La Gloria Cubana 8th Street Corona Grande

Purchased: 2 boxes – Corona Grande (6.5 X 48)
Price: $50/box of 10
Store: Famous Smoke
Buy Again: Yes
Box Worthy: Yes
Experience Rating: 97

I wrote about the Toro a little while back and absolutely loved it; so much so that while Famous was dumping these over Thanksgiving, I bought another couple of boxes of the Corona Grande so I could have both vitolas.

So what’s the difference? Not as much as I thought there might be considering the smaller ring gauge. It’s the same nutty and woodsy flavor profile with lots of transitions. It’s as nuanced as the Toro. But what I do detect is a little bit more spicy influence from the Habano wrapper, and amazingly enough, despite that spice, this Corona Grande’s smoke somehow seems smoother than the Toro. Go figure. And even though LGC has called this a strong smoke, I’d say it’s full-flavored, but with a balanced, medium body.

I’ve been so used to smoking the standard LGCs like the Classico and Serie R that are normally plugged and can often have a wonky burn. But in either the Toro or the Corona Grande, it’s clear that a lot of attention was paid in the construction of these cigars. I’ve smoked a couple of each vitola and the burn lines have been dead straight and the draw has been perfect with each one!

I’m an LGC fanboy, but my experience with their cigars is construction is hit and miss. But with the 8th Street, I have been amazed by the construction. Look at the ash on that cigar! And more importantly, the burn line. Freakin’ razor sharp!

I have a theory that a straight burn line provides the proper profile that the blender intended. A wonky or angled burn line may expose or even reduce certain areas and thus change the mix, so to say, and in turn change the flavor profile, however slight. This is no more apparent when a cigar tunnels. In that case, you get mostly filler or binder or both, as the wrapper burns much more slowly. So, you’re not getting much flavor from the wrapper. Or if a cigar canoes, that’s the wrapper burning faster on one side, thus giving more wrapper influence to the profile per puff.

This is all just a theory, but it makes sense to me. Other than that, a straight burn line is just pretty to look at and refective of just how good the construction is.

I’m so glad I got a few boxes of these when I did. This is a fine, premium cigar that I was able to obtain for a budget price!