Produced in the Honduran GR Tabacaleras Unidas factory; this is a 4.5×50 stick with a beautiful Nicaraguan habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and long fill tobaccos from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Mexico. The sheeny, rosado-hued wrapper is held at the head with a well constructed triple cap, has thin veins and nearly indistinguishable seams down its length, leading to an aromatic, open foot. The cigar comes in 7 (yes, 7!) different vitolas ranging from this 4.5×50 stick up to the 6×60 Imperiales.
Enough details, let’s get toasting! I took a small snip off the cap and the draw was perfect for me. I don’t like struggling with the draw—gives me a headache. Something medium to slightly open works best for me, and this cigar was right there. The foot’s aroma was barnyard-y with hay in the background, which nicely complimented the pronounced hay and cream feature in the pre-light draw.
The first half-inch to an inch of a cigar generally smokes different than the rest, in my opinion; this cigar held true to that form. Leather and cedar predominated through the first half-inch, which then migrated into what a baker might refer to as a heavy cream (that is, not sweet cream) that stayed on my pallet for a fairly long finish, with hints of cedar poking through here and there. The burn through the first third wasn’t razor sharp, definitely acceptable and needed no touch-ups.
In the second third, the deliciously creamy note intensified, but was held in check by the muted cedar in the background. Spice began to creep in here too. I would categorize this stick as medium in strength, but in the retro-hale, a strong spice was predominant. The cigar self-corrected its burn through the second third and held its dark grey ash throughout. I tapped it off just before getting to the band and the cigar continued to burn nicely thereafter.
Past the band point, the flavors do begin to mute, but the cigar remained cool and enjoyable. The spice faded and was replaced by the leather I encountered in the first half-inch. I was able to smoke it down to just over a 1-inch nub before it began to heat and flavor burned out.
This is a well-constructed, full-bodied cigar. George Rico and his father, Guillermo, definitely showcase their immense blending talents with this one. I’m encouraged to try other cigars by Gran Habano: The Azteca Fuerte, Cabinet Selection, and Zulu Zulu are all now solidly planted on my “Gotta try” list.
Would I smoke this cigar again? Ohhh yes, my friends, I envision plenty more of these sticks sleeping in my humidor very soon. The Cigar Dojo App is already starting to buzz about these cigars. Do yourself a favor, grab a few, and join in the conversation!
Dojo Mojo, ya’ll!
Short Link:
- Affordable
- Warm flavors
- Great draw
- Funky burn