Wrapper: Brazilian
Binder: Ecuadorian
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Size: 7 x 38 “Lancero”
Body: Medium
Price: $8.00
This latest addition to the La Palina Classic line has siblings of a corona size and a short robusto size. This brings the total count of sizes to seven. All three made their debut at the 2013 IPCPR trade show.
La Palina is made at the Pinar del Rio factory in the Dominican Republic.
I find the history of Wm. Paley III fascinating. What must it be like to have your father be known as one of the founding fathers of television and the father of television news? You should rent “Good Night and Good Luck.” It is the story about Edward R. Murrow and his fight against Senator Joe McCarthy….Murrow was a controversial, and heralded, newsman going all the way back to WWII as a field reporter in Europe. Wm. Paley Jr. ran CBS Television. He invented CBS Television. How would you like to have been a fly on the wall of the Paley home as William the 3rd grew up? The people that must have been in his house, visiting, stagger the imagination.
And now, he has brought back to life the Paley tradition of making cigars. On to the cigar.
The wrapper is a medium brown tightly packed without soft spots. It has a nice triple cap and the seams are hidden with lots of small veins. The cigar has an oily sheen and feels slightly toothy.
La Palina is a great product line but is on the pricey side. Some of the blends hit the $20+ range so it is nice to see an addition to the more affordable line.
The cigar band is simple and elegant with an egg shell color and brown text. Plus the banner has a shiny metallic look.
I remove the cap and find aromas of strong ginger, honey, spice, cinnamon, licorice, and sweet red cherries. Much more intense than the robusto. Click here for my Robusto review.
More La Palina reviews: Goldie Laguito No.5. El Diario Torpedo. La Palina Maduro.
There are more new cigars I haven’t had the pleasure to smoke called Mr. Sam and the 1896 Robusto.
Time to light up.
The first puffs have some spice on the tongue. The draw is extremely nice. Smoke billows throughout the room and makes me sneeze.
Some nice cocoa develops. The red pepper continues on its march to become stronger. The char line is excellent. A woody flavor rounds things out.
The flavor of excellent tobacco is ever present, as in all La Palina cigars, and becomes a strong flavor unto itself. It is balanced and smooth.
La Palina cigars do very well after a few months humidor time. I have shown strength and discipline and smoked some nicely aged sticks and they blew me away. But resting for just a few weeks makes the cigar totally smokable with a portent of things to come.
The cigar is very mellow. It is barely medium bodied at the 2” mark. But flavors really begin to shine at this point. A luscious creaminess appears. The cocoa is brightened by that addition. The woodiness is even stronger giving the cigar some real character. I sip some water and get a whoosh of cocoa and cream.
There is a fruit flavor. Something citrusy. Something zesty.
A caramel element introduces itself making the cigar even sweeter.
The first third ends and the second brings even more intense flavors to the table. The spiciness is on a steady upwards climb.
I also like the price point on this cigar. I can afford this cigar as a treat. And have bought 5 packs in the past and allowed them to marinate for months. And rewarded handsomely.
There are some buttery smooth pie crust flavors now. The robusto was a flavor bomb but this Lancero is giving the robusto a run for its money.
I near the halfway point and it is a flavor explosion of sweet and savory. I am digging this cigar dear reader.
The fruit flavor identifies itself as a cross between lime zest and orange zest. It is a tart counterpart to all of the sweet identifiers. To which, the flavor of caramel enters the profile.
I should add that the char line is just perfect. It is the first cigar in a long time that I have not been required to adjust the burn. The triple cap is behaving admirably and not a single piece of tobacco comes loose. This is quality construction.
The body is right on target for being classic medium. And there is not a single sign of nicotine. The cigar continues to burn cool as a cuke.
This is a good time to thank Courtney Smith, Wm. Paley’s right hand woman, for the samples.
The flavors are going nuts as the last third begins. It develops an extremely long finish. The complexity is to be admired. It sneaks up on you.
The shift away from individual flavors is impressive as they become one with the Cosmic Muffin. Truly impressive.
The cigar is already available in stores. If you really want to treat yourself, I would definitely go for at least a 5 pack.
The cigar’s last few inches are outstanding. The most intense flavor profile of any of the Classic sizes to date. This is why I stick to smoking robusto or smaller. You can have your 6 x 60’s.
I am most impressed with the construction of this cigar. It is totally flawless. Absolutely no criticism from me.
The cigar finishes with these flavors in descending order: Creaminess, cocoa, caramel, butter, citrus zest, licorice, wood, spice, and sweet tobacco.
As I get to within 1-1/2” left to go, the spiciness ratchets up. So does the strength as I get a nicotine buzz.
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