J. London Lavender Telephone Booth
📌 Brand: J. London
📌 Line: Lavender Telephone Booth
📌 Size: No. 5 (5" × 50)
📌 Weight: 12.7 g
📌 Age: 3 years
📌 Origin: Dominican Republic
Tasting Notes
Floral Cedar – Soft and unusual opening note
Cream – Smooth texture through the first half
White Pepper – Mild spice on the retrohale
Dry Hay – Becomes more noticeable toward the end
First Impressions
The Lavender Telephone Booth No. 5 has a clean, elegant presentation with a silky wrapper and slightly unusual aroma. Pre-light notes reveal cedar, light florals, cream, and a touch of hay. The cigar feels evenly packed, and the cold draw is open and easy.
Smoking Experience
First Third – Opens pleasantly with floral cedar and cream, supported by a small amount of white pepper. The profile is delicate and refined.
Second Third – The cigar begins to lose momentum and becomes quite bland through the middle. The earlier floral notes fade, leaving mostly dry cedar and hay. A relight is needed as the burn line starts to struggle.
Final Third – The cigar recovers slightly after the relight, but never regains the character of the opening. Dry hay and mild pepper carry the finish.
Pairings
Alcohol – Pisco Mosto Verde Italia (Peru) - Floral grape notes and soft sweetness complement the cigar’s unusual opening profile and add life to the blander middle section.
Tea – Jasmine Silver Needle Tea - Elegant floral notes and delicate sweetness work beautifully with the cigar’s lighter character.
Music Pairing
“Ran Kan Kan” – Tito Puente
Bright and lively, bringing energy where the cigar begins to fade.
Final Thoughts
J. London Lavender Telephone Booth No. 5 starts with an interesting floral and creamy profile, but loses too much complexity through the middle and requires a relight to stay enjoyable.
Final Score: 7/10
Why not a 10?
A bland second half and the need for a relight prevented the cigar from maintaining the promise of its opening.
Only cigars that deliver flawless draw, balance, flavour evolution, construction and satisfaction get a 10.