Megilla Look & Feel
- Wrapper Hue: Espresso
- Rolling Consistency: Even
- Spring: Firm
- Aromas: Must, Cedar, Cinnamon
The Robusto vitola I am reviewing has an oily, bumpy, dark habano wrapper. Personally, I believe this is beautiful, although a bit rustic.
From this Megilla’s foot, I detect must, cedar, and trace notes of cinnamon.
Megilla Cigar Review
As I’ll share in the Presentation section below, the packaging for Megilla cigars is relatively simple. Given this slim packaging, I gave these a bit longer to humidify in my humidor. There, they spent about six weeks with 69% RH Boveda packs before I lit one up.
Pre-Lighting Experience
- Draw: Ideal
- Aromas: Root Beet, Dry Blueberry, Licorice
The dry draw of this cigar is absolutely effortless and brings forward notes of root beer, dried blueberries, and black licorice.
1st Third Smoking Experience
- Notes: Mesquite, Rye, Clove
The initial light-up of the Megilla produces a lot of savory smoke; top notes of mesquite, rye, and some clove finish with the tartness of dried blueberries on the retrohale.
The mouthfeel is slightly coarse but not in an unpleasant way. Considering how this is a 100% Nicaraguan cigar, for the most part, I expected this.
2nd Third Smoking Experience
- Notes: Ginger Snaps, Red Pepper, Cardamom
I am very impressed by the ash produced by the Megilla. It’s slightly grey and clings to the stogie like a koala on a bamboo shoot. Stacking dimes with every puff!
In the second third, notes of ginger snap cookies come forward, with warming red pepper and a cardamon tingling of the tongue is present. The retrohale is reminiscent of a soft pretzel.
Final Third Smoking Experience
- Notes: Leather, Brown Sugar, Warming Spices
The final third of the Megilla reprises sweeter notes encountered earlier, starting with savory leather notes and finishing with brown sugar molasses sweetness and warming spices.
The retrohale reminds me of honey graham crackers, particularly ones shaped like teddy bears.
Overall Burn
- Ash Backbone: Solid
- Burn Angle: Thin & Straight
- Temperature: Warm
- Draw: Ideal
- Final Smoking Time: 60 Minutes
The Megilla is overall a fantastic smoking experience.
Across the three samples I’ve smoked, I’ve experienced zero burn issues, a nice thin combustion line, and an ideal draw.
Overall Experience
The best way to describe the packaging from Megilla is… unassuming.
The stogies come packaged very humbly in a plain-looking brown paper package with a white label and metallic highlights. While definitely professional and elegant even, I might have been convinced this was a bag of hipster Portland coffee.
The band of the cigar shares the white and bronze motif of the paper packaging except for a beautiful bronze bear, growling, placed where the two ends of the band meet.
Although the Megilla comes in an unassuming package, I believe it to be quite a formal cigar. Perfect for sharing after a large meal with family, although I would be tempted to present them in something more dressed up like this Sotello cigar case.
Pairing Recommendations With A Megilla Cigar
It could be the beautiful Oregon autumn setting in my backyard influencing me, but I believe that the warming notes of this cigar would pair beautifully with a warm cup of spiced apple cider, a sniffer of brandy, or even a bottle of mead (this I happened to brew myself in my guest bathroom).
Food-wise, Megilla would pair excellently with a winter or fall holiday meal. The roasty, warm flavor notes of this cigar would absolutely compliment a plump, if not a little bland, turkey.
Dessert-wise, I believe a cheesecake, particularly one with a graham cracker crust, would accentuate the underlying sweetness of this blend. And finally, snack-wise, roasted nuts would also be a fantastic pairing.
Closing Thoughts
Looking at our Cigar Formula review matrix, I give the Megilla 72 out of 100. The only place I can ding this blend is the packaging. On the value-for-money scale, I give it an A+, the highest I’ve given any cigar so far.
If you had handed me a Megilla and asked me after smoking how much I think the stogie would cost, I would feel very comfortable saying around 12 dollars, especially considering its long-filler, 100% Nicaraguan blend. Seeing it for sale on CigarPage for $50 for a ten-pack is an absolute bargain.
My theory, which is not verified by CigarPage at all, is that the factory is undisclosed because the people rolling these cigars in Nicaragua are making some very, very high-end cigars. These might be stogies that might be too dark or too light for their premium brand.
Ultimately, that’s the beauty of a house or boutique brand! I personally have a pack of the Lancero size in my cart that I can’t wait to age in cedar in the back of my humidor.
"With a robust construction and burn, the Megilla Habano provides an overall fantastic smoking experience."
Bespoke Unit Rating: ★★★★★
Further Reading
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