Cigar Weekly

Published Monday, December 18, 2000

 

Temple Hall Estates cigars are named for the most famous tobacco fields of the past on the island of Jamaica. The Temple Hall cigars begin with filler tobacco from the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Each cigar is then bunched in a dark, supple Mexican San Andrean binder leaf and wrapped in a Connecticut Shade. The finished cigars are each rounded in the Temple Hall tradition. The Cifuentes y Cia factory in Kingston, Jamaica manufactures the Temple Hall cigars. General bought Temple Hall in 1969. Today the factory, Cifuentes y Cia, Ltd. is the largest in Jamaica. The factory also makes most of Macanudos, all of the Macanudo Vintage and some smaller General brands; Cifuentes, and 8-9-8 Collections.

The Temple Hall cigars are available in seven sizes: #700 (7 x 49); #675 (6.75 x 45); #625 (6.25 x 42); #550 (55 x 49); #500 (5 x 31); # 450 (4.5 x 49) and Bellicoso (6 x 50). The suggested retail prices are from $2.50 to $6.00

Pre-Smoke Comments

Craig White (MrChips_VI): Beautiful shaped torpedo with the wrapper looking to be Conn. but just a tad dark to be. I have only seen one wrapper that matched this color and it is not a Conn wrapper. Nice and silky with a little oil. The cigar is very firm and well shaped. Looks like a very good smoke.

Marvin Kyburz (MKyburz): This is a beautiful Belicosos measuring 52 X 6". Veiny, but very well constructed slightly oily (Connecticut) natural wrapper, that was a consistent medium brown shade throughout the exterior of the cigar. The cap was coarse, but again, well constructed with perfect placement on the cigar that blended well around the wrapper. A distinguished appearance! The bunch was a firm well rolled puros. Quality craftsmanship. The pre-light draw was easy and impressive for such a tight firm roll. Upon the light I was immediately treated to a wonderful aroma and began to enjoy a rich fresh herbal flavor that rendered a creamy taste. Delicious mild to medium body. Very even burn that produced a solid dark gray ash that finally required a tap to flake off, exposing a perfect small cone coal. This is a valid compliment to the wonderful construction of this cigar and must be a true source of pride to the tabacalera that makes it.

Michael Griffith (mpg0101): A very good looking 6 x 48 torpedo. The wrapper was a nice natural color with a medium texture. Small veins with a smooth cap. The fill was firm with even bunching. The pre-light aroma was faint but appealing. The construction was top-shelf.

Rich Berridge (Sancho): This is about a 6 1/2 X 50 Figurado. The wrapper is a brown color with a slight rosado hue. The wrapper texture is fine to medium and a few noticeable veins. The bunch of the cigar is very firm with no soft spots. Overall, this cigar looks almost perfect, except for the cap, which has an odd shape compared to the other sample. Possibly!, just some inconsistencies from a roller. Not a hindrance, IMHO!

Robert Lawing (Lawdog): Very impressed with the wrapper color, very rich. Construction was near perfect, only problem was a rough looking cap. The smell of the cigar was very pleasing.

Robert S. Brown (Bobfire): A very well crafted cigar. The wrapper was flawless, the feel was very firm. The overall construction of one of the cigars was great. It burned like a dream and held a solid ash for about an inch and a half. The draw was very good. The aroma was underwhelming though. The other sample was so tight on the pre-smoke that I didn't even bother to light it up.

Steve Heath (dadoharley): The box was crushed when I received it, and both samples apparently suffered damage to the cap. I repaired the caps with some certo, and let them rest for a few days. The cigars were generally well constructed, but one of them had a large soft spot and both caps seemed sloppy even before the shipping damage. The wrapper was a fairly smooth golden brown and looked like Connecticut shade. The aroma was very mild, as was the flavor of the pre-light draw.

Smoke Comments

Craig White (MrChips_VI): The cigar was easy to light and burned perfect. The flavor was very mild and my wife didn't even notice the smoke. The aroma was almost not there. This cigar started off mild and finished up as a medium. Some spice and other tastes I could not identify. Seems very complex. The ash was a light gray and solid. But the burn was perfect and the draw was very smooth. Plenty of smoke also.

Marvin Kyburz (MKyburz): During the smoke the wrapper became a beautiful golden brown color, with a nice rich sheen. There began a spice component akin to nutmeg. The aroma continued fresh and herbal with a subtle hint of spice. Absolutely Grand! The flavor continued to mature and evolve into a prominent blend of a fresh, creamy, herbal and spicy presence. There is an unmistakable aging in either the binder or filler of this cigar. The burn stayed even and consistent. The aroma became more luxurious and I found myself were I love to be while smoking; relaxed with my thoughts enjoying the moment of the smoke from the great character of an excellent cigar. The finish was wonderful and dominated by the creamy herbal flair of this grand smoke.

Michael Griffith (mpg0101): The cut was clean. The draw was perfect, just enough resistance to know you have a cigar and not straw. The amount of smoke was also perfect, with a very mild aroma. The burn was very even with a gray ash that held well and was very solid. From here on out it was all down hill. The flavor of this cigar was very bland, somewhat vegetal, with a very bitter taste. Trying to be fair to the review I stuck with it to about the last inch. It didn't get any better.

Rich Berridge (Sancho): The cigar lit very easily and the burn was very even right from the start. The aroma of the cigar was very slight and hardly noticeable. There was a real nice flavor from the beginning. The flavor was of a slight leathery nature, with a faint mingling of a mild cocoa flavor. The burn and draw of the cigar was perfect from the beginning. The ash was firm and was dark grey in color. The first ash did not drop until almost two inches into the cigar. The first third of the cigar developed with a leathery flavor and a complex undertone. The undertone was of a slightly tangy, ginger flavor. Very refreshing and smooth! As the second third of the cigar took over, the leathery overtone was more prominent. But now, the complex undertone , took on a very creamy cocoa flavor. The last third and finish of the cigar was a flavorful combination of the leathery taste with a nice ginger flavored tang. This tang was not bitter or harsh, but very enjoyable.

Robert Lawing (Lawdog): The cigar started out a little mild and without a lot of flavor.. After just a bit the cigar opened its true colors and had a nutty and slightly sweet taste and stayed this way till the end... The finish was nice and lingering... I liked it.

Robert S. Brown (Bobfire): The flavor was good although very mild. The aftertaste was also good with a slight sweetness. The scores I gave were a bit below average, but that is based on my preference for stronger flavored cigars. I would definately recommend this one to the occasional smoker that wants a mild smoke. It was incredibly one dimensional from beginning to end, also what an occasional smoker might enjoy.

Steve Heath (dadoharley): This cigar started off very mild but steadily built to what I would call medium bodied. The flavors were well balanced and varied enough to keep my interest. With a perfect draw that supplied plenty of smoke, the cigar was well mannered and had a very even burn with no harshness or bitter tastes at all. The finish was pleasantly tart, though fairly short, and the aroma was light and sweet. The second sample delivered a similar performance.

Summary Comments

Craig White (MrChips_VI): I cant wait to find out what this cigar is because it fits my taste buds just fine. I look forward to many a morning coffee with this cigar. I have also found a great cigar to give to friends that smoke rarely.

Marvin Kyburz (MKyburz): Very Impressive! A well balanced mild to medium body puros with great construction. The taste and aroma was superb from a distinguished well-blended cigar with some aging. This is a cigar for the mature discriminating aficionado as well as the novice growing in the experience of taste and appreciation of a good cigar. Although my preference is for a medium to more full body smoke, this cigar exceeded my expectations and desires when my taste drives me to a milder smoke. This puros is a real masterpiece in the art of cigar smoking. Rating 48! Thanks CigarWeekly.com for the invitation to take part in this tasting, it was a true pleasure.

Michael Griffith (mpg0101): The physical appearance and construction of this cigar was top-shelf. Both samples tasted the same (I only got halfway through the second and let it go) bitter almost chemical. I don't know that aging would help this one. Just a bad brew from the start.

Rich Berridge (Sancho): Although I prefer full flavored cigars, this smoke was quite excellent. The underlying complexities and smoothness of this cigar is what made it so enjoyable. I would highly recommend this cigar to anyone. I would also purchase this cigar to enjoy again. Thanks Dan !, for letting me review a great smoke!

Robert Lawing (Lawdog): I liked this cigar very much.. It was a little milder than I normally smoke... The flavor was to my liking and the FAMILY said it smelled very good and that I could smoke all of these I wanted IN THE HOUSE...Good morning smoke. Would buy if priced reasonable.

Robert S. Brown (Bobfire): The one sample was well crafted, smoked well, but left me bored with the taste. The other sample was too tight to even light up, but I'll consider that a fluke without knowing the reputation of the brand. Just because it didn't suit my smoking preferences doesn't mean that I wouldn't recommend it to a casual smoker.

Steve Heath (dadoharley): Despite the noted construction flaws, the cigars suffered no burn or draw problems. Given its tame strength and interesting flavor, I would recommend it for those who prefer a mild but tasty cigar. If pressed to guess what this was I would have to say the flavor profile was that of a Macanudo, though it's been a long while since I've had one to compare to.

Scores

 Review Results
Final Score: 38.7 out of 50

4 Star -- Excellent

This is the fourth Temple Hall cigar we've reviewed at Cigar Weekly. Three of them received 4 Stars and one received 3 Stars. This was one of the higher scores for a Temple Hall. Most of the reviewers enjoyed this cigar. Temple Hall is not a cigar you hear much about and it's certainly not one of the 10 Most Popular cigars. But the unique combination of Dominican and Mexican tobaccos, together with a Connecticut Shade wrapper gives this cigar a light, enjoyable flavor with a slight tangy aftertaste. Definitely worth a try.