Humidor English John

This maduro from Honduras lasted a lot longer than The Lite corona which I noted at about 65 minutes and this one was heading for two hours, perhaps I am a slow smoker after all but it did need several relights. That could be due to the humidity in my garage which was about 75% today. This corona comes in at 5.5" with a ring gauge of 52. The maduro wrapper is from Costa Rica and the filler from Nicaragua. The wrapper is the usual dark chocolate brown you would expect from a maduro but it has a satiny finish with definite though not raised veins. The scent is a rich mocha. This was a well packed and firm stick with no soft spots and appeared to be very well made. Being from The Edge range it just has a discrete band around the foot that just slips off. It cut nicely with no raggedy edges and the cold draw was easy and tasted mild and leathery with just a hint of the mocha. It lit up nicely and burned slowly with a sharp edge and a light grey ash that dropped off after a centimetre, about 12 minutes in. The exhaled smoke had a fruity aroma to it and the inhaled flavour was smooth, mild and leathery with a slight sweetness that built up and lingered in my mouth. After about half an hour I was delighted to get a definite hint of chocolate but sadly it didn't last. The flavour got a bit peppery towards the end and I was happy to leave it at an hour and 45 but could have stretched it out to two hours. This one won't be on my buy list but I certainly wouldn't turn one down.

Casa Magna have won several accolades from Cigar Aficionado so I was expecting a good smoke from this Honduran stick. Its a fat little boy at 5" in length with a ring gauge of 54. The band is about an inch and nicely embossed in silver and black with the legend 'Oscuro' on a red banner. The wrapper is dark and smooth but no darker than a maduro and smelled of mocha, the stick was very firm except at the foot. I punched the cap and to my horror the whole cap came off and part of the wrapper with it. I decided to cut the end square but it only just fit into my cutter and the wrapper was still coming unravelled halfway up. This was looking to be another disappointment but I decided to persist. It wasn't an easy cold draw and the unlit taste was mild and earthy. The initial light up was a little peppery but then it settled down to a delightful smooth creamy flavour that actually made my mouth water and the exhaled smoke was spicy and aromatic. This smoke was so good that I didn't want to put it down and by securing the loose flap of the wrapper I was able to smoke it. The burn was very slow and even with a light grey ash that didn't drop till half way along the length. I have read reviews that said this cigar required constant relighting but mine didn't need it until 68 minutes in and the whole stick lasted a good 90 minutes. A slight bitterness came through at the end but by then I was satisfied enough to put it down anyway. I hope that I was just a victim of a poorly constructed individual here because I shall be buying another.

The wrapper is a very dark chocolate brown and smelt strongly of mocha, very nice indeed. It was as hard as a bullet and I was concerned when I punched it as it went through with a distinct crack of the cap. The draw was very free but I couldn't put my finger on the cold flavour. It lit somewhat unevenly and the initial hit was very peppery for the first five minutes till it went out. I relit and the taste settled down to mild and woody with a pleasant aromatic exhaled smoke that lasted till 19 minutes when it went out again. It needed another relight and touch up at 35 minutes when it got peppery again. The second third settled down to a dry earthy taste but the final third surprised me by becoming mild, fruity and spicy. I hadn't expected to take this one all the way to the end but I kept it going till the last inch when it was getting a bit warm. This stick was supposed to last 48 minutes but mine lasted a good hour and a half. it also had a very clean aftertaste that I am beginning to associate with the bigger nicotine loads as it had that too.

The dark brown maduro wrapper looks nice and has a definite mocha scent but if you smoked this blind you would be hard pressed to guess that's what it is. It felt firmly packed with a slight softness just before the cap but once cut the draw was free flowing and tasted slightly earthy. It lit easily enough but it needed one relight at 27 minutes. The flavour was mild and woody and generally one dimensional until the last third where it got bitter and warm. If you were prepared to put up with that you could get and hour out of it but I left it there at 45 minutes. Its alright if you've nothing else to smoke but it was cheap and won't be replaced. I'm beginning to find I'm getting quite selective now and more critical which has to be a good thing when essentially one is burning money!

This is my first cigar from Ecuador and it wasn't bad at all. Hand made it has an Ecuadorian wrapper and binder but is filled with tobacco from the Dominican Republic. It measures in at 13cm long with a diameter of 1.83cm. The label is smart and modern in red and silver with an extra band on the foot. It is very nicely constructed and the wrapper is very smooth and a chocolate brown colour. The wrapper smells faintly of leather and the initial cold draw is definitely earthy. It took two goes to light it and the first taste was creamy and smooth with no pepper at all, the exhaled smoke was fruity and rich. Like a lot of NC cigars the ash dropped at about a centimetre when I first put it down. The overall taste for the first third was tannic and leathery but mild. I noticed a tendency to burn a bit lopsided but found that if I put it down with the unburned side up it corrected itself nicely and it never required any relighting. Into the second third and it started to get a little peppery but to my surprise just after the half way mark it went back to the smooth and creamy taste again. After an hour and a quarter I could feel the nicotine starting to kick in so I let it go but it would have gone a good hour and a half. This would be a nice cigar for fellow newbies wanting to try something non-Cuban but I probably won't buy another.

I was sent these in error instead of the Maduro version but decided to smoke them anyway. The construction is excellent, the outer is slightly veined but the cigar is very well packed with a slight bounce when squeezed. It burns very well with a compact light grey ash that didn't drop till it was half way through. It has a definite peppery taste that increases as it burns. If you take it all the way to the end it will last about 45 minutes and at 1.5 euros each these are great for an everyday smoke. I still prefer the sweetness of the maduro wrapper though.

As the name suggests its a maduro through and through (although a light version) and it looks gorgeous. It measures 13.8cm in length with a diameter of 1.51. After my last two disappointing smokes I was hoping for something good and I wasn't disappointed. The wrapper is smooth and dark with no trace of the oiliness I have read about from maduro wrappers. The label is very attractive indicating that it is hand made and it has an extra sleeve to indicate that it is the 2011 limited edition. The wrapper has a very slight scent of chocolate to it but the cold draw is slightly earthy. It lit very easily from the first match and the early indication were wood and spice and leather with the exhaled smoke having a definite fruity edge to it. It burned nicely with an even edge that never needed correcting and a very light ash, the first time I put it down it dropped its ash with a centimetre on it. It needed two relights, one at half way and then again at two thirds through but relit easily. A slight peppery taste began to develop around halfway and that got stronger towards the end but overall it was a good ninety minute smoke. The ash got denser in the final third and didn't drop so easily.

This is a lot smaller than it looks in the photos, in fact it is tiny at 2.5cm high and 2.5cm long but I bought it as an easel to support my cigars when I take photos for reviews on a forum so for that it is perfect.

This is a hand rolled stick and the wrapper has a nice lustre and a spicy scent to it before lighting. It is well packed with no hollows and has a nice smooth finish to it. For a budget cigar it looks very good. Once clipped it draws freely with a distinctive flavour of leather. It lights easily and produces a decent amount of smoke. As you can see from the photos it burns very easily with a good solid ash but it required a little work. It went out about three times in all but relit without any problems. I didn't get any distinctive flavours from this cigar although I have read reviews describing it as 'earthy', the exhaled smoke had a rich and pleasant fragrance however. It was bit peppery in the last third and towards the end I was definitely getting a slightly chemical taste. Consistent with its previous behaviour it went out very quickly when I decided I'd had enough. It was a decent enough smoke for a budget cigar but it won't be joining my humidor.

A nicely constructed cigar that burns evenly despite my initial uneven lighting! It rectified itself from the first ash drop. The wrapper had a few visible veins but they were well smoothed down. I found this one quite peppery from lighting and it got stronger as it neared the end. The leather was more obvious in the scent of the exhaled smoke than the taste but it was a very fragrant burn.

Having enjoyed the Romeo Milles Fleurs I was very much looking forward to this one but my example was a disappointment. It burned very unevenly down one side and even when I corrected it the same pattern was repeated. It produced plenty of smoke and the flavour was acceptable but half way through it started to go out and needed a good draw to keep it going. The cigar lasted about half an hour whereas the Romeo lasted over an hour and was much more solidly packed.

This is my short smoke of choice. Don't be put off by the low price or the fact that they are machine made. These are perfect to take out when you know you don't have long to enjoy the luxury of a full sized cigar. They burn very well and you can smoke them almost all the way down with no deterioration of flavour.

The initial flavour was mild, creamy and leathery and delicious. There was no pepper at all in this cigar and even my wife admitted to liking the flavour when she tasted it. Into the second third and hints of vanilla started to develop into the palate but not enough to dominate the flavour. The final third developed a taste of roasted nuts, pecans maybe, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

This cigar will be familiar to many of you but this was my first and smoked at JJs where it was recommended by the member of staff who served me. It was an unbanded stick selected from a cabinet of 50 but I didn't think to ask the age. It measured 5" x 60 and the wrapper was almost paperlike in texture with a sweet Cuban tobacco scent. I didn't notice any sweetness at first but taking a draw immediately after tasting Mark's RASS I immediately noticed the delicate sweetness of smoke that was recommended to me. The overall flavour for me was mild and leathery until about half way through when I was surprised by a transition that was almost pine-like in its astringency. What I enjoyed most about this cigar was the total lack of pepper all the way to the end. Smooth and mild throughout, just how I like it.