Just finished up this tin of Pequeños. The flavor is not as pronounced as what you get from the regular sized H. Upmann Vintage Cameroons, but it’s still present and quite nice for a short smoke.

They’re about 4 1/2 inches by a 38 ring gauge — a little bigger than the Rocky Patel 1990 Juniors I bought at the same time.

The pequeños are solid little sticks, packed tightly for a longer than expected burning time (about 20-25 minutes) but with a tough draw. Not plugged at all, but requiring a little effort.

Which prompts this question: why is it that cigars with smaller ring gauges typically have a tighter draw? Are they more difficult to roll? Is there less quality control?

Like the larger sizes in this line, these little guys bring a lot of earth and sweet cameroon spice to bear, along with a little bit of a bite at the back of the throat. They seem a little woodier than the Belicoso I reviewed some time back. This may be due to the fact that the Belicoso has so much more depth that the other flavors overpower the woody element.

This is a nice little quickie, but it’s a little bit thin in the flavor department. Factor in the price (about 12 bucks for the tin) and I think the RP 1990 Juniors with their bold flavor and lower price point were the better deal.