1 review for Leccia Black Robusto Natural
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Leccia Black Robusto Natural
Overall Score
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Ray
Origin : Dominican Republic
Format : Robusto
Size : 5 x 52
Wrapper : Ecuadorian Habano
Filler : Nicaraguan, Dominican, Mata Fina, Dark Fire
Binder : Nicaraguan Rosado
Hand-Made
Price : ~$8 each
Sam Leccia is well known for his long association with Oliva. In 2012, he was able to break away and start up his own premium cigar company (after a few unpleasant setbacks involving Oliva in 2011). The Leccia Black is one of a duo of “Black and White” cigars, the other of course being the Sam Leccia White, made in Nicaragua. The Black is manufactured in the Dominican Republic, and comes in four sizes: Corona, Robusto, Toro, and XO (Gordo). It comes wrapped in an Ecuadorian Habano with a Nicaraguan Rosado binder enclosing a filler blended of Dominican and Nicaraguan ligeros, Brazilian viso, and “Dark Fire” tobaccos which have been wood-fire-cured.
The fire-cured aspect of this cigar makes it truly unique. The majority of cigars are made with air-cured tobacco. Fire-curing removes moisture and is generally used for pipe and chewing tobacco. This process results in a “smoky” flavor. Doesn’t just the sound of that make you excited? Let’s check it out!
Appearance : [rating:4.75/5] (4.75)
This cigar looks and feels solid. The wrapper is medium brown, has a pleasant sheen of oil, and a few visible veins. Otherwise, it is very smooth. The band is simple black and white in design, as you might have guessed, in keeping with the series. The logo and the Leccia typeface are both studies in simplicity and elegance. A very nice-looking cigar. The pre-light aroma is very distinctive, certainly as a result of the “Dark Fire” tobaccos, and reminds me of a campfire. I am definitely expecting some smoky flavors.
Construction : [rating:3.75/5] (3.75)
I was very curious what the fire-curing would do to impact the construction of the cigar. As far as burn, there were no problems at all. There were a few minor touch-ups, but nothing outside of the ordinary. Draw on the other hand was consistently a little tight, which bugged me. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t quite up to snuff either.
Flavor : [rating:4.25/5] (4.25)
As you might expect, the Leccia Black Robusto is a little different than your typical smoking experience, and the entire flavor profile is impacted by the fire-curing process. You can taste that campfire flavor in the pre-light draw.
When you light up, you get a burst of natural tobacco flavors with smoky overtones and a good dash of pepper. I mostly noticed the smokiness on the retrohale. The natural tobacco definitely is the primary flavor. For some reason I expected this one to stay spicy, but the peppery notes actually fall away in the middle third, and are replaced by sweet flavors. I am also getting hints of anise. In the final third, the flavors all kind of even out in intensity, with the smokiness coming to a fore. I was able to smoke this one right down to the nub without any harshness or heat. That isn’t something that happens every day.
Value : [rating:4.5/5]
At $8 per stick, this is a moderately priced cigar. It offers tremendous quality, so the value is good.
Overall Rating : [rating:4.25/5] (4.25)
Despite the slightly tight draw, I loved this cigar. The Leccia Black Robusto is very good. It was incredible being able to smoke it all the way down to the nub and enjoy every minute. I really enjoyed the smokiness imparted by the fire-cured tobacco, and would love to try more fire-cured cigars. This is a wonderfully innovative re-entry to the world of premium cigars for Sam Leccia, and if it is any indication, he is going to do very well.
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MrNemo
I really like this cigar. Totally digging the fire-curing flavor. Thanks for the review.