Humidor English John

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.

The wrapper had a couple of raised veins but it smelled delicious and almost caramel, one good reason for keeping the cellophane on Mark because that could be lost if bared to the humidor. The stick felt quite firm for the entire length but when I punched it the cold draw was very free and light with no discernible resistance and tasted of coffee. It lit easily enough from just one long match and produced good smoke, the taste was mild and woody, in fact papery would be a more accurate word as it was very light. All went well for 45 minutes when the ash dropped and it went out. Relit it lasted for another 15 minutes before needing attention again. This was where it all went wrong and started to unravel from the head so I was left smoking an unwrapped stick. I couldn't follow the advice of leaving the band on as it is enormous. As you'll know if you've tried it they soon start to become a bit ragged in your mouth so I only gave it another 10 minutes as it wasn't remarkable by any means. The taste was starting to get a little bit harsh so I left it at 70 minutes, it could have gone to 2 hours if it hadn't disintegrated. I'm guessing it doesn't happen often with this brand else they wouldn't have got to a 10th anniversary in the first place. Despite the mild taste this one had a slight nicotine kick to it so I was grateful for my soft drink and chocolate.

They say you should never judge a book by its cover and this would appear to apply to cigars too. This all Nicaraguan cigar looks gorgeous, the wrapper is a rich cocoa colour with a smooth matte finish that feels great in the hand and the band is very tasteful. In fact the band was so well applied I struggled to find the end to release it. Gently feeling it, it felt quite hard to the touch and very well packed. The scent of the wrapper was pure cocoa as was the cold draw, this appeared very promising. Lighting her up the first draw was a little peppery but that soon went away and it settled into a dry and very mild woody taste with a fruity and aromatic exhaled smoke. I settled in for a nice session but to my surprise it went out after 17 minutes. I relit it and it went out again ten minutes later. In between relights it produced masses of smoke but I just couldn't put it down because it went out again at 52 minutes in. At about the quarter mark I got a little burst of chocolate flavour but it started to get peppery almost immediately after that. It lasted till the 90 minute mark and then died again and I felt that it wasn't good enough to persist with so I left it with over half of it unsmoked. The smoking time of this cigar is supposed to be 69 minutes but if it had stayed alight it would have gone well over two hours. Its quite ironic that on the inside of the band it says 'Drew Estate, the rebirth of cigars'. Rebirth? This thing needed reanimating not a rebirth. Not one I can recommend.

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.

Another first today, my first torpedo. I've taken to punching my cigars recently but snipped this one. That's when it occurred to me what with a torpedo its virtually the same thing. This fat little boy from Honduras comes in at 4.5" long with a ring size of 50. The wrapper is Honduras San Augustin, the binder Connecticut Broadleaf and the filler a mix of Honduran and Nicaraguan leafs. Handmade of course this is a box pressed little beauty with an oily rich brown wrapper that has a definite hint of mocha though the cold draw is earthy more than anything else. The fill felt good and springy though there was a little tightness where the neck starts to slim down, more on that later. If you like mild then this is for you. At first lighting there was no pepper at all, just lots of very mild creamy smooth smoke with an aromatic spicy aroma. This is a nice cigar to be around for sure. It burnt well and evenly with a light grey ash that didn't drop until it reached an inch. The overall taste was tannic and woody and although there was a slight hint of pepper at the half way mark it soon disappeared. It left me wondering if I'd imagined it. She needed a relight at the 2/3 mark which kept her alight until the neck started to slim down and then she went out decisively. Never mind, I had 75 minutes of pleasure and got a slight nicotine buzz. Would I buy another? Its already in my shopping basket.

I've seen these mentioned before so nothing new here for the old hands but definitely a recommendation for the rest of us newbies. Hand rolled as you would expect and beautifully constructed it comes in at 12cm long with a ring size of 51. The wrapper is cocoa coloured, smooth and matte and has a rich scent of chocolate, where is that coming from? It is not a flavoured cigar after all. Cuts nicely and the pre-lit taste is definitely leathery and has a dryness to it. That lasts for the whole cigar; its not dry in that it has dried, out rather it has a tannic dryness to it like a cup of tea. The flavour remains leathery and woody all the way to the end. This is a very easy cigar to smoke, it burns evenly and needed no relighting despite being put down several times, it never got hot and the smoke remained mild and smooth all the way to the end. I smoked mine for fifty five minutes but it would go over an hour if you're going down to the nub. I could feel the nicotine effect just starting to rise so erred on the side of safety. This is definitely going to be a repeat purchase.

This is my first ever Brazilian and I was very pleasantly surprised at what a nice smoke it was. It had an attractive chocolate brown wrapper with a few raised veins. I bought a nice ashtray from Ebay last month and it came with a complimentary punch cutter so I decided to try that as well as its quite a small stick. It cut very neatly and the pre-lit draw was perfect. The wrapper had no real definable aroma to it but the draw was definitely leathery. This cigar lit very nicely and burned beautifully all the way to the end, the first ash drop was over an inch in. Looking at the tip as it burned you can see how well this has been rolled and the ash stayed firm all the way to the end. The initial lit draw was slightly peppery but it soon settled down and the overall flavour was mild and woody and that didn't change until the end when it started to get a hint of tar. The exhaled smoke had a definite fruity scent and it burned perfectly with no relighting required even when I put it down a couple of times. It never got too warm and had a very clean after taste in the mouth. This cigar is probably a bit boring for the aficionados but a great smoke for us newbies and it lasted forty minutes.

The first two of these I smoked had a distinctly sweet wrapper that made them very attractive to a newbie like me but this one was completely different. It was very nicely wrapped with no imperfections but it seemed firmer packed than usual with very little bounce when squeezed. Pre-lit it drew air freely with a hint of earth in the taste. I spoiled myself and lit it with a cigar match and it lit up very easily and started to burn very evenly, the exhaled smoke had that hint of sweetness I remembered but the overall taste of the cigar was woody but mild. This was the first time I have actually tasted a woody cigar. The little buggar started to burn unevenly at about the half way mark and went out. When I relit it, it continued to burn unevenly and after the next ash drop I noticed a hollow through the centre. It started to get warm for the last third and the taste changed to peppery so I bailed out at about the twenty minute mark. I've got another two of these as well as a corona and a toro so it will be interesting to see how they turn out.

Surprisingly smooth for the first two thirds then got quite peppery. Very clean and even burn and beautiful construction. Lasted about 30 minutes

This is the second petit corona I have tried from the Flavours range and like the Moontrance this has a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers with a Colorado Maduro Cameroon wrapper. This cigar is flavoured with Baileys and white chocolate. The wrapper is quite toothy with a matte finish and smelled faintly of vanilla and chocolate. It was firmly packed with a soft foot and the size was 4" x40. Being a petit corona with quite a flat cap I kept my cut short. The cold draw was very light but had no distinctive flavours except a slight sweetness from the wrapper. Once lit it gave off plenty of smoke with a very smooth mild flavour and a roasted nut finish. The burn evened out nicely and stayed true till the end with a medium grey ash that flowered a little but nothing that affected the experience. That slightly bitter roast nut flavour appeared every now and again but mainly the flavour had hints of sweet vanilla but sadly no Baileys. There was no pepper at all from this stick and as you can see it lasted very well. Definitely preferred this to the Moontrance.

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 no stranger to most of you but what a little beauty it is. This has to be the perfect first cigar for a new smoker. Only 4" long with a ring gauge of 40 it has a Colorado Claro wrapper and mine had almost no scent at all. It was quite a loose fill and felt soft and springy but it burned perfectly all the way down to the nub giving off plenty of mild creamy nutty smoke. I really didn't want to put it down. Nothing complicated, no transitions, just 45 minutes of smoking pleasure. If you haven't tried it yet, buy some.

'Between 1958 and the early 1970s so many candela cigars were sold in the United States that the style became known as American Market Selection. During the 1970s, candelas fell out of favour and were largely replaced by cream-coloured cigars with Connecticut-shade style wrappers. They were largely absent from the so-called cigar renaissance of the 1990s. Candela cigars are known for having green instead of brown wrappers. While the colour may be mistaken for a young tobacco leaf, it is actually a product of the process used to cure the leaf that preserves the chlorophyll.' So there you go, how many of you thought they were dyed green. Rocky Patel's candela wrapper is made from leaf that is matured for five years and this cigar only comes in a toro measuring 6" with a ring gauge of 52 and is made from all Honduran tobaccos. The wrapper is more like a faded khaki than a green and has a nice sheen to it. The veins are clearly visible but not at all raised so the cigar has a nice smooth feel. When squeezed I could feel it was packed with a slight spring to it. The wrapper has a mild tobacco scent but nothing else was discernible. I punched this one and the draw was very free with dry taste like hay. It lit easily and the initial flavour was light and leathery. After 10 minutes it was almost like not smoking, it was so light and tasted of nothing much at all. As it went on the flavour developed into a blend of wood and leather that left my mouth dry and I found myself having a sip of drink after every draw. The burn was perfect and it produced plenty of smoke with the ash dropping at about an inch. After half an hour it began to get peppery and that came through on and off at regular intervals. This cigar would probably stretch to two hours easily but after an hour and a half I just got bored with it. Disappointing really because I liked The Lite and the Maduro.

You may recall I was less than impressed with the petit corona I had from this range but encouraged by my friend's enjoyment of the one I sent him I decided to give the toro a go as it was sitting in my humidor. One review I read said that the Indonesian wrapper is dyed but I don't know how I would tell. The dark brown wrapper is almost rustic in appearance and has the strongest smell of earth I have had from a cigar, that's why I kept it in the cellophane as I recall. This toro is 6 inches long with a ring gauge of 50 and is supposed to last 70 minutes, mine lasted an 105 minutes without a relight and would easily have lasted 2 hours if I wanted to smoke it to the nub. This was a well packed and firm cigar and cold draw was not as loose as some I've had and tasted mildly of that earth flavour I described. The binder is also Indonesian and the filler Dominican. This is not a complicated smoke, it is smooth, mild and creamy all the way to the end with a couple of peppery moments dispersed by blowing back through the cigar. As I mentioned it burned slowly and steadily with an even edge and required no relights at all. About an inch from the foot the wrapper started to lift a little but I ignored it and the burn just went straight through it with no problem. If value for money = cost + enjoyment + duration then this cigar really hits the nail for an every day smoke.