JML 1902 Churchill - WOW

[txmatt]

Big thanks to JBI for sending me one of these to try.

I spent a lot of 2003 and 2004 in "maduro mania" and smoked as many different maduro wrapped cigars as I could. There are great Dominican made maduro cigars (Anejo, Hemmingway Maduro, CFNO Tres Hermanos) but they are hard to get and pricey at $8+ a stick. When I want a truly great Maduro cigar, I typically reach for a Nicaraguan or Honduran such as the PAM Principe, Bucanero Peg Leg, or ERDM Robusto Larga. The JML 1902 Churchill I smoked today was truly a great Dominican maduro experience and the cigar is obtainable and reasonably priced.

Luis Sanchez who produces that produces La Tradicion Cubana, Sabor Cubana, and Las Memorias Cubana in Miami started a new factory in the Dominican Republic. The JML 1902 is the first cigar out of this new factory.

Cigars excite me when they have a truly unique attribute. I am not talking about obscene ring gauge or a box with lighting, but something really different. The JML 1902 has a unique Pennsylvania broadleaf wrapper surrounding a Honduran binder and Dominican Ligero and Viso filler. The wrapper is not something you will find in many if any other cigars on the market.

Today I paired the cigar with some Buffalo Trace bourbon and experienced 90 minutes of nirvana. The cigar's burn and construction were as good as any $8+ premium cigar, it stayed even in a strong breeze with no touch-ups. The flavor this cigar presented was complex but not overwhelmingly so. There were wonderful flavor change-ups throughout. I am now struggling to name all the flavors I experienced but here are some: coffee, chocolate, anise (licorice), citrus (orange, clementine), leather, earth, white pepper, black pepper, cinnamon. I was also very impressed by how "interactive" this cigar was; smoke faster/hotter for more spice/pepper/bite or smoke slower/cooler for more sweetness. It was very controllable and predictable to get the desired flavor.

Visually the cigar is rustic, it has a very mottled maduro color that tells me its wrapper was not dyed or cooked. It really isn't a pretty cigar, and frankly I don't like the band. This cigar would not call me from the shelf if it could be found at my B&M. Thank goodness that my bud JBI sent me one or I would have never found it. Now that I know about it, it turns out Cigar Jack, Kevin @ theboxpress, and DogWatch have all tried and recommended it. I need to start following the internet cigar press more closely it seems.

The cigar is not to be found on Cigarcyclopedia's comparison shopper yet, but JBI tells me Fuller's Puller's has the best price currently. They are out of the Churchill in box quantity but you can get a 5er at $4 a stick. The 6.75 X 44 Corona Extra vitola is $55/20 or $2.75 a stick. If I had not just bought 3 boxes/bundles of cigars last week I would be all over a bundle of these. They WILL be my next cigar purchase for certain though, and I think you should try them too.

-Matt-

[duckmanco]

I can't believe no one has commented on this, given that matt is an authority on smokes, let alone cheap. Buddy, you have yet to steer me wrong on multiple cigars, so why should this be any different. I am placing my order this week for a 5'er of the corona size. Hope its just as good. Great review also.

[JBI]

Matt, an excellent review and I'm glad you enjoyed the JML 1902 as much as I do. It is truly a unique cigar blend-wise with the Pennsylvania broad-leaf wrapper, Honduran binder and Dominican Ligero and Viso filler and certainly flavor-wise.

One of my newer favorites and the churchies from all the sizes I've smoked seem to be the best IMHO followed by the toros. They both can be had for $63 a bundle of 20 as well.