Name: EP Carrillo Pledge Sojourn

Country: Dominican Republic

Shape: Box-Pressed

Size: Toro (6 inches x 52)

Strength: Full

A masterpiece. I smoked it until my fingers burned. EP Carrillo’s Pledge Sojourn had an excellent draw, and it produced enough smoke to form a whole cloud in the sky. I paired it with espresso and sparkling water.

The Pledge Sojourn is a potent cigar. Very powerful, as powerful as an epic poem. When I closed my eyes, I saw Achilles, I saw Beowulf, and I saw the daredevils of Sassoun. It was as if the smoke had summoned them.

I got a harmony of notes: wood, burnt caramel, black pepper, earth, and red roses on fire.

I loved this cigar.

Name: El Septimo Sacred Arts Van Gogh

Country: Costa Rica

Shape: Diadema

Size: 9 inches x 55

Strength: Medium

A great cigar from a great cigar brand. This is a stick that will keep you company for a good two or more hours. The El Septimo Sacred Arts Van Gogh is a celebration cigar and nothing short of a masterpiece.

But like all masterpieces, it came with some imperfections.

The draw was alright. But if it were a tiny bit looser, it would have been perfect. I like to blow out thick, creamy smoke, and a firm draw doesn’t allow me to do that.

The Van Gogh burned slowly and beautifully, although sometimes unevenly. But it was nothing that a little fire couldn’t fix. I had to adjust the line only a couple of times: once before reaching the end of the first third, and a second time before the beginning of the last third.

Other than that, the overall experience was excellent.

Name: La Aroma Del Caribe Base Line El Jefe

Country: Nicaragua

Size: (7 inches x 58)

Strength: Medium to Full

A big cigar for a big night. My wife and I had friends visiting Lebanon, so we met at one of our favorite lounges. I wanted to smoke something that would last me close to a couple of hours, and that’s how I picked El Jefe.

I paired it with a glass of Havana Club Cuban Barrel Proof, and then I switched to a nice Gin and tonic.

El Jefe burned evenly and produced a lot of smoke. Strength-wise, it was somewhere between medium and full. I loved its aroma, and I could taste a harmony of notes, including medium-roast coffee, cedar, leather, earth, caramel, and walnut.

Will I ever light one of these up again? I guess I will.