Quick Smoke: Joya de Nicaragua Fuerte Serie B Corona Gorda

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

While I really don’t remember purchasing these cigars, I do remember that I wasn’t particularly impressed when I smoked them. Unlike reviewers who found the Joya de Nicaragua Fuerte Serie B to be a good, cheap smoke, I found the blend to be harsh. So, I tucked them into my humidor and forgot about them. That’s been a couple of years. When I ran across one the other day I thought I’d give it a try. And I was pleasantly surprised. Not all the harshness had dissipated, but it had been subdued enough to let some of the tobacco’s better qualities come through. Among the tobacco flavors I found some leather and wood, though neither predominated. Construction, draw, and burn were fine. So if you’re looking for a very inexpensive cigar—the Corona Gorda (5 x 46) runs around $50 for a bundle of 20—that you can smoke while doing something else, this is worth a shot. Worth it, that is, if you’re willing to invest a couple of years to file down the splinters.

Verdict = Hold.

–George E

photo credit: N/A