RDB

Yes, and no sweat

My first Media Luna, BSM ENE 20. Really good! Classic Trini flavours, and I prefer this vitola to the Vigia. Pricey for a shortish smoke but very tasty, and perfect construction.

Excellent review, thank you.

Fabulous RyJ Ex#4 last night from 2017, and a good SLR Regios from 2015 today. The sweeter side of Cuba. Is it irrational that I so much prefer the Hermoso #4 size to a Robusto?

Brand new, ROTT box of Siglo IV from EMP ENE 20. These have fairly dark, mottled and even slightly rosado wrappers. Incredible smell at cold: sweet citrus spice, deep bass note, powerful aroma. Spark it up: wham, right to business. This smokes more like a linea classica cigar, actually a lot like some full-on Esplendidos I have from TPO ABR 18. Medium-full bodied, sweet (mandarin) fruit and richness, plus coffee and a touch of fungal earth. Decent burn given that it’s so very young. Really impressive but will need a loooong sleep before showing any elegance.

I’m in the 2/3rds or roughly to the band camp, unless its really excellent and I’m tipsy. In which case to the death.

Do you want to take the risk on a $1000 lighter? I believe airport authorities are within their rights to take it away on the basis it contains flamable gas. You could always empty it and argue the point. But risky and stressful.

VR Unicos BRE JUN 18. Great fruity flavour but reluctant burn. I think there’s just a lot of oil in these and time will sort it out. Close up shows strange little balls of ash: you can see them sizzling up when relighting.

It's totally fake. But it is funny, in a guilty pleasure sort of way.

Excellent QdO Coronas Claro from MSU OCT 18. These are a top, refined, medium body smoke. In the vitola better than all except a really good Sig III. Blurry pic but your get the idea.

Excellent choice.

The past week’s garden smokes. All reg prod and showing well, except the slightly anaemic PSD4 (from 2014). The HUHC is GOS JUN 17 and still very full on: tons of rich sweet flavour and body. Both the ERDM CX 15 and the Punch Punch 16 their usual well behaved, elegant selves.

Here’s a BSM NOV 19 Famoso, pretty much ROTT. Pale wrapper for VR, and I was a bit concerned tbh. But the aroma was rich and fruity... and the smoke is lovely. Not the dark exotic end of VR, but a welcome addition nonetheless. Great construction too.

Profile profile... RyJ Petit Royale is a dialled up Romeo, while Monte MC is a dialled down Monte. So that choice depends on your preference. Party Short surely a contender here too, and some like HUHC.

From the last few days: an excellent N3. These are really, really good and I love the Laguito no.2 format. Maybe my favourite of all, and such a shame there are only two left in the catalogue. Then a fireproof PSP Petit Edmundo. Good flavours but wrapper / binder doesn’t want to burn. Better leave these a long time and hope that helps.