Cigar Reviewed: La Gloria Cubana Serie R Esteli Maduro

This maduro had a beautiful dark, oily wrap that smelled of cocoa and molasses. The cap was a bit awkwardly done and at an odd angle. This made using a guillotine cutter challenging. I'll punch or v-cut the next one. Appeared very tightly filled, with one large stem visible. It almost looked like it was in the binder and left an odd bump on the outside of the cigar. Pre-lit draw had a lot less resistance than I expected with sweetened cocoa being predominant. First impression on lighting was a medium body. Considering how dark the wrap and fillers were, I expected something more intense. Espresso and cocoa are the main players in the first third, along with a bit of licorice and wood. Burn is excellent with a thin line and strong ash even at at the halfway point. The hint of sweet from the wrap lingers through the second third with strong espresso and still present (but less forward) cocoa. Retrohale gives a little pepper along with the espresso and some wood. The last third is largely consistent with the first two in the espresso and bittersweet chocolate. I'm surprised there is very little earth and leather, though there is some in the final third, especially on retrohale. Overall, this is an excellent cigar to pair with coffee.