JohnS' Smoking Diary 2019

[JohnS]

Cohiba Espléndidos

Again, this cigar has been generously gifted to me by an anonymous benefactor and as it's an Esplendidos I'm again humbled to receive it.

I'm not familiar with the age of the cigar but judging by the older band, the aroma, feel and wrapper quality and shade of the cigar, if I were to compare it to my Esplendidos I'd guess that this was somewhere in the vicinity of 8 to 10 years of age.

It was a tad stronger in strength than I'm used to for an aged Esplendidos, more towards medium-mild. It dominated in mocha coffee core flavours with honey and a smidgen of Cohiba grass/hay. Those stronger flavours masked any citrus, vanilla or butter texture which I found more in abundance in other Esplendidos I've smoked over the years.

I nubbed it to the end because the honey sweetness kept me keenly interested and I remain grateful. After all, it was an Esplendidos.

[JohnS]

Sautter Conti (thanks @Luca)

If you're familiar with Sautter Customs, then you'd know that they come in huge sizes, and this is no exception. The YouTube video of this Sautter Conti custom Habanos cigar lists it as 60 ring gauge x 203 mm. The length is correct but the ring gauge is actually bigger...64 ring gauge or exactly 1 inch in diameter.

This cigar is name after Laurence Davis' friend Chris Contogouris, a Los Angeles-based Producer who liked the Super Mario custom but bemoaned that it was over just as you began to get into stride with it. The Super Mario is also 64 ring gauge but half the length at 101 mm.

How do you cut this thing? Luckily I have a Xikar XO cutter, not only does it do precise cuts, it handles these bigger cigars with aplomb! Xikar states that their latest cutter handles 64 ring gauge and may even go up to 70 ring gauge!

The Super Mario Custom was like a Partagas Serie D No.4, full of pepper and spice and took around 75 to 80 minutes to smoke. I figured therefore that this Conti Custom should have taken somewhere around 2 1⁄2 to 2 3⁄4 hours. Alas, this was nowhere near the case. Surprisingly, this was so mild and so easy on flavours that I finished it after 90 minutes! To me it was like a Partagas Lusitanias, only slightly tweaked and amplified, so that the sourdough really dominated with some coffee and leather flavours mixed in. But make no mistake, flavour-wise, this was one-dimensional and Luca, who I must acknowledge in gifting me this cigar, smoked this at the same time as me and stated how he was in danger of becoming bored with it towards the end, as I must confess I did too.

At least Luca had fun with a very, very long ash which lasted just short of 4 inches. Even my ash-lengths were around 2 inches each and construction and leaf quality was outstanding.

[JohnS]

Cohiba Magicos (circa 2007 - thanks @Trevor2118)

This Cohiba Magicos, from 2007, hands down was the best Cohiba Maduro 5 cigar I've ever had thus far! The Magicos, critically-speaking, doesn't ever seem to quite match it amongst enthusiasts with its larger brother the Genios, and smaller brother, the Secretos, but this Petit Robusto, in my mind, more than matched any Genios or Secretos I've smoked in the past.

Gifted by @Trevor2118 (thank you kindly!), this had combined cream coffee, fine Swiss chocolate and honey flavours, succulent and classy, from beginning to end.

What this cigar proved to me today was that one should never write-off a marca or vitola. You never know when it will genuinely surprise you!

[JohnS]

Punch Punch RAE Dic 2014

This Punch Punch continued my streak of Punch cigars in the last week that were both outstanding and full off 'Cuban Twang'. At nearly 4½ years of age, it didn't seem that long ago that I had the last one from this box, and I distinctly remember that it was more woody. This had that sour citrus tart or 'Cuban Twang' flavour in spades and a little leather and cream. A little one-dimensional but I don't mind them when they are like this. There was no cloves, wood or spice to speak of though.

It just goes to show how much cigars from the same cab or box can differ in construction, flavour and aging!

[JohnS]

Cohiba Siglo III SOM Nov 2016

The Siglo III is and remains my favourite of the linea 1492 series. The reason is simple, the vitola is 42 ring gauge by 155 mm (or 6.1 inches) in length and that is the ideal cigar size for me. Its just a shame that only the Montecristo Tubos and Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo des Dieux have similar dimensions!

I can't help but feel that this Siglo III had the strongest combination of citrus and grass/hay I've ever encountered, something akin to lemongrass. This flavour, with some honey sweetness was there from beginning to end. There was no gentle flavours such as vanilla, nor any real cream texture to the smoke, rather this was medium-mild lemongrass and honey all the way.

I was fine with the cigar overall, especially as it's only 2½ years old. When they are like this, you know to rest them a little longer as those sweeter flavours will build with time.

[JohnS]

Romeo y Julieta Churchills OBM Dic 2016

Similarly to the last cigar I had, the Cohiba Siglo III, I had big expectations for this cigar but was surprised that it dominated in some flavours and not others. You see, the Romeo y Julieta Churchill has not let me down for some time, I think at least the last seven or eight over 12 to 18 months have been great to sensational, but they've all been cherry-laden. This just wasn't 'fruity' really, but I still enjoyed the other flavour that defined it, anise (or alternatively a close similar comparison would be licorice).

And like the Siglo III, the anise was the core flavour from beginning to the end, with some elements of sweet turkish delight, rosewater and toasted tobacco. It still had that Romeo y Julieta 'DNA flavour' to keep me interested and I still nubbed it.

Oh, but if only I had some cherries (or even some berry flavours)!

[JohnS]

Diplomáticos Bushido 2014 - Edición Regional Asia Pacifico TOS Oct 2015 (thanks @cfc1016)

The tapered head on this special Asia Pacifico Regional Edition tells you that this is a quality cigar. They were a big hit when they first came out in 2015, they were practically sold out by the beginning of 2016, so how are they in 2019?

I'd like to acknowledge the generosity of @cfc1016 in gifting me this cigar and sampling it at a little over 3 years in age. This was very mild and easy to smoke and retrohale. The flavours were reminiscent of light coffee and cream, aged cedar, sourdough, capsicum and hints of paprika, and more so in the last third. Thus, in summary, they were flavoursome, mild and aged when first released and after three years they are a little milder and refined. If you have these and haven't smoked them in awhile, make sure to re-visit these soon!

[JohnS]

Trinidad La Trova 2017 - La Casa del Habano Exclusivo ARS Mar 2018

Are you familiar with William Shakespeare's Sonnet 18?

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Can I argue that the qualities which make the Trinidad La Trova a great cigar are like this sonnet? The qualities of the young person described in the sonnet are eternal, but the person themselves, as we know, will pass. In the same way, the La Trova has been universally acclaimed as an exemplary cigar (yet it's difficult to source). But what makes it so exemplary?

In World War I, Anzac troops (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) went to Europe to fight in the Great War supporting Britain and the Allies. Many were sent (later labelled) Anzac Biscuits by their family to sustain them in battle. This Anzac Biscuit lives on in Australian and New Zealand culture today as these rolled oat, butter, flour, sugar, golden syrup and baking soda biscuits have a long shelf-life and are popular. I mention these Anzac biscuits because they are full of flavour and I feel the La Trova is exactly the same way. (Incidentally, Anzac Day is a Public Holiday in Australia and New Zealand set aside annually on April 25th to commemorate Service Men and Women who have fought in conflicts since the Gallipoli campaign in World War I.) To me, the La Trova is like a rich butter cookie slightly burnt. The mouth feel of this cigar certainly resolves on the palate for some time after one smokes it.

Like all Trinidad vitolas, it comes with a pig tail which I had no issue untwisting with my thumb nail. The resultant draw produced from preparing the cigar in this way was quite adequate.

In regards to strength, some have said it's below medium, others argue it's over. I believe that the fact that the La Trova is full of flavour belies its strength and hence the disparity, or lack of communal consensus, in this area. How did it taste? It was rich in butter, salty, full of spice (and I emphasis spice..it was very spicy all the way), contained elements of coffee, earth and leather and it made me smoke more slowly on account of the velvety and voluminous smoke per draw. I also nubbed it until the very last ¼ inch.

The Trinidad La Trova, in my opinion, is not similar to a regular production 'go-to' cigar. Rather, it is like a rich delicacy and is best enjoyed on occasion and preferably after a larger meal. It is not the type of cigar one smokes to precede another. Instead, I would end a night with this one. You'll understand precisely what I mean when you smoke one.

[JohnS]

La Gloria Cubana Revolution 2015 - Edición Regional Asia Pacifico SGA Nov 2015

The La Gloria Cubana Revolution is an Asia Pacifico Regional Edition release that followed the Diplomaticos Bushidos. Although listed as a 2015 release, like the Bushidos, it didn't hit the market until the following year, in the case of the Revolution, around mid-2016. Following the actualised hype of the Bushidos, this was a tough act to follow. Not unsurprisingly, the Revolution is not as acclaimed as the Bushidos, but reviews haven't been that bad either, flavour-wise.

I split a box of these in 2016 with cigar enthusiasts and since it was a La Gloria Cubana vitola, I felt I really needed to give these time prior to sampling one. How did it turn out?

Similarly to other reviews on our forum, this was white-ashed, suffered construction issues and was not short on flavour. The cigar started out perfectly mild, smooth and floral but very soon after regressed into a much stronger cigar, with flavours of cream coffee, wood and lots of pepper, which suggests to me that the ligero leaves in this need more time. There was a knot of bunched leaves up one half of the cigar which induced an uneven burn and revealed some tunneling, so maintaining a consistent ash around the midway point proved difficult.

The final third saw the wrapper unbind and it was at this point that I thought it best to let it go and look forward with anticipation to the next one. And when will that be? In my mind, at the very minimum, 18 months.

[Wertman]

@JohnS  thank you thank you. This is exactly what I was asking about is it possible to pin the thread.  Thanks again.

[JohnS]

My pleasure @Wertman! Note the topic will be pinned in the Cigar Reviews sub-forum, not the main 'waterhole' discussion sub-forum.

[Luca]

On 5/4/2019 at 9:45 AM, JohnS said:

Cohiba Robustos Supremos 2014 - Edición Limitada ARG Dic 2014

This was the cigar I chose to celebrate the 2019 New Year with and certainly it did not disappoint. I'm also grateful to have gifted one to @Luca, as both our cigars long-ashed, with Luca's getting to around 4 inches (100 mm) of its 5 inch length before breaking off. So yes, this smoked like a dream!

A few years ago I wrote a review on this cigar when it was about 6 months old, stating how important it was to give this time. To me it seemed like it was an 'amplified' version of a Cohiba Magicos. After 4 years of rest in my humidor, this has settled, with Cohiba grass and honey, citrus intertwined with a creamy light chocolate and core coffee spine, which to me was to prominent flavour throughout. This was easily a 95 point cigar!

There's the pic of that glorious ash!

[JohnS]

Montecristo Dumas UEB Mar 2018

In case you missed it, the new Linea 1935 addition to the Montecristo brand is aimed at emulating the addition of the Linea Behike to Cohiba in 2010. In other words, three cigars that are premium-priced and classy.

The official Habanos S.A. press release last year for this line was as follows...

'Habanos, S.A. launches the Línea 1935 under the Montecristo brand. Three new vitolas are incorporated into the brand’s regular portfolio; these will become the most premium Habanos offered by this legendary Brand.

Two of the three vitolas are unprecedented in the Habanos portfolio: Maltés (53 x 153 mm) and Dumas (49 x 130 mm), while Leyenda (55 x 165 mm) takes the form of the special limited edition Montecristo 80 Aniversario, launched in 2015 to commemorate the brand’s 80th Anniversary.

Montecristo is the best known and, perhaps, the most appreciated Habanos brand and is considered by many to be the benchmark for Habanos flavour. Its name had its origins in the novel The Count of Montecristo, by Alexandre Dumas, enormously popular with cigar rollers at the H. Upmann factory in Havana, where the brand was founded in 1935.

The Habanos in this new line have been made ¨Totalmente a mano con Tripa Larga – Totally by Hand with Long Filler¨, after selecting exquisite wrapper, filler and binder leaves from the finest fields – vegas – in Vuelta Abajo (Pinar del Río), the land with the best tobacco in the world. Línea 1935 is presented with a full strength flavour blend for the very first time by the Montecristo brand, thereby complementing the medium to full strength flavour of the of the Línea Clásica and Línea Edmundo and the medium strength flavour of the Línea Open blend. The natural Carmelite wrapper used gives the Línea 1935 Habanos a beautiful appearance.

Montecristo’s Línea 1935 is presented in a box with a unique design for the Habanos portfolio, with an elegant Carmelite lacquer finish and the distinction of presenting all the beveled edges. A tape with the name of the line and the vitola as well as an innovative base band with the traditional fleur-de-lis that has distinguished the Montecristo brand since its founding have been added to the brand’s traditional band.'

So there you have it. You always wanted a cigar that blended the full flavour of a classic line Montecristo cigar with the medium-flavoured Open series. Some of you may say 'bland-flavoured' Open Series. I think in essence what Habanos S.A. is trying to say is that the Linea 1935 series consists of three cigars aimed at being 'full of flavour' rather than strength in terms of a nicotine.

The Dumas is named after the author of the classic novel, 'The Count of Monte Cristo', Alexandre Dumas. Incidentally, in case you are curious, the Maltes is named after one of the main character's aliases in the novel, the Maltese Sailor, after he is rescued by smugglers and Leyenda means 'legend' in Spanish. It's the smallest of the three cigars, around the same length as a Montecristo No.4, but 7/64th inches larger in diameter. It's a little stronger than the Leyenda, but that's to be expected for a smaller cigar. I found it consistently around medium.

What set this Dumas apart from standard Montecristo cigars was the fullness of flavours. Firstly, the chocolate. Now in most standard cigars any hint of chocolate flavours can tend to be like dark and bitter chocolate. Not in the Dumas. In the Dumas the opposite is true, you get beautiful sweet, milk fine chocolate coated in whiffs of cream and marshmallow. There's also almond nut and cedar, in fact, I found the flavours very similar to the Leyendas I've tried, only a little fuller.

This 'fullness of flavour' coated my palate consistently. It meant that I smoked the cigar a lot slower, around 90 to 95 minutes. Make no mistake, this Dumas was a superb cigar. It's only natural to want to compare these new Line 1935 cigars with each other on account of their premium branding (and pricing) but to be fair, if the next Dumas or two I try is as consistently flavourful as this one and at the same time smooth and refined, then I think the Dumas should stand on its own in regards to comparison between it, the Maltes and Leyenda.

[JohnS]

Sancho Panza Non Plus ABR Sep 2011

The Sancho Panza Non Plus is not a well-known cigar in the Habanos catalogue. It doesn't sell in volume anywhere near the Montecristo No.4 or the Cohiba Siglo II (or other petit coronas). I've gone through this box and only have eight left. I've handed a few out to other cigar enthusiasts to try, after all, it's not every day one gets to sample an eight-year-old Sancho Panza Non Plus. The perplexing thing about this box has been the fact that despite one in three cigars having construction issues, the flavours have been consistently outstanding and those issues of under-filling, over-filling and burn runs have not detracted from the enjoyment of any cigar thus far.

This cigar started out with a distinctive and highly-appealing floral note combined with a savoury dash of salt. I was about 5 to 10 minutes into the cigar when I notice a mouse-hole burn in the side towards the middle of the first third. I smoked through the cigar and what I suspected was indeed the case...one side of the cigar was packed incorrectly leaving a tunnel and hence the mouse-hole burn appearing. The subsequent coning further confirmed this. Mind you, it didn't detract from the flavours in any way thankfully. I resisted correcting the asymmetrical burn that resulted as the problem restored itself towards the back end of the middle third.

The floral notes and salt was joined by a hint of wood and in the last third some aged baking spice. I tried to nub it but couldn't after the last ½ inch. I guess it's a common story. Despite construction issues one perseveres with a cigar when it smokes like this, however, it's a shame as the Sancho Non Plus is not a well-known cigar and when they are aged, like other Sancho Panza vitolas, they offer a unique and at times superb smoking experience in regards to flavours.

[JohnS]

Trinidad Shorts

I had a quick 45-minute window prior to work this morning so I decided to give these puritos another try to compare. The Trinidad Shorts (or TriSho) was like typical contemporary Trinidad marca cigars, milk coffee, dough and spice, only a little more intense.

Cohiba Shorts

The Cohiba Shorts (or CoSho) was not as strong as the Trinidad Shorts and was typical of Cohiba marca cigars in its grass/hay and honey combination.

If I had to pick one, it would be the Cohiba Shorts but the Trinidad Shorts was very, very good. For me, there's not much between these fine recent puritos releases (If I had to quantify it, I'd say the Cohiba Shorts is up to 5 marks better on a 100 point scale).

[Kaptain Karl]

John, thank you so much for this! These posts inspired me to get a few boxes I may not have pulled the trigger on, and boy I'm sure glad I did now! 

[JohnS]

10 hours ago, Kaptain Karl said:

John, thank you so much for this! These posts inspired me to get a few boxes I may not have pulled the trigger on, and boy I'm sure glad I did now! 

Thank you kindly. I appreciate knowing that @Kaptain Karl.

[99call]

On 5/7/2019 at 11:36 PM, JohnS said:

I had a quick 45-minute window prior to work this morning so I decided to give these puritos another try to compare. The Trinidad Shorts (or TriSho) was like typical contemporary Trinidad marca cigars, milk coffee, dough and spice, only a little more intense.

Bang on with this assessment John, really enjoying getting addicted to these

[JohnS]

Rafael González Perlas RUE Jun 2011 (thanks @awkwardPause!)

This is an original release Rafael Gonzalez Perla, thanks to the generosity of @awkwardPause, and all I can say is thanks and wow...oh, wow! This was not too mild, full of flavour and exhibited every sign of quality aging. I found the cigar perfectly balanced and no flavour dominated the other. Cocoa, floral notes, honey sweetness and baking spice all the way, I wish this was longer! Then again, it would be a Petit Corona if that was the case!

[JohnS]

Partagás Serie D No.6 RAE Dic 2014

I'm down to my last two from the box after smoking this one, and as usual, they keep getting better. The Partagas Serie D No.6 was released in 2014. It's a mercurial addition to the Partagas marca, firstly due to the size (50 ring gauge x 90 mm) and secondly (and I believe foremost) due to the packaging. The square wooden single-tiered box made this awkward for Habanos S.A to price competitively in comparison to other similar cigars of the same size and as a result these have been a slow seller. They've only just come into some discounting in the last 12 months and I can't help but feel it's about time.

In the meantime, if you've sampled these and aged them, they are coming along quite nicely. Sourdough, coffee and leather and medium-mild, alas there's no pepper or spice to found here, otherwise evident were standard core Partagas DNA flavours. I hope these can be repackaged into double-tiered semi-boite nature or dress boxes, thus allowing more boxes to be shipped into mastercases, and hence their pricing might come down and become more realistic relative to their size.

[JohnS]

Sancho Panza Belicosos BRS Jun 2013 (thank you @awkwardPause!)

Sancho Panza Belicosos have enjoyed somewhat of a revival on our forum since 2016, and rightly so, recent examples I've had have been uniformly excellent. This Belicosos from 2013 was gifted to me by @awkwardPause (thank you kindly!). How did it compare?

Firstly, it had nowhere near the quality toasted tobacco core that has been emblematic of post-2016 Belicosos I've had. Instead, this six-year-old Belicosos was all quality wood and salt, with a hint of floral notes, baking spice and cream texture. So you can say it was a simple smoking experience, however the reality was I grateful that the cigar didn't split on me after accidentally dropping it not once, but twice! This made the wrapper split at the foot and toward the head around the band, but it didn't effect the cigar ultimately as it was a joy to smoke and thankfully it held together well into the final third.

[JohnS]

Juan López Selección No.2 MEL Dic 2016

The Juan Lopez Seleccion No.2, as many of you are aware, is a forum favourite. I've found that I've never quite connected with them in their youth, but rested awhile (at least 3 to 5 years) I have enjoyed them. Today I wanted to give this cigar another try to challenge my preference or bias in regards to this cigar.

This particular JL2 started off really well. It was a touch over medium, so that pleased me straight away, and wasn't spicy in anyway. It had a nice mix of coffee, chocolate and orange citrus and I was hoping that this initial burst of flavour and refinement could stay into the middle third. Alas, this was not to be. What let the cigar down was the under-filling which prevented the flavours from melding like in the first third and also made the cigar burn a little quicker and hot for my liking. It also began to go out a number of times in the final third.

I salvaged what I could and let it go in the final inch, content that there's always another time.

[JohnS]

Montecristo No.2 GOS Ago 2018

If you've been around our forum awhile invariably a number of topics will come up from time-to-time. One of these is the preference for darker or lighter wrappers for certain marcas and/or vitolas. A few months ago El Pres was able to pick out some quality Montecristo No 2's in dark and light wrappers and list these boxes on 24:24. I went for the lighter option.

In my experience, I find the lighter-wrappered Monte 2's more approachable in their youth and more dominant in nut and citrus twang. I tend to find darker Monte 2's need more time for me (around 3 to 5 years) and more dominant in strong cocoa/chocolate and coffee flavours. Since cigar smoking is highly subjective and experiences differ amongst enthusiasts, this is just my generalisation in regards to wrapper colour and Monte 2's, if yours is different that's fine.

This Montecristo No.2 was exactly as I envisaged in terms of delivering wonderful notes of almond nut, orange citrus twang, light milk coffee and cocoa and was just above mild in strength, which is amazing really, as the cigar is only eight months old. At this rate, I don't think the box will last out the year until I finish them!

[JohnS]

Cohiba Espléndidos MOL Jul 2018

I think I've been fortunate to enjoy a few Cohiba Esplendidos in the last 12 months. Nearly all of them have been quite good, but I don't think any were as good as this. This Esplendidos, at just under 12 months of age, was exemplary in both flavour delivery and construction in every way.

First of all, the cigar was beautifully balanced in flavours, no flavours stood out from the other. Mocha coffee, Cohiba grass/hay, honey and butter...it was all there but curiously those flavours weren't distinctive as much as they were finely melded into one and stayed that way consistently from beginning to end, like what you may expect from an older Esplendidos.

Secondly, I don't remember ashing and each ash-length was at least an inch or more. Sometimes tapping the ash slightly was ineffective in dropping it...I knew this was a sign of quality construction. The burn was always straight and it didn't burn too quickly or slowly, held my attention throughout and made me feel ambiguous at end after nubbing as far as I could go.

After the final puff I was grateful for finishing the night with such an amazing cigar. yet lamented it ending. If only all my Habanos cigars were this good...if only!

[JohnS]

Cohiba Siglo VI circa 2006 (thanks @Trevor2118!)

The final years of my Secondary Education saw me introduced to the subject of Economics. The etymology of the word itself is interesting, in Ancient Greek it means "the law or rule of (managing) the house". I learnt some interesting things about demand and supply curves, stagflation, principles of economic growth and elastic and inelastic demand. It's this last topic which I'm convinced Habanos S.A knows too well when it comes to pricing their cigars for the market.

You see, 30 years ago my teacher told me that something like a yo-yo will lose demand if the price goes up (elastic demand), whereas staple dietary items such as bread and milk will still be demanded in equal numbers despite price changes (inelastic demand). Such knowledge now makes me understand the current pricing of the Cohiba Behike line and the Cohiba Siglo VI in comparison to the Siglo I, II, III, IV and V. The moral of this story? God help you if your staple 'go-to' cigar is currently the Siglo VI.

Introduced in 2002 as an addition to the Siglo line which came out in 1992, I always found the Siglo VI just a little different in comparison to the others in terms of its blend. For me, there's always a little more mocha coffee and butter notes to them. The aged Siglo VI from 2006 was gifted to me by Trevor (much, much thanks dear friend!) and it did not disappoint when it came to butter in any way!

This was similar to my recent 2018 Cohiba Esplendidos in regards to construction. Ash was always a minimum one-inch length and the burn was perfect. There was no need for re-lights. The cigar was butter-laden from the beginning and did not let up. Other flavours included mocha coffee, Cohiba Grass/hay and some honey and a little vanilla. There was a little spice on the retrohale, more-so in the back half. The smoke output was more voluminous than your average cigar which allowed for a lot more flavour per draw and subsequently made me smoke it slower.

In conclusion, at 13 years of age this cigar was spot on. It makes it difficult for me to want to smoke my other Siglo VI stock that is currently under 5 years of age when this one was so good over ten (years of age).