Leon Jimenes #1
Size: 7.25 x 50
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder/Filler: Dominican
Price: $4

I inherited two of these Leon Jimenes churchills from Paul Shook early in 2010. I had never heard of this brand, but it is made by La Aurora. According to www.laaurora.com.do, all the tobaccos used in this cigar are aged 3 years before the cigar is rolled. (There is an extension to this line called Leon Jimenes 300 Series, in which the cigar is aged an additional 300 days after it is rolled.) The cigar is advertised as mild, smooth, and creamy, with balance, complexity, and an exquisite aroma.

My two cigars had light brown, peanut-colored wrappers with small but forgiveable flaws--a few hairline cracks and bumps, but nothing serious. The cigars burned rather quickly for their size (70 minutes or so), with a precise black mascara ring advancing steadily upward. Unlike many mild cigars, these did not have any bitterness. Construction and burn were nearly flawless.

A very well-made mild cigar, albeit a little boring in the taste department. & I completely missed the complexity. But these cigars helped me idle away two consecutive warm March nights with a few glasses of Jack Daniels. The first night I spent talking to Alie and Shaun on the telephone. The next night I wrote this review and then streamed some NCAA tourney basketball games on the laptop.