La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros Toro

Size: 6″ x 50
Vitola: Toro
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade/Ecuadorian Sumatra
Origin: Dominican Republic
Age: Pre-Release freshness!

I just happened to be in the shop when the General rep was visiting and he handed one of their new sticks, the LGC Artesanos de Tabaqueros – or also known as the longest name for a cigar line ever.

The idea behind the line is an appetizer and main course all-in-one.  The 1^st third has a Connecticut Shade wrapper – the appetizer, while the rest has an Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper – the main course.

LGC AdT

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Punch CRA Limited Edition Toro

Size: 6” x 52

Vitola: Toro

Wrapper: Nicaraguan

Origin: Honduras

This review is for a special cigar and good cause.  Cigar Rights of America is a great organization that helps give voice to the cigar smoker in Washington.  One of the ways that the CRA has raised money is through a sampler of cigars donated by the industry’s leaders such as General, Ashton, La Flor, Davidoff, Don Pepin, etc.  Sign up, become a member and order your sampler here.  The cigar that General has donated is a special edition Punch that was made in Honduras and features tobacco from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.  Here’s more about it from CRA:

Punch cigars continue to enjoy critical acclaim and a devoted following among tenured smokers. As an exclusive offering to the CRA, General Cigar developed a unique blend if this celebrated brand. Featuring spicy blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobacco, punctuated by a Nicaraguan binder and enveloped in a brawny Nicaraguan wrapper, Punch CRA cigars are handcrafted in Honduras.Debo Mukherjee, Vice President of Marketing for General Cigar commented, “It is with great pleasure that we have donated 5,000 handcrafted Punch cigars to continue our support of CRA. As a Founding Sponsor, we continue to stand behind the organization and its ongoing effort to protect the rights of premium cigar smokers.”

This was the first cigar I choose to smoke and review from the sampler because I thought it would be the least impressive, and I’ve never been a huge fan of General.  Was I wrong?

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La Gloria Cubana Torpedo No. 1 – Then & Now Review

I have the distinct opportunity to smoke one of the most sought after cigars ever.  The original Miami La Glorias came about during the Cigar Boom and put Ernesto Perez-Carrillo on the map.  You probably wouldn’t have guys like Don Pepin Garcia, Pete Johnson or Dion Giolito without Ernesto.  The La Glorias were so hard to find that folks were paying quadruple and more of MSRP.

LGC Torpedo No. 1

One of my buddies from Empire Cigars gave me a 15 year old LGC Torpedo No. 2 for the birth of my son.  I couldn’t wait to try this cigar that I had heard so much about.  I was just going to right a review for this old torpedo when I realized this was a good chance to compare the blend Then & Now.  So much has changed in 15 years, including LGC being bought by General Cigar to even in the last year Ernesto leaving La Gloria to start off on his own again.  Is there anyway these cigars can still be similar at all?  We’ll see!

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Excalibur by Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure (DEC 06)

Size:  5 1/4″ x 50

Vitola:  Torpedo

Wrapper:  Connecticut Shade

Origin: Honduras

From the Vault: The Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur series is supposed to offer a little more flavor and quality than the regular Hoyo line.  Made by General Cigar Co. the Epicure is one of their more popular frontmarks.

This cigar is not bad at all; age has been very kind to it. It is a medium-bodied cigar; I taste a slight creaminess with wood, leather and some tobacco on finish.

 This was a well constructed cigar; it burned evenly and had long ash.  It was not a complex cigar and there was really nothing bad to say about it.  I liked it but can’t say I’ll go out and buy a box either.

Rating: 86 (B)

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Macanudo 1968 Robusto (AUG 08)

Size:  5″ x 50

Vitola:  Robusto

Wrapper:  Honduran San Agustin Havana Seed

Origin: Dominican Republic

The new Macanudo 1968 is a serious departure from one of the mildest cigars out there.  Traditionally the Macanudos, made by General Cigar Co., are shunned by the aficionado, mostly because they taste like cardboard and hay.  The Mac 1968 features a jet black Honduran Havana Seed wrapper and a spicy new blend.  The guys at Empire Cigars assured me that this was not your grandfather’s Macanudo and was actually a surprisingly tasty cigar.

 

I had punched it at first, but had to clip it as I got a lot of tar build-up from the start, this stick was very moist.

 

Well, after the first two puffs I am definitely surprised at how good it is.  Right of the bat it reminds me of an Illusione.  It has a rich earthy flavor.  It’s very robust and reminds me of a hamburger on the grill, with a charry meaty flavor, but also notes of bittersweet chocolate.

 

What was very interesting was halfway down I picked up a hint of Macanudo flavor, I describe it as a slightly vegetal taste with a barnyard aroma.  I find this strange but kind of cool at the same time, because even though this is way different than any other Mac, there was something there that reminded you that you were still smoking a Macanudo.

 

The burn was uneven with a slightly flaky whitish gray ash.  To the touch the cigar was spongy, and it got hot as I smoke it down.  Two-thirds of the way down it turns a little sour and a little harsh, the whole thing seems rushed but has potential of becoming a really good cigar.  But this was pretty good for a Mac no doubt!

Rating: 86 (B)

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La Gloria Cubana Corona Gorda (OCT 2004)

Size:  6″ x 52

Vitola: Toro

Wrapper:  Ecuadorian Sumatra

Origin: Dominican Republic

From the Vault: I’ve been pulling a lot of old cigars out from the bottom if the humi-trunk, and this old LGC was grabbed…

The Miami-made La Gloria Cubanas were one of the most popular cigars around during the Cigar Boom, but now after being bought by General Cigar, Ernesto Perez-Carillo has not been making the same cigars as he once did and are now being made in the El Credito factory in the Dominican Republic.

The cigar has a nice looking brown wrapper, but it is a little mottled and has soft and hard spots as I gently squeeze it.

This is not that spicy of a cigar, mostly medium in strength.  I taste grassy notes, which is a bit surprising, muddled in with leather notes as well.

The further I smoke the more I notice a subtle strength that I was not prepared for after smoking the mild first half.  But other than that, it is a real one-dimensional smoke that gets a bit old in the end. 

Rating: 81 (B-)

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