[img:28c5c734e1]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/216/502314156_df3752a9a4_o.gif[/img:28c5c734e1]
Counrty of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Corojo oscuro - Nicaragua
Filler: Criollo & Corojo - Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Size: various
Full Bodied/Full Flavor
:D Exciting new, medium bodied Troya selection blended by Don Pepin Garcia, renowned for the high-scoring cigars he has helped create for Tatuaje cigars, Padilla Miami 8&11 cigars, and his own line of Don Pepin Garcia premium cigars.
The new Troya Cl?sico is a Nicaraguan puro. Using a blend of Corojo and Criollo longfiller and binder tobaccos, the cigars are rolled in a lush Corojo Oscura wrapper leaf that's finished with a traditional Cuban-style triple cap. Handmade in Esteli, Nicaragua, the cigars are presented in three shapes: Troya Cl?sico XVIII (5"x 54 Robusto); Troya Cl?sico LIV (6" x 52 Toro); and Troya Cl?sico LXIII (7" x 50 Churchill).
I am a fan of Jose "Don Pepin" Garcia cigars to begin with and this rendition does not disappoint. These are nothing short of excellent.
Right off the bat I knew this was going to be a great cigar. It has a leathery texture to the touch and a pre-light scent of earth and barnyard. The cigar was solidly rolled and felt very balanced in the hand. The triple cap common to Garcia was beautiful and the stick cut perfectly. The pre-light aroma from the wrapper is sweet ? a really nice tobacco bouquet. Before I lit the cigar, I spent a bit of time with this one under my nose, it smelled so good.
Construction is impecable with a firm draw. I have smoked several of these and the burn sometimes gets out of whack and requires torch correction but, in my experience, that is fairly common with DPG cigars. Since these are all corojo/criollo, so probably wise to keep them around 62-63% RH and you will find the burn problems much more limited. The ash is a medium gray and solid. It actually took some effort to knock it off.
The light bite was fairly strong and persisted to about an inch into the cigar. The nose at that point had a real "twang". Right out of the gate an incredible amount of flavors ? this cigar is absolutely chock full of cocoa, creamy coffee and nut flavors with a few notes of vanilla during the second half. There are some base flavors of wood as well, but the toasted nut is very prominent all the way to the end of this smoke. It?s a good medium in body, maybe a medium-plus by the end, but it?s not your typical Pepin powerhouse.
The flavors here are not as spicy as I?ve come to expect from Don Pepin, but this cigar was seemed to be a little friendlier than the heavier blends like the Habana Leon with its 70% ligero content. In terms of body it?s probably on a par with the Tatuaje VI, but the flavors are totally different.
All told, one helluva smoke for fans of medium bodied cigars. This is certainly no Macanudo, but it won?t blow you out of the water either. And the vanilla and nutty flavors are about as good as they come.
The [url=http://www.troyacigars.com/dealerlocator.asp][color=darkred:28c5c734e1]Troya website[/color:28c5c734e1][/url] has a B&M locator and [url=http://www.famous-smoke.com/cigars/search/sr.cfm/st/1/bc/TCL][color=darkred:28c5c734e1]Famous Smoke Shop[/color:28c5c734e1][/url] carries all three sizes between $7.65 and $8.55 a stick when you buy a box. A little pricy but I think you will find this cigar is a very pleasant way to spend an hour.
[i:28c5c734e1][b:28c5c734e1]... lucky7[/b:28c5c734e1][/i:28c5c734e1]
Ok my interest is peaked. After several Pepin reviews from Walt at Stogie Review and these two new entries I'm gonna have to try some myself.
ReplyDeleteThanx guys,
I was gifted these cigars by a fellow cigarzilla member, so I gave them a try, even though I am not a fan of full strength cigars. Don Pepin Garcia's reputation for powerhouses notwithstanding, this cigar was enjoyable. The wrapper has a deep red hue that attracted my eye before lighting, and the prelight aroma was floral. After lighting, I got an immediate taste of spice, but not as strong as I was anticipating. The spiciness disappeared after about an inch, and mellowed into a smooth, creamy character that continued to the band. The press release I read(smokeshopmag 04/07) listed the strength as medium-full. I felt that it was closer to medium, and at no point did it seem strong to me.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, this was an enjoyable cigar. My only complaint was some irregular burn issues, and the tendency to turn somewhat bitter past the band. I have found this same situation with most Oscuro wrappers I have had. The flavor of corojo stood out prominently throughout this cigar. I agree with lucky7 that lower humidity would benefit this cigar, as I found it had the flavor of a moist cigar. I haved smoked two of these cigars so far, and will let the last one age in a drier climate to see the effect it has on the burn problems.
I would give this cigar, based on the two I have smoked, a rating of 8.5. It definitely has a potential for much higher if aging does what I think it will. I would definitely recommend this cigar to anyone who enjoys corojo cigars, with the caviat that it definitely needs some humi time to attain it's maximum potential.