HVC La Rosa 520 Rare of Rare - No. 2 Limited Cigar of the Year 22

New year, new HVC! It was the year of branching out for HVC Cigars, as the company not only created their own Nicaraguan factory but also ventured to the US. Expanding on the La Rosa 520 line, HVC offered a number of firsts, including American production (El Titan de Bronze), a Sumatra wrapper, the inclusion of Dominican tobacco, and even medio tiempo tobacco. Miami’s famed El Titan de Bronze factory has been known for crafting cigars with the elusive medio tiempo leaf over the years, although HVC just may be the first we’ve seen use the filler in conjunction with a Sumatra wrapper. The leaf is actually a priming designation, which was once lumped in with the ligero leaves but is now separated (at least by some farms) as its own higher-priming classification. It’s described as a rare tobacco priming that grows as a spontaneous offshoot on a small percentage of tobacco plants (with some estimates coming in at only around half of a percent of all harvested leaves), being known for its potent flavor and strength output. When combined with El Titan’s expert craftsmanship and the cigar’s diverse recipe, the HVC La Rosa 520 Rare of Rare truly is something special. The cigar is concentrated yet elegant in flavor, jumping out of the gate with red pepper and softening into a complex arrangement of warm baking spices, medium-roast coffee, and an exciting back and forth between peanut brittle and sweet taffy.