Cigar Weekly

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. Cifuentes y Cia in Jamaica manufactures the Temple Hall cigars.

The Temple Hall cigars are available in seven sizes: #700 (7 x 49); #675 (6.75 x 45); #625 (6.25 x 42); #550 (5.5 x 49); #500 (5 x 31); # 450 (4.5 x 49) and Bellicoso (6 x 50). The suggested retail prices are from $5.50 to $8.00

Cigar Weekly reviews are blind taste tests conducted by our readers. Reviewers are sent three samples with all identifying marks removed. Reviewers are chosen randomly from the list of everyone that has signed the Cigar Weekly Guest Book. Their comments are below.

Pre-Smoke Comments

Chris Arft: The cigars were delivered by mail in excellent condition. This particular ring gauge and length is one of my favorites. It offers a nice smoke, providing a great draw and doesn't take all afternoon to enjoy. The outside wrapper has tan color and is very consistent without any imperfections and also very smooth. The cap was also made to perfection, as it too was smooth and well formed. I tend to use a bullet cutter as this provides an adequate opening for a smooth draw and also keeps the cap well intact during the entire smoke. I was also impressed with the consistency of the filler or bunch. It was very firm and consistent throughout. The middle was as firm as both ends. A very well constructed cigar. I used a torch style lighter to light the cigars as it provides a perfect starting point for a good smoke. The cigars had a pretty even burn. I was impressed with the ash structure, as it remained firm and solid while having a light gray/off-white color. The coal remained in a cone style shape throughout the smoke as well. The cigars also provided a very nice draw. Many times when a cigar is constructed as firm as this one, they tend to have a tight draw. This was an exception. Even though the filler was consistent and firm throughout, the draw was perfect. Not too easy, but also not too tight. I can normally gauge the aroma of a cigar by two different variables. One is my personal account and the other is of my wife's comments as she walks by and is greeted with the smell. We both had the same opinion, this cigar has a great aroma and is not too strong or overwhelming but very subtle. Again, a very well constructed cigar.

David M Burkholder: A light natural wrapper that is made well. It was firm and the burn was very consistent and even. It had a pleasant aroma that non-smokers wouldn't be too offended by. The draw was easy with plenty of smoke.

Dean Adams: Beautiful looking cigar , small veins, smooth tan wrapper, and a PERFECT CAP.

George Higgins: Construction was good and the cigar had a nice firm feel to it. The wrapper was somewhat coarse but had no major visible defects. Cap construction was ordinary.

Greg Piatigorski: Cigars appear to have Colorado Claro wrapper, although one out of three was noticeably lighter. Wrappers are smooth and not veiny, well applied caps. Very good construction, firm with just a few soft spots. Nice herbal smell.

Mark Young: The cigar is very well made, the three samples were very close in build quality. The wrapper would classify as a double claro or natural with a medium to leathery texture. The cap was medium and appears to be the one weak point in the build process - it did not appear very uniform across the three samples. The cigar has a nice aroma from the wrapper and is extremely firm to the touch.

Randy LaValley: Very happy with texture versus size and aroma of the cigar.

Rick Fisher: Nice Smooth Wrapper with double cap. Firm bunch with no hard or soft spots.

Terry Bird: After receiving my three cigars in the mail, I put the two that survived the trip in my humidor. They looked like a well crafted cigar. I gave them a week to set in the humidor.

Waverly Randall: The samples arrived in great condition, were attractive and consistent, well wrapped, uniform in color, somewhat pebbled to the touch, with small veins and a light sheen. The feel was solid with no detectable plugs or soft spots. I wish all factories could cap a cigar the way these were. The bunch was even with a slight spring when squeezed.

Smoke Comments

Chris Arft: During the smoke, I noticed the flavor and balance of the cigar remained to be very consistent. In a few cigars I have smoked in the past, there have been changes in aroma and flavor throughout the smoke. This cigar remained consistent and was a perfect smoke. The strength and body was very mild to medium and I noticed a wood flavor as well. The aftertaste was a little different from other cigars I smoked in the past. There was light bitterness followed by a hint of sweetness. I did not notice much burning on the tongue and there was little to no sharpness as well. I was really impressed with the aftertaste compared to other high-end cigars.

David M Burkholder: The flavor was very mild with a sweet taste that is common in Dominican tobacco. It had a nice woody/salty taste but also displayed a grassy/papery characteristic.

Dean Adams: A beautiful smoke - good coffee flavour with a medium taste of clove but not overpowering.

George Higgins: The cigar lit well and carried a somewhat subdued aroma. The burn and draw on this cigar was impeccable. I wish I could say the same for the taste and overall character. I found the cigar fairly mild and one dimensional for my tastes. Half way through it developed a slightly bitter after taste. While this cigar certainly didn't make me gag, I wonder why I smoked all three samples to the nub (well, close to it)?

Greg Piatigorski: Very even burn with flat coal. Gray ash, typical in structure, almost solid. No runners or tunneling, although cigars became very soft once lit. Perfect draw. Fragrant aroma with no burn in throat whatsoever. Cigars did become a bit hot in the last 1.5 inch or so. Light to medium body/strength. Cedar and sweet spice undertones, turning spicy in the last two inches. Short finish with pleasantly sweet aftertaste.

Mark Young: This cigar lit perfectly every time and burned with a near perfect firm round white ash, not something very typical with domestics. The smoke was very thick and white with a strong woody flavor. The burn was very steady however the draw seemed too easy for this cigar. It tasted somewhat dry and seemed to get a bit too hot and lose a lot of its flavor. This surprised me because I gave the cigars a good few weeks in the humidor before smoking. The aroma was very round and rich and left just a light burn in the back of the throat.

Randy LaValley: Great flavor no bitterness, very slight burn to the tongue when first lit. Overall a great tasting and relaxing smoke.

Rick Fisher: This cigar had an even burn, smooth draw and produced a lot of smoke at first then mellowed out nicely. Pleasant flavors throughout Produced hints of coffee and cocoa with some earthy tones toward the end. The cigar had a long white ash.

Terry Bird: Smooth cigar, very much like I'm used to. Good, full flavor, very well rounded cigar. If the price is right, I will definitely invest in more.

Waverly Randall: The cigar lit well with a medium draw. The ash was gray/white with little flaking, I was able to maintain it for over an inch before knocking it off. The start of the smoke was somewhat bland and unimpressive, average. At about 1/4 way down things started to happen; the flavor began to really express itself, and by 1/2 way was full blown. The aroma of the cigar at rest was noticeably different than inhaled smoke; as if there were two different cigars. I don't know about vegetal or earthy; it smelled and tasted like well cured tobacco to me. The smoke lasted a good 40 minutes, but it seemed quicker, time does fly when you're enjoying yourself.

Summary Comments

Chris Arft: Overall, I feel this is a very well constructed cigar offering a great smoke. The appearance, draw and burn had high ratings along with the flavor and aftertaste. I would definitely classify this cigar with others such as the Fuente or a Diamond Crown.

David M Burkholder: A well constructed cigar that someone who enjoys mild cigars would like. I gave points for ease of smoke because of construction (It's no fun to battle a cigar) but the flavor just wasn't there. It wasn't very complex and I could only recommend it to those that are new to cigars.

Dean Adams: A very good cigar, great draw, wonderful clove/coffee and cedary flavor.

George Higgins: The burn and draw was one of the best I had ever experienced with a cigar. Why was such good construction wasted on such an uninspiring blend of tobacco? This is as close to drug store as it gets!

Greg Piatigorski: Well constructed cigar lacking in strength. Great sweet taste and aftertaste. Very even burning cigar. I'd guess it is Dominican tobacco, judging by the strength/body, or lack of. Judged by it's qualities I would expect it to sell for no more than $3-4 and even at this price point it would be put to shame by Padron or LGC (same price point). It would make a great starter or breakfast cigar, though.

Mark Young: All in all I was very pleased with this cigar. I believe its most notable aspect is its thick rich white smoke. I remember thinking how its smoke was more characteristic of a Cuban cigar than a domestic. The flavor was also quite good, although hindered I think from the easy draw. If the draw on this cigar was slowed a bit and the flavor allowed to come through, this cigar might be a 90 on the CA scale. As it were I'd put it in the 87-88 or so range, and gave it a 35-36 on the Cigar Weekly scale. Overall I'd recommend this cigar, at least to try. I have a strong feeling many will find it very much to their liking.

Randy LaValley: A very mild and agreeable cigar, fine quality and texture. I would give it 9 out of 10 rating.

Rick Fisher: I enjoyed this very familiar tasting cigar, I would buy it in the future and expect to pay around $4.50.

Terry Bird: I often buy these types of cigars, but my most important factor when selecting a cigar is "price"!!! All the cigars in my humidor are well rounded cigars under five dollars

Waverly Randall: The most striking aspect of this cigar was how the flavor developed. The taste blossomed in a way that didn't overpower; you just realize after some time that, hey this is pretty good, but it doesn't taste like it did a while ago. A cigar with a split personality? This is the type of cigar that I feel goes well with contemplation and reflection; it has the ability to go from average to good, sweeping your mood along with it. Not a special occasion smoke, but rather a mainstay type of smoke.

Scores

Review Results
Final Score: 38.6 out of 50

4 Stars - Excellent

The reviewers liked this cigar well enough for it to become the third highest scoring cigar so far this year. It received high marks in most categories and fully half of the reviewers thought it was a four and a half star smoke. 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, refreshing, tangy flavor with a bit of pepper. Definitely worth a try.

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