La Gloria Cubana Criollo de Oro Toro

What happens when you cross two Cuban-seed tobaccos grown in the Dominican Republic, you may ask? It’s the latest limited release from La Gloria Cubana, called Criollo de Oro. The two Cuban seeds in question are Criollo ’98 and the rare Pelo de Oro. The combination of the seeds to produce this tobacco gives the cigar its name as well.

Only 3,100 boxes in total have been shipped in October 2021. Two sizes were created: Toro (5¾” × 54) and Churchill (7″ x 48). The cigar is grown in the microclimate of Mao, DR in the Cibao Valley. The Criollo de Oro hybrid wrapper is mixed with a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and a mixture of Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers.

“We created Criollo de Oro in the La Gloria Cubana in the tradition of blending proprietary and traditional tobaccos to deliver exciting smoking experiences. Our artisans have delivered a cigar with a distinctive taste profile, crafted according to the brand’s meticulous standards. We’re confident that Criollo de Oro will appeal to a wide range of discerning premium cigar enthusiasts.” —Steve Abbot, senior brand manager for La Gloria Cubana

Criollo de Oro Toro Breakdown

Appearance

Criollo de Oro has a very classic Cuban look and style to it. The leaf has a creamy brown light leather color, with some noticeable seams and veins present. The band has an Art Deco style, showcasing the iconic La Gloria Cubana marque of Lady La Gloria at the center. Gold and black (perhaps dark green?) colors form the backdrop, with the cigar’s name being displayed across the faux sub-band. The look is old school, catching the eye with something new and special about the cigar. The cigar box is a dark wood tone with the similar Lady La Gloria in the center, accompanied by gold Art Deco lines.

The feel of the LGC Criollo de Oro is a very firm cigar, which was surprising based on the look and the make-up of the toro. The wrapper is smooth, except for being able to palpate the veins and seems. Smelling the cigar gives the aroma of cinnamon and leather, being faint at the cap and strong at the foot of the toro.

Smoking Experience

As I toast and light the Criollo de Oro, the firmness of the cigar makes for a harder drawing resistance. The flavor that first hits the tongue is an earthy, less-refined cinnamon. Then, a salty, wet mineral mouthfeel develops, coating the posterior part of the tongue. It’s a very dry smoke that requires hydration between draws. Meanwhile, the retrohale has a brown butter and a touch of red pepper spice.

The draw is very tight, limiting the flavor that you can get from the Criollo de Oro. This also really slows the burn and smoking rate, keeping the smoking temperature very cool. The ash has a flaky gray layering effect, falling in one-inch segments.

Continuing with Criollo de Oro, there are light notes of sweet caramel and mild salt (think farmer’s market salted caramel treat). There is still a very light wet mineral earthy flavor. In the last part of the cigar, flavors fall flat, with just light earthy mineral remaining. The retrohale transitions to black pepper midway through, developing a rye bread flavor as the cigar closes out.

The flavor notes of the Criollo de Oro are interesting, but are so light that they can be missed if not fully focused on the smoking process.

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

Unfortunately, I would not smoke this cigar again. The tight draw and light flavors felt like something was missing. There’s no signature flavor component you might be looking for in a crossed-seed tobacco limited cigar. Unless you are doing a review, most of the flavors could be missed. The overall tight draw could be the reason for this as well. It’s a great concept, and trying something new is to be applauded, but the experience did not deliver on what I had hoped for when looking at the makeup of the Criollo de Oro.

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