Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Box-Pressed Toro (6 x 54)
Strength: Medium → Full (nub)
Body: Medium-Plus → Full (first third)
Price: $13.05 ($61.60/5; $232.00/20)
Factory: Las Villas Cigar Factory, Estelí, Nicaragua
Blender: Guillermo Peña
Release: Regular Production
Smoking Time: 1:35
Experience Rating: 99
It’s unclear to me whether the Las Villas Seleccion and By the Book are the same blend, with the By the Book simply being whisky barrel-aged. It doesn’t really matter, because after smoking a number of Guillermo Peña’s blends, I’m beginning to get a sense of his blending style.
Whether it’s a cheap bundle cigar or a contract stick like Paul Stulac, the cigars Peña produces waste no time establishing their identity. That doesn’t make them boring. There’s an implicit confidence in their profiles, as if they know exactly what they are from the moment you light them. Where AJ and DPG have signatures in flavor, GP’s signature is immediate identity.
And the By the Book is full of identity.
Synopsis
Strength begins at medium, holds steady through the opening stages, then rises progressively through the middle and home stretch before pausing briefly and finishing at full. Body starts at medium-plus, reaches full during the first-half progression, and remains there for the rest of the smoke. Activity holds steady early, rises sharply during the first half, peaks in the home stretch, then gradually falls before dropping substantially through the last inch and nub.
The By the Book bears a strong resemblance to the Seleccion. The oval box press is stellar, and the wrapper is dark and shiny with oils. It has the same tactile quality as the Seleccion, with toothy skin covered in tiny nodules.
The wrapper gives off a distinct meaty aroma accompanied by dark earth and a subtle, indistinct sweetness. At the foot, that meatiness combines with exotic wood and a vaguely fruity sweetness. The cold draw tastes like instant chicken soup followed by ripe fig. Interesting. I don’t experience too many savory cold draws. The draw is perfect, just how I like it, with a little resistance.
At ignition, the By the Book comes out bold and dark with rich, thick coffee, deeply roasted cacao, and a heavy earthiness. Coffee, cacao, and earth form the core immediately. The body is medium-plus right away, while the strength is medium and feels as though it wants to push higher.
This cigar is wasting no time getting started.
It settles in at just over a quarter-inch, which is pretty amazing. Again, I wonder whether this is a Guillermo Peña signature move. Plant your stake and get down to business. Exotic woods enter with teak and rattan, followed by a hint of cedar. Cream arrives and joins the coffee-and-earth core.
Even though I’ve already covered ignition and the settling-in period, I’m only half an inch into the cigar. This thing is all business. No messing around.
At about three-quarters of an inch, nicotine enters, and I’m hit with a wave of complexity as a quick progression of flavors moves through the profile. Cedar, white pepper, Honeycomb cereal, cashew, nougat, and minerality appear, with a hint of citrus on the finish. Sugary sweetness attaches itself to the finish, and I find myself smacking my lips in appreciation. Lovely. Peanut and hazelnut soon join the cashew, pushing the profile further into nutty territory.
Thematically, the surface of the profile seems nutty and woody, while the center remains dark, dense, and rich. The other secondary flavors float in the ambiance.
The published leaf stats match the Seleccion, and the marketing copy hints that this may be the same blend after aging in whisky barrels. Beyond its smoothness, however, the By the Book shares very little with the Seleccion. It already has a distinct identity, which makes me wonder whether the blend ratios are different even if the leaves come from the same places.
As I finish the first third, a gorgeous toffee enters. It’s both flavorful and textural, adding to the luxurious body, which is now full. Other than the small hit of nicotine that initiated the earlier transition, strength hasn’t moved much since ignition.
Then I detect a hint of whisky on the retrohale. Even though I know the cigar was aged in whisky barrels, I wasn’t expecting to taste it. The flavor is unmistakable and quite a pleasant surprise.
As I approach the halfway point, the profile begins to introduce a rich meatiness. This isn’t grilled meat. It’s more like boeuf bourguignon. The smoke now has a silky-smooth texture that has been masking just how active and complex the profile has become.
At halfway, the profile feels fully established and complete. Just as I make that declaration, the cigar transitions with the sudden arrival of spice. It isn’t strong, but the abruptness of its entrance catches me by surprise. Shiitake mushroom, toasted bread, and a hint of salt arrive with it.
So much for being complete.
The nicotine intensifies slightly and pushes the strength to medium-plus. Having announced itself, the spice settles on my tongue and the roof of my mouth. It feels as though it’s trying to pull the profile open.
In the home stretch, while I intuitively know the profile leans dark because of the richness at its core, it doesn’t feel dark. Dark profiles tend to be dense and gravitational. There’s a definite density here, but the cigar has an innate energy that overshadows its inherent weight.
The secondary flavors begin shifting randomly within the profile. Different combinations form and step forward, creating a series of mini-transitions. I don’t know why it triggered this particular image, but the switching reminds me of the orgy scene in Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. I’ll leave it at that.
Now I’m laughing out loud because this is exactly the type of trigger that would prompt Katman to go into minute detail. At least there are no thong panties standing upright in the corner. Personal hygiene was definitely not an issue here. Katman, if you’re reading this, my apologies.
Shit! With a couple of inches remaining, I’ve got Eyes Wide Shut stuck in my head. Tom Cruise is still moving through the rooms as the profile begins to compress. The light spice prevents it from collapsing, while the sweeter elements have almost disappeared within the switching combinations that are now savory, woody, and earthy. Strength is holding steady. I thought it might flirt with full, but it’s staying put.
In the last inch, the switching comes to an abrupt end. The profile compresses significantly, strength begins flirting with fullness, and the core is reduced to coffee, cacao, earth, and cream accompanied by several savory stragglers. Shiitake mushroom and boeuf bourguignon remain, along with roasted cashew, hazelnut, almond, teak, and cedar. I love that boeuf bourguignon note. I’m going to make it for dinner this week.
The mineral bite becomes more pronounced, adding another point of counterpressure alongside the spice and preventing the profile from collapsing completely. The complexity remaining at this stage of the progression is incredible.
At the nub, it’s all core, with cacao becoming the predominant flavor. It’s dark and carries a slightly bitter, biting edge. The spice has moved to my lips, while the minerality has shifted to the back of my mouth and lingers through the finish. Strength is now full, but the cigar still has so much energy. I don’t want it to end, though my fingers are beginning to blister.
I gave the Seleccion a 99, but I still had its whisky-aged sibling waiting for me, and I considered the possibility that the By the Book might be better. It isn’t, but it’s getting the same score.
This is another expression of the same, or at least a similar, blend. The Seleccion begins brightly before gradually succumbing to its San Andrés character. The By the Book remains dark throughout the entire experience. They share an incredible, innate energy that survives all the way through the smoke.
MiamiHumidor.net is the place to get this. It’s not a budget stick by any means, but it’s well worth the price of admission.
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