La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 4 Maduro

I didn’t know what to smoke today so I asked my friend what one of the top sellers in his cigar store is and he told me the La Gloria Cubana No. 7 Maduro. Not wanting to smoke a large cigar in the heat today I opted for the smaller size of the No. 4. In all my years of smoking this cigar hasn’t been a cigar of choice of mine. In fact I can’t tell you the last time I smoked it and why I stay away from it. My friend says it’s because I am a cigar snob and I don’t smoke mass produced cigars, maybe he has a point. Anyway on to the review.

Cigar: La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 4 Maduro
Size: 4 7/8 x 52 (Rothschild)
Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero, Dominican Olor

Appearance and Construction (15/20): The wrapper on this stick is among the darkest I have seen and has plenty of tooth. The wrapper has some oils especially near the cap and if the light hits the cigar the right way there are some tiny little crystals on the wrapper. If any of my readers know what these are please feel free to leave a comment. The band of this cigar features a nice mix of colors and some decent artwork. The one draw back is the cap, which can basically be peeled by hand if you chose to do so. Also the wrapper has a lot of blemishes and discoloration.

Flavor & Notes (26/30): Before lighting this cigar up there were some notes of wood, and earth. Upon lighting up the initial notes are a tongue biting pepper with leather which at this point equates to a cigar not meant for a hot summer like day. As we continue down the first third of the cigar the notes of earth and leather emerge with some chocolate notes as well.  As we move on to the second third of this cigar the notes of earth is the main focal point, but there is some bitterness beginning to develop. The final third of the cigar was notes of leather and some pepper.

Burn/Ash/Draw (24/25): The cigar had an uneven burn that was beginning to canoe on me that needed to be touched up in the first third. After the touch up the cigar burned straight, so I will attribute a part of it to user error as I lit the cigar outside with matches. The ash was a medium gray with some flake but it held on for more than half the cigar. The draw had a slight resistance which once again is what you want from a cigar.

Overall (22/25): I would of enjoyed this cigar more on a cold winter day, but I won’t let it effect the overall review. The full bodied smoke had a decent flavor profile that I would of rather smoked on a deck in cool weather, or in front of a wood burning stove in the dead of winter. I’m going to give the natural wrapper a try in a few weeks and see if it fits the summer weather any better.

Rating: 87
Price: $26.99 for a 5 Pack