I have smoked a tremendous number of different cigars over the years as part of my daily routine. Many are new cigars that others wish for me to sample and assess, and honestly most are ho-hum smokes. Every once in awhile though, I come across a cigar that I find to be real joy to smoke and I add it my rotation along with my old time favorites. Below are three cigars that I consider worthwhile - some are new, while others are time tested veterans. I can not promise you will like them all, but I regard each as fine cigar well worth your sampling. I offer them as smokable suggestions.

El Rey del Mundo Flor De Llaneza

Habana Romeo Y Julieta Cedros No. 3

Marcia Mancini De Gaulle

El Rey del Mundo Flor De Llaneza

This chunky 6 1/2 x 54 Honduran torpedo is a cigar that gets little press, but is well deserving of serious accolades. It is named in honor of the famed Villazon cigarmaker Frank Llaneza (Ya-nay-za). The craftsmanship of this figurado is impeccable, its Ecuadorian wrapper is silky smooth and oily, and a full thirty-five count cabinet of these gems is quite a sight to behold. Not only do they look great, but they also smoke wonderfully. Their easy draw delivers thick mouthfuls of smoke with notes of wood and cedar and a slightly tangy finish. This vitola manages to be full of flavor while maintaining a medium strength that is easy on the palate. Without a doubt, I consider this to be one of the finest cigars made outside of Havana and a must try for all.

Habana Romeo Y Julieta Cedros No. 3

The first thing you will notice about the Cedros No. 3 is it's unique individual ink stamped cedar wrapper and simple contrasting dull gold and black band. Regretfully I can not tell you about the beautiful silky wrapper it hides because the truth is these are typically pretty ugly looking cigars with coarse heavily veined wrappers. Also in it youth this is a rather poor acrid tasting cigar that I would not recommend. However, if afforded two years of aging these marevas blossom into on of Havana's most enjoyable mild coronas. The flavor is light on palate, but it still retains body and depth. The aroma is pleasing to the nose and the finish is slightly sweet and very pleasing. An aged Cedros No. 3 is one of my very favorite Sunday morning cigars.

Maria Mancini De Gaulle

The De Gaulle is relatively new cuadrado (square) pressed cigar that is distributed by Santa Clara/JR Tobacco. It is made in Honduras by one of the world's best cigar makers Nestor Plasencia. Nestor has always been noted for making top-notch smokes, but during the last couple of years of the boom his factory was responsible for some of the worst cigars ever made in my opinion. In fact, I had stopped buying any cigars made by him because of the lack of quality and poor flavor of many of his offerings. Well I take great pleasure as a cigar smoker to see that he has turned things around and gotten back to making great cigars like this Maria Mancini. This is a dark H2000 wrapped robusto that is packed with deep earthy flavors and plenty of bite for those of us who prefer a bold smoke. The aroma is heavy and the aftertaste of hearty tobacco is thick on the palate. The burn isn't always perfect due to the thick H2000 wrapper, but given some time to rest this problem diminishes. What really sells me on the De Gaulle is it's price of less than $2.00 each. It is amazing amount of good smoking for little dinero. I highly recommend it to all Honduran cigar fans.