My Weekend Cigar: Cuesta-Rey Centro Fino Sungrown Churchill #1

Over the Fourth of July weekend, I found myself smoking a "first" for me - a Cuesta Rey Centro Fino Sun-Grown Churchill #1. What's even more interesting is that I found this cigar in my stash from last year's RDTA show in Houston. Yes, I still have a pretty decent load of cigars left over from last year's show; can you believe it? And I'm leaving for this year's newly named "IPCPR" show in Las Vegas this Sunday.

Most of the weekend weather here in the northeast was not particularly suited for smoking outside, but late yesterday afternoon the sun poked its head out, and I wanted a nice long cigar to make up for the two prior days while I enjoyed a good read out on the deck. The 7" x 49 Cuesta Rey Centro Fino Sungrown Churchill #1 was just the ticket.

This line is reportedly the most "full-bodied" of the Cuesta Rey cigars. To my palate it was no more than medium-bodied at best, but it was "full-flavored." The cigar drew and burned well, exposing a firm ash during the first act, but a ligero leaf positioned a little off to one side caused it to burn unevenly at the midpoint. Eventually, it did work itself out.

What I enjoyed most about this cigar was its natural sweetness laced with rich, woody, oak and cedar flavors. I also like good Sumatra wrapper, and one of the central features the Cuesta Rey Centro Fino Sungrown cigars are the Ecuadorian sungrown Sumatra-seed wrappers that surround a Dominican ligero longfiller blend. This is not a complex cigar, but for me complexity isn't necessarily a criteria for total enjoyment. However, consistency is, and although it did pick-up nicely in strength during the last third, the sweetness of the smoke remained consistent all the way through.

Overall, a darn good cigar, especially if you like sweet tobacco flavor. Kind of makes me wish I hadn't waited until now to smoke it, but perhaps I can procure another next week at the show. ;-)