La Palina The Family Series Alison

[jsnake]

If you haven't heard of La Palina Cigars it might be because the brand retired in 1926 when founder Samuel Paley retired. Samuel's son, William Paley, sponsored a radio show which increased sales and eventually led him to buy five radio stations in Philadelphia. This is how Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) began. The Paley family has an incredible family history and Bill Paley, the son of William and grandson of Samuel, decided to revive the La Palina Cigar brand. Their website gives a great account of the story behind La Palina and you should read it some time. Bill Paley and I share the same birthday and I have had the pleasure of meeting him and spending some time talking with him.

Bill Paley gave me this cigar a year ago and it has been resting in my humidor since. I finally decided to smoke it when my buddy Rick (RCYcigars) sent me the same exact cigar and asked me if I would review it. I tend to smoke 2 or more cigars when doing a review.

"Over a century ago, my grandfather, Samuel Paley created the first La Palina. Sadly, when Sam retired in 1926, his La Palina retired with him. She has been in our hearts ever since. Now she’s back: a cigar of impeccable elegance and finesse, and well worth waiting for. The Paley family is delighted to celebrate La Palina’s long-awaited return."

Size: 6X52
Wrapper: Equador
Binder: Costa Rica
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua
Price: $22

The Family Series currently comes in four sizes that are each named for a member of the Paley Family. Today I am smoking the Alison which is named after Bill's wife and dedicated to her for supporting and encouraging the revival of La Palina Cigars. An interesting note is this blend uses two different wrappers depending on the size. The Alison and Little Bill have an Ecuadorian Wrapper while The Babe and Pasha have a Costa Rican capa.

The wrapper is a nice light caramel color with a rustic look. There are a few prominent veins and bumps in the wrapper that are not hard. It isn't a toothiness just a couple of bumpy spots. As I roll the cigar in my fingers I can feel the cigar is evenly and well rolled with no soft spots or hard spots for that matter. There is a sweet floral and spice aroma off the foot and wrapper. As with any torpedo vitola I use my Xikar Xi3 to cut my cigar. The bands on La Palina cigars are classic and elegant. While researching the brand I discovered the woman on the cigar band is Samuel Paley's wife, Goldie Drell Paley. On the pre-light draw I get a sweet spiciness that is very appealing.

Putting a dual torch lighter to the foot quickly results in a fantastic aroma in the air. The Alison starts off pretty mild and smooth to me. I experience a little sweetness that quickly picks up a toasty dry oak and spiciness. A few inches in there is a nutty creaminess and I get some enjoyable spice on the retrohale that does not burn. This is definitely hitting the medium range now and everything feels balanced and just right. Now enters a hint of pepper and I get a cinnamon flavor on the finish. As I get into the last portion of this cigar the toasty oak flavor returns with a kind of floral flavor mixed with a fruitiness. A very unique ending to a cigar.

The draw on this cigar was just right and there was plenty of smoke filling the air. I have never seen an ash as dark as this one was and I truly regret not having my camera handy to capture this for you. Ash color is not indicative of a good or bad cigar. When I first started smoking it seemed everyone wanted a cigar with a bright white ash. In all of my reading I came across an article that explained ash color had a lot to do with the type of tobacco, soil conditions, and more. The ash held well for about 2 inches before I would knock it off with a little effort. The burn got a little crooked and I had to relight the cigar many times.

This is one of those cigars that leaves me confused. It is a very complex cigar and it has a lot of wonderful things going on. I mentioned earlier that it was balanced and by that I mean all the flavors and the strength of the cigar were just right. Nothing was dominant or overpowering. Everything just seemed to compliment the other. At the same time the burn issue was bothersome but not so much to turn me away. Another issue is the price point in the twenty dollar range. I want to love this cigar but the price just doesn't appeal to me. If I fall in love it means spending more money for less cigars. It is a predicament for sure. I would have to say this is one of those special moment cigars. If you come across them I would consider picking up one or two for that special occasion or maybe a box to smoke one each year on your child's birthday. As much as I would like to I just can't make these a part of my regular rotation of cigars....... unless I win the Powerball tonight!

There is a wonderful family history to this company and Bill Paley definitely has family pride. I like how he honors his heritage and family in revitalizing the La Palina Cigar brand. I intend to seek out the other blends so I can experience more. Please visit the La Palina Cigars website to read more about this cigar company. I truly wish Bill Paley much success. A few months ago we were visiting an antique shop and I found an original La Palina cigar box. I thought it was pretty cool finding a piece of Paley family history right here in the midwest.

Website: http://www.lapalinacigars.com/
Twitter: @LaPalinaCigars
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Pa...r/147765577512

The best cigar is a cigar shared with a friend.

You will have to visit my blog for the pictures at http://cigarcatadore.blogspot.com/20...ison-6x52.html

I can't figure out how to post the pictures here without them being extremely HUGE!

[kelmac07]

Nice review Jake. Winstons Humidor carries these and the owner (Kevin) is always trying to get me to try one. I cannot bring myself to pay $ 22 for a stick (especially a non maduro).

@Kelmac07 somehow I am not surprise
As for the review, I think I might just go back to Chicago at Iwan Ries since they are the only dealer in IL. Can't wait to be an American