This cigar was given to me a few weeks ago along with a few other beauties by a friend of mine from the US of all places. He didn't know it at the time but I love this cigar. I had the opportunity to smoke two of these not long after their release. My guess, it was about 4-5 years ago, way before I had this blog. The details are sketchy after all this time but I do remember how smooth and ready to smoke they were at such a short time after their release. They made 2400 boxes of 25 of these Lonsdales (at 42 X 6 1/2") and released them in 2006.
This box-pressed cigar was very solid to the touch, hard as a rock, and it had me worried. It had a bumpy cap and was kind of bumpy all over actually with no really big veins just some small ones. The caramel coloured wrapper was slightly mottled but it didn't look too bad and besides...it won't have an affect on the smoke. The pre-light draw was sweet, hints of ginger and confirmed that it was a tad tight.
Once lit, the draw had a bit of resistance but it was smokeable. This cigar was just as I remembered, smooth and mild. I tasted chocolate now, it was sooooo creamy, it reminded me of a Cohiba Lancero. At about the first 1/8 I picked up hints of roasted hazelnut. A little while after that, a touch of wood. At the first quarter the ash fell on it's own and the burn was dead on. The flavours hadn't changed through the last 1/8.
By the time I reached the halfway mark I began to taste a little more wood. When passing the half the ash fell on it's own again and the burn was just slightly off. I was beginning to taste a little bitterness now and again. The burn straightened itself out and it was beginning to pick-up strength nearing the last quarter. Just past the last quarter and the draw was just too tight to make this a pleasurable smoke at this point so I gave it up.
This was a very non-complicated smoke. Mild and smooth....I remember a friend telling me a few years ago that he didn't like this smoke because it wasn't very exciting. He prefers a stronger smoke. I, on the other hand, like them all, mild and strong and everything in-between. I enjoyed this cigar when I first smoked it several years ago and I still like them now. I believe they won't get better. The one I smoked, I'm sure, I would have been able to smoke right down to end if it wasn't so tight. I'm thankful to have been able to smoke it to where I did and that what I did smoke wasn't affected by the firmness.
This box-pressed cigar was very solid to the touch, hard as a rock, and it had me worried. It had a bumpy cap and was kind of bumpy all over actually with no really big veins just some small ones. The caramel coloured wrapper was slightly mottled but it didn't look too bad and besides...it won't have an affect on the smoke. The pre-light draw was sweet, hints of ginger and confirmed that it was a tad tight.
Once lit, the draw had a bit of resistance but it was smokeable. This cigar was just as I remembered, smooth and mild. I tasted chocolate now, it was sooooo creamy, it reminded me of a Cohiba Lancero. At about the first 1/8 I picked up hints of roasted hazelnut. A little while after that, a touch of wood. At the first quarter the ash fell on it's own and the burn was dead on. The flavours hadn't changed through the last 1/8.
By the time I reached the halfway mark I began to taste a little more wood. When passing the half the ash fell on it's own again and the burn was just slightly off. I was beginning to taste a little bitterness now and again. The burn straightened itself out and it was beginning to pick-up strength nearing the last quarter. Just past the last quarter and the draw was just too tight to make this a pleasurable smoke at this point so I gave it up.
This was a very non-complicated smoke. Mild and smooth....I remember a friend telling me a few years ago that he didn't like this smoke because it wasn't very exciting. He prefers a stronger smoke. I, on the other hand, like them all, mild and strong and everything in-between. I enjoyed this cigar when I first smoked it several years ago and I still like them now. I believe they won't get better. The one I smoked, I'm sure, I would have been able to smoke right down to end if it wasn't so tight. I'm thankful to have been able to smoke it to where I did and that what I did smoke wasn't affected by the firmness.
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