I recently smoked the Baccarat Candela Churchill, a decent cigar at a fair price. I have provided my full review below. This content uses referral links.
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
A recent shipment from Cigar of the Month included the Baccarat Candela Churchill. This was a decent, solid B+ smoke.
Baccarat Candela Churchill
A Honduran cigar with Havana-seed Honduran long-fillers, a Mexican binder, and a green Candela wrapper, this cigar represents what seems like a recent trend of green wrappers. I generally don’t care for these types of cigars, but this one was a decent stick nonetheless.
Cigar of the Month recommends pairing it with a Pilsner. As is my usual habit when tasting cigars, however, I enjoyed mine with a good cup of coffee. They went together fine. Nonetheless, I think a Pilsner would go well with it. I just didn’t have any on hand.
In my grading system and review below, I have adopted the Cigar Journal: For the Discerning Aficionado method. It provides an excellent system for keeping track of my favorite smokes, and I recommend it to every cigar smoker.
Look of the Label
As the picture indicates, the label was fine. It had a nice play on its name.
3/3 points
Baccarat Candela Churchill’s Condition
The Baccarat Candela Churchill was well-constructed. It had the solid feel typical of a well-made cigar. It did, however, have very distinct seams and wrinkling covering the body.
6/7 points
Feel of the Cigar
The cigar felt too spongy and soft throughout. It was also inconsistent, with some places even softer than others.
2/3 points
Aroma of the Wrapper
The pre-lit cigar smelled terrific. The aroma was sweet with notes of vanilla, earth, and mint.
3/3 points
The Cut
The cut was perfect. I was able to slice off the cap quickly and without issue, leaving the structure of the cigar mostly intact. Some very slight fraying resulted but nothing of great concern.
1/1 point
Lighting the Baccarat Candela Churchill
The Baccarat Candela Churchill lit up quickly and without issue.
1/1 point
The Draw
The draw was excellent from beginning to end. It had just the right amount of resistance, making for a nice, relaxing smoke.
5/5 points
Retrohale
On the retrohale, the Baccarat Candela Churchill had notes of hay. It was, however, a bit abrasive as it traveled through my sinuses.
6/9 points
Baccarat Candela Churchill’s Flavor
On the cold draw, I picked up notes of sweetness and mint. After the light, the Baccarat Candela Churchill had hints of earth, grass, and mint. It had some nice flavors in there, but they were too weak to enjoy fully. It seemed like a wasted opportunity.
15/21 points
Aroma of the Smoke
After the light, the cigar’s smoke smelled of hay. It had a smooth aroma to it, but it wasn’t that appealing.
5/7 points
The Burn
This cigar burned evenly and consistently throughout. It did, however, burn too quickly. I would expect most Churchills to last longer than this, particularly as I was intentionally taking my time as I smoked it to compensate for the fast burn rate.
1/2 points
The Ash
The ash was fine. It was nothing impressive, but it also didn’t cause any trouble.
1/1 point
Effect of the Smoke
I know that this is a bit of an odd category to consider. As the author of The Cigar Journal: For the Discerning Aficionado notes, however, if the best-tasting cigar in the world makes you sick, it’s not a great cigar for you.
This area is, therefore, very personal. Some low-quality cigars will make most people sick. Still, when you’re talking about premium cigars, different people will react differently to different cigars.
The Baccarat Candela Churchill left me feeling relaxed and mellow, precisely what I want.
30/30 points
Baccarat Candela Churchill’s Tobacco
The Baccarat Candela Churchill showed itself to be well-made here. No flakes of tobacco found their way into my mouth at any point during the smoke.
7/7 points
Baccarat Candela Churchill Bonus Points
I enjoyed this cigar enough to smoke it all the way down to the nub. +1
Baccarat Candela Churchill’s Final Grade
Overall, this was a decent cigar at a fair price. $3.48 per stick is a hard price to beat for a B+ cigar.
Final Grade: 87 / B+
Cigar of the Month Club
As always, I recommend Monthly Clubs’ Cigar of the Month Club. I’ve been a member for years, and I love it. If you join, you’ll get five premium cigars delivered right to your door every month for just $32.95, including shipping.
(There’s also a slightly more expensive Rare Cigar Club available, for those who are interested.)
The opportunity to try a variety of high-quality cigars and to learn more about cigars in general through the accompanying tasting notes has been an invaluable experience for me. I have enjoyed being a member, and I recommend giving it a try.
If you’re interested and would like to use my referral link, I would appreciate it. Just click here. If you do, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
If you’d prefer not to use my link, however, I still recommend the Club. Just go to Monthly Clubs’ Cigar of the Month website to explore Monthly Clubs’ offerings.
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