The Cienfuegos opens up with a rich cedary flavor with some sweet overtones. The wrapper is a little finicky– these probably need to be stored at 70%, whereas I keep my humidor around 65% — but there are absolutely no burn problems. From start to finish these had a relatively straight burn line and required no special attention.

The middle third introduces a little more heft and a touch of pepper. The base flavor is still very woody and the body grows to a solid medium. It’s satisfying without taking me to the mat. The final segment sticks to the program with a mellow and smooth smoke reminiscent of juniper burning in the fireplace. This would be a great cigar to fire up on a cool autumn evening.

The finish is short with a pleasantly mild aftertaste up to the last third where the finish grows a bit longer and the aftertaste gets a little muddy — earth, paper, and a stranger I can’t identify. Aside from this slightly funky finale, the only thing that would prevent me from running out and grabbing a few boxes right now is the price: $150 per box is the best price I could find, and this is a considerable discount off the retail price. Luckily you can usually get a good deal on these if you want to take a stab at the auction sites. If you can get the price under four or five bucks a stick you’re getting a great cigar for the money