JohnS' Smoking Diary 2025

[Sirius]

On 3/16/2025 at 5:33 PM, JohnS said:

Quai d'Orsay No.52 GRB May 2024

The Quai d'Orsay No.52 is a 2021 release that came to market in early 2023. It has a 52 ring gauge x 156 millimetres (or 6⅛ inches) length, which is similar in size to a Cohiba Siglo VI, only six millimetres or a quarter of an inch longer. This cigar was recommended to me by @99call and @Li Bai and I'm elated to have finally acquired this cigar to sample.

Having smoked a number of Quai d'Orsay Nos. 50 and 54 since their launch in 2017/18, I can assert that the blend of this Quai d'Orsay No.52 is similar. What made it stand out for me was how full-flavoured it was for a mid-bodied cigar. It had typical Quai d'Orsay flavours of brioche and butter complimented by an underlying cedar, hay and cream texture. In terms of its smoking, there's a case to be made that this latest addition to the Quai d'Orsay marca is the Cohiba Siglo VI of the Quai d'Orsay line. It was a beautiful smoke over more than 2 hours!

In my part of the world, the Cohiba Siglo VI is three to three-and-a-half times more expensive that the Quai d'Orsay No.52. In other markets it's at least twice as dear. You could say, therefore, that the Quai d'Orsay No.52 is the new poor man's Cohiba Siglo VI.

They have come up a little more often recently on 24:24 listings, but in general, they aren't easy to acquire in regards to their availability. If you manage to source a box, I know you'll be glad that you did so!

Very nice, thank you for this! This is one Cigar I am eager to get my hands on! I have yet to try any Quai d'Orsays, but they are very intriguing to me. Also, nice Cigar holder there! 

[JohnS]

On 8/13/2025 at 6:41 AM, Sirius said:

Very nice, thank you for this! This is one Cigar I am eager to get my hands on! I have yet to try any Quai d'Orsays, but they are very intriguing to me. Also, nice Cigar holder there! 

Thank you, kindly!

[JohnS]

Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo des Dieux MER Abr 2013

The last run of Hoyo de Monterrey des Dieux manufactured prior to being discontinued was in 2013/14. The Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo des Dieux was a 42 ring gauge x 155 mm (or 6⅛ inches) in length Coronas Grandes cigar. Today, only the Cohiba Siglo III and Montecristo Tubos have these dimensions and are in regular production. I would assert that their respective marcas, being highly unlikely to being prone to deletion, has ensured their survival whereas other Coronas Grandes cigars have not.

My initial exposure to the Hoyo de Monterrey des Dieux were from a 2003 box code. Those HdM Le Hoyo des Dieux were especially creamy in texture. With time, I've come to understand that those '03 des Dieuxs were a 'class above' and other HdM Le Hoyo de Dieux (up to when they were discontinued in 2014) were subject to normal development over time like other Le Hoyo cigars.

When I mention the aging development of Le Hoyo line cigars I am naturally not including the recent additions to the line, the 2018 de Rio Seco and the 2014 de San Juan. Like Cohiba in the past five years or so, these two Le Hoyo additions seem to develop their peak flavours much younger than in the past. In the case of the de Rio Seco and de San Juan, this means the advent of creaminess in the cigar, with the de Rio Seco being noteworthy for creaminess even sooner than the de San Juan. (Personally speaking, I have found the HdM Le Hoyo de Rio Seco especially approachable once they've hit the two-year mark.)

So what have traditional Le Hoyo cigars been like, in general? In a word, they have been characterised by their woodiness when young. The aim of resting them long-term is to let them become more creamy. As mentioned, like traditional Cohiba, developing those peak flavours can take five to ten years (or even longer).

I've mentioned these things before in previous reviews on this cigar, but what about today's Hoyo de Monterrey des Dieux? Did it conform to this profile? In a word, yes (and no). Sound confusing? Read on...

At around ten years rested, I found this HdM Le Hoyo des Dieux both cream-textured and abundant in forest floor flavours. I've stated this before, but when Le Hoyo cigars are under five years they can have a mushroom/forest floor-type flavour to them that can dominate the cigar. This particular HdM Le Hoyo des Dieux started off exhibiting signs of its age from the word "go"; it was cream-textured, light-cedared and had hints of vanilla sweetness. In fact, it was similar to examples of excellent, aged HdM des Dieux I've had in the past. This combination of flavours continued until the beginning of the middle third.

In the middle third, the cigar transitioned markedly. The cream texture gave way to forest floor flavours, oak and cloves, which are flavours more indicative of a younger HdM Le Hoyo des Dieux. This flavour blend continued until the end of the cigar, but in my opinion, it didn't diminish my final evaluation of it. Quite simply, these two contrasting features to this cigar today was brilliant...just brilliant!

The strength of this cigar was mild but it was medium-bodied, much like the last HdM Des Dieux I smoked that was also boxed in 2013/14. In other words, it didn't lack at all in regards to flavour. Like aged cigars in general, once that strength wears off it becomes quite easy to smoke. I smoked this in around an hour and ten minutes. That may sound quick for a cigar that is a little over six inches in length, but keep in mind that aged cigars tend to burn quicker in general than newer cigars, due to having less moisture over time, and so this is not in fact unusual.

In my mind, when the last third start to develop more creaminess and the flavours have melded from beginning to end, then that's the time when the Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo des Dieux has peaked. I still feel that we are few more years away in the case of the batch of the last run of the HdM Le Hoyo des Dieux from 2013/14. 

[JohnS]

Cohiba Medio Siglo LGB Jun 2020

The Cohiba Medio Siglo was released in 2016. Medio Siglo means “half a century” in Spanish, which coincides in 2016 with the 50th anniversary of the advent of the Cohiba marca.

In regard to the Cohiba Medio Siglo cigars I have sampled, I've mentioned previously that I feel it has the hallmarks of a Linea 1492 cigar in its quality hay and sweet honey notes. What I feel it has in similarity with the Cohiba Siglo VI is its buttery texture and coffee flavours, albeit in the Medio Siglo the coffee is much darker. In fact, I'd classify it amongst the richer flavour profiled cigars in the Linea 1492 series, together with the Cohiba Siglo VI.

It's been one-and-three-quarter years since I last smoked a Cohiba Medio Siglo. I do have around half a box in my inventory across two box codes, though. I guess I want to savour them for the odd occasion when I want to enjoy its blend of quality biscuit combined with espresso or mocha coffee.

Normally, when this cigar is 'on' it provides an eloquent balance of honey, biscuit, hay, butter and mocha coffee over an hour to an hour and ten minutes (or so). When the Cohiba Medio Siglo is not 'on' you can tell usually that the balance of flavours is askew, they can smoke 'hot' and are more intense in coffee and spice. Fortunately, today's example was more akin to the premier description in how balanced it was. By contrast, the last time four times I smoked a Medio Siglo I found them unbalanced and not 'to taste'. It's exhilarating to have a change of luck today!

This Cohiba Medio Siglo had distinctive honeycomb biscuit notes from the very first puffs, yet it also had the hallmarks of classic Cohiba grass/hay, butter and light mocha coffee. In its back half I also noted a delicious sour, tangy citrus flavour which made the cigar simply delectable. 

The construction here was quite exceptional, the ash was perfect and the smoke per draw was more voluminous than your typical Cohiba cigar, which necessitates a change in smoking technique to properly savour (i.e. you need to smoke much more slowly). 

What more could one add? Ever since the price re-structuring by Habanos S.A. in mid-2022 a number of us have supplemented our smoking regimes with the acquisition of Non-Cuban cigars. Frankly, I wish my humidor was more abundant in Habanos cigars like this; however, that's not the reality of things. If I could, I'd elect to smoke a Cohiba Medio Siglo like this as often as possible. At the same time, I have a long memory and I'm fully aware that Cohiba Medio Siglos don't always smoke like this one did today.

[JohnS]

Partagás Shorts AUM May 2015

I first opened this 50-cab box around six weeks ago and mentioned that the first Partagas Shorts from that box was smoked four years after I had my last one. So do I hate Partagas Shorts? Of course not, but I can't admit that they've been in my rotation either. Rewind back to late-2016/early-2017 and I would say that at that particular time, they were. It's funny how trends change over time, isn't it?

That first Partagas Shorts had some paprika spice to it, and especially in the back half. So it was okay, but for me, it wasn't optimal according to my preferences.

This second Partagas Shorts from this 50 count box rested for ten years (yes, ten years!), started off again with some Partagas sourdough and leather coming together, together with some coffee but this time I found next to no paprika spice. The cigar was quite mild but still fulsome on the palate. In summary, I loved it!

So, today's Partagas Shorts was evenly balanced in its flavours for my liking and I have no issue returning to this box to smoke from it, purely for enjoyment. Expect no more reviews (on this cigar) at least in the immediate future!

[JohnS]

Por Larrañaga Montecarlos EML Sep 2014

The Por Larranaga Montecarlos is a 33 ring gauge x 159 mm (or 6¼ inches) in length cigar commonly considered a 'forum favourite' on our forum...you know, a cigar that has many admirers for providing value for money when it comes to its smoking performance.

This is the second Por Larranaga Montecarlos I've had from this box, the first was smoked two-and-a-half months ago. Much like the greater majority of LGR Oct 17 PL Montecarlos I smoked, which I classify as amongst the best cigars I've had in a box purchase, this cigar today was characterised by its beautiful hit of sweet, refined caramel. Indeed, this is always the one characteristic that I look for whenever I smoke this cigar. Whereas the first cigar from a well-rested nine-and-a-half year box was not caramel-laden, this second PL Montecarlos from this box was defined instead by its soft wood, coffee, toffee sweetness and of course, caramel.

In regards to construction, this PL Montecarlos burned very well and didn't need any re-lights. The draw was also ideal.

The adage when it comes to Por Larranaga cigars that they need five to eight years to mature is certainly a generalisation. Well, I can state that this may be more true of the PL Petit Coronas than the PL Montecarlos in that the PL Petit Coronas does need more time. Yet this PL Montecarlos stick, aged around ten years, still wasn't over-flowing in its caramel (but it did have enough caramel to it to satisfy me). Yet, I've had PL Montecarlos less than three years old that were. Maybe the next one I have from my humidor across four box codes will be 'full of caramel', so-to-speak. It's why I keep coming back to them.