Lovely Cigars No. 162 Churchill – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Wisconsin-based Lovely Cigars introduced its second cigar line at this year’s PCA Convention & Trade Show. Following their first release, “Ain’t They Lovely,” this new cigar also honored Green Bay’s cigar history. Named No. 162 after Local 162, the union of Green Bay’s cigar rollers, this cigar featured an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Sumatran binder, and Nicaraguan fillers.

The line includes three sizes: No. 162 Robusto (5 x 50) priced at $10.50, No. 162 Corona (5 5/8 x 46) at $10, and No. 162 Churchill (6 1/2 x 48) at $11, all available in boxes of 20.

Founded in 2019 by Mike Gehm, Keith Archiquette, and Dylan Masse, Lovely Cigars drew inspiration from Green Bay’s past. Their first release replicated the original packaging of a century-old Green Bay brand. Produced at the Tacasa S.A. factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, the No. 162 debuted at the PCA Convention & Trade Show 2023 and began shipping to retailers early August.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Churchill
Length: 6 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 48
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Tacasa S.A.
Blender: Undisclosed
Number of reviewers: 4 – Jessica (Stogie Sister) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi) Noah S. (Noah) Kevin J. (maninblack77)
Price: $11.00
Age: 11 Months
Release Date: August 2023
Contributed by: Lovely Cigars

Initial Impressions – Lovely Cigars No. 162 Churchill

Appearance: 89

“A light to medium brown wrapper leaf with a fine tooth, an intricate network of thin veins, and a handful of blemishes including a couple of wrinkles give this stick a very rugged appearance. The cigar itself is bumpy from head to foot, however, the wrapper itself is velvety smooth to the touch.” –Noah S. (Noah)

Aroma: 90

“While the appearance is slightly off-putting, the lovely honey and vanilla aromas coming off the foot and the wrapper are enticing.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

First Third

Flavor: 89
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Right off the light the draw is near perfect and just how I like it as virtually no effort is needed to get a mouthful of smoke. The smoke is not necessarily harsh but it certainly has a bit of a bite to it. Flavors out of the gate are woody and naturally sweet. A ton of honey and caramel stand out up front while oak camps out on the finish. A retro immediately wakes me up by setting my nostrils aflame with a very spicy sweetness that I can only liken to a mix of sweet cream and habanero pepper. Strength already sits north of medium as a solid nicotine buzz sets in approaching the close of the opening third.” –Noah S. (Noah)

“After a good toasting and lighting, we are off and sadly this cigar has stumbled out of the gate. It does not want to stay lit. The flavor is of charred wood. One side of the wrapper will not burn. It forces a touch-up. As I get a half inch in, there is a developing a floral note. Sadly it is muted and forced another relight. The smoke production is thin to nonexistent. When I do get smoke it is hot and the flavor is muted.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Second Third

Flavor: 85
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Light-Medium

“Some of the complexity drops off when you enter the second third. Now I’m getting a walnut, cream, and hay. I’m also having to touch up the burn.” –Jessica (Stogie Sister)

“There were hints here and there in the second third of what this cigar could have been. At times I got those hints of honey and vanilla cream but they didn’t stick around for long. Luckily the cracked wrapper didn’t split any further and it corrected itself. Very mild to medium in body and strength. Not much to work with so far.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

Final Third

Flavor: 84
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Light-Medium

“The final third brings some frustration as the wrapper is only held on by the band, which I had to remove to fully smoke. No changes since the second third: walnut, cream, and hay with continued touch-ups.” –Jessica (Stogie Sister)

“Another relight is required, relight number 3, and it washes away any of the flavor notes. It is really hard to get any smoke from this cigar. Now the cigar runs down one side while the tobaccos won’t burn on the other. I need another retouch to catch up the wrapper. It is becoming almost impossible to smoke this cigar. The smoke has gotten so hot that I can’t continue. What a shame.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Overall Impressions – Lovely Cigars No. 162 Churchill

Draw: 85

“Unfortunately, the draw was open and met with no resistance.” –Jessica (Stogie Sister)

Burn: 84

“It would not burn plain and simple. It needed many relights and touch-ups.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Construction: 82

“Honestly the construction of this cigar needed some serious tweaking as far as the blend goes. In my opinion of course. Too many soft spots as well. QA must have missed this one.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

Overall Strength: Mild-Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 83

“I found it hard to rate my overall experience with this cigar as the flavor profile of the first third was tasty and intriguing. But the open draw, burn problems, and lack of complexity after the first third (due to open draw/not enough filler) did the cigar in.” –Jessica (Stogie Sister)

“What started out as promising but went south quickly. Relight after relight, touch up after touch caused for a near unsmokable experience. It is hard to judge a line of cigar by smoking one so I will revisit it another time to see if this was a one-off experience or what this line will be.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“Simply put, this stick had a lot going for it! In addition to a trouble-free burn, its flavors were insanely robust, mostly balanced, not overly complicated, and right in the wheelhouse of what I enjoy. Strength-wise, this smoke did not disappoint with a nicotine buzz that set in early and never waned. Even though the draw was right where I like it, I think it was probably just a bit too loose which contributed to a hot fast burn that certainly caused some of the bitterness and lack of balance near the midway point. I believe that a slightly tighter bunching of the filler leaves would have prevented this and would have made for more consistent flavors from start to finish. Other than a handful of blemishes and wrinkles of the wrapper leaf, I can’t say anything else negative about this smoke. Overall, the smoking experience was immensely enjoyable and I can see myself smoking this cigar at any time of day paired with anything from a good morning cup of coffee to a stiff nightcap.” –Noah S. (Noah)

“This was by far one of the most disappointing cigars I’ve had this year. Bland, underwhelming, poor construction, just too many things hurting the overall score. I wouldn’t recommend this to a new Smoker or a seasoned one. It was difficult to keep my interest with this cigar. I’m curious to see how others experience it.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 51

To view the complete scores and notes, click here

Lovely Cigars No. 162 Churchill – Blind Cigar Review