Name: Sancho Panza Double Maduro Gigante
Country: Honduras
Shape: Parejo
Size: Gordo (6 inches x 60)
Strength: Medium to Full

The Sancho Panza Double Maduro Gigante isn’t a good-looking cigar. I do not like the black band and the gold font. It makes it look cheap. However, as the saying goes, it’s not the looks but the personality that matters. The Sancho Panza Double Maduro is a strong, aromatic cigar with strong notes of earth, oak, green pepper, and tea.

I smoked one at the lounge the other day, paired with espresso and sparkling water, and enjoyed the overall experience.

It burned quite evenly, and it had a good draw, but I expected much more smoke to come out of it. Although I was smoking a Double Toro, the smoke my cigar produced was the smoke of a Robusto or a Corona-sized stick.

The cigar lasted for about 90 minutes. And if I had to give it a rating, I’d give it an 85/100.

Name: Oliva Serie V Melanio Double Toro
Country: Nicaragua
Shape: Box-Pressed
Size: Double Toro (6 inches x 60)
Strength: Medium to Full

I remember smoking my first Melanio, and I remember it like it was yesterday. What a cigar! It really deserved its place in my Top 10 of 2022.

As for this one, the big and beautiful Oliva Serie V Melanio Double Toro, what can I say about it? It is as good as any Melanio I have ever smoked.

Even burn, great draw, creamy smoke, and a harmony of notes. It’s a masterpiece produced to be burned.

Moreover, as I was at Whisky Live Beirut when I was smoking it, I also got the chance to pair it with amazing whiskies: Teeling Blackpitts, Talisker and Mortlach from Diageo’s Special Releases, Super Nikka, and Chivas Extra 13 Tequila Cask Selection.

What more can a dilettante ask for?

Name: Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Décadas El Embargo
Country: Nicaragua
Shape: Parejo
Size: Gordo (6 inches x 60)
Strength: Medium to Full

A cigar on a Sunday evening to conclude a long week.
A big cigar for a big week.

It’s the first time I try the Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Décadas El Embargo, and now I like it very much. It’s bold, spicy, and complex. But we’re not dealing with the Gordian Knot here. Its complexity is ready to be deciphered.

I paired it with espresso and sparkling water. But if I hadn’t had arak with lunch, I would have gone with a good single malt. Maybe next time I will.