Stogie Reviews: La Gloria Cubana Reserva Figurados Flechas Especiales Maduro

With a full name that weighs in at a whopping 22 syllables, you’re better off simply calling this stick “delicious.” That adjective, after all, is a more apt description of the cigar (not to mention a lot easier to utter in a single breath).

“This line of smokes is essentially La Gloria Cubana’s take on Fuente’s Hemingway idea,” wrote our friend Chris in a February Guest Quick Smoke. “All the vitolas are perfecto-shaped (barring the pyramid) and are comprised of top-tier tobaccos with specialized and extensive aging.”

The blend includes a sungrown Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper, a four-year-old Nicaraguan binder, and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. General Cigar says the five Maduro vitolas “derive their distinctive taste from a special cedar aging process.” Only 1,000 boxes of each size are produced annually, and only “level seven” rollers work on Reserva Figurados under the supervision of the legendary Ernesto Perez-Carrillo.

Judging by the stogie’s impressive appearance, “level seven” must be the designation for the black belts of cigar rollers. The 6.5 inch by 49 ring gauge Flechas Especiales has the look of a winner with a smooth, oily wrapper. Tightly packed, it exudes attention- grabbing pre-light notes of sweet cocoa and coffee, and the yellow band serves as a nice contrast to the dark leaf.

The unique shape offers more than mere aesthetics; it also enhances the smoking experience. The tiny foot makes establishing an even light very easy, which yields a powerful taste of freshly ground black pepper. A cedar spice also comes roaring through, only to smooth out after the first few inches. The meaty flavor takes on burnt steak-like qualities in the final third.

I’ve always thought it is a little more fun to smoke figurados, so take note of how the straight and true burn works its way down the cigar. The draw is on the tighter side (though not necessarily an encumbrance) and the white, finely layered ash holds firm.

When it’s all said and done, this top-quality, full-bodied cigar is a real treat—with or without all the syllables. You can find these for $100-145 per box of 20 or $6-8 apiece, and that’s a pretty fair price. One last word to the wise: The La Gloria Cubana Reserva Figurados Flechas Especiales Maduro isn’t for the timid, so have a few stiff drinks along the way to loosen your nerves. I did, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and I give it four out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys