Humidor English John

If there was ever such a thing as a breakfast cigar then this little beauty fits the bill perfectly. I don't know why CAO feel they need to dress it up in a cedar wrap and a ribbon as well as a band as once stripped off this is a good looking little cigar. It measures 4" x40 and the wrapper is a toothy Colorado Maduro that smells of vanilla and chocolate. It was quite firm with just a little spring and a touch of looseness at the foot and when cut the draw was quite tight. A gentle massage loosened it up nicely like it does for the ladies and the cold draw had a faint vanilla taste. The wrapper also has a slight sweetness to it but nowhere like an Acid. Once lit it launched straight in with a big burst of roasted nuts that settled down to a smoother milder version of the same taste with just a hint of vanilla from the wrapper that lasted all the way through. The burn was perfect and the ash dropped every inch and no relights were required. It was stored at 70%. There was no pepper at all in this cigar and I smoked it as far as I could before it got too warm, about half an hour. This petit corona is very much a proper little cigar and not a gimmick and I will definitely be buying more

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.

The fill on this corona was very loose and springy and the wrapper really had no discernible scent, not even the cedar lining of the tubo. Once cut the draw was light and easy but once again I couldn't make out any real flavour. It lit very easily and burned nicely all the way to the end with no need for a relight despite the humidity in my garage being at 91%. The burn line remained clean and sharp and the mid-grey ash dropped at about an inch. The initial taste was light and leathery and the exhaled smoke had a definite dried fruit scent to it. Into the second third and the taste became creamy with a hint of pepper at the back of the palate. The final third became more peppery and started to become bitter and with just over an inch to go it started to get warmer than I like so I left it there at 42 minutes. My initial thought was that this would be a nice reasonably priced stick to pick up if I was out and about but afterwards I noticed a cigarette like aftertaste that has put me right off.

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.

If you're looking for dramatic flavour changes and strong ones at that then Cuban is not for you but if you want an hour and half of smooth creamy mellow smoke then this could be right up your street. The Regios comes in at 5" with a ring gauge of 48, it will just fit the average cutter. The wrapper is a light caramel colour and has a light caramel scent to match. Mine was well packed and firm, the cap looked particularly neat and tidy and there was a small split in the wrapper half way down where it had taken a knock but I wasn't worried, it burned right through it with no problems. The cap punched very cleanly with no effort but I forgot so taste it cold, sorry guys. Once lit the draw was very free and easy and it produced plenty of smooth and creamy smoke. Apart from a little burst of fruitiness at the 25 minute mark and a little pepper towards the end it stayed smooth and creamy for the duration. Unlike the NCs I have smoked the ash was in no hurry to drop off and was white in colour. It burned a little to the side at the 45 minute mark and needed a relight at 53 minutes so I combined that with a correction and it was fine all the way to the end burning right through the split as I mentioned. Worth mentioning that this cigar has a very nice clean aftertaste, you won't be reaching for the mints with this one. I shall definitely being buying some more of these.

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.

This petit corona from the Honduras is definitely marketed for the American market but who can resist a cigar called a 'punk'? I couldn't and I was definitely not disappointed. If you like something mild and smooth then this is an hour of pleasure for you, I smoked it further than any other stick and only stopped because the smoke got in my eyes because it was so close. This hand made cigar comes in at 4" with a ring gauge of 42. It has a large label covering most of the cigar with a regular label underneath. The wrapper is dark brown and the cigar is firmly packed. The wrapper has a rich tobacco scent and the cold draw is earthy. It took two matches to get it started evenly but once going it burned very evenly and the first ash drop was about half way through. Even then I feel it would have kept going but I was indoors and getting dirty looks. The exhaled smoke is mild and spicy with a hint of smoke and the inhaled taste is definitely mild and leathery. There was no trace of pepper at all and it remained smooth and cool to the very end. When I tapped it off at half way it needed relighting once but it wasn't a problem.

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.

It's a good looking torpedo measuring 5.5" x53 with a slightly toothy Colorado Claro wrapper with a slight spring to it and a sweet Cuban tobacco smell. The construction looked perfect with a slightly splayed foot and once cut the cold draw was smooth and the wrapper had a little saltiness to it, not much in the way of flavour unlit. The cut end revealed a very tightly packed filler. It lit easily and was soon producing lots of smooth creamy smoke with a leathery flavour and the saltiness from the wrapper also persisted for a while. The ash dropped in my lap at around the inch mark and the burn needed correcting about half way down. This stick needed three relights and was getting quite soft but not hot towards the end. After the half way mark sone distinct toasted nut flavours developed along with a little pepperiness that increased into the final third. Overall a very nice cigar that lasted me a good ninety minutes but with so many more cigars to taste I wouldn't go so far as to get a box yet.

I'm starting to develop a taste for maduros so I decided to see what the Cubans have to offer. At just under 4.4" with a ring gauge of 40 this is the smallest Maduro 5 and like any other Cohiba the construction is perfect. The wrapper is quite toothy and had a rich malty scent, the stick was very firmly packed, it was almost solid. Once cut the cold draw had a little resistance and an earthy taste. Once lit the initial taste was quite peppery but it soon settled down to almost tannic dry woody taste with none of the sweetness I have come to expect from a maduro. The burn was dead straight but it did require two relights, the ash dropped at about an inch which for me came at 20 minutes in. Around the 15 minute mark I had a little hint of liquorice which popped in and out occasionally and the pepper levels rose and fell as well but overall the flavour stayed the same. This cigar lasted me an hour and it left a lovely clean taste in my mouth but it didn't excite me. Sorry guys but when it comes to maduros the NCs have this one beat.

This petit corona measures just over 5" with a ring gauge of 42 and took me an hour and a quarter to smoke with a few relights. We are all familiar with the Cohiba band and I had no worries about this being a fake as it came in the preservador that my wife bought me from our sponsors. The wrapper was quite bumpy with an oily appearance and the fill was soft. It had a rich sweet scent and once cut the cold draw had a hint of toast with a little pepper or chilli on my tongue. The cold draw was the tightest I've experienced so far. Once lit the flavour was initially woody with a hint of creaminess and the burn line was sharp and defined. After about 20 minutes I could taste a flavour like a mild smoked tea and very nice it was too. I have noticed that Cubans appear to hold onto their ash longer than the NCs and I was just about to take a photo when it dropped in my lap at about an inch, good job I wasn't indoors. After 30 minutes it needed a relight and once again I got the flavour of toast for a short while. Half way in it developed a little pepperiness then the smoked tea flavour returned for the last third till it got a bit harsh around the final inch. Like my previous review I would definitely accept one of these if offered but they won't be high on my 'to buy' list.

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 wrapper is a nice rich brown colour and smooth, the fill is slightly spongy so should burn well. The wrapper has a faint coffee-like smell and the cold draw is very free and has a tannic slightly coffee taste to it. It lit easily and appeared to burn well at first with a nice even edge. The taste was as expected, tannic and woody with a fruity exhaled smoke. Like many non Cubans seem to do the loose medium grey ash dropped at 1cm when I put it down. It produced an adequate but not voluminous amount of smoke but required a relight at the 25 minute mark. At about half way I noticed it started to burn down one side but I didn't bother correcting it as it didn't appear to be that bad. It got a little harsh around mid way so I tried a trick I read on an American website and blow back through the cigar. To my surprise it worked and the harshness disappeared, definitely one to remember. At the 2/3 point it tried to go out again so I tapped it off and sucked it back into life (we all know how that feels!) but the side burn got worse and then corrected itself at the very end. This cigar was very one dimensional and the flavour stayed the same throughout. I'd smoke one if offered but I won't buy another.