La Gloria Cubana 8th Street 3-Month Time Check

Purchased: 2 boxes Toro (6 X 52)
Price: $49/box
Store: Famous Smoke
Buy Again: Yes – and no
Box Worthy: Obviously
Experience Rating: 98

The reason I said “Yes – and no” to Buy Again is that the box price is back to $175 for a box of ten. That said, is it worth $17.50/stick? Yes, I believe it is, but given that I spent less than $5/stick makes it less likely that I’d buy another box. Plus, I bought four boxes, two each of the Toro and Corona Grande. So, I’m probably good for a while!

What has three months of humi time done? Absolute fucking wonders, that’s what! When I originally smoked it a few days after I received my shipment, I loved it. But three months of laydown time have completely transformed this stick and brought out its true colors, which I’m finding magnificent as I write this entry.

As soon as I lit it up, I knew something was different. There was a refinement and elegance to the smoke that I didn’t get when it had just arrived. Back then, while I found the profile progression to be amazing with tons of transitions, the presentation is different now. The cigar instead immediately established a core of espresso, dark chocolate, light cayenne, oak, and cream.

As I smoke through the stick, that core remains, but little notes appear out of nowhere like star anise, nougat, hickory, salted caramel, mocha, and graham cracker. Savory notes of red meat and a cheesy, fermented quality have also popped in. In other words, this is a freakin’ complex cigar! I’ve been loving how these flavors flutter in and out, dancing about that central core.

About halfway through, I wondered how it would pair with a spirit, so I poured a small serving of Doorly’s 12 Year rum. OMFG!!! What an absolutely insane pairing! The rum brings out the cayenne in the profile, but it’s NOT spicy. The cayenne flavor is just more pronounced. But it also brings out a nectarine-like note on the finish that interplays with the cream. I’m experiencing a “life is fuckin’ incredible” kind of moment right now.

This cigar was a surprise for me coming from LGC. I didn’t think they could do nuance. To be fair, I had only smoked the Classic, Serie R, Serie N, and Serie S sticks. All have been absolutely enjoyable, and the Serie R is a regular inhabitant in my humidor.

But this cigar is all about nuanced complexity and refinement. In addition to the incredibly well-structured and balanced profile, the burn has been dead straight throughout the smoke. It got wavy at times, but always returned to a straight line. This is not something I expected from LGC.

So, what about the ride it took me on? Once I paired it with the Doorly’s 12, I was immediately transported to a social club setting where the men wear suits and ties, and the women are dressed in formal cocktail attire. I’m sitting in a high-backed leather lounge chair, sipping a cognac. My companions are smoking other fine cigars and are raising their eyebrows at the lowly LGC I’m smoking. Little do they know what this cigar offers up.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I like this cigar as much as a Padron 1964 Anniversary, and that’s a cigar that has been in my top 3 for decades! I’m glad I’ve got about 35 more of these!