Cigar Weekly

La Gloria Cubana is produced by the El Credito Cigar Company, a Miami-based cigar manufacturer started by Ernesto Perez-Carillo's father in 1968. Carillo, who took over the company after his father died in 1980, managed the company's incredible growth through the cigar boom, increasing production from 500,000 cigars in 1990 to 6 million cigars in 1996. In 1999, Carillo sold El Credito to Swedish Match AB, the second largest producer of cigars in the world.

Swedish Match brought expanded marketing and much needed organizational expertise. Carillo remains as president and has re-focused his attention on the cigars themselves and has expanded the La Gloria line and is re-establishing El Credito's El Rico Habana and La Hoja Selecta brands.

The Hermoso is one of the new expansions to the La Gloria Cubana line and the 4 1/2 x 48 robusto is sold unwrapped in boxes of 30. The wrapper is from Ecuador and the filler is a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos.

Cigar Weekly reviews are blind taste tests conducted by our readers. Reviewers are sent three samples with all identifying marks removed. Reviewers are chosen randomly from the list of everyone that has signed the Cigar Weekly Guest Book. Their comments are below.

Pre-Smoke Comments

Bart Buettner (barton): This was a robusto sized smoke, about 4.5 x 48, with a smooth, slightly oily maduro wrapper. It was slightly oily and firmly packed. The cap was well done. There was a very mild pre-light scent. Overall looks to be well made.

Douglas F. Richards Jr (dfrjr30): cigar #156 was a fine looking cigar. robusto in size, the construction was flawless. firm with very few soft spots. the wrapper was a dark brown with a few bumps..

Gerald Kalal (Mr. Jerry): This very small Robusto has a nice wrapper, smooth texture and ever Colorado wrapper, oily but not too. Thin veins and nice construction but seems too small to be a true Robusto, 4.5" x 48. Deep tobacco aroma before lighting.

Jim Johnson (bikenic): These are nice looking smokes. medium brown, smooth wrapper, Firm construction, on appearance alone I'm thinking I'm going to like these cigars.

Kenneth Oliver (Dallas Guy): #156 Was a beautiful maduro robusto. The wrapper was immaculate. It had a slightly chemical smell which made me wonder if it was going through a "sick" period. No hard spots were felt.

Leonard Watkins (mannish): This cigar is a very well made robusto. The wrapper has a nice oil sheen with a few veins, but not too many. It is firm with no soft spots. The draw and burn are perfect with a solid gray ash.

Mel Blount (natgolfer): I generally like robusto cigars, especially maduros, and given its beautiful construction and appearance, I had high hopes for this smoke.

Smoke Comments

Bart Buettner (barton): I liked the flavor of this cigar, mild to medium with a slight sweetness. The burn was good, very even, with a light gray ash. It was fairly one dimensional, but still enjoyable. It produced good amounts of smoke.

Douglas F. Richards Jr (dfrjr30): the cigar started out with a bang, alot of flavor. the burn was even and stayed even throughout. the strength was on the medium side, with little burn on the tongue..

Gerald Kalal (Mr. Jerry): The first 1/4" was sour, then it opened up quickly. Lots of smoke with medium overall flavors...might be young tobacco. Burned very even with a firm light grey ash. Somewhat hot finish, but no bad aftertaste. I'm sure that I smoked both of the cigars too fast, thus the hot finish.

Jim Johnson (bikenic): The burn started out somewhat un-even but quickly took care of itself. The flavor was medium bodied to start, but the strength and body of this cigar progressed nicely throughout the cigar.

Kenneth Oliver (Dallas Guy): It definitely did not taste like it was in a "sick" period. #156 was a smooth medium-bodied smoke. The burn was even and consistent, and the smoke was plentiful.

Leonard Watkins (mannish): The strength is real nice a medium almost full-bodied strength. The taste is confusing. I am not sure how to describe it. It may be a chemical or bitter taste.

Mel Blount (natgolfer): While the quantity of smoke was very good, with a substantial body and subtle aroma, the taste was bitter and ultimately turned hot. The even burn and firm, white ash belied the disappointing taste of the smoke. Overall, this was only a fair smoke. A medium strength cigar, it never overcame the bitter start.

Summary Comments

Bart Buettner (barton): Overall a good, well made cigar, mild to medium in flavor. My one complaint on this cigar would be that it needs a little more ummph. If I had to guess on origin, I would have to say Dominican. It reminds me of an AF Chateau maduro. If you're looking for a decent mild robusto, it's worth a try.

Douglas F. Richards Jr (dfrjr30): I enjoyed this cigar, the flavor just kept coming. never had one problem while I was smoking this one (even burn, draw was perfect). I'm very curious to see what this cigar is, for the fact I may have to get some...

Gerald Kalal (Mr. Jerry): This is a rather nice "short" Robusto, except for an ugly cap the construction was good. Not too bad, but not a great smoke. Not too much to say about this cigar...sorry, but I found it rather boring.

Jim Johnson (bikenic): I'll take my guess and say LGC. Regardless, I will be smoking these cigars in the future. I found them to be well constructed and full of flavor. Although my experience is somewhat limited. I know what I like. Thank you cigar weekly for letting me try these cigars.

Kenneth Oliver (Dallas Guy): I liked the cigar. I could see getting a box of these if the price wasn't too prohibitive and working them into the rotation.

Leonard Watkins (mannish): This cigar tried so hard. It has the draw and burn of a super premium. The strength is there but not over powering. It is certainly well made. There is something missing with the flavor. These do not appear to be young cigars but I think I would let them sit a while to see if the flavor develops.

Mel Blount (natgolfer): This was a very aesthetically pleasing cigar that didn't live up to its attractive appearance. The very nice dark brown wrapper had a somewhat oily sheen, and one large vein was evident. The construction of this robusto cigar was very nice. Firmly wrapped, it lit well, burned evenly with a flaky white ash that held up very well. The draw was easy and the amount of smoke was plentiful.

Scores

 Review Results
Final Score: 35.3 out of 50

4 Star -- Excellent

The Hermoso is one of Ernesto's recent LGC line extensions and it's a great size for a quick smoke. Our reviewers were divided on this cigar. All agreed that it was a well-made and good-looking cigar. But when it came to the flavor, some enjoyed the medium-bodied, straight-forward flavor while others found it one-dimensional and boring. More than one person mentioned a chemical or sour flavor that may be the result of young tobacco. My guess is that El Credito hasn't shed it's habit of shipping cigars that need some aging after purchase. If you can get them fresh, they might be great, otherwise, buy a box and sit on them for a year.

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