Honestly, she wasn’t that complex. But don’t you see. That was the good thing about her. I didn’t have to guess anything. She’d let you know, right from the beginning, what she was all about.

I was due for my weekly cigar. And boy did it feel like a long time coming. I’m still trying to find my way into the cigar aficionado world. And 7 days feels like years. I’ve only tried 7 different sticks for the moment. Half of them were complete trash. So it was time for more.

Unluckily for me, my brother Mable had to cancel our smoke. He was to get his new hound. I can’t wait to see the puppy next week when we go four our weekly smoke. It’s a golden retriever. Pretty hounds aren’t they. And it’s going to soon remember me as the smoky uncle.

Though my smoke date was gone, another date was in the air. It was a sister’s birthday, so I went to buy her flowers. ‘Coincidentally’ if we want to use that word, the tobacconist next to the florist was open. And not just any tobacconist. This was the shop where I got my very first Romeo Y Julieta No.2. The good stick. Not the most recent disaster to come out of a common drawer. But yes. A good shop, where they had a proper humidor.

Sadly, the humidor was quite empty. Shops had only started to reopen again, since the lockdown. So the tobacconist likely hadn’t the chance to refill their stores. All the Romeo Y Julieta’s were gone. Same with the H. Upmann and Punch sticks. All there was was some flavoured Tatiana sticks – Yuck! – and some Montecristo’s. They had Montecristo No.2, but they wanted 65 gold for one. Fuck that! Especially because the Montecristo No.4 sticks were only 26 gold.

I know. I know. 26 gold for such a small stick is too damned costly. You think you don’t know that! I love here, in the blood land down under. I have to suffer this foolish tobacco tax. But that doesn’t mean I won’t try to enjoy the romance. And romance it was with this new cigar.

If we don’t count the tragedies of the past – see what I did there? – then we can say that she was the first proper Cuban I’ve ever had. I’m not sure if she’s what we could consider a true Cuban, nut I was glad to have the chance, regardless.

She wasn’t crumbly, but she wasn’t as in top shape as some of the non-Cuban I’ve enjoyed lately. Maybe they didn’t check in on her during the lockdown. A shame, the neglect that this lockdown began to unshadow. And I’m not sure if I got a taste of it too, but she didn’t taste too pleasant at the start. I had my doubts. The first few puffs already had me thinking that I had picked up another dead stick.

Her smoke was ask-like, full of the taste of charcoal. It was lucky that there was an after taste. It was sort of sweet. My sister wanted to try some.  She said the cigar tasted very nostalgic. She liked it. I’m not sure if that was because she was a cigarette smoker and any smoke besides cigarette smoke tasted nice, or if she genuinely meant it.

Before we got the No.4 lit, I made sure to get familiar with the stick, first. The wrapper had a sort of floral scent that tickled the back of the nose. The foot smelled like both fresh and dry grass, if that even makes sense. And from the cold draw, there was a hint of sweetness.

With the poor initial smoke, I already somewhat gave up on the stick. My sister then poured us some shiraz to celebrate her day. Luckily, before we started to drink, I puffed the cigar. And there she was. Her true flavour. I lack the words and skill to describe it, but I knew straight away that what I was tasting was how the Montecristo No.4 was supposed to taste. A medium cedar/woody taste with a sweet finish. Just pleasant and easy. I got so excited, I smacked the glass of wine out of my sister’s face and begged her to smoke some. When she tried the smoke, her face lit up. She knew it as well. That the No.4 had finally come to out to dine.

I think now with the proper flavour at hand, my sister was able to describe her nostalgia. She told me the smoke reminded her of her grandparents, back in Thailand. They apparently grew their own tobacco and hand rolled their own little smokes. Likely cigarillos or mini cheroots. She said the smell and taste brought her back to where her grandparents lived, and spending time with them while they smoked. And no. Don’t say they were being bad for smoking next to a child. Only weak kids get sick around smoke. And besides. It was cigar smoke. The secret to youth!

I didn’t find the cigar to really change the red wine. But the wine definitely altered the cigar. There were now notes of cherries and berries in the finish. I don’t even know if the wine even had such flavours in it. It was a bottle of 19 Crimes Shiraz. Fairly easy to drink. And it gave a nice fruitiness to the cigar.

I did find the slightest hint of pepperiness. But it wasn’t enough to be considered. And I’m not sure if it came out later in the smoke or because of the wine. But still. Not enough to matter anyway.

The Montecristo No.4 was a very straight forward and simple medium cigar. The flavours were not complex, and I found they didn’t change for me throughout. It wasn’t my preferred taste, but I can say that this cigar can hands down be the stock standard for cigars. I expect to enjoy the consistency. We’ll see.

Also, is this what to expect of Cubans?

-Daniel Roy