Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real cigarillo

Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan

I was looking for something small that wouldn’t take an hour to smoke, and so I went to the local smoke shop to see what they had. These guys, I was told, were the medium range cigarillos, and they should fit the bill. They come in a nice tin with nice art and a nice little humidor pack, and they are, well nice. Great presentation, for sure, good flavor, and they are good for 20-30 minutes apiece if you’re not huffing and puffing them into oblivion. They smell nice too.

La Riqueza No. 6 Lancero, take 2

After letting these dry out some in the humidor (fresh from the seller they would not stay lit, and were inconsistently bitter/sour in places), I tried another one. I must say these are fantastic. They burn with a very nice floral aroma which attracted my neighbors who all came to ask what I was smoking.

Nice darkbread flavor throughout and much less pepper the second time around.

They are, however, extremely fragile and will blow out their wrappers in anything higher than 70% humidity. Stored at 65 for a month or more, they are, in my opinion, near perfection. If you don’t have a proper humidor, I’d say don’t bother, as they are hard to otherwise store safely, but if you do… make these a definite must-buy.

Montecristo Media Noche, take 2

If you read the previous review, you will see that this is a cigar that I did not like. However, to be fair, I gave it a second chance after letting it dry out for a while, and I must say that it was better the second time around. It still had some sour notes that I did not like, and it was still very leathery, but it was not nearly as overpowering “mouthful of shoe” as the previous go-round.

Gurkha Grand Reserve Torpedo

Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut
Filler: Dominican

A magical cognac-infused torpedo of smoky excellence. I have not had a Gurkha cigar yet that I did not like, and this one is no exception. It’s really good. One thing I found strange, though, is that while the smoke smelled truly nice, I didn’t get as much of that fancy cognac flavor in my mouth. It was still good, however. Just different from what I had in my mind. It’s very subtle.

It paired well with chocolate wine (yes, it’s a redneck thing) and due to those flavors it ought to go well also with Bailey’s or eggnog or just about any sort of cinnamon or chocolate spiced whatever. Mmmm chocolate rum cake. Anyways, it’s good with sweets.

The tube was a bitch and a half to open, despite there being a pullstring buried under all that sealing wax. This cigar smells great even before you light it up. You will want to rub it all over yourself. Axe should make a deodorant that smells like this. I want to take a bath in it.

If you get a chance to smoke one of these, definitely do it. Worth the extra price.