slowsmoke

This came from a 24:24 cardboard pack a while back, and they arrived super wet, it took months for them to acclimatize. There is quite a range of wrapper colors in the box, today I picked one of the lighter ones. Paired with a Pliny the Elder beer, which never fails to impress. The wrapper smells of honey graham cracker. The cold draw is honey and grass. If I didn’t know better I’d swear it was a Cohiba. The draw is perfect. First puffs are unsalted peanut, and maybe some sunflower seed, very unique. Then the vegetal flavors come in, no Cohiba here, all Trinidad. As the first third continues, the vegetal flavors get stronger, almost becoming fresh green grass. Then I get some black tea. I’m getting all sorts of different flavors with every puff, and I can barely figure them out before something else comes along. Second third, a twangy sweetness lilts in and out, but never really becomes pronounced. The vegetal has become dry hay/straw, and it is getting stronger. The beer still brings out a little green vegetal on the finish. Final third, bitterness is stepping up, I might call it youth, but it’s not at all unpleasant, and not out of line with what I expect from Trinidad. There is a mild char, and some dark nutty flavors. Also some wood that for the life of me I can’t pinpoint. Overall, it was very enjoyable, have to give brownie points for a good draw and burn the whole way. On my backyard scale of Crap-Decent-Good-Very Good-Excellent, I’ll give it a Good. It was close to Very Good, with so many flavors, but they were all kind of jumbled up and not a very smooth or classy delivery. Perhaps a little more time down will help. @MigsG I think you got a few of these, have you tried them yet?

Great review, love all the pics.

Good to hear! I may need to revisit those, it's been a while...

It was 80DF and 75RH by 10am this morning, conditions that for whatever reason seem to wreak havoc on my CC, but I decided to try my luck with a little one. This box of Petit Royales has been excellent, and it did not disappoint today. Draw was a bit snug, which is probably my only real complaint about this box, they are all over the place with draw resistance. Fortunately they all burn well. Started with typical RyJ woody notes, and I get the slightest fruit, going between sour and slightly sweet, like a sour cherry. And some great cuban tobacco. Into the first half, I get a fresh/raw almond, not smoked or salted or any of that, just pure almond nut. One side is burning slower than the other, and it has required multiple touch ups. Under normal conditions, I think it would probably correct itself, but the humidity is getting to it. If I don’t puff every 30 seconds, it starts to die. By the end of the first half, the flavors haven’t changed a bit, but the lingering finish on the back of the palate has become a wonderful hearty mix of savory, sweet, and bitter. I spend quite a while trying to figure it out, and the best I can come up with is a Persian dish called fesenjoon, which is like a chicken stew with pomegranate and walnut. You get a tart sweetness from the pomegranate, a slightly bitter nutty flavor from the walnut, and a mild savoriness from the chicken (not a full beef savory), and it all comes together in a great stewy mix when it’s done right. Near the band it starts to turn bitter, and I’m starting to sweat, so I call it. On the scale of Crap<Decent<Good<Very Good<Excellent, I’ll give it a Very Good. Many from this box have been Excellent. These have become my favorite half corona.

I have always thought (at least subconsciously) that that smaller cigars reach their "aging sweet spot" sooner than larger ones.

HDM petit robusto MLU NOV 17. First one of these. Color me impressed!

Speaking as someone whose first order from FOH was in fact the "New to cubans" sampler.... RASS Epi 2 Connie 1 La Punta Monte 2 BBF Trinidad Coloniales Cohiba Coronas Especiales

The petit coronations I've had were better. They had a little of that sweet spice I get in a good Punch Punch. But they also had a few years on them. I suspect this could/would be the same with more time. If I could find a box of either with some age, I'd probably go for it.

This is a single purchased from the Singapore duty free a few weeks ago, so box code is unknown. Picked it up because I've never tried one before, and it wasn't outrageously priced. The wrapper, and the cold draw, are tubo cedar, nothing else. Draw is perfect. The first flavors I get are milk coffee. I rarely get that flavor, and this was a remarkably clear and distinct instance of it. A medium roast coffee with cream. The finish is a little bitter like espresso, and there is just a hint of twang trying to poke through. Overall it is very nice and I am very impressed at this early stage. Into the second third I get some creamy cedar, but still just lots of milk coffee, gradually more bitter. I get a few random puffs with some chai tea spices, and I get excited thinking some Punch DNA is going to shine, but it never really develops, and then disappears. Halfway, I am interrupted by my kids with an urgent need to refill the hummingbird feeder. The cigar goes out. On the relight, things are of course a little dank, and the coffee is darker and more bitter, but still a little cream to it. And some good cuban tobacco, not unlike some of the better Quintero Favoritos I've had. And it pretty much ends that way. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this cigar. Nothing complex or outstanding, but thoroughly enjoyable, nice flavors with perfect burn and draw. A great morning smoke. On the scale of Crap<Decent<Good<Very Good<Excellent, I'm giving it a Very Good. Definitely interested in trying a few more to see how consistent they are. I have also quite liked the few Petit Coronations I've had.

So strange that you mention that. I have an ESL ENE 18 box, and the first couple were spectacular. Then the third was not great, and I swore it tasted like rotten lemons. Thank you for validating me 😂. Hoping it was just an outlier, haven't ventured back into that box for a while...

😔 My condolences.

I love them too. I don't get typical Cohiba flavors, but the flavors are pretty unique among cubans, to my palate anyway. I have a box of Secretos that has been excellent, mineral flavors, dark rye, lots of cream. And the couple Genios I've had have been similar but with the addition of some chocolate. The price/value is definitely a hurdle. Much as I love them, I have not gone deep on any.

A few pics from our trip to Bali and Singapore last week. My first time in either place, both amazing.

Funny, when I first opened my bag, I was struck by how they all smelled exactly the same lol. I am resting them separate in ziplock baggies to see if that changes anything.

After many mediocre Siglo and Coro (admittedly, all young), the Coronas Especiales has shown me what Cohiba can be. They have been repeatedly spectacular for me with less than two years age. So when I browse the Cohiba catalog, the Lancero appears to be an obvious next step. It seems universally loved. But what about the Exquisitos? Most of my smoking opportunities are on the shorter end, so I gravitate to smaller sticks. Are they any good? Can they produce the honey bliss? And while we’re on the topic, how about the panetelas? Guide me, FOH 😊