Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2000
Binder: Dominican Criollo
Filler: Dominican Pilot Cubana
Size: 5.5 x 46 “Corona”
Body: Medium
Price: $10.00 (From Switzerland)

I reviewed the behemoth Churchill yesterday and I wanted to review the corona today because there will be a definite flavor profile change. I expect this cigar to be more intense. Let’s see if I’m right.
The quote, below, comes from Stephane Aprile, Sales Director of El Sueno:
“El Sueño debuted in 2005 by aficionado, Mirko Giotto. His idea was to offer a medium bodied cigar for enthusiasts and especially for people that wanted to discover the cigar’s ability to bring you a world of flavors.”
“He decided to create a special blend with the finest Cuban tobacco plants and the most exceptional soil of the Dominican Republic. Actually El Sueño Cigars offer 5 classic vitolas: Short Robusto named “Treintas”, a Robusto, A Corona, A Belicoso, and a Churchill named “Dos Horas”. All the 5 vitolas have the same blend. Due the different sizes, different flavors are experienced in every kind of cigar.”

From what I’ve read, this is giving Davidoff, and the Cuban market, a run for their money in the European market. In Spanish, El Sueno translates as “The Dream.”

Construction is beautiful. The light tan/creamy wrapper looks like Bambi. Very few veins. Very solid. A bit toothy with a matte finish. The cap is impeccable.

I do the snifferoo and detect strong notes of creaminess, caramel, butter, and nuts.
The dry draw produces a bit of spice, creaminess, and nuts.
I begin.

Immediately, there is a noticeable difference between the sizes in flavor. The corona starts out more flavorful. The body is mild, but I detect spiciness, some creaminess, hazelnuts, sweetness, and wood.
The draw is superb and the char line is dead nuts.

The spiciness is really ramping up early which is fine with me.

The reason I wanted to review the corona is to give the Churchill a fair chance. Big cigars take months to rest or age properly and I did not give it the proper time for reasons of timing.

By smoking and reviewing the corona, I am getting the flavor profile the Churchill will have in a couple of months. Especially, since they have the identical blend.

I’m less than an inch into the stick and I’m ‘a likin’ it. The mild body drifts away into just shy of medium. Even better for my tastes.

I’m getting some new flavor. It is coffee. And the creaminess really enhances it along with the hazelnut input.

I will do the stick in halves, rather than thirds. The sizes of the cigars on the El Sueno web site are in decimals…or more to the point, centimeters. Actually, the 5.5” length came out as 5.43”. Go figure. I’m sure it was meant to be 5.5”. Or maybe not. Who am I to denigrate the European system of measurements?

The cigar is chooglin’ along and the flavors become more intense. It is definitely a stronger cigar in terms of flavor and body than the Churchill. For now, it appears to be just about hitting classic medium bodied. I think the El Sueno folks should take another look at their description on their website and make an adjustment. It will also bring in additional customers. Medium bodied is very popular.

The spice gets a bit stronger and my tongue is tingling. The flavor profile makes upticks a notch at a time. The cost factor on this, while not cheap, is more attainable for a treat.
The red pepper is making my nose run. That’s what I’m talkin’ about.

The stick is packed with tobacco and therefore, a slow burner. In the last 15 minutes, I’ve only smoked an inch.

The hazelnut is very strong. Stronger than the creaminess. This cigar reeks of complexity now. It is as smooth as butter and very sophisticated. This is the reason for the price point. The cigar surprises you with nuance and finesse.

Of the two samples of coronas that Stephane gave me, one’s wrapper is a bit darker than the other. That’s the one I chose. It’s still the same wrapper. All 5 of the cigar sizes use the identical blend. But size matters. Your wife will agree.

The smaller the cigar, the more intense experience you get.

The char line continues to be perfect.

I hit the second half and the flavors are much more in balance and the body is classic medium now.

Each time, I take a swig of bottled water, that hazelnut component washes over my palate making the profile very potent.
The spice is swinging for the bleachers. And so are the flavors. What makes this cigar different is that the flavors’ intensity keeps moving forward from the beginning to the current point. There is no lull. And it turns into a delightful flavor bomb. With a very long finish.

I could easily buy a box of the coronas. While full bodied is my style, this cigar is so sophisticated that body doesn’t matter.

I liked the Churchill. I love the Corona. I am going to let the Churchill rest for a couple months and then come back to it and record my impressions on the original review to explain what some aging in my humidor has done. I’m sure it will match the corona in all aspects.

The cigar finishes out uber flavorful. The body is a solid medium.

You can order these cigars by emailing Stephane at: info@el-sueno.net

You can visit their web site at: http://www.el-sueno.net/en/welcome.html

And they have a Face Book page at: https://www.facebook.com/el.sueno.cigars?fref=ts or: https://www.facebook.com/aprile.stefano?fref=ts

I highly recommend this stick. It is so flavorful that I am tempted to smoke another after breakfast.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS