La Gloria Cubana Serie N Cigar Review
I promised this review yesterday so I thought it was a pretty good idea if I followed through and delivered it. Full disclosure: I received the samples I used for this review from General Cigar.
Here’s a little backstory to this cigar:
A sister brand to the critically-acclaimed La Gloria Cubana Serie R collection, La Gloria Cubana Serie N debuts in a lofty position. La Gloria Cubana Serie N is the brainchild of Yuri Guillen who developed this new collection in concert with Michael Giannini and Rick Rodriguez, collectively known as Team La Gloria Cubana.
The wrapper is dark brown and it has the letter N on it, with the letter N being cut from a Connecticut grown leaf and glued on the wrapper (it is the Serie N after all, clever). To the touch it feels oily and kind of reminds me of the texture of fine grit sandpaper after it has been used for a while. Overall, the cigar feels densely packed and has a light hay smell to it.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5 ½″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Capa Oscura
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: around $6.35/Single | $120.00/Box of 24
Serie N Day Flame!
One thing to know about this cigar above all others: it’s heavy. No, not heavy in the sense that I can use it to do curls while I’m smoking it; the flavor profile is pretty heavy. It’s a full bodied cigar, that’s for sure, but it’s the flavors that are overbearing with one of those flavors firmly grasping the golden ring.
For example, take the earthiness of this cigar. It’s not necessarily a bad flavor but it is pretty much dominating everything during this first third. There is a little bit of cherry that sneaks its way through along with some hay. I think it would be a better cigar if the cherry and the hay can increase in prominence a little during the next two thirds. It would also be better if some chocolate or leather entered the fray.
There is some appreciable changes during the second third. While the cherry flavor has receded and has almost disappeared the hay has come into its own. It is now on equal footing with the earthiness, which has moderated some.
Entering the last third and the cigar’s flavor profile has mostly returned to that dark and brooding earthiness. It has a dusty/chalky consistency to it that isn’t great. Working in the La Gloria Cubana Serie N’s favor is that it has a great burn and draw.
After all is said and done I’m a little conflicted about this cigar. Part of me wants to pan it but that wouldn’t be fair. The dark flavor profile of this cigar is a little alluring at times and I liked smoking it. But I do not think it will be a cigar I will go back to often.
87 points
PS: Check out the Serie N Day call later today.
PSS: If you’ve got the latest Cigar Aficionado rip out your coupon for a free Serie N and bring it to one of the approved local brick and mortars (today only). More info here.
Alec Bradley Medalist Short Cigar Review
Earlier today I did a review on a Cu-Avana cigar that costs under $3.00. To say the least, I didn’t like it. The Alec Bradley Medalist is a cigar that, when bought in quantities of 10, will cost $3.00. So I figured that Sunday would be as good of a time as any to have a cheap cigar grudge match.
Pre-Smoke
It is a nearly perfect looking cigar; dark and alluring. There are a couple of raised veins, one being near the cap. Oily cigar that is packed very well. I am smoking the robusto (5″x52) vitola for this review.
Smoke
The wrapper is not the only thing that is alluring. The flavors are nice: chocolate, hot sauce (more on that next sentence), earthy and chalky (not a plus). By “hot sauce” what I mean is a grassy spice flavor that is analogous to the salsa from my favorite Mexican restaurant.
Even though I do really like these flavors I am not head over heals for them – still very enjoyable though. Medium-full bodied, good draw and a decent burn.
After-Smoke
It’s an impressive cigar once you consider the price. If you take away the price component then it is an average cigar. Technically great but the flavors just are not robust enough. It handily beats the Cu-Avana
3 points
Perdomo 2 Limited Edition Robusto Maduro Cigar Review
This is the reintroduction of an old blend. It was introduced in 2008 with a natural (Cameroon) and a maduro wrapper by Tabacalera Perdomo. This cigar comes in four different vitolas: Robusto (5 x 50), Epicure (5 1/2 x 54), Churchill (6 7/8 x 50), and Torpedo (5 1/4 x 54).
The Perdomo 2 has a slight box press (so don’t fear getting cut on any sharp edges) and is expertly made. While there are a couple of minor stretch marks on the wrapper it’s construction is nearly perfect. Packed with the perfect amount of tobacco with a decent amount of oil on the wrapper. I did a Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary review a few days ago and I liked it very much; so I have high hopes for this one.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $6.00 or less
Sun Flame!
Spice may be the first thing that is noticeable but the predominant flavor is oak. Smooth cigar that has a draw that may be a little too tight. It is a medium-full bodied cigar with a burn that is not too bad. After a couple of touch ups it smokes just fine.
The draw does become quite a bit better after about the one inch mark. With the better draw comes a clearer picture of the flavor profile. The aforementioned oak flavor comes along with some sweetness. The spice is a background flavor and there are also some chalky chocolate flavors there, but barely.
Nearing the end of this cigar now and the flavors, while they are enjoyable, just are not that great. Overall, it is a good cigar but just not that good.
87 points
