Cigar Review: Regius Red Lancero Extra

Hello Cigar Smokers,
Today on the Official Cigar Blog of the Woodside area I'm reviewing a cigar that I really like, The Regius Red Lancero Extra. I'm a big fan of the Lancero Extra size, it's the ring gauge of a Corona, but the length of a Churchill. The exact dimensions of this cigar are 7 1/2" by a 42 ring gauge. Many Lancero's are typically a little thinner than a Corona with a ring gauge 38-40, but this is blended with a leaf of Ometepe tobacco in it, which has an earthy, sweet and mouth watering quality to it. The Ometepe tobacco needs to be balanced with a little extra filler so it doesn't overwhelm the blend. This line of cigars are different than the mainline Black Regius, which debuted in the UK market where Cuban cigars are #1. Regius Black is blended for people used to the taste of Cuban tobacco, and it's the number #1 selling Nicaraguan cigar in the UK.  Regius Red is blended and distributed exclusively for the US market. There is a second band on the cigar that reads "Exclusivo USA." The owner of Regius, Akhil, who I got to meet recently, described his philosophy in having USA exclusive cigars. He described to me how the typical UK smoker differs from the typical US smoker, in that Cuban cigars tend to get stronger as they progress, while many US smokers prefer cigars that start with their full flavor and mellow out towards the finish. So instead of trying to cater to both markets with the same product, he created a separate line that would resonate better with the US smoker.

Regius Red is a Nicaraguan Puro that is medium to full in flavor, if you are a fan of Nicaraguan cigars this will fit right in with what your palate is used to. It is not as strong as some other Nicaraguan puros on the market, especially the Maduros, but this is no weak cigar. These Lanceros are beautiful and uniform, the wrappers come unblemished and the second band makes the cigars stand out of the box. The Lancero size, if rolled well, results in one of the most pleasing smoking experiences. The smaller ring gauge brings a lot of flavor out of the wrapper because there is less filler to taste. From the initial light up this cigar gives a stronger, more concentrated flavor than the Regius Red Fat Perfecto, with a tighter draw. The flavor changes about each third of the cigar, it rounds out more from the initial concentrated flavor and when it finishes it brings back the flavor that you start with. The smoke is full in flavor and has an earthy, leather like quality to it as it progresses. The smoke is rich and fills your mouth, leaving different impressions on the tongue and palate. As the leather like quality fills your mouth, a peppery undertone develops in the back of the palate. I would attribute the leather-like quality of the smoke to the Ometepe tobacco, which is really prominent in the middle section of the cigar, which also has an interesting sweetness to it along with the earthy, leather like quality. The finish brings more of the peppery quality back, and the smoke is calmer and less mouth watering.

I recommend this cigar to people who prefer Nicaraguan cigars, fans of the Lancero size or people who want a less mouth drying cigar blend. It is definitely an interesting blend and size that brings a lot of flavor from a thin cigar. I notice similarities between this cigar and the AVO Syncro. They have a similar sweetness and earthiness to them, although the AVO is milder and the Regius Red Lancero brings more flavor over the course of the cigar. I think Regius Red is a good segue into Nicaraguan puros to a smoker that sticks generally with Dominican Tobacco. This blend has a good balance of strength and flavor without being too much, and it won't dry your mouth out like some fuller bodied cigars will.