There’s no hiding the fact that I’ve been spending more time at work in recent months, but it is with great elation that I report the completion of a major project of grand importance in my company which has entitled me to a couple months vacation!

I already went away to Andalusia for a two week escapade where I came to a startling realization: the typical Andalusian cigar smoker doesn’t smoke premium cigars!

I wanted to do an “off the beaten path” trip through the southern provinces and had decided not to bring my humidor; my logic being that I’d be able to find properly humidified premium cigars at every corner. Boy was I wrong. I ended up touring the utterly stunning Andalusian landscape, and I mean stunning, while smoking dollar cigars that came wrapped in aluminum foil.

I did visit numerous tobacco shops along the way, but most didn’t have a proper humidor. Even the ones that had something resembling a humidor, used it for keeping their dollar cigars: cheap coronas made with tobacco from the Canary Islands blended with Sumatra or Brazilian leaf. Eventually it did begin to make sense to me. I mean, the Canary Islands produce tons of tobacco every year, and so, being practically neighboring provinces, people just have a natural tendency toward cigars made rather “locally”.

I was still surprised to find out that they didn’t carry the Canary Islands’ most well known brands like Condal or Peñamil. Not that they are great, but at least they are recognizable. What little they did have was usually machine made. I looked and looked, but finally gave up.

So, what did I end up smoking, you ask? Haha… meet the Don Julian No.1: A foil wrapped, precut, corona made with a blend of Canary Islands and Sumatra tobaccos.

The thing opens like pack of gum to reveal a slightly box pressed cigar that is precut in a v-shape. You can tell right away that it tastes largely of “blond” tobacco. It’s very mild, the ash doesn’t hold up worth a dime, the draw is too lose for my liking, but it did have a redeeming quality: the thing never goes out. I mean I could just as well smoke one while surfing in the Mediterranean and the persistent little stick will burn to the very nub every time.

I couldn’t help thinking of George Burns’ famous line about cheap cigars not going out during his act. Here’s one last interesting detail for such a cheapo, a folded foot!

Toward the end of the trip I did manage to get me some actual hand made Habanos from a shop in Sevilla, but that is a story for another day, believe me; besides this post is already overloaded with photos. Here’s a short clip of what’s it’s like to open one.