Cigar review: La Gloria Cubana R Serie no 5

Hello Cigar Smokers,
Today I'm reviewing a very reliable cigar that's been on the market for a while now, the La Gloria Cubana R Serie. This cigar is produced by General Cigar Company in the Dominican Republic. La Gloria Cubana was started by Ernesto Perez Carillo, a very well known and highly renowned cigar maker. This cigar is wrapped in an Ecuadorian grown Sumatra wrapper, with a Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The No 5 measures 5.5 inches by a 54 ring gauge. This cigar is very robust, especially for a Sumatra wrapper, I rank this cigar a 4/5 on our strength ranking system.

The first thing I notice about this cigar is how rich and oily the wrapper is, as well as how well constructed it is. This cigar is bunched well, not too tight and not too loose. This ensures an even burn throughout and the 54 ring gauge gives it a nice, open draw without being sloppy. There are some veins present in the wrapper leaves, but this doesn't really hurt the quality of the smoke in my experiences. Sometimes having veins on the wrapper will make it burn unevenly or hurt the overall flavor of the cigar, but the fillers being bunched well negates this. To describe the flavor I would say this cigar has a strong, earthy core. From the initial light up you are greeted with a strong leather like quality to the smoke that does not let up throughout. Sumatra wrappers aren't terribly strong, so it doesn't overwhelm you with that earthy quality, which mostly comes from the fillers. Around the core flavor of the cigar I notice some spicy notes that come and go around halfway through the cigar. The flavor is strong and reliable, the La Gloria R Serie is dependable in that it gives a consistent flavor box to box.

This cigar comes highly recommended by me, I recommend this cigar to anybody who enjoys fuller bodied cigars. I also recommend this cigar to anybody interested in trying Sumatra wrappers, there aren't that many quality Sumatra wrappers prevalent on the market compared to the other choices in wrapper leaf. This cigar, with it's leather and earthy qualities pair well with a scotch specifically or a lamb or steak meal. I say this cigar is a good choice to enjoy with some good drinks and good barbecue on this holiday weekend. Happy smoking!
JT