La Palina has really started to make some waves in the cigar industry! More shops are picking up their blends than ever before. I have had the La Palina Nicaragua Oscuro sitting in my humidor for a few months and decided it was time to give them a little space on the blog. Check out the review and let me know what you thought of the cigar!

Blend Profile
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Oscuro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Vitola: Robusto, 5×52

Appearance & Smell
The wrapper is a beautiful mocha color! The wrapper feels good to the touch with a little bit of oil but not too much. There are noticeable veins but nothing too big. The wrapper seems to be well rolled and the seams are not noticeable at all. The pre-light smell gave me some notes of dark cocoa, earthiness, and brown sugar.

Smoke Preparation
I used my faithful Xikar Xi1 to put a flat cut on the cap. The pre-light cold draw gave me some black pepper, earthiness, and a hint of sweetness. I lit the cigar with my Xikar Enigma double torch.

Burn & Draw
Oh man! This cigar packs a delicious punch! The burn was pretty even throughout the cigar. I had to re-light once because I got distracted but the taste was perfect even on the re-light. The earthiness really lingers on the tip of the tongue through the entirety of the cigar. In the retrohale there are notes of brown sugar, hay, and black pepper. I was pleasantly surprised with the complexity of notes and flavors I picked up.

Strength & Body
I would consider this cigar a medium to full, medium-plus. The strength grew as the cigar burned. It was definitely fuller by the end of the smoke. The oscuro really adds to the kick and the strength of this cigar. The earthiness is consistent throughout the smoke. The black pepper comes and goes and transitions with a sweetness that reminded me of brown sugar. This cigar has a fair amount of complexity to it. I am sure that I would pick up some subtle other notes if I were to smoke it again. It’s always fun to find a cigar that has extra to unpack when it comes to extra tastes.

Final Thoughts
I haven’t smoked a great deal of La Palina cigars, so I came into this smoke without knowing a lot about what their blends are like. This was a great smoke! The robusto had a good draw and burn time. The cigar is produced by A.J. Fernandez and everything he has touched the last two years turns to gold. The average retail price for the robusto is about $8. I would definitely purchase this cigar again!

Source: Purchased Locally
Brand information: La Palina History