Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Lavida Habana (LH) Maduro - Cigar Review

B"H
INTRO
Lettuce see, gentlepersons, what my Mishpucha over at Cigars City had to say re: this offering --
"Lavida Habana's beloved maduro in a convenient corona package.
Dressed in a beautiful Ecuadorian Criollo wrapper, LH Premium's maduro line-up is simply the perfect cigar for the beach or wherever you choose to spend your lazy, relaxing days. You're going to notice cocoa with a strong hint of cherry in the cold, pre-light draw. Once lit, this maduro corona starts spewing a complex array of notes and flavors with a bit of spice that develop into a chocolately/peppery mix that's going to delight your senses.
Hand-rolled in Costa Rica, you'll enjoy the blend of Brazilian, Peruvian and Nicaraguan premium long-filler tobaccos. At 5.6" x 44, the corona offers a great 30-45 minute smoke that won't occupy your whole day but once you taste these - you'll wish it did!"
Use of the word "spewing" aside, do go grab this up HERE at Cigars City. This is my first go-around with the blend in Corona, but HERE, look what I've said in regards to the same blend in Robusto some time ago HERE.

THE CIGAR
(Lavida Habana)
5.6 x 54 Corona, closed foot
w. Ecuadorian Criollo
b./f. Nicaraguan, Peruvian, & Brazilian
K A P L O W I T Z SCALE
K least, Z most
Construction O
Combustion P
Flavors W
Body W
Strength O
&
Sweet W
Sour L
Salty A
Bitter W
Umami L
&
Complexity W
Nuance O
Transition L
Balance O
Smoothness I
&
Animal K
Spicy O
Woody O
Vegetal L
Earthy W
Chemical K
SUMMATION
Never a trace of acidic nature nor of salty bits. Bitter but softly so and well-delivered into a quite balanced flavor profile. No bite whatsoever and a creamy texture. Sweet in a well fermented Maduro manner. Balanced, as stated, but somewhat too, lacking in sour meanderings... a neat bittersweet forward balance, fair 'nuff, gentlepersons? Not heavy, but well satiating. Rich and relaxing. Finish is a complex bittersweet that lingers and then-some, ending in a clean sweetness. Draw is less complex, though well nuanced. Transitions are simply not the show intended here.

Flavors, as they doth arose: Pepper, white and black on a creamy cloud. Spices, luke-warm orange to red and darkly sweet. Earth, rich and sweetened w/ -- Fruit juices. Chocolate, dark cocoa,softly. Black cherry. Wood, olive. Olives (a note practically particular to this blend). Anise. Rye bread (marbled) and malt. Toast. Apple orchard vibe. Compost. 

Combustion needs a bit of guiding by way of three re-touches in the first half, then another quarter dozen in the second. Burn never sharpens past a ribbon, but works twixt finaglings. Construction is nice but an occasional draw dips in satiation; too there is some softening of pack density in the second half. Draw resistance there goes from a medium to medium+. Smoke out-put wiggles 'round in the average range throughout. I can't help but think I "pulled a bad one" as to performance woes. In no other LH offering I've had, and boy, I've had -- have I experienced this ilk of stuffs. Humsoever, my grade here reflects this stick right here at hand.

OUTRO
SMOKE TIME
60mins

FINAL GRADE
****B****
L'shalom