Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Vitola: Toro
Purchase Link: La Gran Oferta
LA GRAN OFERTA REVIEW – CALIFORNIA
Summary: The draw is on the snug side. Starting off with a light angel food cake sweetness and wood. The sweetness has dissipated and I’m left with a pleasant red pepper on the retrohale. Everything dropped off for 5 minutes but cream is ending the lull in flavors. I was sure that this stick wouldn’t rebound after it went flat but the addition of caramel is making me a believer.
I’ve touched up the burn a few times as I begin the second third, but each time has been more preventative maintenance than out of necessity. Fresh ginger!
Final third is featuring mostly wood and leather. Fresh bread. Green onions? Interesting. Struggling to keep it lit with a little more than 2 inches left, but it’s worth the effort.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: When the boss takes the office to lunch and puts it on the company card.
Pairing Suggestion: Cuba libre.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Fiver.
LA GRAN OFERTA REVIEW – WISCONSIN
Summary: This smoke brought excellent, balanced flavors that worked well together and solid construction. I enjoyed it very much and would be very happy to smoke many more of them.
It kept a creamy core throughout, and started with a good bit of spice and pepper that receded, but were always there as well. The beginning included quite a bit of wood - both cedar and oak. There were occasional lemon notes. If you want a really fascinating wood note, retrohale this smoke in the first third. Pretty neat.
Then the cocoa came. Oh my, the cocoa. It added just what the cigar needed to hit all the right spots on my tongue. Mmmm. That cocoa was joined by peanut and brown sugar as the stick progressed. All of the flavors worked in harmony throughout the length of the cigar.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: If you like cocoa, you've got a winner here.
Pairing Suggestion: A milk stout.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Box.
LA GRAN OFERTA REVIEW – OREGON
Summary: This dark brown cigar has a smooth wrapper with a visible amount of oiliness. The seams are visible but the cigar has an overall well-made appearance. The wrapper smells like fresh cut grass with a little bit of molasses and dry hay. The cold draw has perfect resistance and pretty much taste like dry hay with a hint of cinnamon and molasses.
Oak coffee, molasses and rye bread make up the initial profile. It’s deep and intriguingly complex. In the retro-hale there is a sweet citrusy note and a combination of black and white pepper spice with a long red pepper flake finish on the palate. All of a sudden there is a floral note appearing in the main profile. It’s not up front but definitely noticeable. It’s interesting to look at the wrapper right above the char line. The oiliness really presents heavily there.
So far this cigar is producing a nice amount of smoke and it has even burn line. The ash is also quite solid.
Towards the middle of the cigar, the profile is really changing up on me with charred meat, green apple and cereal grains making up the main profile. There is also a long floral finish on the palate. The retro- hale experience is smooth with a sweet start and a floral oaky finish
Unfortunately, around the halfway mark the wrapper leaf is starting to come unwrapped from the binder and filler. Also what started as a strong to medium strength and strong to medium bodied cigar has transitioned to a low-medium quality on both counts.
The finale holds strong with the same charred meat flavor, raisins, floral notes and an understated sweetness. I dig this cigar. Complex and able to transition successfully with great flavors.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: If you like this then you probably like cigars that challenge your palate.
Pairing Suggestion: Pair this stick with a beverage that isn’t sweet in any way. You’ll miss out on the sweetness lying under the profile.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Box buy for this guy.
Participants in this blind review were completely unaware of the cigar they were evaluating until all submissions were received and processed. Each participant was asked to answer a summary paragraph, an if/than statement, a pairing suggestion, and a purchase suggestion. Cigars were provided by Small Batch with only the expectations of candid responses. All pictures, information, and formatting were completed by a Coordinator outside of the reviewing process.
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