I typically avoid flavored cigars.  Oh, sure, there have been a few over the years that I have enjoyed, but as a rule, I am not a fan.  Well, my good friend, Bert, offered me something special before Christmas this year.  During a visit to Amish country Pennsylvania he happened upon the John Hay Cigar shop.  Sporting all Amish tobacco (which seems like an oxymoron to me) this company has been in business since 1882.  The cigar he gave me was a cocoa infused maduro variety that was rolled by machine....and 100 year old cigar rolling machine!  So how was this piece of history?  Let's see....

Construction:    If you are looking for a slick shiny wrapper with no veins then look elsewhere.  This is not a pretty cigar.  Personally, I like the old-world rustic look....but man, this one pushes it to the limit.

Pre-light Aroma and Draw: No surprise.....out of the cellophane it smells like cocoa powder.  GOOD cocoa powder.  I was very intrigued at this point.  The draw was perfect too.  A cold pull tasted like....yep, cocoa.

Light and Burn: The cigar blazed up quickly and easily.  I had to smoke this one in the garage because of the blizzard conditions outside.  The burn was actually quite good.  The wrapper leaf is a nice leathery broadleaf and I had only a couple of mildly wonky burn lines.

Tasting: Baking brownies, sweet wood, vanilla, cream, coffee, and a floral spice that reminded me of Hawaii for some reason.  This is a diamond in the rough.  I honestly enjoyed every single puff of this cigar.

Value: Considering this was a gift from a friend, I can't complain.  The price for one is usually close to $5....awesome price for such a great cigar.

Final Thoughts: I am still in shock.  This was, as I said, not a pretty cigar.  I was expecting some kind of average smoking experience and ended up with something truly memorable.  I highly recommend trying these fine pieces of history.  They can be found here.

Wrapper: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Binder: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Filler: Pennsylvania Broadleaf blend

Strength: Medium

Size: 6 x 47

This thing smells like brownies in the oven!

It's hard to see but it's very rustic looking

Nice burn and surprising flavors!