Origin: Santiago, Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Brazil, Dominican Republic
Size Name: Petit Belicoso
Length: 5.00
Ring Gauge: 52
Strength: Medium
A few weeks ago I stopped into a B&M in Reading on my way to class. Among the small handful I purchased was a Leon Jimenes. Lately I have read a couple comments from people who really enjoy this cigar, so I decided to give it a try.
The wrapper was light brown in color with small veins and lumps throughout. The overall feel was very firm. These attributes concerned me a little when buying, but the entire box of cigars had the same attributes so I chalked it up as a common trait among the cigars.
I took out my Palio cutter and clipped the end. The result was a clean cut with a loose pre light draw. While checking the draw I was left with bits of loose tobacco in my mouth. So far things were not looking too god for this cigar, but I pressed on and began the lighting process.
The cigar lit quickly and produced a lot of smoke. The initial flavor was sort of sour with a heavy cedar base. The body started out mild to medium with a semi dry and long lasting finish. The ash was light in color and very firm.
After a few quick puffs I sat this cigar in the ashtray while I left the room to get a glass of water. When I returned, the room had a strong almost pungent aroma while the cigar smoked heavily in the ashtray. Fortunately the strong aroma did not negatively affect the way the cigar tasted.
As I got a little further into the smoke, the cedar tones began to fade as the finish became creamier. The draw was still too loose for my liking but it produced a nice, slow, cool, and even burn. As shown in the pictures, the ash was very strong.
Around midway this cigar seemed to jump back and forth from a heavy cedar base with a semi dry finish to a light cedar base with a creamy finish. The flavor change was a nice mix up but it just didn’t do it for me.
As I came to the final third of the cigar the ash became loose and crumbly leaving an unattractive looking foot. The flavor became dominantly cedar with a dry finish. As some of you may know from my past reviews, the woody and dry mix is a flavor and finish combination that I just do not enjoy.
When the cigar was about an inch long it became too harsh to continue smoking and I had to set it down for good. Overall I think this was a decent cigar, but it just wasn’t for me. If you see this cigar in your local shop pick one up and give it a try, it might turn out to be more in line of your taste than mine.
