Trying to decide what I wanted to smoke this morning, my gaze fell upon my last couple of Regius Sun Grown Toros and I knew then that I had to start my day with one. I needed to start with a treat. And a treat it was!
Of course, the first thing that I noticed – anyone would notice – was how dark the cellophane was. It seemed as if it was even darker than when I first got the box back in January! Taking out the cigar and smelling the tobacco was unreal. Hints of vanilla, molasses, and spice, combined with leather. I was taken aback by the intense, pungent aromas eminating from the wrapper and foot.
And for just a moment, I thought perhaps that I should choose another, put the cello back on, and let it age even more. But my desire got the best of me.
The thing about aged cigars is that they can be hit or miss. Some cigars – even ultra-premium cigars – can lose their flavor. And no, it’s not just a mellowing and smoothing of sharp tones. They become bland. But there are others, like the Regious Sun Grown, where the oils released from the various layers of the cigar intermingle and create such a sublime exeperience, you have to stop everything you’re doing and simply marvel at the bounty of flavor that has been bestowed upon you. Though I waxed rhetorically, that has been the experience I’ve had with this cigar ever since I sparked up the first one from the box I got all those months ago.
In the time I’ve had these sitting, the cigars have gone through some changes. When I first got them, the wrappers were smooth. But as you can see in the picture to the left, the wrapper became bumpy and rustic. The others appear to have had this happen as well. You can feel the contours of the binder underneath the wrapper. I was a bit concerned that this might affect the construction and consequently the draw of the cigar. But the cigar required no touch-ups throughout the smoke.
As for the flavor, there was so much going on that it’s hard to describe the myriad of flavors I was getting. But one thing I noticed that was distinctly different from the ones I’ve had previously was a pronounced malted milk ball flavor along with a molasses finish. Those flavors persisted throughout the smoke and I attribute their presence to the oils. It was out of this world! And when I first tasted them, I stopped what I was doing, closed my laptop, and spent the next hour and a half reveling in the luxuriousness of the smoke.
Cigars like this are a rarity. Some might believe that they should be saved for “special occasions.” For me, I would never diminish these to a “special occasion” like a wedding or what-not. Cigars like this demand a block of uninterrupted time. And they’re so rich and tasty that they don’t need pairing – just water.
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