Trinidad Habana Reserve Short Churchill (4.5x54)

I should point out that I am seldom a fan of any Altadis offerings, but I have always liked Trinis so I looked forward to smoking this when I saw it at the local B&M recently.

The cigar is thick, but diminutive, and it is finished with a whimsical pigtail cap that gives this small cigar some charm. The wrapper is medium brown and leathery and has little veining. An inspection tells me that it is well constructed and I do not anticipate any issues. The pre light aroma has nice blasts of spice and dark fruit. The pre light draw shows a blast of cinnamon.

The cigar opens with a profile that is more complex than I expected. There are notes of cinnamon and rich wood in the opening moments that are deep and meaningful for so early in a smoke. At the back of the palate there are some great notes of earth and spice that underlay the main profile beautifully. The depth here is something and I find myself really settling in for this smoke. The draw is excellent, and provides just what I like from a cigar, just enough smoke. The burn is also sturdy and produces a dark gray ash that is a touch flaky.

The first half of the cigar proceeds much as it did in the opening moments. The core profile continues to develop more cinnamon and nutmeg qualities, while the wood tones continue to provide an excellent backdrop for the flavors. At the back of the palate there are still some excellent blasts of earth and spice. The draw is still excellent, and the burn continues to perform well.

The final half of the cigar shows some interesting turns. The core profile transitions into a presentation of pepper, wood and shows some maple flavors as well. At the back of the palate the early earthy tones transition into a more spicy presentation that plays with the maple on the front of the palate in an interesting way. There are some complex things happening here that would not be caught without proper attention. The draw and burn continue to perform extremely well.

The finish is a bit thin, but shows nice presentations of spice and pepper. This cigar is way above average experience and could be better with some more developed flavor presentations.

Appearance- 92 a very interesting and appealing smoke to look at
Taste- 93 great flavors with depth and character
Construction- 96 an excellent presentation
Strength- 88 a very nice medium, but more power would have complemented the palate in a more substantial way
Overall- 93 an excellent smoke, and for about $5 per cigar I would say a must buy

Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve Toro

This is one of the many offerings of Romeo that is available in the marketplace. I have been told by many that this is the best of the offerings from Romeo, but I had never smoked one before. The cigar presents with a reddish hued wrapper that has prominent veins. The cigar is soft and seems to be rolled loosely. The pre light aroma is of dark wood and tobacco. The pre light draw is cedary with floral and herbal notes.

The cigar begins with a medium bodied presentation of cedar and notes of light floral tones, the smoke seems a bit dry to me and it causes a bitter note. The draw is very loose and the burn is lopsided and canoe-like barely an inch into the cigar. The canoe continues to develop and eventually is approx. two inches in length. I touch up the cigar and continue, but I am not happy.

At the half way point another canoe is forming. The draw is still very loose and airy. The profile is showing notes of wood and herbs, but there is a thin papery quality at the back of the palate. I am forced to touch up again when the canoe reaches another two inches.

The final third of the cigar continues to burn poorly and the draw has continued it's inferior ways. The profile maintains flavors of cedar with an herbal essence, but the lack of complexity and depth is disturbing.

The finish is short and bitter with notes of paper, cedar and charred wood.

Appearance- 85 not a bad looking smoke
Taste- 78 lacking in depth and complexity, some thin papery notes hurt the score further
Construction- 72 a horribly made cigar that presented issue after issue
Strength- 80 an unremarkable strength
Overall- 77.25 a supremely inferior smoking experience