Cigar Review: La Gloria Cubana Natural

I want to talk about my sweet sweet mistress. She was seductive, refined, a little on the naughty side, and burned evenly... Yes I am talking about a cigar, or that last one would have been a little creepy. The La Gloria Cubana

This little gem came to me in a Stogie Boys sampler pack and was by far the pick of the liter. The pack is only $25 bucks and you can probably find one of these as a deal. A cheap affair.

She was draped in an Ecuadorian sumatra and blended with both Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos, this cigar is full of flavor just like the history of the brand. I'm going to cut to the chase on this one, but basically the guy fled Cuba with a great cigar recipe and remade them in Miami. Pretty cool though.

This cigar packs quite a bit of wallop but in a smooth, sexy way. The perfect mistress! It has a nice wrapper and burns perfectly. The draw was easy just like ... ya, not going there.

You won't find subtle flavors here, big bold nutty tastes with a kick of earthy leather. There is a little sweetness in there to mellow it out a tad, like the sweetness of dark chocolate; savory and pungent. It has a rich finish with a touch of spice. Perfect, and just plain delicious.

I would pair this with a sweet whiskey for the ultimate affair.

A half hour later my rendezvous with Gloria was over. Such a shame. She was an amazing full bodied cigar. I didn't want to part with her but I had too. I give this glorious Gloria a superb 9 of 10. This is a must try for anyone with a bold taste.

Questions for YOU: What is up with the creepy lady on the label?!

Cigar Review: Alec Bradley Harvest Selection

For anyone that hasn't been paying attention to the cigar industry, Alec Bradley is on fire! Many of their sticks have been given a 90+ rating from Cigar Aficionado and it seems like their quality is unmatched. So I picked up a nice little sampler to see what all the fuss was about. Fuss discovered.

I picked up a Harvest Selection, not one of the more premium Alec's but it will do for my first of the sampler (more reviews and sticks to come). Wrapped up in an oily Habano wrapper, this thing looked to please. It cut great and had a super smooth draw. It was very easy to smoke and over-smoke even. I puffed a wee too hard and had to take a little break. Nothing a little whisky wouldn't fix!

Anyway, this guy is stuffed with 3 fillers; Mexican, Nicaraguain, and Dominican. You will notice these fillers when you get hit with all the complex flavors and spice. The Nicarguain and Dominican cuts give it a nice smooth leathery taste, while the strong and spicy Mexican ligero give it the spicy coffee like kick. I found this to be a bit strong for what most people consider a medium bodied cigar. Great flavors but it did have a kick, although that may be due to me over-smoking it. You know, when you get that light headed feeling? As I mentioned whisky seems to do the trick. Not sure if there is any science in that or just the happy numbing of whisky.

I really enjoyed this smoke, it burned evenly, tasted great, and was a great deal. Those spicy, earthy flavors are not usually found on a stick this cheap. So far my first Alec Bradley of the sampler was good. Now onto the more premium lines, hoorah! Overall, I give this Alec a respectable 8 of 10.