Curivari Gloria De Leon Review

Curivari Gloria De Leon
Manufacturer: Curivari
Brand: Gloria De Leon
Size: Prominente 6.75x54
Cost: $7.00
Rest Time: 3-months
Burn Time: Gave up on it at 1:45

Prelight: the Gloria De Leon has a very veiny chocolate mottled wrapper with a paper bag like consistency. It has an uneven pack being very squishy near the foot and very solid at the cap. Like the El Rey, this cigar is very light in weight for a stick this size. Prelight aroma is a musty tobacco, cedar & raisins . I use my largest punch to pierce the cap and off we go. Prelight draw tastes of molasses and tobacco.

1st 3rd:

On first light I get flavors of dry earth, grass, tobacco and a non-descriptive flavor. After the cigar settles down light cocoa flavors are dominate, but underneath that there is a very subtle floral flavor that transitions from wild flowers on the draw to rose petals on the very light and airy finish. The wrapper near the cap has a very small area that exposed the binder and is impacting the draw, I'm losing smoke out of that area, but it does not seem to impact the burn

2nd 3rd:

Entering the second third the draw issues have worsened, I'm now having to insert the cigar in my mouth all the way down to the band in order to capture all the smoke. BTW- Not a flattering visual! Additionally, smoking in this manner is moving all flavors mid & rear palate obviously losing some subtle flavors on the front palate and tongue. In addition to the cocoa there is now a creamy coffee, the floral flavors are gone, but not sure if that's due to the required smoking method. The familiar Curivari charred flavors have appeared on the finish. The draw is still having no impact on performance as the burn is sharp and the ash holds on for over an inch. The smoke is mild to medium bodied with no strength.

At the halfway mark a large hole develops under the wrapper between the cap and the band.

Final 3rd:

The final third sees no flavor shifts, again I think this is a function of the draw and the cigar being lodged deep in my mouth. The cigar has gotten really squishy near the end and the smoke is hot, even with extending time between draws.

Summary:

For all the problems with the wrapper and binder with the Gloria De Leon, this was by far the best performing Curivari yet. Razor sharp burn from start to finish, with no touch ups or relights needed. I'm going to have to give this stick a pass based on the construction issues. The way the cigar opened had me really looking forward to getting into some unique flavors through out the burn, but I think the way I needed to smoke it really impacted the flavor profile. While the smoke was thin, it was plentiful and never really reached more than a medium body. I will buy another one and smoke it before declaring yay or nay on this one.

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