Lancero love

[RevSmoke]

Originally Posted by longknocker

Never Mind, Todd; I Found It. Which One Did You Like The Best? Thanks, Brother!

I liked the Maduro #9 & #47, the 9 was more cocoa and coffee...the 47 spicier and bolder. At least to my tastes. It was not that one was better than the other.

I have not tried the SG or Connie at this point, hopefully this weekend? Or one evening this week??? (Yeah, I'd like that, but...)

Peace of the Lord be with you.

[borndead1]

Leaf by Oscar Corojo Lancero (7" x 38)

Pretty solid smoke. Good draw and burn. Nothing mind-blowing flavor wise. I'd be a buyer at auction prices, but not retail.

[borndead1]

Protocol Blue Lancero (7.5' x 38)

Scored these as a blind buy from the Famous auction site, $58 for a box of 10. These cigars are made at the La Zona factory (Erik Espinosa).

First few draws...VERY full flavored, or 'strong' through the nose. A little harsh, honestly.

About 1" in...the 'strength' has subsided; a little sweetness on the draw. Pretty typical full flavored Nicaraguan Habano wrap flavors (y'all know what I'm talking about). Nice flavor and aroma through the nose. As I sit typing with the cigar between my teeth, the aroma from the foot is very nice. Good burn and draw with only 1 small burn correction.

About halfway...pretty similar flavors. The sweetness on the draw has become stronger; I can even taste it on the nose exhale. One more small burn correction.

A little past halfway...it could be the wine I'm drinking with this cigar that is affecting my palate, but that sweetness is REALLY there. I am digging this cigar so far. A little bit of anise has come in on the finish. Anise is a flavor that I like as an accent flavor, but I don't like it as a dominant flavor (black licorice is nasty as f**k). Another observation: this cigar is a slow burner. I lit this puppy almost an hour ago and I'm barely past the halfway point.

Toward the end...the dominant flavors of sweetness and anise have faded away, leaving a plain old CIGAR flavor. I'm not complaining. Let 'er die at around 1.5".

Final thoughts...I really enjoyed this lancero. I'm impressed at the fact that there were no weird ammonia/chemical flavors toward the end of the cigar (again, y'all know what I'm talking about). And at under $6/stick at auction prices, I can see myself buying several boxes of these babies.

[borndead1]

Enjoying another Casa Fernandez Miami lancero (7.5" x 40).

I bought a box of these a couple of years ago, and I'm down to just a few left. I gotta say, a humidor nap has changed these quite a bit. In the first 1/3, a distinct floral flavor that is really nice. In the middle, a sweetness replaces the floral flavor, which has subsided and is only noticeable on the finish. Past the halfway point on toward the end, pretty standard CIGAR flavors/aromas, with a tangy flavor/feeling on the palate.

A NICE smoke! Perfect draw with only a couple of small burn corrections. Guess I'll have to snag a few more boxes of these and put them to sleep for a few years.

[borndead1]

La Palina Illumination lancero (7.5" x 38)

Had to try these. They were a Cigar Page special. A lancero made in Miami for 4 bucks? HELL yeah.

EDIT: I am almost hesitating to post this review, cuz I'm afraid you mofos will go and buy these out and I'll be stuck reminiscing about yet another cigar that I ran out of too soon. But here goes.


Nice floral aroma to the wrapper. Draw is a little tight but not bad. Nice weight in the hand for such a small ring gauge.

First few draws...the floral aroma from the wrapper is very present through the nose and on the finish. Full 'strength'; the strong cigar flavor with the floral accent is really unique and nice.

About 1" in...initial flavors and aromas are still the same, but the 'strength' has subsided a bit. Very nice smoke so far. The floral flavor lingers on the palate between draws.

Around halfway...man, this cigar is really rocking my world. The 'strength' has subsided even more, but the flavors have intensified, if that makes sense. There was some damn fine blending skill at work when creating this cigar. No major twists and turns in the flavor, but it's a really nice flavor. The burn has been nearly perfect with no corrections needed so far. Draw is still a little tight, but that's to be expected, since this cigar has only been resting nekkid in the humidor for a few days. Strong white ash.

A little past halfway...flavors are still very strong with zero harshness through the nose. That floral flavor has been present the whole time, and I am really digging it. As it has been so far, not really any flavor changes, but I ain't complaining at all. Imagine a really delicious dessert in which every bite tastes the same, but the taste is amazing.

Toward the end...again, no real flavor changes, but DAMN this has been a tasty cigar. By the time I reached the halfway point, I was already ordering a bunch more. Definite top 25 cigar of 2021. Maybe even top 10.

[borndead1]

Cuba Aliados Limitada lancero (7" x 40).

I wasn't a fan of the old Rolando Reyes CA (or any Reyes cigar, for that matter ), but as I was looking through Cigar Page for new lanceros to try, I saw this limited edition Cuba Aliados made by AJ Fernandez. So I took a chance and snagged a fiver for $25.

The wrapper has a very strong floral scent. I've been noticing that more and more lately. A specific crop of wrapper maybe? The cigar is a bit light in the hand and has a very easy draw. A little too loose for my liking, honestly.

The flavor is good at first, but the loose draw is causing me to really sip very lightly. But even doing that, the smoke is burning my tongue a bit. So I only made it about halfway. I cut another one and the draw was just as loose. Oh well.

I might be willing to try this cigar in a different vitola, but this lancero gets a thumbs down for the construction.

[icehog3]

Can I post a panatela?

[borndead1]

Originally Posted by icehog3

Can I post a panatela?

Go for it, man!

[borndead1]

Bellas Artes Maduro lancero (7" x 40)

This AJ cigar was on sale for $55/box of 10. Normal price is $85. I rolled the dice.

Box pressed, dark wrapper with only a faint tobacco scent. Draw is juuuuuust a tad too tight, but not bad.

First few draws...this cigar brings the typical maduro flavors right out of the gate. A bit of cocoa, a bit of coconut. Nose exhale is quite smooth. Zero harshness.

About 1" in...very nice so far. A faint anise flavor has come in on the finish, which is a flavor I taste often with Nicaraguan maduro wrap cigars. Good burn with only one small correction.

Around halfway...dominant flavors are still the same, but the anise on the finish has become stronger. Burn has remained pretty good, with only one more small correction. The ash is almost pure white.

A little past halfway...no real twists and turns. Similar flavors both on the draw, in the nose exhale, and on the finish. The flavors are good, though. Nice smoke so far.

Toward the end...again, no major changes. Started getting a little bitter. I Let 'er die at around 1.5".

Final thoughts...at $55/box, I'm a buyer. At $85...probably not. But then again, this cigar has only been in my humi for a short time, so I may change my mind after smoking another one a few months from now.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by borndead1

Go for it, man!

Punch Mantua. I hear lots of complaints about the construction of these (i.e., the draw). Every one I have smoked has had a perfect draw, and they are spicy, earthy little flavor bombs.

[borndead1]

Originally Posted by icehog3

Punch Mantua. I hear lots of complaints about the construction of these (i.e., the draw). Every one I have smoked has had a perfect draw, and they are spicy, earthy little flavor bombs.

Nice!

[borndead1]

Cuban Copy Sungrown lancero (7.5" x 38)

I grabbed a bundle of these on a blind buy as an addition to an order I placed with Cuban Crafters. These cigars appear to have been a vehicle to utilize some not so pretty wrapper tobacco. The wrappers aren't UGLY, but they ain't no $8/stick wrappers. Very faint tobacco smell to the wrapper. Good pre light draw.

First few draws...a little harsh through the nose; typical flavors for this type of blend.

About 1" in...not as harsh, but not fantastic either. A woodsy flavor is present. Good burn; white ash.

Toward the middle...pretty similar flavors. Straightforward tobacco through the nose with a woodsy finish. Good burn. Pretty Plain Jane cigar so far, honestly. Not bad but not great.

Guys, I ditched this one around the halfway point. It wasn't a bad cigar, and I'm very likely gonna try another one after a few months of humi time, but this one just ain't doing it for me.

[borndead1]

Medina 1959 Miami Edition lancero Fresh From Cigar Rollers Table (7.5" x 38)

I have ordered from Cuban Crafters a few times over the years and have always been satisfied and/or happy with my purchase. With my most recent order, I added a fiver of 'Fresh From Cigar Roller's Table' of lanceros (Habano wrap).

The wrapper has a faint floral scent (what's up with this? I notice this scent on A LOT of wrappers lately). Construction is good, but not great. There's a flat spot that runs down one side of the cigar that makes my eyeball twitch. Nothing major, though. Draw is good.

First few draws...a bit harsh through the nose. Fairly typical flavors for this type of blend.

Around 1"...harshness has subsided and the cigar has settled into a fairly typical flavor profile for this type of blend. The floral scent from the wrapper has not transferred to the flavor of the smoke. Good smoke volume and good burn, with zero corrections needed.

Around halfway...typical flavors and aromas still dominate. Burn is still razor sharp, which is impressive even in itself.

A little past halfway...large smoke volume with zero harshness. The tobacco in this cigar was well aged. Flavors and aromas are unchanged, but nice. Burn is still razor sharp. Impressive, even.

Toward the end...pretty standard medium to full bodied Habano wrap flavors. Starts getting harsh/ammonia flavors at around 2", so that's where I snuffed it out.

Final thoughts...I have a few more of these sleeping in the humi, so I'm interested in how they will taste a few months or a year from now.

[icehog3]

La Gloria MdO No. 4, one of my faves. Getting tougher to find, and super pricey even if you do.

[RevSmoke]

Originally Posted by icehog3

La Gloria MdO No. 4, one of my faves. Getting tougher to find, and super pricey even if you do.

If you have found them, at all, consider yourself lucky.

[borndead1]

Originally Posted by icehog3

La Gloria MdO No. 4, one of my faves. Getting tougher to find, and super pricey even if you do.

Man, that looks nice. It sucks that Habanos SA has all but abandoned the LGC brand (and long slim smokes in general).

[borndead1]

300 Hands maduro lancero (7" x 40).

The 300 Hands line is apparently made by AJ Fernandez for Southern Draw. I've tried (and liked) a few Southern Draw cigars recently, so I nabbed a fiver of this lancero on the Famous Smoke Shop auction site.

Good construction and draw. The cigar has a nice weight in the hand but a good draw. Rolling a good lancero ain't for noobs. The wrapper is a nice dark brown with no major blemishes.

First few draws...this cigar immediately shows typical maduro flavors and aromas. Unsweetened cocoa and coconut, with a bit of spice through the nose. The nose exhale is smooth with almost zero harshness. Nice.

Around 1" in...good burn with only 1 small correction. Flavors and aromas are still the same, but there is a nice sweetness that lingers on the palate between draws. I guess this could be caused by the wine I'm drankin' (a California cab).

Toward the middle...digging this cigar so far. Dominant flavors are still the same. Nose exhale is smooth and coconutty. Burn holding steady with no corrections needed. This is a well built cigar.

Around halfway...dominant flavors are still the same. Burn is still near perfect. I am really liking this cigar. As I type with the cigar between my teeth, the aroma coming from the foot is very nice.

A little past halfway...coconut flavor has all but disappeared, replaced with an anise flavor that I find a lot in maduro wrap cigars. Burn is still fantastic, and honestly it's the most impressive aspect of this cigar so far.

Toward the end...anise flavor is still present. There's a teeny bit of an unpleasant bitter flavor on the finish at around 2.5". Rather than continuing, I tapped out on this cigar at just over 2".

Final thoughts...this cigar burned almost perfectly and showed great aging potential. Gonna strip the remaining 4 nekkid and try another one in a few months.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by borndead1

Man, that looks nice. It sucks that Habanos SA has all but abandoned the LGC brand (and long slim smokes in general).

Agreed, Mark. Sadly agreed.

[borndead1]

Smoking another La Palina Illumination lancero. A couple of burn corrections, but otherwise a fantastic smoke.

Go ahead and buy some. I stocked up already.

[borndead1]

Smoking another Bellas Artes maduro lancero after a short humi nap since the first one.

The draw is a *touch* on the tight side, but the cigar is still producing a really nice amount of smoke on the draw.

Flavors and aromas haven't changed much from what I can remember. But this was a really nice cigar.