Embedded in BinDer's argument for more reviews, was a comment about having smoked something new. I found it hard to believe that there have been no reviews of LGC Reserva cigars since it has been on the market for some time.
As I mentioned in a cigar talk post, I picked up a few a couple of months ago and was not totally sure of the source, but I was eager to try this cigar. I had to unfortunately get some work done this weekend and decided to sit outside with my laptop and have cigar to make working on a Saturday night bearable. This smoke had been in my humidor at 68% 72F for a couple months.
Appearance: This is a pretty big cigar in the Solomones vitola. (perfect for having to take nearly an saturday night). The head is quite rounded and the tip well formed. The wrapper had just a tiny bit of crinkle to it, but obviously not from age. Can't rule out over-humidification prior to purchase. Besides the slight crinkle, the wrapper was fairly light and if memory serves this cigar was written up by CA in the best of the year article as having a Ec. Sumatran, but this was quite light and seemed to be a shade wrapper to me. (I went back to the same spot to buy a few more -- am I giving away the review -- and the current box was darker and streakier, but not sumatra darker). The cigar was firm from head to foot and clipped very neatly for a big smoke. I was a little worried about draw until I gave it a pre-light puff. Easy, easy draw with a somewhat ginger bread taste.
a little toast to the small foot released a fair amount of cedar aroma. Lighting this figurado is of course too easy as the opening is only 1/4 wide...but it took beautifully to the light and the burn spread very slowly and evenly out across the wrapper. The smoke at first was a bit cedary but very quickly turned to tea and a bit of graham-cracker on the finish. The first third of this cigar was really spectacular...loads of velvety smooth smoke.
The ash was close to 1.5 inches before it hit the patio and it was a dense cakey ash...nearly held its shape after falling off. Once it fell, it revealed that the cigar's burn while very even was burning a bit slower at the core than at the edges -- leaving something a cone where the lit end was.
As the cigar passed the first third, the taper of figurado definitely began to funnel the smoke to the palate and the flavors and body intensified. Though still burning exceptionally cool, the flavors turned to ginger and cedar. Smoke rings held there shape against a gentle breeze for several feet as the left the table.
The character of this cigar is very balanced, very smooth qualities. It is generally medium bodied and the flavors are very "easy"...it is a relaxing smoke. But is does have complexity --especially as the cigar reachs the last 1/3 to 1/2 and gets very concentrated in its solid sweet-spices.
While I often vary the vitolas I smoke, this has to be one of the larger cigars I've had in a while. It is a very dense cigar too, and probably took me near 2 hours to finish. If I hadn't been multitasking, I might not have had the patience to finish this goliath. But, having done so I was eager to pick up a few more (which oddly were 20% off at shop I bought the first two at - $7.20 on sale). At $9 it was on the pricier side for my collection, but knowing that it is only going to get selected when I've got plenty of time to stay in one place and smoke slowly...the value is pretty good. And I can't see myself going through a box. I would, however, be interested to see how these would age.
While I'm not sure it would please those whose whole sole preference is for powerhouse cigars, it is in MHO a very interesting, very satisfying cigar.
Posts: 148 | Location: Central New Jersey | Registered: March 01, 2005
