Good Cigars and a Week That Forgot It Was January

What is one to do when January temperatures climb into the 60s? Spend time outside, of course. Last week’s weather offered a welcome break from the usual winter chill (yes, I know the real cold is still lurking). Along with some refreshing walks around the neighborhood, I took advantage of the mild evenings by spending time on the porch — often without the need for a supplemental heat source.

I decided it was a good opportunity to work through some of the Cigar of the Month selections I’ve received over the past few months from Cigar and Pipes. I enjoy these packages and have discovered some excellent new smokes, but the cigars do tend to “back up,” especially when I’m also adding to the humidor through regular purchases.

One of the cigars I smoked this week was the La Gloria Cubana Los Gloriosos. This 6 x 50 Toro, received last September, features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. It was crafted by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo for the La Gloria Cubana brand he helped establish. The smoke delivered notes of leather, espresso, and cocoa, and its smooth, medium-bodied profile paired especially well with a glass of DOM B&B as an evening digestif.

As the warm spell continued, another evening found me lighting up a November COTM selection: the Partagás Y Nada Más Santiago. This 5 x 50 Robusto is part of a lineup introduced at the 2025 PCA Trade Show. It features a Habano 2000 wrapper, a Sumatra binder, and a complex filler blend of Piloto Cubano, Corojo, Ecuadorian, and Broadleaf tobaccos. The cigar was milder than I expected, drifting into the mild-medium range at times. The draw was very open and airy, which likely contributed to its muted profile, though there were pleasant notes of cream and cocoa throughout.

I paired it with a pour of Four Roses Small Batch Select, though I waited until about a third of the way in before sipping, hoping the cigar’s flavors might build a bit. The bourbon brought dark fruit, vanilla, and oak, along with lingering sweetness and spice, adding a welcome flavor boost to the pairing.

These two cigars were new to me, which is exactly why I maintain a COTM subscription. It’s fun to receive cigars I might not have tried otherwise. Occasionally one doesn’t quite click, and other times I enjoy a cigar so much that I end up buying more. From time to time, one arrives that I’ve already smoked before — such was the case when the Black Works Studio Killer Bee showed up in October. Still, seeing it in the package made me smile; it’s a cigar I truly enjoy.

The Killer Bee Robusto is a 5 x 50 stick wrapped in dark Ecuadorian Maduro leaf. The cap is accented with thin stripes of lighter tobacco, giving it the bee-like appearance that inspired its name, while the foot is neatly and tightly closed. Inside, aged Nicaraguan tobaccos make up the binder and filler.

From the first draw, the medium-to-full-bodied smoke delivers white pepper, dark roasted coffee, and cedar spice. The burn is razor-sharp and consistent, producing thick, aromatic clouds that fill the space around me. By the second half, the cigar has settled into a fuller expression without becoming harsh. Despite its strength, I stuck with water for this after-dinner smoke.

Those pleasant January temperatures gave me the chance to enjoy several good cigars over a few days and make a dent in my Cigar of the Month backlog. And yet, as I write this, the next shipment has already arrived on my doorstep.

Ah, the struggle continues.

Cheers!