RyJ Short Churchill dress box (a Don Candido smoke)

[El Presidente]

Fantastic review MP

I think you nailed the heart of this cigar ...dried fruits. It is the reason why this blend is so bloody good and consistent.

[Kingantz]

Excellent review and pictures! What? No picture of the punch? Fantastic job!

[MaltPointer]

» What? No picture of the punch?

smartass . . . .

[MaltPointer]

» Fantastic review MP

»

» I think you nailed the heart of this cigar ...dried fruits. It is the

» reason why this blend is so bloody good and consistent.

Thanks, Rob . . . when this cigar is at its best, it is truly something special. I'd love to see some reviews of some of these with some age on them, if anybody out there has any.

Would love to know if the dried fruit notes come front and center for the duration, or if they fade gently into the background behind the granola and toast.

Charles

[Don Candido]

» I'd love to see some reviews of some of these with some age on

» them, if anybody out there has any.

Charles,

I believe the RyJ Short Churchill was first introduced in 2006, so there won't be any with too much age on them yet.

Thanks for the great review!

Cheers,

DC!

[MaltPointer]

» Charles,

»

» I believe the RyJ Short Churchill was first introduced in 2006, so there

» won't be any with too much age on them yet.

I TOTALLY knew that . . .

[MaltPointer]

More generosity from board members--I received a couple of Romeo y Julieta Short Churchills from Don Candido, one from a dress box, the other from a 3-pack of tubos. Here's what Peter wrote about the box codes:

"The Dress Box (pressed cigars) come from the Czar with a box code of SOA Jul 07. The Tubos came from another retailer (through 5th Avenue - the German Distributor,) but they did not come with codes on the Tubo 3 packs. They are likely from around the same time frame as the dressed box, perhaps younger."

I had previously reviewed the Tubo version [link=http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/board_entry.php?id=74281#p74281]here[/link], and while I enjoyed it immensely at times, it took a nasty turn for the worse on the home stretch that had me muttering to myself in aggravation. Nonetheless, I have been looking forward to this smoke for a couple of weeks now, and my travel schedule finally let up enough for me to put the torch to it.

The wrapper was silky, tight, and showing slight oil. The triple cap was in good shape, and the foot was tightly bunched. The cigar showed clear signs of box pressing.

The aroma at cold was pleasantly earthy and musky, and, once I center-punched the head, the pre-light draw was redolent of bread and bran. I slowly toasted the foot, took up a cedar spill and finished the job of lighting it.

First third

• BAM! Big flavor, right out of the gate. My God, is this the one I’ve been waiting for?

• The flavors from the pre-light draw—bread and bran—loom large, turning into warm granola and melba toast.

• I’m getting that signature Short Churchill dried fruit flavor. Traditionally, I’ve described this as dried cherries, but it has a more Mediterranean feel to it this time . . . figs or dates, something like that.

• Solidly medium bodied at this early stage

• I had dry-boxed this stick earlier, and even rotated it a couple of time, and it’s paying off here in the front third . . . the burn is a pleasure to watch, and the ash is showing an abundance of resin "dots."

Second third

• As I round the turn into the middle third, I get a powerful, quick burst of gingerbread.

• The flavors on this cigar are very very consistent . . . toast, fig/date, bran

• The body seems to pick up a bit, and the smoke takes on more of a mouthfeel.

• I'm struggling a bit with an uneven burn, but it never quite gets out of hand, and self-corrects nicely a couple of times.

• Gingerbread starts to take center stage, but it doesn’t elbow anybody else off entirely.

• I write in my notes, “VERY GOOD SMOKE.” All caps, just like that.

• A sweet aftertaste has accumulated nicely on the taste buds.

Final third

• As I enter this phase, I drop the ash again and purge, and the original bran note becomes much more pronounced.

• I get one shot of that sour/turnip green note that was such a vexation on the Tubo version of this stick . . . and then it’s gone. Then and there I swear to myself . . . by Grabthar’s Hammer . . . that if this cigar starts to taste like a turnip . . . I shall erect a funeral pyre forthwith and put it out of my misery forever and anon.

• Fortunately, it goes back to being a good stick, so no such foolishness is required of me (woulda made for some great pics, though).

• As this smoke winds down, the sweet notes fade into the background, and the toasty bran notes become dominant.

• I take it down as far as I can, and lay it gently to rest in the ashtray

My windup on this is that I much preferred the overall experience of this box-pressed Short Churchill to that of the Tubo version. However, upon reflection, I should note that the high points of the Tubo were more stellar than the high notes of this one . . .

I'd give this cigar a solid 90/100.

And, once again, let me express my thanks to Peter for affording me the opportunity to experience these cigars.