Corona Gordas - Tribute/Reviews/Comparison

[TomHagen]

I have transferred over this project, as it is a valuable work in progress...

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Corona Gorda – The White Horse

I got inspired to create new thread and comparison/review by my love of one of the rarest of sizes – the Corona Gorda 5 5/8 X 46. In today cigar marketplace most lines of cigar brands don’t even include this size, especially outside of Cuba. (Even my personal favorite Padron doesn’t have this size in their profile) It took me a while to arrive upon my favorite size Corona Gorda because in most humis larger ring-gauges are paramount, Robustos are king, Lanceros are romanticized, and although I constantly smoke these sizes (among others), the Corona Gorda remains in the background in all her glory.

Many connoisseurs consider the Corona Gorda to be their favorite size, due to its balance and complexity of flavor(s). It is well-regarded due to its balance of proportions between wrapper, binder and filler. The Corona Gorda is not too thick, not too slim, not too long and not too short, but has a great feel in the mouth and in the hand and gives a great flavor profile for it’s smoking time. Classic.

In fact in a recent Cigar Aficionado article about the cigar size of choice for cigar makers, many said that the Corona size, and specifically the Corona Gorda, was best for tasting all of the elements of a cigar blend. Of the makers who specifically said the Corona Gorda was their favorite, Ernesto Perez-Carillo said he “gets the most complexity and taste from the blend”, Jonathan Drew of Drew Estates mentioned the mouth-feel, Dion Giolito of Illusione said the Corona Gorda is the “perfect vehicle for flavor” and Pete Johnson of Tatuaje also said it was his favorite size because “this is one of the all-time greatest sizes… To me, this cigar is like the white horse in the field with a bunch of regular horses.” One of my best resources on Cuban cigars, (in the Cuban factories frequently) considers the Corona Gordas coming out of Cuba to be the “best bang for the buck” as far as flavor, smoking time and price point.

We are all familiar with the classic Cuban Corona Gordas – Punch Punch, H. Upmann Magnum 46. SLR Serie A, Cohiba Siglo IV, Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 1, Juan Lopez Seleccion No 1 etc… but this comparison focuses more on the few NC Corona Gordas on the market. While not in the profile of most cigar lines, it should come as no surprise that the majority of them are rolled by Don Pepin Garcia, one of the best and most authentic rollers/blenders that create cigars the Cuban tradition. The other cigars are by Illusione, Ashton VSG and the one CC is the Punch Royal Seleccion #11, what many consider to be the best Corona Gorda coming out of Cuba today, yet not one of the aforementioned standard Corona Gordas. Here’s the breakdown…


Tatuaje Black
Tatuaje Havana IV Hermosos
Tatuaje White P1
La Riqueza #3
Cabaiguan Guapo 46
Don Pepin Garcia Blue Exquisitos
Illusione cg:4 white horse
Illusione eccj 15th Anniversary
Ashton VSG Corona Gorda
Cabaiguan Maduro 46
Padilla 1932 Corona Gorda
Punch Royal Seleccion #11

I will be reviewing each of these smokes, at least one per week on this thread. I have not reviewed many cigars, nor claim to have the most developed palate, but I hope you enjoy the ride.
If you have any other Corona Gordas you would like added to this thread or any input let me know.








It was easy to pinpoint this size for review, because so few cigars fall into these parameters, but I think this kind of cross-section review of similiar Marcas in the same size by true BOTL's is of great interest to CA members.

ps.Thanks to Dan from New Havana Cigars for helping complete this line-up.