Today I smoked the mild and tasty Dunhill Conado at lunch in the ongoing LGAR series.  I wasn’t expecting much from this cigar for some reason.  Perhaps because I hadn’t really heard any rave reviews about them that I could recall.

I was plesantly suprised.  The Connecticut Shade wrapper on this near Dominican puro (It’s all dominican with a bit of brazillan filler thrown in) was veiny and bit rough.  The contruction was great.  Burn and draw were flawless throughout the entire cigar.

It’s a mild cigar that left a slightly bitter taste on the tounge.  The aromas were floral at points and herby anise was present towards the end.  I enjoyed this cigar throughout the duration.

So when I got back to my office to write this review, I thought I’d look up what these puppies cost.  JR stocks them at $164.95 for a box of 25.  That makes these $6.60 a piece when purchased in bulk.  Although I liked this cigar while smoking it, it wasn’t good enough to justify the price.  There are plenty of other cigars out there in the $6 - $7 price range that I would recommend.  So that’s gonna drive the rating down on this cigar.  I guess you’re paying for the brand name…

Leafytimes LGAR Rating: 6

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No, I didn’t smoke a leather chair during lunch today.  But I thought my new chair was more noteworthy than the CAO black I smoked and we already reviewed.  I got this chair and ottoman set for a mere $70 from neighbor that was having a garage sale (on a Thursday!).  It’s a $800 set from the now out-of-business Bombay Company.  Having a big, luxurious chair to relax in while smoking a fine cigar is what life is all about.  It’s really tough once you’ve sat at an upscale cigar bar in a nice leather chair to go home and sit on a $9 plastic chair in the garage. . .  Sure, it has a little minor wear, but it’ll be perfect in my garage for smoking cigars.  My current thought is to get a massive heater for the garage so I can continue to smoke during the bitter Ohio winters.

Ok, on to the CAO Black.  The cigar started out bitter and off.  But for me, that normally indicates that it’s going to be a good cigar.  I’ll explain that theory in a later post.  As expected, this flavor bomb opened up about 1/3 through and delivered.  Bountiful smoke, great cedar and almond tastes.  A fine afternoon cigar to test out my new chair.

Leafytimes LGAR Rating: 8.0

Where do you sit when smoking a cigar?  Drop us a comment and let us know.

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Today’s lunch included a turkey sandwich, my new book The Hutt Gambit (Star Wars: The Han Solo Trilogy, Vol. 2), and a Playboy Double Corona by Don Diego.  If you haven’t been able to tell by the other LGAR reviews so far, the trend has been mild cigars.  This is due mostly in part to a JR Weekly special I purchased a few week back.

The Playboy Don Diego edition is being retired and replaced with a bold, less mild new version.   I found the Don Diego version to be the best mild cigar I’ve had in a long while.  Not being a fan of mild smokes, I still can say I enjoyed this cigar enough to recommend it to friends (you, the leafytimes reader of course!).

Construction, burn, and draw - All up to Playboys and my standards.  Taste - Smooth, mild nuts and honey is the best I can describe it.  I have a hard time picking up aromas in mild cigars other than cardboard and paper…so that makes this cigar noteworthy.

LeafyTimes LGAR Rating: 8.5

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Honestly, I don’t remember which Montecristo I purchased.  It was part of a JRCigar grab bag.  So this review will be short and relatively pointless.

Size appeared to be a Robusto.  Close to 4.5 x 48.  Perhaps a 444.  It almost tasted like an Monte Afrique, but I’m pretty convinced it was either a 444 standard or robusto.

Typical Montecristo cigar for me.  Good construction, good draw, good burn.  Taste was nothing exciting.  Hints of coffee and spice.  Finish was bitter.  Overall, an OK smoke but I wouldn’t go buying a box of whatever these are…

I’ll try to get my facts straight for future LGAR posts!

Leafytimes Mystery Rating: 5.0

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A few days ago, my brother suggested we start a series of short posts where we review our LGARs.  The first question you probably have is “What the heck is a LGAR“.   In short, it’s a cigar that is smoked during the business week during the lunch break.  While we’re dedicated cigar smokers, we both have jobs that don’t exactly let us puff away all day long.  It’s a rare treat to sneak out for a nice long cigar break right in the middle of the work day.  It’s almost like cheating the system by having a small piece of the weekend slammed right into the hectic week.  I’m starting Round I with the perennial classic: The Macanudo Hyde Park.

I was actually just at the real Hyde Park in London a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately, I didn’t smoke a cigar during my visit.  But this cigar’s name and in fact this entire Macanudo line always takes me back to these historic spots in England.  I sat back in my car at the back of the office parking lot, opened my current book Allegiance (Star Wars) and proceeded to enjoy this mild smoke.

These are nice mild and smooth sticks.   Particularly mild actually.  The construction was great.  The wrapper was paper thin but held together nicely.  The burn and draw were also flawless (Surprising given that this stick came from JRCIGAR).  The taste was pleasant.  Hints of cardboard and paper are all I could really get out of this.  Perhaps my palette is just not ready for mild smokes.  I always find myself wanting MORE from them.  This cigar never really opened up for that “WOW” moment where we slap on a high rating and go buy a box.  This line of Macanudo’s will always be what our father called them “Nice, smooth cigars”.  Nothing more.  That said, I still enjoyed it…perhaps because I wasn’t working on a Tuesday afternoon in Sunny Ohio.

Leafy Times Offical LGAR Rating:
Another take [Maduro Version]: StogieGuys: For smooth flavor and dependable construction, the Macanudo Maduro Hyde Park receives three out of five stogies.

See also here and here.

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