar that sought to replicate the Cohiba Siglo VI and has done a darn good job at doing so. I know I did!

[JohnS]

Partagás Presidentes SUL Jul 2023

I had mentioned in my previous review on the Partagas Presidentes a month ago, that the last one I smoked prior to acquiring a 10-count of RSG Mar 2023 singles came from the 2018 Friends of Habanos Xmas Sampler. Do you remember them? Ah yes, the good old days when our forum host could actually access a guaranteed supply of Habanos cigars and subsequently could provide Sampler packs around the end of each year to try the best cigars of that year. What memories, folks!

That particular Partagas Presidentes from the 2018 Xmas Sampler had a pleasant mix of Partagas sourdough and coffee with a Fonseca-type marshmallow sweetness. By contrast, I remember my previous forays into sampling the Partagas Presidentes revealed a more typical 'old school' blend of Partagas Earth and Forest Floor and perhaps even leather and I remember, at that point of my journey within this hobby, that it didn't really connect with me.

My previous early-2023 Partagas Presidentes reminded me of recent Partagas Serie D No.4, the one cigar that I would have to nominate as being the best in its flavour delivery and construction since the advent of the Covid era in early 2020. The varieties that I've had of the PSD4 have been simple concoctions of Partagas sourdough, coffee and leather, intertwined in a seemingly perfect balance. Unbelievably, that Partagas Presidentes was much like that. Yes, I couldn't fathom it. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.

So how was this mid-2023 Partagas Presidentes, acquired as a box purchase in the meantime on account of good that one RSG Mar 2023 Presidentes was? Well, it smoked slightly longer at 80 minutes and had a little more strength and body. There were similar simple Partagas flavours of coffee, sourdough and leather. Still, it was very, very good. Yes, perhaps I would nominate the early-2023 Presidentes as been better, but judging by the first cigar from this box, I'm quite happy thus far.

The notions of the Partagas Presidentes, well at least in my mind, that had a dominating strength and old school flavours of Earth, Forest floor and leather are simply incomparable to what I smoked again today. This Partagas Presidentes was not sensational, but it was fantastic. I can see myself having another one in a month or so!

[JohnS]

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Work of Art

I know, I know...I only just smoked an Arturo Fuente Hemingway Work of Art a month ago. So, what gives? Quite simply, consistency of construction and meeting expectation. That's what!

The Arturo Fuente Hemingway Work of Art was ranked no.6 in Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 cigars of the year in 2018. It's difficult to roll, yet Arturo Fuente still finds a way to maintain consistency in construction with these perfecto-shaped cigars. The Cameroon wrapper indeed imparts a wonderful sweetness to the blend and the shape of the cigar induces fantastic transitions on the palate.

The ring gauge of the Work of Art is 60 rg at its most widest, hits 56 rg at the midway point, and decreases to 46 rg around the band. It takes great skill for torcedores to create this complex vitola. That, there is no doubt! It's available in Natural and Maduro varieties. The wrapper (of this Natural version), as mentioned, is of the Cameroon sweet variety and both the binder and filler contain aged Dominican tobacco.

I smoked quite a number of the AF Hemingway Work of Art cigars in 2022, especially during my Christmas/New Year vacation period which I didn't necessarily smoke to review. Instead, I smoked them quite simply for enjoyment. Having said this, I only smoked two in 2023.

Once again, the opening was like a beautiful hit of sweet shortbread and honey in the first third. Thereafter, the cigar settled into its usual trajectory. There was cedar, some shortbread and hay in the middle third, which saw the addition of some white pepper in the last third. The cigar lasted a barely believable two hours!

In summary, it's not hard to look past why the Arturo Fuente Hemingway series is admired by cigar enthusiasts on our forum. They're dependable, decent value for money and perhaps even, they remind us of what we aspired to when we smoked Habanos cigars more often prior to the rationalisation of Habanos S.A in mid-2022. Those were the days, weren't they?

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Perfectos (Circa 1980s/90s)

There was once a time where Habanos machine-made cigars were commonplace, often manufactured side-by-side with their respective handmade vitola. According to Cuban Cigar Website; Machine-made cigars were produced from the 1950s and were made with either long or short filler tobacco. They could be produced in large quantities and were significantly cheaper than hand-made cigars.Almost all machine-made cigars were once produced in both fully machine-made and hand-finished versions.There was a significant phasing out of machine-made cigars between 2002 and 2005. By 2006, no machine-made cigars remained in the Habanos S.A. range. They are still produced in Cuba by Internacional Cubana de Tabacos S.A., but are no longer classified as Habanos.

The Romeo y Julieta Perfectos was one such cigar that was 'phased' out in 2002. It was packaged in a 25-count dress box in cellophane. It had a tapered head and foot, with a 44 ring gauge x 127 millimetres or 5 inches length. This particular cigar was given to me by my Godfather. You can say that  it 'was an offer to good to refuse!'. But unlike Marlon Brando's portrayal of Don Vito Corleone, my Godfather is the most gregarious and kindest person you'd ever want to meet. Receiving this cigar from him was a real 'treat', without any obligation to return the favour!

I figured that by the look of the cigar, it was more than the minimum twenty years of age. I would hasten to guess it would be closer to thirty to forty years at least. The wrapper, been thin and supple, was the giveaway. You see, machine-made cigars traditionally were made with thicker wrappers to guarantee good construction but hand-finished cigars were not. Again, according to Cuban Cigar Website; Machine-bunched hand-finished cigars had the filler and binder bunched by machine but the wrapper was applied by hand. Hand finishing of machine bunched cigars (by the hand application of the wrapper) was reduced in the 1990s and was fully phased out by circa 2002. So, I would say this cigar was manufactured some time in the late 80s/early 90s. It was also quite a sight to see how clear the cellophane was, in other words, it hadn't 'yellowed'. I guess the change in colour in cellophane wrapping tends to happen when cigars are packed in confined spaces. This Romeo y Julieta Perfectos definitely was not.

Upon lighting, the cigar smoked well...in fact, really, really well! Unbelievably, I could make out a combination of sprinkled cocoa and cherry fruit, with a strong musty, floral note permeating throughout the cigar. For those who've had aged cigars before, I'm confident that you are aware of what I mean by that last tasting note. It's a feature commonly found in aged cigars.

The wrapper, as mentioned, was quite thin and had torn slightly, so I was concerned that the cigar could unravel, but thankfully it didn't. It held together well. As I smoked down through the cigar, I got some coconut to compliment the core flavours cited upon first lighting this perfectos.

In the last third, the cigar got a little 'grassy' and was not quite as wholesome in its smoking as before. This grassy note, I suppose, is another feature of Romeo y Julieta cigars that were and are on the 'cheap and cheerful' side, so there was no surprise in noting this. Still, this Romeo y Julieta Perfectos could have smoked like an expired, bland newspaper. Thankfully, it didn't. It was eighty minutes of smoking bliss. Of course, I can't have another, but 'boy oh boy' do I wish I could!

The guys at Halfwheel, courtesy of Brooks Whittington provided an in-depth review of the Romeo y Julieta Perfectos in late 2009. It can be accessed here. As far as I know, it is the only on-line referenced review of this cigar. I'm glad to have now brought you the second such example!

[cgoodrich]

  On 3/2/2024 at 6:48 AM, JohnS said:

Each year I reach this stage of my journey through this Smoking Blog Series and wonder what events will transpire. "Que sera, sera...the future's not ours to see, whatever will be, will be, que sera, que sera" as they say. Could one have predicted what has come about over last four years in our cigar hobby? Apart from the global Covid-19 pandemic, who foresaw the Habanos cigar production crisis from post-2022 onwards and thus being subsequently priced out of playing in the habanos cigar market, so-to-speak?

Last year, I thought I wouldn't smoke as many cigars as I did in 2022, but it turns out that I wasn't that far short of the previous year's mark. I also thought that there would be cigars I wouldn't sample again, but actually, I was the subject of one or two opportunistic surprises. What can I say? I take it all as it comes, and with good grace and with humility!

So, in essence, I'm not going to even tell you what I think is ahead of us within this 2024 Smoking Blog series. All I can do is to counsel you to simply come along and enjoy the ride!

See you within the pages of this year's Series!

Expand  

John, I look forward so eagerly to your Smoking Blog. Thank you for sharing, I’m ready for the ride!

[JohnS]

  On 3/2/2024 at 12:50 PM, cgoodrich said:

John, I look forward so eagerly to your Smoking Blog. Thank you for sharing, I’m ready for the ride!

Expand  

Thank you @cgoodrich!

[Nevrknow]

  On 3/2/2024 at 12:50 PM, cgoodrich said:

John, I look forward so eagerly to your Smoking Blog. Thank you for sharing, I’m ready for the ride!

Expand  

You actually read all of his reviews?

He’s OK at it. I guess.

 

 

😂😂😂 I kid! I kid! Actually he’s one of a handful of people that his takeaways actually meet what I experience with cigars. Subliminal hints? Who knows. I’ll keep playing along.

Thanks for everything @JohnS 👍🏻

[cgoodrich]

  On 3/2/2024 at 11:42 PM, Nevrknow said:

You actually read all of his reviews?

He’s OK at it. I guess.

 

 

😂😂😂 I kid! I kid! Actually he’s one of a handful of people that his takeaways actually meet what I experience with cigars. Subliminal hints? Who knows. I’ll keep playing along.

Thanks for everything @JohnS 👍🏻

Expand  

It’s because I have a man-crush on him @Nevrknow. Who wouldn’t with such a Greek Adonis walking amongst us mere mortals! 😉

[wjs]

These are great reads, thank you for the time, effort to share.

[JohnS]

  On 3/5/2024 at 7:33 PM, wjs said:

These are great reads, thank you for the time, effort to share.

Expand  

Thank you, kindly! 👍

[Chucko8]

I like many here, truly look forward to reading your inciteful reviews John. Thank you in advance for the many installments to come in 2024. Cheers mate!

[JohnS]

  On 3/5/2024 at 11:56 PM, Chucko8 said:

I like many here, truly look forward to reading your inciteful reviews John. Thank you in advance for the many installments to come in 2024. Cheers mate!

Expand  

Thank you, Kurt! 👍

[JohnS]

Cohiba Petit Robustos 2012 - Selección Petit Robustos LAT Mar 2019

In 2003, Habanos S.A. introduced the Habanos Selection (Selección Habanos) releases, which consist of a selection of cigars of the same vitola from a number of different brands, presented in a small partitioned box. They are produced every year, and are available worldwide. The initial releases came in Piramides and Robustos sizes and the greater majority of these cigars are drawn from standard production models. In 2016, these two initial multi-brand offerings were re-released in newer, updated formats.

In 2012, Habanos S.A added a Petit Robustos multi-brand Habanos Selection (Selección Habanos) offering which differed from the Robustos and Piramides versions because apart from the regular production Romeo y Julieta Petit Churchill, all the cigars were unique to this special release. In other words, you can't get a Cohiba Petit Robustos, Montecristo Petit Robustos, H.Upmann Petit Robustos and Partagas Petit Robustos anywhere else. Incidentally, the immensely popular regular production cigar, the Hoyo de Monterrey Petit Robustos is not included in this release.

The Cohiba Petit Robustos is 50 ring gauge x 102 mm (or 4 inches) in length cigar. This is the first Cohiba Petit Robustos I've smoked from this 10-count multi-brand selection box but I've smoked two others beforehand (in 2021 and 2022) from another box with the same box code. Again, it was easily evident after smoking it that it was not like a Cohiba Medio Siglo which is the same length and has a slightly bigger ring gauge (52 rg). This cigar had nowhere near the same buttery texture as one would expect from a Cohiba Medio Siglo. Instead, it was much more akin to a smaller Cohiba Robustos, in my view.

The cigar smoked fine over a decent length of time (85 minutes) but just like last time, it didn't offer that much beyond a dominant Cohiba mocha coffee and some honey sweetness. This was fine, just don't expect that complexity of Cohiba that one can experience when you smoke this brand and you can get flavours of grass/hay, citrus and vanilla bean, which was not to be found here. The one redeeming feature of this particular Cohiba Petit Robustos I found though was the fact that, with a little more time down as this cigar approaches five years of rest, the honey sweetness was slightly more evident in the blend as the cigar ages.

So, all in all, it wasn't bad for Cohiba but it wasn't a Cohiba Medio Siglo or Cohiba Esplendidos in class. If it had some more complexity and range in its flavours I would think that I would have rated this cigar higher today.

[JohnS]

Montecristo Petit Robusto 2012 - Selección Petit Robustos LAT Mar 2019

In 2012, Habanos S.A released a Petit Robustos multi-brand Habanos Selection (Selección Habanos) offering which differed from the 2003 Robustos and Piramides versions because apart from the regular production Romeo y Julieta Petit Churchill, all the cigars were unique to this special release. In other words, you can't get a Montecristo Petit Robustos anywhere else.

The Montecristo Petit Robustos is 50 ring gauge x 102 mm (or 4 inches) in length cigar. After smoking it, I can tell you that it is not like a Montecristo Petit Edmundo which is slightly longer at 110 mm (or 4⅜ inches) and slightly bigger in ring gauge (52 rg) or a Montecristo No.5 which is the same length but has a 40 ring gauge. This cigar had nowhere near the same intensity or complexity in coffee and dark chocolate flavours as one would expect from a Montecristo Petit Edmundo or Montecristo No.5. Instead, much like the last time I had this cigar from a previous 10-count multi-brand release (with the same box code, incidentally) almost a year-and-a-half ago, it was more akin to a smaller special release Montecristo Leyenda, Maltes or Dantes, in my view...although without the same quality marshmallow soft texture as you can get in those Linea 1935 cigars.

This Montecristo Petit Robusto was very simple in its flavours, basically being a mixture of milk chocolate and cream, with perhaps some milk coffee lilting in and out. It smoked very well over 60 minutes and it did not need anymore complexity in my view to deliver quality and satisfaction in that time.

So, in summary, this Montecristo Petit Robustos might have lacked that 'citrus twang' that has become synonymous with the marca in the last few years but it didn't need it. It was simply a brilliant cigar and like I stated last time when I smoked my last Monte Petit Robusto, I still wouldn't hesitate to acquire it for my humidor if it was available in a 10-count and/or 25-count regular production offering.

[JohnS]

Partagás Petit Robustos 2012 - Selección Petit Robustos LAT Mar 2019

In 2012, Habanos S.A released a Petit Robustos multi-brand Habanos Selection (Selección Habanos) offering which differed from the 2003 Robustos and Piramides versions because apart from the regular production Romeo y Julieta Petit Churchill, all the cigars were unique to this special release. In other words, like the Montecristo Petit Robustos and the H.Upmann Petit Robustos I smoked prior to this cigar, you can't acquire a Partagas Petit Robustos anywhere else.

The Partagas Petit Robustos is 50 ring gauge x 102 mm (or 4 inches) in length cigar. This is the first Partagas Petit Robustos I've had from this 10-count multi-selection box, but I've had two others from a previous box with the same box code in 2021 and 2022, and just like those examples, I can tell you that it is not like a Partagas Shorts which is slightly longer at 110 mm (or 4⅜ inches) and smaller in ring gauge (42 rg). This cigar had nowhere near the same type of coffee flavour as one would expect from a Partagas Shorts. Instead, it was more like smoking a mini Partagas Lusitanias or Serie E No.2 in its flavour, in my view, if you could believe it.

This is a very simple cigar, basically a combination of Partagas Sourdough, leather, with perhaps a little coffee and some Partagas Spice on the edges. Unfortunately, just like my last Party Petit Robustos I smoked a year-and-a-half ago, this had construction issues to contend with that involved uneven burns due to bunched leaves and slight tunneling. Despite that, it was still flavoursome and by comparison, the construction issues weren't as bad as last time. For example, this cigar lasted sixty-five minutes in its smoking, whereas my last one lasted only forty.

It's a pity that the last two times I've smoked a Partagas Petit Robustos, I've encountered problems with consistency in construction. I still maintain that this cigar would be a welcome addition to the Habanos regular production catalogue, it's just that I'd love to smoke one that smokes well from beginning-to-end. Hopefully, it's the next one from this box!

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Petit Churchills 2012 - Selección Petit Robustos LAT Mar 2019

The Romeo y Julieta Petit Churchills is the only cigar of the 10-count Multi-brand Selección Petit Robustos release from 2012, which also includes two each of the Cohiba, Montecristo, H.Upmann and Partagas Petit Robustos, that is available as regular production cigar. It is the same Petit Robustos size as the other cigars with a 50 ring gauge x 102 mm (or 4 inches) length.

The RyJ Petit Churchills was made available in 2012, incidentally the same year that it was also packaged in a Petit Robustos selection, replacing the poor selling Perlas-sized RyJ Petit Princess. If you've never heard of this cigar don't feel too bad. Re-marketing it from its former name of Petit Prince did not ward off its ultimate demise.

Of the five Petit Robustos I have smoked from this Multi-Brand Petit Robustos release in the last few years, the RyJ Petit Churchills remains by far the most complex. Again, don't expect a RyJ Petit Royales which is slightly smaller in ring gauge (47 rg) and slightly smaller in length (95 mm or 3¾ inches). The RyJ Petit Royales has much more cocoa to its blend.

The RyJ Petit Churchills I've also smoked of late have been much milder, by comparison. With this particular RyJ Petit Churchills, there was very little in the way of that distinctive RyJ fruitiness. Its core flavours were nutmeg, some wood and bitter chocolate. Construction-wise, I was disappointed that this was under-filled and tunneled a little, which resulted in re-lights and, at times, some bitter notes on the palate. This is not the first time this has occurred for me in regards to these Petit Robustos from these multi-selection offerings. Frankly, it's starting to 'grate on me'. In other words, it's annoying as otherwise these smaller cigars aren't too bad.

In general, if you are favourable to Romeo y Julieta as a marca then this cigar will certainly please you and is well worth seeking out for a 'change-of-pace'. As for myself, I'm content to smoke more RyJ Petit Royales but I would not be adverse to smoking this cigar from time-to-time, providing it's better constructed than this one.

[JohnS]

H. Upmann Petit Robustos 2012 - Selección Petit Robustos LAT Mar 2019

As I've mentioned in my last few reviews, in 2012, Habanos S.A released a Petit Robustos multi-brand Habanos Selection (Selección Habanos) offering which differed from the 2003 Robustos and Piramides versions because apart from the regular production Romeo y Julieta Petit Churchill, all the cigars were unique to this special release. In other words, like the Montecristo Petit Robustos, for example, you can't acquire a H.Upmann Petit Robustos anywhere else.

The H.Upmann Petit Robustos is 50 ring gauge x 102 mm (or 4 inches) in length cigar. After smoking a few from various 10-count multi-brand releases of late, I can again confirm that it is not like a H.Upmann Half Corona which is slightly shorter at 90 mm (or 3½ inches) and slightly smaller in ring gauge (44 rg). This cigar had nowhere near the same intensity in toasted tobacco flavours as one would expect from a H.Upmann Half Corona. Instead, it was more akin to a smaller H.Upmann Connoisseur No.1, in my view.

Whereas I've had H.Upmann Petit Robustos in the past that were a simple combination of shortbread, cedar and a little espresso coffee, this particular one was dominant in white pepper, much like the last one I smoked in the second half of 2022. I guess you can get that in a H.Upmann Connoisseur No.1 sometimes too. It was a very simple cigar which took me around the expected time to smoke, which was one hour.

So, in summary, this H.Upmann Petit Robustos was milder than the similarly sized H.Upmann Half Corona. Just like the Montecristo Petit Robustos, it was another very good cigar which I wouldn't hesitate to acquire for my humidor if it was available in a regular production offering.

[JohnS]

Diplomáticos No.2 TOS Dic 2015

POU Jun 2013 Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No.4s, LUB May 2014 H.Upmann No.2s, EML Feb 2015 San Cristobal de la Habana El Principes, LGR Ago 2017 Por Larranaga Montecarlos. In and of itself, these cited vitolas may not mean anything in particular, but as a collective they represent examples of vitolas that have had premium value for how exceptional they've been in comparison to their peers. To that end then, one could easily add the TOS Dic 2015 Diplomaticos No.2, of which I am grateful for sampling one for this review.

Within this blog series I have smoked through and finished an impressive EML Ago 2014 Diplomaticos No.2 box. This TOS Dic 2015 Diplomaticos No.2, therefore, has waited patiently for nearly eight years to be 'cracked open'. The TOS series of Diplomaticos No.2 in the second half of 2015 and 2016 were well-noted and highly popular with our forum members when they were been produced and available. Within the first twelve to twenty-four months they were known for their simple combinations of flavours; yet, there was a general consensus pertaining to their higher quality. Approximately three months ago, I was eager to discover for myself exactly how complex (or simple) and flavoursome they were by smoking the first one from this TOS Dic 2015 box. This, therefore, is the second one from the box after the first one was so rousing in the positive memories it evoked in me. In other words, it was great cigar that brought back great memories. And I'm sure we all know how that feels.

I find that, in general, Diplomaticos cigars can vary markedly between flavours that are savoury (such as capsicum or bell pepper, paprika spice) and flavours that are sweet (cinnamon, nutmeg). My Dip 2s from my EML Ago 2014 box were more on the savoury side. How was this second cigar from this TOS Dic 2015 box, especially since the first was on the savoury side?

It was evident, from the very first puffs, that this Dip 2 was not as savoury as my initial Dip 2, but it wasn't exactly sweet either. There were notes of sourdough and wood, with the sourdough more dominant. Any bell pepper or capsicum, a note that Diplomaticos cigars are know for, was minimal. Like last time, the cigar had a fair amount of smoke per puff and packed a heap of flavour. This is important to highlight; after eight years, this cigar has not lost its efficacy in how flavoursome it was. The ash was consistent and the burn and draw were both fine.

Furthermore, there were also notes of 'toastiness' and the cigar did have a core sourdough flavour, unlike my last few Dip 2s from my EML Ago 2014 box. In terms of any paprika spice I can say that there really wasn't that much evidence on hand here, throughout the smoke, of it.

So, all-in-all, this Diplomaticos No.2 continues to support the adage that a quality cigar has the potential to develop and age well, given that it has been reputable within its early stages of that development. In addition, there is a common predisposition to compare the Diplomaticos No.2 to the Montecristo No.2 among cigar enthusiasts. With this TOS Dic 2015 Diplomaticos No.2 today, that point is definitely 'moot' and does not bear expanding upon at all. It was quite simply a great example of a Diplomaticos No.2. But if you want to smoke them like this, bear in mind how long it's taken to reach this point, thus far. Eight years rest is a long time, but in my opinion, well worth it.

[JohnS]

Cohiba Panetelas LGR Dic 2017

Ever since Habanos S.A. re-adjusted their pricing sharply for their luxury brands in Cohiba and Trinidad in mid-2022, sales for cigars like the Cohiba Panetelas (and other shorter cigars) have seemingly 'fallen off a cliff', not to mention the Trinidad marca in general. It's all quite understandable though, currently these retail for around $US20 a stick. There's plenty of other options out there, both Cuban and Non-Cuban, for less than that. Thankfully, I acquired this box prior to these announced price increases.

The Cohiba Panatelas is just 115 mm long (or 4½ inches) and carries a minuscule 26 ring gauge. At such a thin ring gauge, it probably wouldn't surprise you to know that it can suffer draw issues and be prone to 'plugging' as well as having inconsistent and uneven burns.

Anyway, I consider myself lucky to having received these with four-and-a-half years of age on them. I didn't press my luck expecting to receive them in a varnished boite nature box of 25 cigars. No, I was just happy to have them in the more usual display box of 25 cigars in 5 cardboard packs of 5 packaging.

I've had seven Cohiba Panetelas so far (in fifteen months since having my first one) and overall they've been quite good. They've also all drawn well.

This eighth one, smoked around three months since my last one, was more balanced than my previous Cohiba Panetelas. The flavours were once again bold and the cigar was medium-mild to medium in body. There was mainly mocha aspects and honey sweetness to be had, alongside some elements of Cohiba grass, which pleased me no end.

In general, this box of Cohiba Panetelas have been fairly consistent thus far. I wouldn't acquire another box though, unless they came down sharply in price. At the time of writing this review, we're still waiting for this outcome.

[JohnS]

Trinidad Coloniales APU Jul 2015

The Trinidad Coloniales was released in 2004 in a unique 'Coloniales' size. It has a 44 ring gauge and it is 132 millimetres or 5¼ inches in length. It comes in a varnished semi boîte nature box of 24 cigars, separated in four rows containing six cigars each. Initially, the Coloniales was packaged in a display box of 25 cigars in five cardboard packs of five, but this was discontinued in 2017.

When it comes to specifying the blend characteristics of vitolas within the Trinidad marca, I can verify that such a thing is much easier to do with other Habanos marcas. You see, the Trinidad marca is noted for having a complex blend. This was especially true when it started to expand in the early 2000s as a brand, with the addition of new vitolas. In the past Trinidad has been described as been a combination of coffee, Earth, leather, wood, spice, grass, hay, butter and yes, even honey and/or vanilla. I think that with the advent of the La Casa Del Habanos release in 2017, the La Trova and especially with more recent long-and-skinny Fundadores the blend became sweeter and cake and cookie dough flavours were more prevalent. In my view, the 50th anniversary releases of the Esmeralda, Topes and Media Luna saw a return to classic, savoury and complex blends within the Trinidad brand. This Trinidad Coloniales, my third one from the box, rolled and boxed in mid-2015, was once again more referential to this classic, savoury and complex blend today. (Much like the first and second one, the last of which was only smoked a few weeks ago!)

The cold draw again revealed a delightful barnyard note. The first third then opened with some oak notes. The cigar was milder than my first one, but equally as mild as my second one from the box at this point, yet still rich in flavours.

The middle third continued on in its rich flavours. There was a coffee and leather aspect to the cigar, but unlike my second cigar from the box, there really wasn't any vanilla spice this time. The burn and ash were consistent.

In the final third, the cigar continued on with those some hay and leather notes. It was suitably complex, but my second one was slightly more so, on account of some vanilla spice and almond nut that was present.

Overall, this Trinidad Coloniales was not as rich and potent as my first example from the box two-and-a-half months ago, but nevertheless, it was highly desirable in accordance with my tastes when it comes to the Trinidad marca. The ash was again firm throughout. Even though it was eight-and-a-half years of age, it was again still medium to medium-full in body, yet medium-mild in strength.

In summary, the lack of vanilla spice within the blend of this Trinidad Coloniales today meant it wasn't as distinguished as my previous one a few weeks ago. However, it was still very, very good and I envisage that I will be smoking from this box again in 2024.