CigSid
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- Jan 25, 2014
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La Escepción is one of the oldest Cuban cigar brands with its inception in the late 1850s (Partagas was first in 1845) and it was discontinued in 1989 due to lackluster sales. In 2011, it was brought back as a Regional Edition for Italy. These are difficult to get because of the stringent tobacco laws in Italy, for example, it is against the law to sell cigars online there, not to mention they only made 2000 boxes, with each one having a little plaque with the designated number (this cigar came from box number 438/2000)…
The length is 6 ½ inches long and has a gauge of 38. This size in the factories is called a “Panatela” and is designated as ”Selectos Finos” roughly translated as “exclusively fine”.
La Escepción was the strongest Cuban cigar brand in its time and this beauty is no different. Don’t let the size fool you, this little guy has a full flavored profile, with a large amount of nicotine. I would not suggest this as a morning smoke, and I would recommend having something to eat before firing this baby up…
The inner coversheet of the boxes are really beautiful, and you can see how they look on my profile picture.
The gold and black colored bands are also very unique and I believe are perfect for distinguishing this cigar amongst the other brands…
Let’s start the review:
This cigar is beautiful, with a dark brown wrapper glistening with oil. It is perfect when squeezed with just the right amount of give. The wrapper of the La Escepción smells like sweet hay, chocolate and a little spice.
The cold draw tastes similar to the smell of the wrapper, with the addition of a faint hint of coffee and leather.
I like to initially punch my cigars, and today I am using this handy 3 in 1 punch from Creedo.
When I am into the last third of a really good cigar, I will use my cutter; slice a bit off the cap and purge, giving me access to the purest smoke possible at this point.
The first third:
From the very first puff, you know this is going to be really good. I can taste chocolate, a bit of coffee, a slight spiciness, and rich tobacco. The retrohale is sweet, with a dark chocolate and a hint of caramel. The spice is starting to pick up nearing the end of the first third. The strength at this point is a medium to full.
The second third:
The strength is steady at medium to full, but the flavors have changed into an earthy nuttiness, and a bit of salt on my lips. I am getting more pepper on the retrohale now, with just a hint of chocolate along with some coffee, actually it’s more like dark espresso. The burn is perfect with no touch ups at this point. At the halfway point now, and the body is picking up, we are at full now, with more spice and a sweet leathery earthy flavor.
The final third:
This is when I cut the cap and purge… The flavors have changed again and now I have a bit of nutmeg on the retrohale (very rare with this cigar, I have found this just a few times out of the 2 ½ boxes I have smoked) along with espresso, leather, dark chocolate and sweet hay. The sweetness has increased, and is very enjoyable. This cigar demands your full attention, and changes on a dime… The burn remains perfect, with a laser straight edge. As I get down to the end, the La Escepción stays cool, smooth and delicious, which is a clear indication that this cigar is rolled with the highest quality tobacco available…
Final notes:
Total burn time was approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, which is quite long for this size. I have a tendency to take my time and savor every inch of these cigars.
With the trend towards larger ring gauges that are being produced, this was a welcomed size that I enjoyed thoroughly.
Of all the ISOM’s on the market, most are similar in taste, this brand is totally different, and this is evident as soon as you light it.
My iPhone died halfway into the final third, so I do not have pictures of the finish, suffice it to say, I nubbed it and burned my lips trying to get one more puff…
This is definitely in the top 10 of my favorite cigars…
The length is 6 ½ inches long and has a gauge of 38. This size in the factories is called a “Panatela” and is designated as ”Selectos Finos” roughly translated as “exclusively fine”.
La Escepción was the strongest Cuban cigar brand in its time and this beauty is no different. Don’t let the size fool you, this little guy has a full flavored profile, with a large amount of nicotine. I would not suggest this as a morning smoke, and I would recommend having something to eat before firing this baby up…
The inner coversheet of the boxes are really beautiful, and you can see how they look on my profile picture.
The gold and black colored bands are also very unique and I believe are perfect for distinguishing this cigar amongst the other brands…
Let’s start the review:
This cigar is beautiful, with a dark brown wrapper glistening with oil. It is perfect when squeezed with just the right amount of give. The wrapper of the La Escepción smells like sweet hay, chocolate and a little spice.
The cold draw tastes similar to the smell of the wrapper, with the addition of a faint hint of coffee and leather.
I like to initially punch my cigars, and today I am using this handy 3 in 1 punch from Creedo.
When I am into the last third of a really good cigar, I will use my cutter; slice a bit off the cap and purge, giving me access to the purest smoke possible at this point.
The first third:
From the very first puff, you know this is going to be really good. I can taste chocolate, a bit of coffee, a slight spiciness, and rich tobacco. The retrohale is sweet, with a dark chocolate and a hint of caramel. The spice is starting to pick up nearing the end of the first third. The strength at this point is a medium to full.
The second third:
The strength is steady at medium to full, but the flavors have changed into an earthy nuttiness, and a bit of salt on my lips. I am getting more pepper on the retrohale now, with just a hint of chocolate along with some coffee, actually it’s more like dark espresso. The burn is perfect with no touch ups at this point. At the halfway point now, and the body is picking up, we are at full now, with more spice and a sweet leathery earthy flavor.
The final third:
This is when I cut the cap and purge… The flavors have changed again and now I have a bit of nutmeg on the retrohale (very rare with this cigar, I have found this just a few times out of the 2 ½ boxes I have smoked) along with espresso, leather, dark chocolate and sweet hay. The sweetness has increased, and is very enjoyable. This cigar demands your full attention, and changes on a dime… The burn remains perfect, with a laser straight edge. As I get down to the end, the La Escepción stays cool, smooth and delicious, which is a clear indication that this cigar is rolled with the highest quality tobacco available…
Final notes:
Total burn time was approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, which is quite long for this size. I have a tendency to take my time and savor every inch of these cigars.
With the trend towards larger ring gauges that are being produced, this was a welcomed size that I enjoyed thoroughly.
Of all the ISOM’s on the market, most are similar in taste, this brand is totally different, and this is evident as soon as you light it.
My iPhone died halfway into the final third, so I do not have pictures of the finish, suffice it to say, I nubbed it and burned my lips trying to get one more puff…
This is definitely in the top 10 of my favorite cigars…
