Cigar Review: Reinado Grand Empire Reserve Ecuador Edition Petit Lancero

Since the company was introduced at the 2010 industry trade show, my colleagues and I have been reviewing cigars from Reinado, a boutique manufacturer that prides itself on its “original and closely guarded signature fermentation process.” We have been impressed.

The original Reinado line (Spanish for “reign”) is no slouch—particularly in the smaller Habanito format. But our favorite Reinado creation to date is Grand Empire Reserve. It’s a five-vitola Nicaraguan puro made in Condega with a “select Habano maduro” wrapper. In his review of the Elegidos size, my colleague called Grand Empire Reserve “a cigar smoker’s cigar: full-bodied, gritty, with plenty going on and not too similar to anything else available.”

So when Reinado owner Antonio Lam told me he was coming out with an “Ecuador Edition” of the Grand Empire Reserve, I was excited to try it. This offshoot features the same Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from the original Grand Empire Reserve, this time wrapped in a golden, three-year-old Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf. “With the explosive consumption of our exceptionally rated Grand Empire Reserve line, we sought to introduce a complementary profile that delivers a rich, toasty, and distinctive flavor…” said Lam.

The Ecuador Edition took one year to blend. As with Grand Empire Reserve when it first came out, it will be offered in only one vitola—a Petit Lancero (6 x 38)—with additional sizes to come at a later date. Cheers to Lam for choosing the Petit Lancero as the inaugural format. This is a size that will excite cigar fans. And it makes a great first impression, what with its beautiful pigtail cap and elegant stature.

After taking note of the spongy cigar’s easy cold draw and pre-light notes of sweet hay and caramel, once lit a profile of cream, roasted nut, spicy cedar, and coffee emerges. The body falls in the mild to medium range yet there’s plenty of flavor going on. This is definitely not one of those Connecticut smokes you can accuse of being papery or tasteless. The flavors of sweet cream and dry, spicy cedar are especially pronounced, giving the Petit Lancero wonderful balance and an enjoyable bouquet.

With top-notch construction and ample smoke production, the Grand Empire Reserve Ecuador Edition—Reinado’s first cigar that isn’t a Nicaraguan puro—has to be one of the best Ecuadorian Connecticut-wrapped smokes I’ve had in a long time. Keep an eye out for the Petit Lancero at your local Reinado retailer; it is expected to cost $8.99 and be packaged in boxes of 10. I’m awarding it four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys