Fiance' needed me to run an errand, and she needed quiet time to study for MBA finals, so I took the opportunity and stopped by the local B&M last night. Old Virginia Tobacco Company-Kingstowne.
I had been walking past the Winston Churchill boxes for weeks now and thought "Oh what the heck, a little mid-week treat"
Here's a pic of the available line-up.
Talked to the manager about the cigar and chose the Marrakesh vitola.
6"x50 Toro shape.
He said the wrapper was Ecuadorian Sun Grown and might give an early punch and then mellow out. Filler was supposedly Cuban seed Peruvian, Dominican and Nicaraguan from what I have read on the internet.
While the first bit did have a bit more ooomph than the rest, it was still IMO a pretty mild-medium cigar.
Lots of creamy toast, with only small amounts of nuttiness & spice in the change from 2/3 to 3/3 of the cigar.
The cigar ran cool the entire way through. Flawless construction that lit up super easy and stayed lit even when I accidentally ignored it for a bit. It did go out with about an inch left...so I relit and nubbed it.
Now....the price is not something I normally like to talk about.
It's a $17 cigar...with taxes it came to just under $20.
Is it worth that?
IMO, no.
You can find similar sticks for less $$
A good smoke with flawless construction, impeccable burn, and nice double band. Subtle flavors and ooooooh so smooth.
I give it a 90/100.
If the flavors were just a little more pronounced it would have been awarded a higher score. Then again it may just have been my always inexperienced palette.