La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami

Hey, remember this site? Me either. Anyhow, here is a cigar review from a while back that I never typed up. So now I am typing. Wheeeeee!

I got this cigar from fellow Joe Cigar writer Curtis, and since it was an LGC I hadn't had before, I was looking forward to it. But that all changed once the Fire Nation attacked. Oh wait, that didn't happen.

This was a stout little robusto that looked nice, and it lit up easily. (Editor: Nick has also used this phrase to refer to women - yeah they love it if you were wondering) I paired it with a Dogfish Head 90 min IPA, which is my favorite beer. (Editor: I bet fish would be more beloved if they had dog heads. Basically, if were fish were dogs we would probably eat less fish) I usually don't mix it with cigars because I like to enjoy the taste of the beer by itself, but it felt like a beer kinda evening. It probably wasn't the best pairing, but both the cigar and drink were very good separately.

This cigar started off with a spicy wheat flavor, that had a sort of tannic dryness to it. My god that sounds pretentious. But that is what I wrote down and I am sticking to it! About a third of the way through, it started mellowing out, and got sweeter and lost some spice. As it neared the end, it got a lot stronger and added some earthy flavors to the mix. Unfortunately, as it got into that last third it got pretty bitter, and the end was not very enjoyable. (Editor: Just like Nick's one night stand with Mr. Belvedere)

Overall, a decent cigar, and I will never look a gift 'gar in the mouth. Or foot. Or whatever. It was a nice change of pace from both the normal LGC Serie R and the LGC Reserve, but it won't become one of my go-to sticks.

I am going to give it a 6, because it had some nice potential in the front half before it reached the bitter end. So for now, Mr. Belvedere is off to Miami!


La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami
Size: Campana Chica Torpedo (5.5" x 58 ring)
Taste: Medium-Mild
Draw: Good
Burn: Even and consistent
Flavors: Slight nut with a strong pepper near the end.
Overall Rating:

AVO Maduro No. 3

Back again for another review by the greatest person you know.*

This time it's for the biggest cigar I've ever had, an AVO Maduro #3. I got this one through a Cigar Secret Santa thing that I was a part of this year, and it barely fit in my humidor. It had a beautiful color and smelled delicious, though, so I was excited to try it. Therefore, when Curt and I decided to go down to the local cigar bar, Havana Deluxe, I brought the beast along for the ride.

I do have to admit it made me feel a little stupid to be smoking such a giant cigar in public. I needed a Cadillac with horns on the front, or a thrilling tale of my oil-baron days to accompany such a ridiculous looking stogie. But it cut cleanly and lit perfectly, so away I went.

The draw and burn on this bear was perfect. We were there for hours and it never burned unevenly or was the slightest bit plugged. The taste, though, is where it really shone. It started with a nice coffee flavor right off the bat, then gradually broadened into a sweeter taste, without the slightest hint of bitterness or acrid tang that some maduros have. The end picked up steam with more coffee and a little almondy taste.

But I have had cigars with those flavors before - what really set this one apart for me was how smooth it was. The flavors were strong without being harsh, and lingered without overpowering. I paired this with a Belgian-style witbier to good effect, the sweetness countered the coffee nicely.

I probably wouldn't get this size again, it's too big. But I will definitely buy this line of cigar again. And since that is the basis of our number-scale ("Would I buy this again?"), this one gets my Walken.

AVO Maduro No. 3
Size: Churchill (7.5" x 50 ring)
Taste: Medium
Draw: Great
Burn: Perfectly Even
Flavors: Coffee, chocolate, pepper, nut
Overall Rating:
The smooth taste and interesting, changing flavors give me a fever, and the only prescription is:


*P.S. That's me