A few months ago I purchased a St. Luis Rey Belicoso (dark natural, not maduro) after seeing it rated as one of the 25 best of 2006 by Cigar Aficionado.
I held it back in my humidor a long time, passing over it for other cigars because of my not-so-prime experience with a St. Luis Rey Rothchilde maduro - a cold, wind-in-your-teeth smoke that made me pucker with disgust and douse the cigar after 10 minutes.
Turns out my reservations were unfounded. I could hardly believe the belicoso was made by the same company. It started out a little hot and dry, making me fear it would be another Macanudo-like dud. But it quickly eased into an undercurrent of cream and soft spice; full-bodied smoke, but not heavy.
The subtley of this thing was surprising, considering it only costs about $3.50 per stick. It really drew out flavor in what might otherwise be a mild cigar. In fact, the St. Luis Rey belicoso is everything I usually wish a mild cigar would be - namely, medium-bodied and tasty.
I smoked two-thirds of it, enjoying its perfect burn, sensuous draw, and sheen of sweetness on the tongue--just barely noticeable and therefore tantalizing--and somewhere in the middle section I couldn't help but shake my head and say "man, what a great cigar!"
You know you have a winner when that happens.
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