So I’m sure most of you bargain shoppers received the same e-mail as me from JR Cigars with regards to S.T. Dupont cigars. Its been awhile since I’ve had a S.T. Dupont but a deal is a deal and any box selling for $49.95 a box (down from $100+) is a deal to me.
S.T. Dupont stogies never really caught on in the US market. Very popular in Europe but just never really did anything in the US and I think the normal $100+ a box price had something to do with it. S.T. Dupont started out as a stogie made in the Canary Islands and failed. Moved to the Dominican Republic and received a poor response as still being too weak. S.T. Dupont then moved production to Nicaragua in the hopes of adding a little power to their stogies but again, missed the boat and is still considered a very light stogie with JR Cigars finally deciding to no longer carry the brand and liquidate its supply.
I purchased a box of the Churchill size weighing in at 7.00 x 47. While JR’s website indicates that the wrapper, binder and filler are secret, Perelman says that the S.T. Dupont features a Honduran wrapper, Cameroon binder and a mix of Dominican & Nicaraguan filler. But Perelman says that they are still manufactured in the Dominican when in fact they were moved to Nicaragua so take all that information for what it is worth.
Like I said earlier, I’ve had a handful of S.T. Dupont stogies over the course of my smoking life. I know technically very light isn’t a stogie category but saying that S.T. Dupont is a light stogie would be an exaggeration as if it wasn’t for actually seeing smoke from the stogie, I couldn’t tell that I had anything in my mouth.
Construction is solid. Wrapper is soft, smooth and no visible veins. No aroma from the stick. Easy time with the cut and the foot lit evenly with no need for any touch ups or extra rotating to keep an even burn. The S.T. Dupont had a slow even burn with the Churchill lasting me well close to two hours of smoking.
If construction and burn rate were all that mattered in a stogie, the S.T. Dupont would be at the top of the list. Unfortunately, you have to factor in taste and even more unfortunate is that taste and flavor are the biggest factors in a stogie and the S.T. Dupont truly does fail miserably in that category.
The only word I can use to describe the taste of the S.T. Dupont is to say it was bland. Not even the slightest hint of a natural tobacco taste. No sweetness, no spice, no depth…no nothing! I can honestly say that you taste nothing while smoking the S.T. Dupont. I would even be as bold to say that even a cigarette offers more flavor and more aroma (even though its a bad one) than the S.T. Dupont.
In closing its easy to see why this stogie failed in the US market. When you factor in the price and the lackluster or missing flavor profile, the S.T. Dupont was doomed to fail. The only question remains is what took JR Cigars so long to discontinue carrying it? I started this review thinking that $49.95 a box was a great deal but I’m actually left feeling like JR Cigars owes me money.
Stogie Review Rating Sheet : 57/100
Lew has been flogging this brand so mightily that I thought there had to be something wrong with it. Your review sheds much light on my suspicions. In the world of cigar acronyms there is the SLR, the PSD4, the ESG… and now, the STD. Just remember, the best revenge is a biting review.
“I can honestly say that you taste nothing while smoking the S.T. Dupont.”
Ouch!
Way to rip Dupont a new one! Jeez, I can hardly remember such a gravely critical review for any cigar. I too thought $49.95 per box would be a great deal (and almost made the purchase), but your comments thankfully diverted me from that unfortunate course. Thanks for the heads up.
I ordered a box also. Just got it last night. Will try one tonight. I am a total novice so it will be interesting to see what i think of the (lack of) flavor. Needed something, anything to stock my nearly empty humidor. I usually smoke Rocky Patels and Zino Platinums (too expensive though). We’ll see…Worst case I have some freebies to give out to the non-smokers that won’t make them sick (i hope?)
Joe – Please come back and let us know what you think after you smoke your’s. My opinion is never the “end all” for a cigar and I always find it very interesting to get other insight on a stogie.
Speaking of which, I should send some of these out to other blog owners and see if we as a community can come to some consensus.
Well, I just put out my ST Dupont Corona…Jerry, I concur that there isn’t much flavor. I noted a slightly acrid aftertaste, but not offensive. These will be fine freebies to hand out to non-smokers who want to try a smoke, but I won’t be encouraging my cigar buddies to try them. I might have been prejudiced since reading your review before smoking, but I can’t anything say much different than you did. The humidor/box they came in is nice. I don’t smoke very often, and when I do, I’d like to enjoy what the cigar has to offer as far as flavor. These don’t fit the bill, but at least the bottom of my humidor isn’t bare anymore.
Joe – Thanks for reporting back! And I’m glad your results were on par with mine.
At least you smoked the Corona size and didn’t have to sit thru a couple Churchills.
Lew definitely missed the boat on this one. He normally pushes good stuff but I guess we all can’t be perfect all the time.
I’m a JR regular(aren’t we all). Bought 4 boxes of the ST duPont Coronas at the sale price. I’ll smoke them up but they suck. I agree with all the above comments on taste,etc. I also noticed that in the corona size that the wrappers suck,too. Not well made and wrapped, which you think they could get right right in the “perfect” size cigar to roll.
Oh well….I’ve gotten so many good deals from Jr(12 days of xmas,etc( that I will live and learn. I bought these because they were out of a much better cigar for less money…a Remedios Corona!!
While I agree that the cigars are mild, I have to disagree that they suck. Then again, it may be because I bought a smaller size (Robustos) at the sale than the Churchills. I’ve noticed that buying mild cigars in a large size mellows out the flavors too much. I think the Robusto size is perfect for mild cigars: thick enough not to burn too hot, but short enough not to filter out too much taste.
The St. Duponts were actually my first purchase from JR. I like them so much, that I’ve been saving them (as I’m unwilling to pay $180 to buy another box). However, I did notice some undesirable taste with the Coronas. I think that they burn a little too hot (or I smoke them too fast for their length and ring size).
In the end though, if what you want is a full bodied cigar, then of course the “taste” of the Duponts will be sub par. It’s like craving chocolate ice cream, but then eating vanilla instead. Personally, I think there is a place in my humidors for the St. Duponts or something similar. ‘Cause sometimes El Rico, Omar Ortez, Da Vinci, etc. are just too heavy to follow the light meal you just ate (though TTT Trinidad is a good catchall). Then again, this is coming from a guy who likes to have cognac, bourbon, and more than one single malt on hand to cover whichever taste I’m craving.
I purchased about 6 boxes of these cigars and disagree with the lack of flavor comments. Perhaps It’s because I have yet to fry my tastebuds but I love these stogies and wish I could get more from Lew.
I love JR’s weekly specials and jump on many deals, the unfortunate truth is that when ordering the specials, you sometimes get a poor one and a great one in the same box and if you don’t give them a chance, you can end up condemning an entire brand/box/style.
I have had great true cuban Cohibas and also some TERRIBLE true cuban Cohibas from the same OVERPRICED box but I can’t say all Cohibas are bad…
I am enjoying an ST Dupont Lonsdale that is very, very old. It is a tasty well aged cigar. This particular cigar is from the original Canary Island release so you can imagine how old it is.
I have enjoyed many ST Duponts but the Nicaraguan version Lew closed out was my least favorite incarnation. He originally carried the Dominican version which I think have aged well. The Canary Island version I picked up on Cigarbid awhile back and I enjoy that version also.