La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami

Size: 5.5 x 52

Wrapper: Nicaragua

Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Fillers: Nicaragua/Dominican

Price:  $10

La Gloria Cubana introduced a new extension a few years ago-- the Artesanos line.  These cigars come with very fancy boxes and a band featuring a new, more colorful version of the traditional LGC logo.   Within the Artesanos extension, there are four blends:

• Artesanos de Miami
• Artesanos de Obelisco
• Artesanos de Tabaqueros
• Artesanos Retro Especiale

De Miami is handmade by a team of 10 master rollers in Miami, FL. Shaun visited the La Gloria Cubana factory-store on calle ocho during his last cruise and brought me back a robusto.  The cigar features a "a dark and oily Habano-seed wrapper", according to one website.  (I don't remember it being all that dark, but it did have a potent prelight aroma).   Production is limited to just 250,000 cigars annually; it recently received a 92 rating and was named one of the Top 25 Cigars of the Year by Cigar Aficionado magazine.

Steve, Shaun, and I smoked these out by the pool on Memorial Day, paired with two glasses of Jameson Select Reserve (also referred to as Jameson Black Barrel).  What a phenomenal combination!  The cigar burned slow and cool, perfect construction.  In terms of its initial taste profile--rich, woody, and slightly nutty--it reminded me of a Cuesta Rey, but unlike that mild cigar, the strength of this begins to accumulate and eventually hits you deep in the belly.  The Jameson was one of the smoothest whiskies I've ever drank with more sweetness than you normally detect in an Irish whisky.

This is one of the Top 3 cigars I've smoked all year, along with a 5-year old Flor de A. Allones and a 5-year old Omar Ortez.