Purchased: 20ct Robusto (5.5 X 54)
Price: $62 ($15.50/5er)
Store: CigarBid.com
Buy Again: Yes
Box Worthy: Yes
Experience Rating: 92
The LGC Serie R has become a stalwart in my rotation. Over the past several months I’ve been snagging them off CBid. But recently, it has been difficult to win them at a reasonable bid price (read: cheap), plus they haven’t been available. But there have been plenty of auction lots available for the maduro. So, I decided to give them a whirl.
And I’m SO glad I did. Draped in a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, this cigar is right in my wheelhouse with thick and rich smoke tinged with a toffee-like sweetness that is the earmark – at least to me – of CT Broadleaf.
But like every LGC I’ve had, for some reason, the draw is always tight at the start due to some blockage around the band. It’s very tightly packed at the band. But a few pokes of my PerfectDraw frees it up a bit. Then once I’ve got the cigar going and some moisture gets into the tobacco, I poke it a few more times to get an ideal draw. Yes, it’s a hassle, but once I’ve got it fixed, it stays fixed.
The cigar starts out with a wonderful burnt sugar sweetness redolent of marzipan, cedar, and coffee with cream, with a slightly vegetal finish. The mouthfeel of the smoke is luxuriously smooth.
Getting into the first third takes a while. This is a slow-burning stick. It takes about twenty minutes to get through the first inch. You’ll want to make sure you have the time to smoke this cigar, as my experience has shown that it takes at least an hour-and-a-half to finish it. Flavor-wise, I’m amazed that I don’t pick up cocoa, considering the Nicaraguan tobacco in the filler. The original flavors are still present, though the sweetness has toned down, transitioning into a savory, almost meaty profile. There’s no hint of spice, save a hint of cinnamon, and no pepper heat whatsover. The smoke itself is incredibly cool. It’s uncanny.
Getting into the second third, not much has changed from the first third, if anything the stick has gotten smoother. There’s just a hint of white pepper spice on the finish, but for the most part, the flavor profile hasn’t changed much. But that’s not a terrible thing for me. LGCs aren’t flavor bombs. But they get great ratings because they’re just delicious throughout the smoke.
Forty-five minutes and I’m barely halfway through the stick. Love it! At the halfway point, Ovaltine™️ kicked in along with chocolate milk. Now THAT took me by surprise. The smoke suddenly – and I mean suddenly – turned creamy. WTF? While the beginning of the second third had the strength waning, halfway in it ratcheted right back up to medium-full. Amazing!
As I get into the back half of second third, now just past the halfway point, I’m now getting this brioche bun/sourdough bread twang. The sweetness has picked up ever-so-slightly accompanied by a slightly floral finish.
I was wondering when this would happen, draw tightened up by the end of the second third. This is a tightly packed cigar, so it’s not surprising. But it’s nothing that a couple of pokes with my PerfecDraw can’t address.
Into the final third and here comes the white pepper spice. It’s not at all pronounced, just a lingering bite at the back of my palate. The creaminess has again subsided, and the finish now reminds me of Kalua. But wait! The cigar transitioned yet again. The sweetness has all but disappeared, and the coffee flavor is like drinking a Turkish coffee. It’s strong and slightly burnt. The creaminess has waned ever-so-slightly, and expectedly, the pepper heat has ratcheted up a bit. Amazingly enough, even down this far, I’m still getting that sourdough twang on the finish.
Into the last inch… I have a habit of doing regular purges once I get into the final third. This helps burn off tar, but also cools down the cherry a bit to reduce the heat. The predominant flavor at this point is coffee grounds.
I’m nubbin’ this one fo sho!
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