Aging Room - Havao Sharp. Beautifully constructed torpedo shape. Smooth Connecticut type wrapper. Excellent draw. Did require one touch up but otherwise worry free. Mild to medium. Quite pleasant on the retrohale.
4 Likes
Only cigar Iâve smoked from Aging Room is the Quatro Maestro, which is very good indeed and Iâm happy to have the best part of a box quietly gaining humidor time.
Today was a Brickhouse Classic Churchill in the sun, while finishing the last of a bottle of Larios gin. Larios is cheap as chips in the Canary Islands, but exceptionally good at any price. Just under two months until Iâm back there to stock up on cheap gin and reasonably priced cigars.
Edit: probably should mention something about the cigar 
I get all sorts from it, but a lot of baking spices and some fruit. Down side of these being tar. No matter how I store them, theyâre inevitably tarry. Iâve given up trying to reduce this with variations in storage and just resign myself to clipping an extra couple of times during the smoke.
3 Likes
Montecristo Habana, decent mid range cigar, I wouldnât go out of my way to find it but if you have some enjoy it.
3 Likes
Nub - Connecticut. As always, beautiful, solid construction. Flawless draw. Easy light and once lit had razor sharp burn line. Solid, medium gray ash. Essentially hits the sweet spot right out of the gate. Although a pretty short stick it burns slowly which is just fine by me as it is quite tasty. Perhaps a bit more mild than I generally prefer, there is much to like here.
3 Likes
Smoked a couple of Flor de Oliva maduro toros yesterday and today. Humidor fillers I generally smoke while cutting the lawn, but I quite like them as short filler cigars go.
3 Likes
A nice selection. I believe I like the Maduro best in the Macanudo line⌠although they have plenty to offer.
3 Likes
Good weather continues, but not so the good cigars. Vegafina 1998 VF46 this evening and it started well, but turned on me around the halfway mark and this is something of a recurring theme with this cigar. One will smoke beautifully, but the next will burn all over the place and taste bitter. Iâve smoked these super slowly and tried incremental changes in humidity, but nothing has had any impact - itâs pot luck if one comes good or bad from the humidor. Cheap enough cigars, and a brand with much going for it, but these wonât be replaced when theyâre gone.
3 Likes
Kristoff - Corojo Limitada Robusto. Nice pigtail twist. Smooth Corojo wrapper. Solid with pre-light notes of old wood and hay. Easy light but was a bit fussy needing touching up three times. Definite spice right off and never let up. I donât mind as I like the kick. Medium with gradual slide toward full at end. A decent but not great cigar. I think I would have enjoyed it more if accompanied by a tipple of rye whiskey.
3 Likes
I keep getting the opportunity to buy a range of Kristoff cigars at very good prices, but have never tried one.
2 Likes
Kristoff - GC Signature Series Robusto. Nice, dark but veiny wrapper. Pigtail, great draw and easy light. Some canoeing leading to needed touch up. Some spice but controlled well. Medium body with some flavor interest. Dark gray fairly solid ash.
2 Likes
They are interesting. Not terribly complex but when burned slowly have a lot of interest. Not my favorites but certainly better than a good number of others.
3 Likes
AJ Fernandez New World Dorado robusto this morning and Oliva Serie V Churchill extra this evening. Today was a good cigar day.
3 Likes
Smoked a Joya de Nicaragua Joya Red Toro while drinking some coffee and watching the new season of Black Mirror.
Decent cigar, the first half is too mild for my taste but flavour builds up nicely toward the end the way a good cigar should.
4 Likes
Plasencia - Reserva Organica Edition Limitada 2001. Now, I have to make something clear. Just because a company makes the claim that a particular release is âLimitedâ doesnât necessarily correlate to its being really special. Not so in this case. First off, have you ever smoked an organic cigar? Very hard to find. In about 2003 I went ahead and purchased a box because, well, why not. Tried a couple and stashed them for a few years by which time they were even better. Tried a few and then forgot about them again. Now, 20+ years later, my, this is tasty. Some fairly prominent veins and a bit of toothiness evident. Excellent draw and even burn line. Pre-light aroma is rich with notes of mature compost, leather, cedar and âmanlinessâ. Burned slowly nearly bringing a tear to my eye because I didnât buy more when they were in production. Although relatively mild, it was rich in nuance releasing clouds of fragrant, rejuvenating smoke.
4 Likes
Still not smoked anything from Plasencia I havenât liked. I notice theyâve just announced a new range continuing the Alma line, but probably wonât see them here for a while.
4 Likes
Monte Cristo - Monte. Mine was a âbig boyâ. 6x53 if I get my measurements right. To be honest, I havenât always been a huge fan of Monte Christoâs. Not that they are bad, they arenât, or particularly expensive but rather that they tend to be too bland and one sided. For a large number of people thatâs just what they want. Me, I want more âpizzazâ. This iteration is a foray into a more bold arena. A dark smooth wrapper that was easy on the eyes. Excellent draw. Easy to light and keep lit. I did have to pay some attention to slow rotation to avoid a tendency to burn lop sided. I would say in the medium range with a touch of spice, leather and cedar to keep it interesting. To my tastes a vast improvement on the standard offerings from these folks.
3 Likes
I didnât realise until recently that there were a range of Cuban brands made with new world tobaccos for the US market. Seems reasonable enough, considering those US market products were started by the families who originally owned the Cuban brands, but it can get confusing for those of of outside the USA. I guess the reverse is also true for consumers within the US.
3 Likes
True⌠Itâs frustrating here in USA that Cuban cigars are just not available. However, as you indicated, we have been able to benefit from all the âexpatsâ creativity. As a result, lots of good options.
3 Likes
Thereâs still an element of snobbery in these parts where Cubans are concerned, but the range of new world tobaccos is incredible and blending creativity never ceases to amaze me. Add to that the sky high controlled pricing of Cuban cigars and i find myself with little interest in them.
3 Likes