I had a La Perla Habana Black Pearl Rojo (toro) last night. It looks like there are no reviews of them so I thought I’d give it a shot.
As I understand it, the Rojo is a Criollo wrapper on the Black Pearl filler and binder.
Appearance & Construction = 13 out of 15 possible. A nice looking reddish-brown wrapper. Well filled, no soft spots. Minimum, small veins. The wrapper did have a slight tear for which I would be tempted to take off more points but, since I’ve carried this cigar around a couple of times, I can’t be sure that I did not cause it. I have two others that are blemish and tear free.
Flavor = 22 out of 25 possible. The flavors are more subtle than the Oscuro Black Pearl but in the same family. The body was to the right of mild but not full. I thought the flavor was a balanced, round flavor. If I had to use descriptors they would be more like toasty, woodsy, leathery; and less like spicy and peppery. The flavor stayed pretty much the same throughout and built only slightly the more I smoked.
Smoking Characteristics = 22 out of 25 possible. For the first half, this cigar burned beautifully. Then it went nuts and started burning very unevenly. I ended up doing two corrections. While the draw was OK, it was a little tighter than I like; still, it produced lots of smoke.
Overall impression = 32 out of 35 possible. I liked this cigar. I had it with a Bass Ale after a very light, early dinner. On the other hand, if I were smoking later in the evening after a heavier meal, the flavors might be too subtle. The cigar had a nice weight as I held it. Great color. None of the problems were extreme enough to distract too much from the overall experience. (At first, it annoyed me that I had to do two corrections to the burn, but I have a short memory so it ended up not being a big deal.)
Total = 89 out of 100 possible.
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Nothing has really happened until it's been described. -- Virginia Woolf
You lose it if you talk about it. -- Ernest Hemingway
Posts: 217 | Location: Paris | Registered: November 19, 2003
Osnat, Thanks for the review. I was anxious to give these a shot but just have yet to come across them at my local smokes shops here in VA... Headin up to NY tomorrow for the 4th and I'll pick up 'em if I find 'em there... Thanks!
Posts: 136 | Location: Scottsdale, AZ | Registered: May 03, 2004
I would love to try one but my local tobacconist swears that there werent any at the RTDA for him to sample. He is holding out for a sample until he orders. I agree with the logic but this cigar is supposedly enjoying a very warm reception by the public at this point. You would think that he would make an effort. He is kind of a dick though. He refuses to carry Torano even though he gets hit up all the time for them. I guess I'll have to just take the plunge and get a box one of these days. They are pretty cheap anyway.
Hard work may pay off eventually but laziness always pays off now.
I know this isn't the trading forum, but I have a regular supply of these and would be happy to trade you for something or just send you some in lieu of a trade. Email me below and we can get working. I really do enjoy these smokes, they're probabaly my newest addition to my "love it" list. Craig@jbbuilders.com
I smoked one of these this past week, that had around a year of age on them, and man it was absolutely perfect...great draw, lots of smoke, probably the best tasting cigar i've smoked in several months...i only picked up one of these, from a secret(hehe) shop, and i'm headed back this week to scarf up more.....
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Posts: 1431 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: November 29, 2003
I still haven't tried the Rojo yet. A friend gave me a Black Pearl cobre to try. I am smoking it right now. I think I'll review it. Its certainly very different.
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