La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale Cigar Review
I received some samples from General Cigar for this review. My reviews are my own because I’m a moral person and because if I sold reviews no one would trust me. But mostly because I’m a moral person. Enjoy!
La Gloria Cubana has injected some nitrous into it’s line of cigars recently by launching line extensions like the La Gloria Cubana Serie N. It’s true, I didn’t particularly care for that cigar. But what about this cigar?
First off, here’s a little background info from La Gloria’s website:
Team La Gloria set out to break the mold with the blend of the Artesanos Retro Especiale by cross-breeding a Connecticut seed, which was then cultivated in Honduras. The maiden crop yielded a hearty, golden wrapper as noteworthy for its color as it is for allowing each of the cigar’s components to enjoy equal bearing on the overall taste of the cigar. Each of the frontmarks is uniquely packaged with a different design and bears a classic name that hearkens back to El Credito’s early days.
If this is a good cigar then some credit must go to Mendel for his pioneering genetic research with peas, Ricardo for providing the economic rationale for growing seed developed in Connecticut in the tropical climes of Honduras and most of the credit should go to the children because it is for them that we all smoke. Without their contributions this cigar and most of the others would not get made.
It’s a good looking cigar but I do not think that the wrapper is “golden.” Sienna maybe, but not golden. Oh, but that doesn’t really matter; nor does the tightness with which this cigar is packed. The two largish veins do give me some pause for concern but with all the samples I have smoked as of yet there have not been any problems with the draw or the burn; at least nothing too bad to make note of. Alright, now onto the review.
Cigar Stats
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Honduran Connecticut Seed
Binder: Nicaraguan & Mexican
Filler: Nicaraguan & Dominican
Price: $7.25/Single | $101.00/Box of 25
Legendary Smoke!
The first flavor to greet my palate is bright spice that is bolstered by flowery sweetness. In the background there are rich maple notes that gives the flavor profile some heft and balance. Even with the maple this cigar is very light and refreshing; solid start.
Transitioning to the second third and the biggest difference is not in the composition of the flavors but rather in the intensity of the flavors from the first third. It’s sort of like when a car gets a super charger installed, the flavors are just more robust. And that is a good thing because, while these flavors are not extraordinary, they are very good. It’s a cigar that piques your interest and, even though there hasn’t been any evolution in flavors, it is able to keep my interest.
Unfortunately, as is sometimes the case with cigars, the final third was a bit of a letdown. It wasn’t bad, per se, but it was just a little flat with the spice vanishing like a Randy Johnson slider and the maple getting watered down. The floral flavor was still pretty strong and it did provide the lone bright spot for the final third.
Even though the final third did have its problems the first two thirds of the cigar were really good; a solid 91 point cigar. When counting the final third and taking into consideration the fact that this medium bodied cigar had a good draw and burn I am going to have to bring down the final score a little.
89 points
Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta Serie Cigar Review
This cigar is part of a sampler that I received from Drew Estate – my reviews are my own.
My first reaction upon seeing this cigar is that it has a serious identity crisis. It has a light wrapper visible all the way from the foot to the band, which is Ecuadorian Shade (and it actually runs the whole length of the cigar), and then it inexplicably changes to a darker wrapper from the cap to the other side of the band, which is Nicaraguan Criollo.
There may be something to this whole “identity crisis” motif for this cigar. It’s from Joya de Nicaragua and its cigar cousin, the Antano, is a full bodied powerhouse. This is not. But it is a good looking cigar with no serious imperfections. Yes, it has a couple of veins and is a little dry to the touch but they have all (by “all” I mean the other four samples) performed well up to this point.
Cigar Stats
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Shade and Nicaraguan Criollo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $140.00/Box of 24
Ron Washington Inspiration (Expletives) Flame!
It’s a cross between burnt and sweet nuts. I usually go for the full bodied cigars but this medium bodied flavor piñata is very nice.
In addition to those nutty flavors there is a dry, grassy flavor. Lots of smoke from this one and I should mention that unless you are going to retrohale this cigar you are going to miss out on a lot of the flavor.
Not exactly a smooth cigar this Joya de Nicaragua. Honestly, when I first received these cigars I didn’t want to like them. The double wrappers scream of gimmickry but with each successive cigar I am being won over.
After about the first third of the cigar creaminess comes into the flavor profile. It has also smoothed out a good amount.
At around the two thirds mark a mildly sweet floral flavor enters. The nuttiness is still the major flavor and it reminds me of a mild nut, like a cashew. It is a medium bodied cigar with a good draw and burn.
Once the burn line crosses over to the darker wrapper it takes on an earthy flavor. Unfortunately, this new flavor is too fleeting.
Fortunately, on the whole this is a great cigar. Very good flavors and the technical aspects of the cigar are spot on. Definitely give this cigar a try.
90 points
Cigar.com Corojo Label Cigar Review
In my quest to find a good cigar for very little money I have decided to do some testing. Due to Cigar.com’s easy form of delineating their house blends (colors, wrapper variety or Cuban) I decided that would be a good place to start. After trying all of these cigars I can safely say that none of them are excellent but that is not much of a surprise since the purpose of these cigars is not to wow people but to provide them with a quality alternative for an everyday type of smoke.
That is why I am going to change the format here a little and either give the Cigar.com house blends a PASS or FAIL. To keep things fair, all the cigars sampled are in the 5″ x 50 robusto vitola. Now onto the cigar.
Here is what Cigar.com has to say about their budget Corojo Label:
Like all Cigar.com House Blends, the Corojo Label is an extraordinary value, utilizing only the finest tobaccos to blend a cigar worthy of bearing the Cigar.com name. Full-bodied with a long and pronounced finish, the Corojo Label is a bit dry on the palate and features a robust, spicy aroma that rounds out into a complex mix of wood and earth tones.
These cigars come in four different sizes: churchill (7.5″ x 50), corona (6″ x 42), robusto (5″ x 50) and torpedo (6″ x 52). As of the publishing of this post, they cost less than $3.00 when individually purchased and can cost less than $2.50 when purchased in a box of 20. That is pretty cheap.
Having already reviewed the Sun Grown and Cuban varieties I can tell you that there are some worthwhile smokes in the Cigar.com stables. This cigar is more tightly packed than the Cuban variety and it has a different look to it as well. Being both smoother and less veiny than the Cuban line it looks like a very well made cigar. The wrapper is a normal brown.
Offa Blaze!
It starts off with not much more than a dud. Flavors? Well, there is wood and a minute amount of sweetness. But both of those flavors are very watered down. It is not an unpleasant cigar it just isn’t much of a cigar.
The second third does take a good turn. With flavors picking up and becoming richer this cigar is evolving into something respectable. There is a bit of spice on the fringes and the core is a mixture of rich dirt and charcoal. Maybe a little meaty as well.
It took a bad turn during the final third. The flavor became burnt and harsh. Very little redeeming qualities during this third. For the price it is not a terrible cigar. Medium bodied with a good draw and burn and there is some flavor. Just not good enough flavors in my opinion.
FAIL
Perdomo Lot 23 Cigar Review
I received this cigar from Cigars Direct. My opinions are my own.
Even though I am sure that there are a lot of people who love Perdomos I cannot say that I particularly like them. It’s not that they are horrible cigars; they aren’t. They are usually constructed and burn well. For me, they tend to not have flavors that I love. But maybe this one is different.
It looks like a really nice cigar. No raised veins, just a couple minor discolored spots, oily and packed perfectly. Let me just say that the torpedo vitola is one of my favorites and I’m happy to be smoking another one for this review.
Cigar Stats
Vitola: Torpedo
Length: 5 ¾″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $100.00/Box of 13
The Wall Sizzle!
The prelight draw is wide open and gives off hints of wet wood. After being lit there are flavors ranging from sweet wood to burnt wood. Those flavors quickly transition into a meandering deep sweetness. It’s not a bad flavor; it’s actually kind of nice.
And then, like a rabid mongoose after a snake, the sweetness blossoms into this earthy bitterness with a hint of chocolate. Bitterness is a great addition when it is offsetting sweetness.
Both the draw and the burn are great. This is a medium bodied cigar but the flavors are in full force.
Sweetness all but departs after the first half. The earthy, bitter and chocolate flavors take over. It is a good grouping of flavors. I really like this cigar.
I just looked over my previous short cigar review of this cigar and everything is adding up. It is a good cigar and is a credit to the Perdomo line of cigars. But is it a great cigar? Yes, but just barely.
90 points
It looks like a really nice cigar. No raised veins, just a couple minor discolored spots, oily and packed perfectly. Let me just say that the torpedo vitola is one of my favorites and I’m happy to be smoking another one for this review.
Lizard Torch!
The prelight draw is wide open and gives off hints of wet wood. After being lit there are flavors ranging from sweet wood to burnt wood. Those flavors quickly transition into a meandering deep sweetness. It’s not a bad flavor; it’s actually kind of nice.
And then, like a rabid mongoose after a snake, the sweetness blossoms into this earthy bitterness with a hint of chocolate. Bitterness is a great addition when it is offsetting sweetness.
Both the draw and the burn are great. This is a medium bodied cigar but the flavors are in full force.
Sweetness all but departs after the first half. The earthy, bitter and chocolate flavors take over. It is a good grouping of flavors. I really liked this cigar.
I just looked over my previous short cigar review of this cigar and everything is adding up. It is a good cigar and is a credit to the Perdomo line of cigars. But is it a great cigar? Yes, but just barely.
90 points
CAO La Traviata Maduro Cigar Review
I sit here wearing my CAO La Traviata Maduro hat given to me by Keith from Tiki Bar Online. Even though you might not think that is pertinent information I recall some English teacher I once had preaching about the importance of setting the scene. So there; the scene is set.
This is a perfect looking cigar. Black-brown wrapper with two very minor veins visible. Oily feel to the wrapper, it’s also slightly fuzzy. The cigar feels well packed, hard even. Can’t wait to smoke this cigar after resting it in my humidor for many months.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua & Dominican Republic
Price: $115.00/Box of 24
Canton Tower Flame!
If you are wondering whether or not I have smoked the CAO La Traviata with the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper you can take a look at this. If you don’t want to go through the bother of clicking on another link and reading another review then you should know that I liked that cigar, giving it 91 points. Leather, oak and spice were some of the flavors that I noticed and it was pleasantly full bodied.
The CAO La Traviata Maduro starts out with a dark and powerful flavor profile. Beef jerky is the center of the flavor profile surrounded by mahogany, salt and bitter chocolate. While the draw is a little tight in the early goings of this cigar it has not become much of a problem.
Smokiness along with dark flavors are pervasive coming into the second third. Beef jerky and smoky mesquite are the big flavors that I’m picking up now. It’s fine.
The somewhat tight draw becomes somewhat bothersome in the final third, but not in terms of flavor. That jerky flavor has receded into the background while the smoky mesquite has gotten stronger. Heavy cigar.
Without the tight draw, which I got over and over again with each of these cigars that I tried, this would be a 90+ point cigar in my estimation. Even with the tight draw it was an enjoyable cigar but, I have to say, the original La Traviata is my favorite. Medium bodied with a burn that does require some touch ups along the way, this is a cigar that maduro fans might want to give a try.
88 points
