Sancho Panza Belicosos (1997)

Produced: 1997
Made by: Campanas
Size: Belicoso
Ring Gauge: 52
Length: 5 1/2 inches
Purchased: TomTom Cigars, London, UK, 2006.

Date: September 16th, 2006
Time: 8:00 PM Pacific
Location: Pasadero Country Club, Salinas, California
Conditions: Warm and balmy evening, 80 degrees


The Purchase
This is a spare cigar I picked up at TomTom’s when I was in London a couple of months ago. It was from a box that was acquired in Barcelona back in 1998. I had enjoyed these in the past and decided to see how well they have aged.

The Locations
We are on our way back down the peninsula to attend L’s 25th high school reunion in Salinas. We check-in to The Tradewinds Inn in Carmel, a “Balinese” themed studio hotel that welcomes Amber with a cookie and all the creature comforts. Saturday we have lunch with the M-in-law at my favorite casual place, Casanova’s, after which I have a nap in preparation for the big trip back in time.

Class reunions are an eerie study of life’s twists, turns and decisions. There are the winners, the losers, the near misses, the regrets and even the departed. As L met people, some for the first time in 25 years, one could instantly read assessments of how they had faired in the game of life. The performance metrics for men are slightly different for women. With men, it’s all about the hair line, the waist line, the line of credit, and if your mate selection “has legs”. For women, it’s about the lines on your face, the lines of jewels and if the mate selection has been “fruitful”.

To make life interesting, I donated the five-pack below to the silent auction. It managed to reach $300 before the spinach salesman bagged them.

There were all types of characters (and creatures) at the event. Most of which trying to relive the “glory days” that had long gone. There was Mike, the guy that thinks he has done better than everyone else, but really hasn’t. Strutting around like a peacock, he donated more than 90% of the silent auction prizes trying to showcase his net worth in some bizarre display of self-promotion. Then there was Brent the insurance agent that is a straight shooter who was funnier as he became more inebriated and pinned everyone’s name tags on his jacket.

There was the born-again Christian who sang (off-key) some period ballad from 1981, the guy who never got married “hitting on” old class mates, the spinach salesman from Salinas fretting about e-Coli bacteria, the teacher that was staring at any available cleavage, the “business development consultant” looking for pity and handouts, the snobby wife paralyzed with embarrassment when her husband, dressed like Wyatt Earp (with 10 gallon hat and long jacket), told me he would prefer to be in the hills oiling his guns.

It was an unbearably long evening of being the dutiful husband. The salad was limp, the steak was blue and the desert melted… all this for a $100 a seat, what a deal! As I watched ageing, intoxicated, balding, flabby men “making passes” at L, I could only delight in the wrath they would incur from their wives who were also witnessing their Neanderthal slobbering. I decided to make my way to the 18th green to smoke this Habanos.

The Smoke!
This brand does have a fairly long heritage. First registered in 1848 by the same German who registered the El Rey del Mundo, it was named after Don Quixote's faithful servant. The cigar actually dissappeared in 1898, but was revived in the 1920's. After being bought and sold over the years by multiple merchants, by the 1950's it became the most popular brand Spain.

After the revolution, the cigar has lost most of it's popularity. This is mainly due to the fact that they do require ageing to be enjoyed. Sancho's are still popular in Spain, which is where this one came from, but now only 7 models remain.

This Belicosos is renowned for being one of the mildest pyramide shape cigars. This specimen is in excellent condition. Slighly waxy feel to the wrapper, it is well constructed with a particularly sharp point on the cap. I make a traditional cap and it lights up very easily. I immediately taste a very strong grassy flavor and it is almost salty to the taste.

As I smoke my way through, the ash is stiff and white. The woody flavors start to become more pronounced but the draw is uneven. Perhaps this is not as well rolled as I percieved. Inspecting the end (see photo) it appears the layering is somewhat uineven.

The woody flavors are starting to become sweeter now and it seems that with even more ageing, this puro could evolve into a very good smoke. I have to work at keeping this alight as I am standing on the 18th green and the ocean breeze from Monterey Bay is starting to strengthen.

I look back at the club house and L is calling for me to take some photos... oh geez, when will this night end? The belicosos is closing down and even though it was an average smoke, it will definitely get better with more ageing. I turn toward the clubhouse to face the music... not to worry, I have a Cohiba Sublime to sample tomorrow.

Rating: (2) AVERAGE
(5) Classic, (4) Outstanding, (3) Very Good, (2) Average, (1) Don’t Bother

Humidor: VAULT: 2011 - 2018
Smoke Now, Smoke Soon:1–3 Years, Put Away:3–7 Years, Vault:7-12 Years, Inheritance Gift:12+ Years

Cuaba Distinguidos Millenium Reserve (1998)

Produced: 1998
Made by: Romeos
Size: Perfecto
Ring Gauge: 52
Length: 6 1/8 inches
Purchased: Vancouver Cigar Company, Vancouver BC, 2006.

Date: September 1st, 2006
Time: Noon Pacific
Location: Salinas, California
Conditions: Clear sunny skies, 70 degrees


The Purchase
This commemorative jar was purchased at Vancouver Cigar Company in Vancouver, BC. It was widely believed that these jars were sold out years ago, but in January 2006, Habanos SA discovered 12 jars that had been overlooked in the back storage area of their distribution facility in Havana. VCC was allocated one of these jars, and my dear friend Trevor gave me first dibs….. Thanks Trev!

The Locations
I’ve recently been livin “high on the hog” and so this Labor Day weekend I’ve decided to bring it down a notch, or three! Due to a violent allergic reaction to Cat saliva, I never stay at the mother-in-laws. As a result, I find myself in the dead of night gingerly approaching the Salinas Courtyard Marriott. It’s conveniently located off the tranquil CA101 next to the Costco, Burger King, Taco Bell, Dunkin Donut, In n Out, Krispy Kreme, Home Depot…. Starting to get the picture?

The Courtyard is the low-end brand for Marriott, the “McDonalds” of the overnight sojourn: 50 thread count sheets, rubberized shower curtains, flakey soap, instant coffee, hermetically sealed toilet seats….such an inviting ambience.


After a sleepless night thanks to the Under 18 year old El Salvador boys soccer team, I have breakfast with Leslie (yes, she and Amber stay at home with Mommy) and we pay a visit to the only cigar store in Salinas, The Cigar Box. The proprietor, Ed Crosby (no relation to Bing), doesn’t exactly welcome us with open arms.

Ed is rather a sad person, and as you can see from the photos, so is his store. I ask him the standard question and he immediately accuses us of being ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms) agents.



I try to warm Ed up by complimenting him on his smoking Indian, or is that a smoking Pharaoh, that is wearing sunglasses and respectfully holding the Stars & Stripes…. ?? He just grimaces and returns to watching a ball game.

It’s my custom to always purchase at least something when I visit a tobacconist. It’s similar to feeling compelled to making that donation during Lent or Yom Kippur when they pass around the collection plate and the guilt or shame really eats at you. In Ed's case, his inventory, or lack thereof, is making this a particulary difficult donation.

Ed has been meticulous in targeting his customer segment: the Agricultural Field Laborer and the Fallen Urban Cowboy. I end up by acquiring a Dominican that I will “re-gift” at some corporate function. We tearfully bid Ed adieu and go for a walk on Carmel beach so that I can enjoy my Cuaba.


The Smoke!
According to Habanos SA, approximately 6,000 porcelain jars were made, with them all being sold out by 2002. I was strongly advised not to open the jar and put these away for at least 10 years. Of course I couldn’t resist, and so I selected a couple to sample now, and have safely deposited the jar in my vault…. See you in 2016.

This is a fascinating looking cigar. It’s tapered and has a very comfortable fit between the fingers. I’d heard that these Cuaba’s were not as good as the other Commemorative Jars, the Cohiba Piramides (previous review) and the Montecristo Robustos. I was to be pleasantly surprised. The wrapper is in excellent condition and has a dark tan color with absolutely no flaws.

A somewhat waxy feel the puro has almost a brilliant sheen. I applied a traditional cut, as the tip is far too tapered for a cats eye. The smoke lights up easily which is deceptive when one surveys the bulbous end, anticipating that it might require a number of attempts.

The first few draws require some work, but after 30 seconds, the experience is flawless. Stronger than the other two jars, this has a distinctive tobacco taste that has hints of wood and leaves. It has a consistent flavor all the way to the end and is really a very nice smoke that will definitely benefit from more ageing. If blogs, web 2.0 or I still exist ten years from now, look for my follow-up review on this Cuaba.

Rating: (3) VERY GOOD
(5) Classic, (4) Outstanding, (3) Very Good, (2) Average, (1) Don’t Bother

Humidor: VAULT: 2013 - 2016
Smoke Now, Smoke Soon:1–3 Years, Put Away:3–7 Years, Vault:7-12 Years, Inheritance Gift:12+ Years

Ramon Allones Belicosos

Produced: 2005
Made by: Partagas
Size: Belicosos
Ring Gauge: 52
Length: 5 1/2 inches
Purchased: Cigars Unlimited, London UK, 2006.


Date: August 14th, 2006
Time: 4:30 pm GMT
Location: Hayfield Manor, Cork City, Cork, Ireland
Conditions: Clear skies, Warm 75 degrees, light breeze


The Purchase
This cigar was purchased at Cigars Unlimited, London, UK. To learn more about my buying experience, please refer to this post. Adrian strongly recommended this cigar.


The Location
I finally escaped the Hell at Heathrow and arrived in Cork. It seemed like touching down in Heaven when I arrived at the brand new Cork airport. The weather was uncharacteristically sunny, warm and frankly, so un-British and far-away from the security nightmares back in Britain.

After conducting my business meetings I made my way to the Hayfield Manor, a delightful old world establishment near Cork City and tucked away in it’s own secluded garden. It’s a balmy afternoon and sunset will be late this evening…. A perfect opportunity to have a single malt, check my email and….. light up a smoke.

I made my way to this delightful garden setting and was immediately assisted by Ann, a friendly Polish gal who delivered my drink and the largest ashtray on the planet…. I think it doubles as a salad bowl!











The Smoke!
I must warn you that this cigar is NOT aged. In fact, it is rather young. However, I couldn’t wait to try it. It is especially rare and you will have a hard time finding this one outside of the UK. These belicosos were made exclusively for the UK market and Adrian was instrumental in getting them produced when he was last in Cuba. The production has been very limited and is available only in a select number of locations in London.

So why am I reviewing this in the public domain? These cigars are styled after the old world Habanos that the English used to enjoy when the Empire was, well, an Empire (apologies to my Pommie friends).
As I listened to Adrian’s description of these cigars, I realized that these quite possibly are the blend of cigar my maternal grandfather (Sydney Kaufman) used to smoke back in the day. The thought that I could be smoking something that Syd may have enjoyed in his billiard room in the old house in Brighton really peaked my curiosity. They looked very close to a handful of dried out puros my Grandmother gave me after Syd passed away some years ago.

Adrian warns me that these have a subtle taste and one needs to sample a few to really start to appreciate them. The cigar is a dark brown and a very comfortable size somewhat between a Torpedo and a Churchill. I make a traditional cut and light it up. The draw is smooth and the aromas mild, subtle and somewhat eloquent. This cigar has great constructions and balance.

As stated earlier, it is a young habanos and would benefit from some ageing. I plan to acquire a box and put it away for at least 5 years. I enjoy this smoke for approximately 2 hours as I watch a beautiful midsummer sunset in Cork.

Rating: (3) VERY GOOD
(5) Classic, (4) Outstanding, (3) Very Good, (2) Average, (1) Don’t Bother

Humidor: VAULT: 2010-2015
Smoke Now, Smoke Soon:1–3 Years, Put Away:3–7 Years, Vault:7-12 Years, Inheritance Gift:12+ Years