Mark Twain
Call me Ishmael.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2006
- Messages
- 1,626
Cigar
St Luis Rey Lonsdales (APE MAY '01)
Well it’s been a long while since I’ve actually been able to write a regular review. I first came across this cigar in a search to help out someone, and let me just say that their zeal for this particular vitola was so infectious that I just had to try it. The fact that this cigar is now cut from production adds an interesting twist to it’s presentation. This is my first cigar that I’ve smoked from the SLR line and really had no idea what to expect.
First Impressions
I sat down to do a little “light” reading on the rise of Imperium in ancient Rome while I smoked. (BTW, I think I’ve got a hold of this camera issue. Works great from 3ft away in natural lighting, works piss poor in twilight or up close. Maybe Santa will bring me a nice one for Christmas.)
The shape is nearly square and I could tell that these babies had a wonderful sleep by that rich aroma coming off the foot, which was almost floral like dead flowers in a garden. The shade of the wrapper is a gentle and even brown throughout the cigar with a few spots of green tobacco along the length.
The cap popped off nicely and I was pleasantly surprised to see a beautiful little divot staring at me. The unlit cigar looked very tightly packed and the draw confirmed this. I took out a toothpick and gently worked it into the center of the cigar, stopping to test the draw until air moved easily through it.
I toasted the foot very briefly before I eagerly began smoking. The cigar burned evenly and the initial light went oh so smoothly. The first few minutes of the smoke had me fighting to get a steady draw with enough smoke, but I was patient and let it heat up enough over the course of a few moments so that the draw loosened and began a smooth and fairly steady amount of smoke.
The Taste
Well this little Lonsdale had a hell of a life to it. A slow burning cigar that lasted over an hour and a half. The first sense I received from the smoke was a very subtle and mild floral pattern that I can only describe in general as being vegetal in nature. The Flavors within this gentle floral pattern were blended over the past five years to from a consistency that was simply wonderful.
The most noticeable flavor was pluralistic in a sense. The smoke was light when it carried the flavor of damp wheat and I noted a sense of moist leaves left on my tongue afterwards. The finish revealed a very simple woody tone beneath the vegetal flavors noted above that was gentle and long lasting after the smoke left my mouth.
I’ve listed these flavors as more of an anchoring point than anything else. A person’s sense of taste is an immense sensibility derived from their personal experience and it tends to capture complex sensations that don’t always translate well into words because taste becomes intrinsically linked to the sense memory of a person’s individual experience and we all have a unique palette because of this.
I just finished Suetonius’ chapter on Caligula when I reached the halfway point in the cigar and let me just say that any man who made a senator out of his own horse is tops in my book.
Overall
The complex flavor and mild to medium body character of the cigar complement one another to form a balanced smoking experience that I have rarely matched in my short time smoking. This was a genuine joy to smoke and an interesting departure from spicy and powerful non-Cuban cigars that seem to dominate the current market. One of the best smokes I’ve had. I cannot believe that these have been discontinued, a hell of a shame.
St Luis Rey Lonsdales (APE MAY '01)
Well it’s been a long while since I’ve actually been able to write a regular review. I first came across this cigar in a search to help out someone, and let me just say that their zeal for this particular vitola was so infectious that I just had to try it. The fact that this cigar is now cut from production adds an interesting twist to it’s presentation. This is my first cigar that I’ve smoked from the SLR line and really had no idea what to expect.
First Impressions
I sat down to do a little “light” reading on the rise of Imperium in ancient Rome while I smoked. (BTW, I think I’ve got a hold of this camera issue. Works great from 3ft away in natural lighting, works piss poor in twilight or up close. Maybe Santa will bring me a nice one for Christmas.)
The shape is nearly square and I could tell that these babies had a wonderful sleep by that rich aroma coming off the foot, which was almost floral like dead flowers in a garden. The shade of the wrapper is a gentle and even brown throughout the cigar with a few spots of green tobacco along the length.
The cap popped off nicely and I was pleasantly surprised to see a beautiful little divot staring at me. The unlit cigar looked very tightly packed and the draw confirmed this. I took out a toothpick and gently worked it into the center of the cigar, stopping to test the draw until air moved easily through it.
I toasted the foot very briefly before I eagerly began smoking. The cigar burned evenly and the initial light went oh so smoothly. The first few minutes of the smoke had me fighting to get a steady draw with enough smoke, but I was patient and let it heat up enough over the course of a few moments so that the draw loosened and began a smooth and fairly steady amount of smoke.
The Taste
Well this little Lonsdale had a hell of a life to it. A slow burning cigar that lasted over an hour and a half. The first sense I received from the smoke was a very subtle and mild floral pattern that I can only describe in general as being vegetal in nature. The Flavors within this gentle floral pattern were blended over the past five years to from a consistency that was simply wonderful.
The most noticeable flavor was pluralistic in a sense. The smoke was light when it carried the flavor of damp wheat and I noted a sense of moist leaves left on my tongue afterwards. The finish revealed a very simple woody tone beneath the vegetal flavors noted above that was gentle and long lasting after the smoke left my mouth.
I’ve listed these flavors as more of an anchoring point than anything else. A person’s sense of taste is an immense sensibility derived from their personal experience and it tends to capture complex sensations that don’t always translate well into words because taste becomes intrinsically linked to the sense memory of a person’s individual experience and we all have a unique palette because of this.
I just finished Suetonius’ chapter on Caligula when I reached the halfway point in the cigar and let me just say that any man who made a senator out of his own horse is tops in my book.
Overall
The complex flavor and mild to medium body character of the cigar complement one another to form a balanced smoking experience that I have rarely matched in my short time smoking. This was a genuine joy to smoke and an interesting departure from spicy and powerful non-Cuban cigars that seem to dominate the current market. One of the best smokes I’ve had. I cannot believe that these have been discontinued, a hell of a shame.
