Johnny O Pigtail Short

Today's review is of a cigar I just recently heard about called the Johnny O. There is very little information available about this elusive cigar, but from what I gathered, these are farmrolled cigars made up of Cuban tobacco and are not easy to come by. I believe they are made by one roller named Johnny O somewhere in the US. (obviously not an authorized product since Cuban tobacco is illegal to import into the United States) These are not for sale in any shop, but occasionally pop up randomly for sale if you know where to look. (I dont, but luckily a very nice BOTL I met at the shop does!) This cigar is called the Pigtail short, which measures in at 4.75 X 42. If I remember correctly, these cigars were rolled within the last month, making them very fresh. This is the first time this season it has been nice enough to sit outside, so I am finally back out on the balcony!

This seems to be a nicely constructed cigar, with a nice little pigtail cap neatly applied. The wrapper is a little splotchy and has some bump showing through from the binder, but it is very smooth and has a very nice aroma to it. The draw is a little tight and shows a little bit of dry cocoa and lots of earth on the predraw. After lighting, it starts off with a nice complex array of flavors ranging from a sweet almost honey like flavor, to a toasted nut/bready taste. There is also that classic barnyard earthy twang I associate with Cuban tobacco present here. The ash is nice and solid with a great white color to it. I think this cigar might still be a little wet, which is what I am attributing the tighter draw to. The burn is a little uneven at the start, but evens out nicely after the first inch or so.

The flavors remain pretty consistent throughout the cigar, and are very pleasant! Towards the end, there is a slightly youthful bite, but It wasn't unpleasant. This doesn't surprise me given how young of a cigar this is. I have one more of these left, and I am going to attempt to see what some time in the humidor will do to it. I have a feeling this cigar will age very well. I am not quite sure on the price of this cigar, but I think they are very affordable. If you ever come across these, give them a shot! Like I said before, these are not easy to find, so good luck! Johnny O makes these in a variety of different Vitolas, and I am curious to see what other sizes would taste like. Maybe ill come across these again in the future.