Today, I realized I haven’t written a review since October. Amazing, considering I’ve probably smoked about 50 cigars since then. In the words of Nimish, the Prince of Indian Tabac, I am a “slacker.”

About 2 weeks ago, I received an email request to review Saint Luis Rey. Interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever tried the Honduran blend and, since I love doing research in the business, I’ll be more than happy to sample this cigar. Naturally, I chose the Churchill, as this size tends to be the most flavorful vitola with many blends. As the cigar burns, the natural oils of the tobaccos heat up and mingle. The longer the burn, the longer these tasty oils can mingle, often leading towards a more complex cigar.

The dark, leathery Nicaraguan wrapper catches my eye. Relatively smooth, there are some large veins running down the side. She's a nice looking stick. The cap is clipped and I start puffing. Almost instantly, I notice a woody characteristic that dominates. The finish is short, with a little bit of bite left at the front of my palate. The flavor is relatively dry, and medium-bodied in strength from the get-go. About a third of the way through, I begin to pick up an herbal note on the aftertaste. Weird, but short-lived. The end of the cigar is rich, with a light, lingering sweetness. Still, a woody flavor takes priority right down to the nub.

Overall, the cigar was pretty decent. Not overly complex, but not one-dimensional either. The herbal note was a little less than desirable, but the last third made up for this minor hiccup. You may not find this cigar in my regular rotation, but I wouldn’t turn it down given the chance to burn one again.