Stogie Reviews: Palma Real Connecticut Lonsdale

And there, at the bottom of one of my humidors, were three Palma Real Connecticut Lonsdales, each of which, by my best estimation, had been resting in my possession for at least two years.

I had no idea how they got there. And I knew very little about the brand. To make matters worse, when I started researching for this review, I couldn’t find much information about Palma Real, except for the brief promotional paragraphs published by the likes of Cigars International and other online retailers.

Here’s what I’ve been able to gather after a lot of (mostly fruitless) research: Palma Real is a value line that’s available in six sizes—Lonsdale (6 x 44), Porky (6 x 60), Presidente (7.5 x 50), Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), and Torpedo (6.5 x 52). Each comes in either a Connecticut or Maduro wrapper.

The Connecticut Lonsdale features a dry, lumpy exterior leaf, a binder from the Dominican Republic, and Dominican long-filler tobaccos of the Olor variety. It can be purchased for less than $2 apiece when bought by the bundle of 50 online.

This cigar isn’t much to look at, and several of its aesthetic imperfections give me cause for concern. For one, the firmness of the Lonsdale varies depending on where you grip it, foretelling potential construction problems. Second, the lack of oils or pre-light fragrances leads me to believe that the flavor, once lit, will be hot, harsh, and papery.

While it isn’t hot or harsh, the initial taste is definitely papery. The profile, which verges on bland, encompasses notes of cardboard with a cayenne spice on the aftertaste. At best the Lonsdale is uninteresting. At worst it’s downright offensive to the palate. After the first inch, a few of the usual suspects—cedar, nuts, cream—waft in and out. But they never hang around long enough to make the thick, chalky smoke appealing.

Sure, the Palma Real Connecticut Lonsdale has pretty decent construction for a budget cigar. If you decide to purchase this smoke, expect the burn to be fairly even, the draw to be smooth, and the ash to hold well off the foot.

But don’t expect to be wowed by the flavor. I certainly wasn’t. While I never expect much from cigars that cost so little, I also don’t expect them to have a flat, insipid flavor that prompts me to immediately grab a different cigar just to get the taste out of my mouth. Unfortunately, that’s what I found with this stick, which is why I’m rating it one stogie out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys