I've gotten bundles and mixed samplers of cigars from John on several occasions, and for the price, they really are great. I've had the pleasure of smoking some examples with several years of age on them, and these were consistently the best examples I've smoked. Like with any "custom" or "farm rolled" sticks, it all comes down to the tobacco the roller has access to, which in my experience with J-O, ranges from extremely high quality, to just good enough. I've never had a total bust from him, but I've had some examples that were either too tight, or too light. It happens, but for the price you can't really be too upset. Sizes I've had the best luck with are the Baby Salomones, Lanceros (pig tail/shag foot, 8x38 monsters!), the culebras (believe it or not! Crazy cigars, and fun to share), any lonsdale sized sticks (especially those with the shag feet), and the shorts. As for the origin of the tobacco, I really do believe that they are indeed Cuban. Again, as with any customs, quality of tobacco makes a huge impact, no matter how flawless the roll is. As for saying that it is Nicaraguan, or otherwise, I would swear that some of the wrappers I've had on EL's (the Upmann Mag 48 comes to mind) could easily pass for Nicaraguan. I've never had a cigar from J-O that didn't have at least one element that was truly "Cubanesque". I know calling cigars Cubanesque is pretty loaded, especially the way it has been beaten like a dead horse by the marketing departments of every NC brand on earth, but if nothing else, the overuse makes it all the more obvious when something really IS Cubanesque. John is also a joy to deal with. Not always the fastest communication via email, but he has never ignored me. The cigars can also be so fresh when they arrive that it makes for an awesome exercise in seeing the cigars fresh from the table evolve. Worth a bundle to sit on for a few years to see them open up.