Cigar Weekly

jazznut · 06-23-2004, 08:24 AM

"Another Chapter In The Life Of A Churchill"

Saint Luis Rey Churchill from Cuba
Size: 7 inches by 47 ring gauge (Julieta 2)

Following yesterday’s sullen scenario of clouds and rain, I awoke this morning to the brightness of sunshine and a fresh pot of Sumatra Gayo Mountain Peg had lovingly brewed for me prior to her departing for work. Knowing it would be a challenge to find a cigar worthy enough to rival the excellence of the Quai d’Orsay Imperiales I’d relished two days earlier, I elected to return to a personal favourite, the Saint Luis Rey Churchill.

Purchased long before I even began to take note of box codes, this well-aged sample surely harkened from the pre-2000 era, and was possibly quite a bit older. Cloaked in a thin, frail and toothy semi-matte golden brown Colorado Claro capa with a very faint Manzanilla olive cast and some raw sienna markings, this Julieta 2 sported a few veins and wrinkles, but nothing so pronounced as to mar the overall evenness of surface texture. Its capote was, in contrast, much thicker and more of a reddish natural mahogany hue.

The Churchill felt resilient but not at all spongy, indenting some 1/64 of an inch under the pressure of my fingers. Upon lighting, the vitola combusted to a very pale grey, almost dirty white, and pimply ash. The burn edge was as straight as could be.

A soft sour dough aroma greeted my nostrils, along with secondary scents of delicate honey-roasted tobacco, restrained earthiness, a dash of cocoa powder and an elusive fruitiness – baked pears perhaps?

My first few puffs evidenced the mellow, mature nature of the cigar, that Cuban citrus twist having totally amalgamated with the creamier aspects, thereby rendering a unified flavour of buttermilk. A hint of Darjeeling tea was also perceptible.

The Saint Luis Rey began to open up further past the 1 inch mark as bittersweet tobacco casually drifted into the foreground. This was joined by a mélange of the aforementioned cocoa powder I had noted on the nose, as well as bran, cinnamon, nutmeg, cedar dust and clay earth. Notions of egg whites and curdled milk presented themselves, too.

Gradually, the spices took greater hold, with a white pepper piquancy gently coaxing the intensity upward. The cedar tones also gained greater prominence.

By the time the Churchill assumed Robusto dimensions, it actually became, well, a little more robust. The tobacco, now more rounded, richer and not unlike that of an aged Upmann Connoisseur No.1, assumed center stage, shedding its bitter edge and acquiring ripeness along with coffee notes.

Tiny taste transformations, in which the various elements cyclically segmented and then melded, provided added interest to the proceedings.

The final few inches were filled with flavour, yet retained a sensuously silky demeanour to the very end. Even the background citrus component managed to plumpen and sweeten slightly, tending toward mint-infused lemon pastilles.

Looking back over my tasting records, I notice a subtle evolution from the buttery and spicy dichotomy of almost exactly 1 year ago to a slightly milder and yet more clearly defined presentation. I did not pick up on the leather and allspice nuances this time around, nor was I as aware of the peppery cedar tones near the finish. The cloak of creaminess has receded ever so slightly, thereby permitting previously hidden touches of cocoa and almost fruity sweetness to peek through.

Though undeniably leaning toward the milder range of Cuban characteristics, the Saint Luis Rey Churchill remains, as ever, a most stylish and satisfying smoke, especially when paired with a good cup of coffee.

06-23-2004, 08:24 AM	#1
jazznut Managing Editor Emeritus Herf God Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 26,082	Saint Luis Rey Churchill "Another Chapter In The Life Of A Churchill" Saint Luis Rey Churchill from Cuba Size: 7 inches by 47 ring gauge (Julieta 2) Following yesterday’s sullen scenario of clouds and rain, I awoke this morning to the brightness of sunshine and a fresh pot of Sumatra Gayo Mountain Peg had lovingly brewed for me prior to her departing for work. Knowing it would be a challenge to find a cigar worthy enough to rival the excellence of the Quai d’Orsay Imperiales I’d relished two days earlier, I elected to return to a personal favourite, the Saint Luis Rey Churchill. Purchased long before I even began to take note of box codes, this well-aged sample surely harkened from the pre-2000 era, and was possibly quite a bit older. Cloaked in a thin, frail and toothy semi-matte golden brown Colorado Claro capa with a very faint Manzanilla olive cast and some raw sienna markings, this Julieta 2 sported a few veins and wrinkles, but nothing so pronounced as to mar the overall evenness of surface texture. Its capote was, in contrast, much thicker and more of a reddish natural mahogany hue. The Churchill felt resilient but not at all spongy, indenting some 1/64 of an inch under the pressure of my fingers. Upon lighting, the vitola combusted to a very pale grey, almost dirty white, and pimply ash. The burn edge was as straight as could be. A soft sour dough aroma greeted my nostrils, along with secondary scents of delicate honey-roasted tobacco, restrained earthiness, a dash of cocoa powder and an elusive fruitiness – baked pears perhaps? My first few puffs evidenced the mellow, mature nature of the cigar, that Cuban citrus twist having totally amalgamated with the creamier aspects, thereby rendering a unified flavour of buttermilk. A hint of Darjeeling tea was also perceptible. The Saint Luis Rey began to open up further past the 1 inch mark as bittersweet tobacco casually drifted into the foreground. This was joined by a mélange of the aforementioned cocoa powder I had noted on the nose, as well as bran, cinnamon, nutmeg, cedar dust and clay earth. Notions of egg whites and curdled milk presented themselves, too. Gradually, the spices took greater hold, with a white pepper piquancy gently coaxing the intensity upward. The cedar tones also gained greater prominence. By the time the Churchill assumed Robusto dimensions, it actually became, well, a little more robust. The tobacco, now more rounded, richer and not unlike that of an aged Upmann Connoisseur No.1, assumed center stage, shedding its bitter edge and acquiring ripeness along with coffee notes. Tiny taste transformations, in which the various elements cyclically segmented and then melded, provided added interest to the proceedings. The final few inches were filled with flavour, yet retained a sensuously silky demeanour to the very end. Even the background citrus component managed to plumpen and sweeten slightly, tending toward mint-infused lemon pastilles. Looking back over my tasting records, I notice a subtle evolution from the buttery and spicy dichotomy of almost exactly 1 year ago to a slightly milder and yet more clearly defined presentation. I did not pick up on the leather and allspice nuances this time around, nor was I as aware of the peppery cedar tones near the finish. The cloak of creaminess has receded ever so slightly, thereby permitting previously hidden touches of cocoa and almost fruity sweetness to peek through. Though undeniably leaning toward the milder range of Cuban characteristics, the Saint Luis Rey Churchill remains, as ever, a most stylish and satisfying smoke, especially when paired with a good cup of coffee. __________________ My whisky adventure began at the age of nine. Good things DO take time!