Stogie Reviews: Felipe Gregorio Power Special R

As soon as you slide one of these out of the cellophane, rich aromas of milk chocolate and cinnamon permeate the air. The sensation is almost like taking a whiff of a candy bar. “What enormous potential this cigar has,” I remember thinking to myself before smoking my first Power by Felipe Gregorio.

Advertised as sweet and light, the line is a three-nation blend. The wrapper is Costa Rican, the binder Nicaraguan, and the filler a mixture of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos.

The Special R vitola measures five inches with a 52 ring gauge. It earned an impressive rating of 91 in the March 27 issue of Cigar Insider. Oily and attractive – albeit a bit rustic – the two sticks I smoked for this review seemed slightly box-pressed and a little flat.

Given the heavy pre-light aromas and the line’s confident name, the initial taste is much lighter than you’d expect. The smoke is airy and mild, but I also notice a zesty cinnamon aftertaste. That spice gets stronger and more pronounced the quicker you smoke.

A sweetness begins to fade in and out after the first inch, but it isn’t the chocolate I detected before. It’s accompanied by a woody, smoky cedar flavor. This trend fails to build down the home stretch, rendering the Power unexpectedly subtle and soft.

The physical properties are decent on all counts. The burn requires some early touch-ups to get things off on the right foot, but it takes care of itself from there. The white, flakey ash holds fairly well, and the draw is almost too easy.

I’ve seen 26-count boxes of Special Rs go for as little as $153, but most sell for as much as $9 to $10 apiece. That’s a little steep, in my opinion, for a cigar that’s no doubt fine but probably not excellent.

So, for subtle flavors that don’t live up to the expectations of its pre-light aromas (or its name), I give the Felipe Gregorio Power Special R three out of five stogies.

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–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys