In all honestly, I don't think I would have liked this as newbie cigar smoker. Rich aged tobacco wasn't something that I was super into when I started smoking and it took time for me to appreciate the nuance and quality. That being said, this cigar has that rich aged tobacco flavor as its main and dominate flavor though out and depending on how much you personally enjoy it will greatly influence your thought of it. As far as burn, construction, and draw they were all top notch. Burned cool and consistence the entire time and the ash looked like stacked nickles. The smoke output was a bit lackluster to me. I enjoy a creamier and thicker smoke myself but it was far from thin. Certainly worth a try but keep a few hours free because it took just under three hours to finish this beast.