Company: Isla de Cuba
Line: Classic
Vitola: Toro 6 X 54
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Proprietary Farm Blend
Flavor: Medium
Strength: Medium
I'd read a couple Isla de Cuba reviews over at Stogie Guys, but other than that I'd never heard of these cigar prior to meeting up with them at the 2008 IPCPR Trade Show. The cigars I got from them went into my humidor with all the other stuff I'd gotten and at the time I didn't think anything more of it until a few weeks later, Darryl gave me a call and offered to send me a couple more samples. The first one to face the cutter and light was the Classic.
Construction: The Classic has a beautiful Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade Wrapper and very well made. I didn't notice in obvious flaws in the three I smoked.
Burn: It is great to have a cigar where you can just forget about the burn. The ash came off with a firm tap and the only reason I had to touch a torch to this cigar after the initial lighting was I let the cigar go out.
Flavor: My thought from my first puff on this cigar was, "Damn, maybe I shouldn't smoke this first thing in the morning." Fortunately that initial blast of pepper subsided after a minute or two. The amount of bold flavors in this cigar surprised me; I'm used to cigars with this type of wrapper being a bit more subtle. I picked out some definite Coffee notes along with a nutty flavor with a buttery/creamy texture. The smoke on this cigar was extremely heavy and had a really pleasant finish that lingered in mouth.
Verdict: This is one of those cigars I can pick up almost any time of day. Mild enough to light up with a morning cup of coffee, but enough flavors to still be enjoyable at the end of the day after a few other cigars. Not many shade wrappers are nearly as flavorful or complex as this smoke.
Popularity: 21% [?]
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve never heard of the brand before, but it certainly sounds like something I would probably enjoy. I’ll have to keep my eyes open next time I’m at the shop.
I’m glad you also found this cigar to be more complex and more flavorful than expected. All of the Isla selections–from the Classic to the Aged Maduro to Wango Tango–have impressed me. One of the best new brands on the market, in my opinion.
I’m going to reviewing the 376 and Wango Tango shortly and definitely looking forward to trying those.
{ 3 trackbacks }