Flor de Gonzalez 90 Millas (Miles) Unidos in Belicoso - Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

" ... Back in 2016, the company released an interesting extension to their successful 90 miles line. For those that may not be familiar, 90 miles is the distance from Key West, FL to Havana, Cuba. The original line was created to pay homage to the sacrifice of the many Cuban refugees who made the arduous journey to America to escape the Castro repression including the company’s founder, Arnaldo Gonzalez, who made the journey in 1980. Though Arnaldo grew up with tobacco in his veins, he would not see such work until 1993 when he opened a small factory from his home [in] Hialeah, Fla. ...

"the company decried to use a barber pole method fo[r] wrapping the cigar where the two different leafs used int he [sic] wrapper signified the two countries, Chiba and the United States. ... She [Yadi Gonzalez] added that the barber-pole design of the Unidos is inspired by the changes taking place both in Cuba as well as in the relationship between Cuba and the United States, with the two wrappers symbolic of the two countries." - Stogie Press

Now I'll just weigh in on this dang thing...

Both bright and dark overtones, in that particular order. A sweetly toasted front of cocoa butter & maple syrup with a backing of bitter/sour: a dark roasted coffee with an acidic almost charred cream addition. Darker undertones are a pepper-spice/savoriness of black & roasted white pepper medley seasoning a somewhat rehydrated beef jerky. Flirts with a bit of an astringent interference to its complexities, which are there, but a bit helter-skelter. Nicely 'nuff balanced. Medium-Full flavor zenith.

Body is a medium thing with a sharp almost fluid smoothness. Soft but not richly-so insofar as texture. Finish is of moderate length, consisting of a thinning out of the draw. Ends somewhat dryly and somewhat affected by that astringent note. The temperature in my smoke-hole remains cuke-cool.

Mild-Medium strength.

Combustion avoids the wavy mascara-line pitfall of many Barber Pole offerings. Ash builds to an inch at a time, tightly-so. Pacing is quite nice. The room-note is rather sharp (yes, this belongs within the confines of combustion). The construction is sans hard/soft spots and features an excellent draw of medium tension. 

WRAPPER: Connecticut Shade Grown & Ecuadorian Habano Maduro
BINDER: Dominican & Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

STRENGTH: Medium
FORMAT: Belicoso Barber Pole
ORIGIN: Agroindustrial Nicaraguanse de Tabacos, Nicaragua

FINAL GRADE: B
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

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