The Stogie Guys

Before I give my review of the Maria Mancini Magic Mountain, I must confess that long before I smoked this cigar I just knew I would enjoy it. The first box of cigars I ever bought was the Maria Mancini Robusto Larga, and that box lived up to its 90 rating in Cigar Aficionado.

With those high expectations, I pulled this funny-named box-pressed pyramid (6 inches long with a 54 ring guage) out of my humidor. It became instantly clear that this is a good looking cigar. The classic gold band over the dark brown EMS (English Market Selection) wrapper will make this cigar the kind you want to keep in a glass-topped humidor where you can show it off.

The Maria Mancini EMS wrappers are grown from the much-hyped H2000 tobacco seed, which is a cross breed of the Cuban Corojo and Cuban-grown Connecticut Shade wrappers. Reviews for H2000 wrappers are mixed, but I was impressed with the oily wrapper. It had an almost velvet-like quality to the touch, and when lit it provided a slow, even burn.

The cigar had a woody flavor with earthy undertones, and its strength put it solidly in the medium to bold range. There also were hints of toast and nutmeg flavors to round the taste out, making the stogie’s overall flavor very pleasing. The cigar only requires to be ashed every inch or so, and will provide its smoker at least 45 minutes of enjoyment.

The negatives of this cigar were few and far between, but one disappointment was that well before it should have been finished, the draw became too easy and the cigar became difficult to keep lit. Also, I found that the aftertaste lingered a bit too long.

Yet overall this is a very nice smoke. It would be comfortable on either the golf course or after a fancy dinner with a fine spirit. And perhaps most impressive of all, at just over $2 a smoke, the Maria Mancini Magic Mountain gives its splendid performance at a bargain price.

For delivering such quality without breaking the Stogie Guy’s bank, I give the Maria Mancini Magic Mountain an impressive four out of five stogies.

-Patrick S

If you read our post from May 7 – when StogieGuys.com was still in its infancy – you will recall Patrick mentioned we planned to review the JR Alternative version of the Cohiba Sublime. Since we have received many emails inquiring about that forthcoming review, I’ve decided to go ahead and appease the masses before any coup d’état could be staged.

My first inclination is to report that JR’s rendition of the Sublime falls short of any attempt to mimic the famous smoke. At 6.62 inches with a 54 ring gauge, the real Cohiba Sublime is a substantial stogie with caramel and coffee undertones and a perfect burn. While JR certainly got the dimensions right, it’s rendering of the cigar is more earthy with leather and tea flavors, and it tends to require a bit of work to produce an even burn.

That said, if you can clear your consciousness of the stogie’s lack of resemblance to its superior Cohiba cousin, this JR alternative is not a bad smoke – especially if you’re in the mood for something spicy at a reasonable price ($29.95 for a bundle of 20). If you’re enjoying it with an adult beverage (as you should), make sure the drink has a bold flavor; the cigar’s full-bodied taste is sure to drown out any subtle cocktail.

I give the JR Edicon Limitada Alternative version of the Cohiba Sublime a respectable three out of five stogies.

-Patrick A