The PH Cigar Thread - Page 41 - The Lounge

3,407 posts

119 months

Sunday 11th November 2018

A good week(+) for cigar smoking.

Last Saturday, the 3rd, was possibly one the more pleasant days we are likely to see until next spring.
Following a (far too brief) viewing of the London to Brighton veteran cars on Regent Street in the early afternoon I made my way to JJ Fox's, St. James.
Given that they'd been recently mentioned (paulguitar above), and feeling quite certain that I had never yet smoked one (a 54 but never the 50), I selected the Upmann Magnum 50 for the sampling lounge.
An Upmann Coronas Junior was, if I recall correctly, my first 'real' cigar, and I remember enjoying them immensely.
The Magnum was no exception.

For me it's a great size. I've always been a fan of cigars in the region of the Churchill vitola and the slightly chunkier, slightly shorter Magnum fits the bill nicely.
Rated light to medium, I would say to the light side of medium. Pleasant, even smoking throughout, no re-lighting required, developing to slightly stronger towards the end as one might expect. I will 'avoid' this one no longer.

Flavour: Light to Medium
Length: 6 1/4" (161 mm)
Ring Gauge: 50

The remainder of the afternoon / early evening was a very pleasant few beers and a R&J Churchill at the sidewalk tables outside Franco's.
Couldn't have asked for better weather given the time of year.

Back in April/May this year I posted on the Quai d Orsay 50, and later the coronas.
Both lovely cigars, with the 50 being by far the superior of the two.
At the time, my only complaint about the 50 was - it's too damned short!

Well finally, the 54 is to the rescue, but at a price.
I grabbed one of these as I was leaving Fox's, last Saturday (the last in the box) and finally got around to smoking it under near ideal circumstances; on the couch with a classic Bogart on the 'box' and a large brandy snifter of vintage port.
I did say craigjm, that it was likely that I'd disagree with you about this one, and I can confirm that I do so most wholeheartedly.

I had recently enjoyed a 50, so was looking forward to making the comparison.
Firstly, I must confess that mine was a bit tight and required a little more work to smoke than I would have preferred. (Given that it was the last cigar in the last box, the selection process was necessarily limited)
But what a cigar.
So much like the 50, yet so much more. More of the same flavour, but punchier, fuller. And it lasted so much longer.
For all that it was a bit tight, I didn't need to re-light until near then end when I let it rest while I errm, well, it was a whole film...
Yes, it lasted right through 99 minutes of 'Knock on any Door'.

I said "at a price". This was, at shop prices, £9 / £10 more than the 50.
To be fair, the 50 is an absolute bargain price cigar for the Gauge and quality, so the extra tenner is perfectly reasonable to my mind.
I would base my choice between on or the other firstly on available smoking time rather than any other factor.

Quai d Orsay No. 54

Length: 5 1/3"
Ring Gauge: 54
Strength: Light

Quai d Orsay No. 50

Flavour: Light
Length: 4 3/8"
Ring Gauge: 50

craigjm

17,949 posts

200 months