Purchased: 5-pack Prominente (6.5 X 54)
Shop: CigarPlace.biz
Price: $65.95
Buy Again: Yes
Box Worthy: Yes
Experience Rating: 95
I kinda feel like Katman going through the entire Curivari line. I’ve only gotten through three, but he did the whole line at the time over ten years ago. But at least for me, my experience has been like his. I’ve REALLY enjoyed every single one I’ve had thus far and it’s making me want to try the other lines. I know I’m being a bit of a copycat here because I’m trying the cigars in the same size vitola that he did. But I’ve come to trust his reviews over the years. There’s nothing he has recommended that I haven’t liked. And with Curivari, I haven’t experienced anything that would disagree with his assessments.
So here we are with the Gloria de Leon in the Prominente vitola. It’s not quite a Churchill at 6.5″, and it’s a bit on the fatter side at 54. So, I’d call it a Toro extra. No matter, it’s a baton. And like a baton, it’s solid and feels packed. But unlike the other two I’ve written entries on, this looks and feels a little more rustic. The wrapper is a bit veinier than the others, but there are no large veins, and you must look very hard to find the seams. This all tells me that the rustic “look” was done on purpose for effect. This is evidenced by how even the burn line has been throughout the smoke. Usually, rustic sticks burn unpredictably; you just never know where the burn line will go. But not so with this one. While it is mildly wavy, it’s even. Oh! And looking closely at the wrapper, it’s nice and toothy, and exposure to the sun reveals little, glistening jewels of oil.
Also, unlike the other two that had Padron-like loose draws, the GdL has what I consider to be a perfect draw; that is, there’s just a little bit of resistance, but airflow through the stick is free. As I mentioned above, the stick seems packed.
As for the flavors, this is doing the same shifting palate thing that the Reserva Limitada Cafe Noir did. But where the Cafe Noir was more on the savory side of things, the GdL is on the sweet side. From the get-go I got a foundation of burnt sugar, flan (crème brûlée), and sweet cream over which a shifting palate of cedar, black pepper, red pepper, cacao, coffee, berry, bergamot (Earl Grey tea), See’s candy caramel, and an occasional floral note rotate with every puff.
As I’ve progressed through the stick, the red pepper spice has built, especially on the finish but it’s not at all overpowering. Some tannin has also appeared along with what I can only describe as “oak.” At this point, let’s just call this an incredibly complex yet balanced stick.
I’m only halfway through the stick at 58 minutes, so this is a nice, slow burner. But getting into the final third, the cigar has decided to stop rotating all the flavors and instead throws all of them at me at once. But here’s the catch: The strength has remained at medium. It started there and has stayed there the entire smoke! And nicotine? Not a kick, even into the last third.
Yeah, this is a banger. The folks at Curivari know what the fuck they’re doing. I’m a fan. A big fan!
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