Description
Renowned for its beefy ring gauges and full-flavored taste, La Gloria Cubana Serie R is one of the crowned jewels of the El Credito Cigar Factory. Serie R delivers an amazing spiciness and powerful, yet refined flavor which comes from a proprietary blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos. When balanced with a Nicaraguan binder and a wonderfully-aged Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper (Connecticut Broadleaf wraps the maduro cigars), La Gloria Cubana Serie R delivers a rich and refined taste that’s perfect for any occasion.
•••• E Sumatra N DR,N
Ellory Wells –
Initial Thoughts
When it comes to classic cigar brands, La Gloria Cubana is right up there with the oldest of the old. Started in 1885, LGC began in Cuba, but split off during all of the Castro nastiness and started again in Miami in the 1970s.
With such a storied history and over a century of experience behind it, the La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 5 Natural should be pretty good. Right?
For today’s cigar review, I used my guillotine to cut the Serie R No. 5, and the cut was perfect. The cold draw was very leafy and the resistance was about right.
The first flavors that I got from the LGC Serie R #5 Natural were mild and sweet, but with hints of spice both on the palate and on the retro-hale.
But over the past 10-15 years, boutique cigar brands have come out swinging. Can a “legacy” brand like La Gloria Cubana stay relevant and keep up with their Serie R No.5 Natural? And, is it worth almost $10? Let’s find out.
CigarScore: 5
Brand: La Gloria Cubana
Line: Serie R / Natural
Size: 5 1/2 x 54
Cut: Guillotine
Light: Torch
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
Smoke Time: 80 minutes
Through the middle of the cigar, the La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 5 Natural was quite enjoyable. The sweetness and complexity were there and it was quite tasty. Additionally, I was able to taste flavors of wood and leather, with maybe just the smallest hint of spice.
Final Thoughts
After about 80 minutes, I was finally done with the La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 5 (Robusto) Natural, and I enjoyed this cigar quite a bit.
While there were a couple of minor issues, they were entirely cosmetic and had no negative impact on the cigar. In fact, I hardly noticed them. I tasted sweetness, leather, spice, and leaves.
Overall, I think this cigar is a good value with a good smoke time. I enjoyed the flavors and I’d say that LGC is definitely staying relevant with this blend. The La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 5 Natural earns a CigarScore 5.