Wrapper: Aged Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed
Binder: Aged Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed (wrapper grade)
Filler: 3-4 Years Aged Dominican, Nicaraguan
Size: 5.5 x 46 Corona Gorda
Strength: Mild/Medium
Price: $20.00
Quantity Released: 200 boxes of 10
Factory: Tabacalera William Ventura, Dominican Republic
My cigars received one month of naked humidor time.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
The original Gold Series was released in 2023 and received mixed reviews. This blend is similar but takes it to a higher level with aged tobacco. I’m always leery of anniversary cigars. The price goes up but the quality is not necessarily upped in tandem to the price point.
The leaf stats show us something that is popular. An easy-going morning cigar that goes well with coffee. $20 is a lot of dough. If this blend has something to prove, I will be on the ride along.
This is not a big cigar as the above description declares. I’ve found that the Corona Gorda may provide an intense experience when designed by the right blender. Sometimes size matters.
The wrapper does not have the expected full throttle of honey, floral, and buttery aromas one expects from Ecuadorian leaves. J London describes the wrapper and binder as “Aged” but does not go into further details. The process of extended sleep can interrupt the olfactory perception of leaf to schonozola…either that, or the gondola that exfoliates my sensory nerves has become a dead stick due to a crispy brain from age. Not all ageing is good.
Some think that using a punch on a cap with a fantail might cause involuntary mutilation. My PerfecPunch lops the head off cleanly as shown below. The only thing my PP won’t do is get a job and help support my habit. Tell me that blow hole is not a pretty sight.
The cold draw is full of lemon spice, creamy foam, caramel, vanilla, floral notes, and white pepper.
Nice start. Creamy, sweet, earthy, vanilla cookies, and cedar strips. That first puff of the day…nothing like it. Two snaps up to the Gold 10 for not wasting time by providing a beautiful inkling of good things to come.
The creaminess is so cool. Not exactly the words a pro reviewer uses but it keys the brain that I’m having a good time. There is lemony icing. Not too sweet, just a scoche. The floral is stronger in taste than it was in aromas. How cool. The vanilla is right up front. Big fat flavor notes coming from this little cigar. And I’m only half an inch in. Something I’ve never declared to a woman.
The cigar seemed light in the loafers before lighting up. Heat has plumped the cigar nicely and now feels like a hunk of rebar.
Strength wavers between mild and medium. The Stooges are on, my coffee is nearby, the cigar is enjoyable, my nipple clamps are new, and the political climate is in turmoil. Life is perfect.
Inch two sees the intensity deepening. A lovely creamy oatmeal presence kicks in. I imagine maple syrup and brown sugar, and they appear like magic on my palate.
With only a month of home detention, I decided to review this cigar. Ripening counts for something. And it’s proven me right. Aging is not always agreeable to a cigar. There are countless times I’ve bought cigars proclaiming deep somnolence only to find the blend seems to have aged out. While mild/medium in strength, the body is full tilt. Excellent cigar.
The first third took 30 minutes. Longer than I expected from a 5.5 x 46. The construction is spot on. The burn line is sharp.
Flavors appear to be canonized: Creamy, lemony, caramel, floral, cedar, vanilla, maple sugar, and white pepper. The blend is smooth, slightly earthy, very rich, and contains a nice complex depth that is compounded with each half inch.
The first half ends. The progression is top notch. The only downside is when I get lucky with a cigar, I tend to puff too often. The palate needs a rest to truly enjoy what your double sawbuck bought you. Reviewers are better at preaching than doing.
The sweet spot begins. The concentrated nature of the blend stuns me into submission. I’m like a hypnotized Gila monster with half a J sticking out of its mouth.
Skipping ahead, the blend never falters. Not a hint of abeyance. It continues its travels with a smile and a wave. J London did good with their self-celebratory blend. Rarely does a cigar manufacturer pull it off beautifully. Often, it’s just another blend in the long line of OK cigars. The trickiness of this blend is its mild/medium strength. It will not hold up after a meal. Your palate needs to be clean which puts it in the rare air of a morning cigar. Is it worth $20? If you got the dough, hell yeah.
You can purchase the J London Gold Series 10th Anniversary from sponsor Luxury Cigar Club. Take 15% off with promo code KATMAN15. Do my new sponsor a solid and find something you like and tell them I sent you.
Luxury Cigar Club has 6 levels of monthly cigar club memberships. I’ve been a subscriber of the Palladium Club for 5 years and have never been disappointed. Check them out HERE.
RATING: 96
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Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
I only spend 20 bucks on breakfast when I am on somebodies expense account at a hotel, & they dont let me smoke. It does sound pretty good though. I just have to figure how to hide the cost from She Who Never Errs….Nice review
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