Stogie Reviews: John Hay Anniversary Pyramid

Named for statesman and diplomat John Hay—perhaps best known as Abraham Lincoln’s secretary—John Hay Cigars was founded in 1882 by W.W. Stewart.

Their website, while not the most sophisticated, provides plenty of information about the history of the Pennsylvania-based company and its products.

The John Hay Anniversary, a six and a half inch by 52 ring gauge Pyramid, celebrates 125 years of John Hay Cigars. It features a light brown Habana 2000 wrapper and a “special blend” of filler.

Hand rolled in the Dominican Republic, only 1,882 of these cigars were made to commemorate the company’s founding year. Now the company says they are “down to the last couple hundred.”

The Pyramid has a rugged appearance with some prominent veins. It is so firm to the touch that it causes me to be concerned about a tight draw.

Pre-light, the John Hay Anniversary smells like hay and honey. The cap clips easily and, despite my previous concerns, reveals a very good draw. The foot lights up easily and the first few puffs yield hay, honey, and cinnamon spiciness.

Both of the samples I smoked for this review featured a burn that went ragged from the beginning but never required a touch-up.

As they progress, the hay flavor remains and the cinnamon spiciness increases, while the honey flavor diminishes.

Nearing the end, a harsher taste starts to develop and I set it down for good with a little more than an inch remaining.

On sale on the company website for $6 per stick, the John Hay Anniversary Pyramid is not a complex cigar but is nonetheless enjoyable on the mild side of medium.

With adequate construction and burn properties, its flavors earn it three stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick M

photo credit: Stogie Guys