La Barba Cigars Purple in Robusto - Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

La Barba Purple
WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Dominican Corojo
FILLER: Dominican Habano & Corojo

STRENGTH: Medium-Full
PROFILE: Bitter-sweet/Pepper

FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera William Ventura)

Bitter-sweet overtones lead from the far-out front in a dark & toasted manner which eventually grows to a gentle char. Savory spices roast & build continuously in the undertone nether-regions w/ a slightly salted addition. By the mid-point, over/under meet up to the point of clamoring against one-another some. Not much sour ticks till that second-half. Quite complex up-top; equally nuanced underneath. An admirable depth of warm notes.

• Pepper (black peppercorn)
• Spice (cumin, chili powder)
• Coffee (espresso beans)
• Chocolate (bittersweet)
• Molasses
• Marshmallow fluff
• Grain (animal crackers)
• Fruit (prune, raisin)
• Citrus (pith)
• Earth (top-soil)

Even with the eventual charring, there's nowhere near a bite but that's not to say "smooth," per se. Heavy but not cumbersome. Rigid although not abrasive. Muscular, I 'spose. Rich, nonetheless. finish is of moderate length and exhibits an extension of the draw overtones with a slight charcoal lilt. That lilt prevents a perfectly clean end. Tingly mouth dries a tick. Temp is nicely warm. Strength builds throughout and gentlepersonly-so to a swooning crescendo.

Burns on an even line. Ash grows fast and makes an inch at a time even though there's some dry cracking there. Actively smoky as the day is long -- passively that dies back a good-bit. Leaves a sorta muted room-note of meaty sweet spice.

Medium tension'd draw with a slight hesitation up-front. Likes to be double-puffed, which leads to a somewhat hastened pace. No hard/soft spots and seams stay tight and even. Holds form well from gate-to-wire.

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

"The La Barba Purple is the second line that was released by La Barba Cigars. La Barba Cigars is a company founded by Tony Bellatto and Craig Rossi in 2010. The name La Barba translates to “beard” and is a tribute to the beards the company founders had. In 2013 the company brought its first cigar to market, the La Barba Red. This was a cigar that was originally made at the Aladino factory in Honduras. A year later La Barba Purple became the company’s sophomore release, and it would become the company’s first release at Tabacalera William Ventura. La Barba would eventually shift all of its production to Tabacalera William Ventura." - www.Cigar-Coop.com

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