Mr. London Fat Robusto by J. London

If you were lucky enough, you have sampled some of Jonathan Fiant's telephone booth series. They were quite recognizable with the British telephone booth imagery on both the packaging and the band. In 2024 he introduced Mr. London, a character that a friend of his had created years ago and he had committed to using for an appropriate cigar in the future. The Mr. London is an annual release, and last year it was put out in a Rubusto Extra; this year it's come out as a shorter Robusto Grande. Blended with Eladio Diaz and rolled at his factory, it sets expectations high.

BRAND / CO:  J. London
CIGAR:  Mr. London (The Introduction 2025)
VITOLA:  Robusto Grande - 4" x 56
STRENGTH:  Medium
WRAPPER:  Undisclosed Corojo 99, Natural (Rolled Cigar Aged 1-Yr)
BINDER:  Mexico (San Andrés)
FILLER:  Undisclosed (Criollo 98, Habano 98, Habano 2000, Habano Vuelta Abajo, Piloto Cubano)
ORIGIN:  Dominican Republic, Tabacalera Diaz Cabrera

APPEARANCE & CONSTRUCTION:   Good
He's a bit nubbish in stature, but Mr. London has girth with that 56 ring. The undisclosed Corojo wrapper is very nice. It's a warm brown with a light sheen and some mottling in spots. There are a lot of veins, but they're all thin and small, so there are no issues with the seams or cap. It's all tight and clean. I'm a big fan of the metallic turquoise / electric blue used on the bands. The primary features an image of Mr. London, and says, "Handcrafted Consumable Art," on the side. Truly an accurate description of any great cigar.

DRAW & BURN:   Good / Good 
The draw is spot on and the burn starts nicely. I'll be disappointed however if I don't make it halfway before losing the ash. The burn unfortunately doesn't stay straight and quickly goes awry, getting very uneven and wavy, with one side racing ahead. But the cigar does self-correct by the midway point and the burn line is improving. The ash is a light gray with tight striations, but it's a bit flaky. The ash held to the midway point, but then it needed a relight, so props for that. But even more surprising is how long this cigar is lasting. I figured I'd be through the cigar in an hour, but at an hour I'm just getting to the final third. 

FLAVOR PROFILE:   Excellent 
Very spicy cedar is the first to greet me. Mr. London is a bit of a pepper bomb, at least to start. And while I usually don't identify red vs. black pepper, this strikes me as hot red pepper. There's some good refined earth and a caramel sweetness as well. It's also very bready, more pretzel-like with a mix of sourdough and light saltiness. Mr. London knows what the people like.

Barely an inch in, the spicy cedar we kicked off with has pulled back for more raisin-like sweetness. Light chocolate, coffee, and baking spice are also present. It wraps with a super delightful creaminess on the finish that just coats the mouth and tastes like cream with powdered cocoa in it. Complex, refined, and transitioning... Mr. London is a clever one.

At the midway point, Mr. London trips and falls a little flat. More earth, less spice, coffee, and sweetness. It's still good, just earthy and a bit leathery. I'm noticing the burn is fading, and with a relight, we're back in business with robust flavors.

Getting into the final third, there still a lot of earth and leather, but with baking spice, caramel, and sourdough breadiness, returning back to the more of what the cigar was like in the first third.  All the while, the creamy finish and refinement never falter.  Eladio doesn't mess around with his blends, and this one is pure 

OVERALL EXPERIENCE:   Great
This is a fantastic cigar. Definitely take the time to get to know Mr. London, as he is a cigar that punches above his weight on both size and price.  Other than that slight stumble at the midpoint, this was straight fire for the entire smoke.  Eladio and Mr. London bring it. 

Purchase singles of by the box HERE

Reviewed by Sean McCloskey of The Collective