La Escepcion Selectos Finos (Italia Regional Edition 2011)

Overall Score

1 review for La Escepcion Selectos Finos (Italia Regional Edition 2011)

  1. The Cigar Surgeon, M.D.

    La Escepcion Selectos Finos (Regional Edition Italy)

    Origin : CubaLa Escepcion
    Format : Panetela
    Size : 6.5 (166 mm) x 38
    Released : 2011
    Hand-Made
    Price : $15+ each

    This cigar was sent to me by another generous Redditor from Canada so I could review it.

    Nose : [rating:5/5]
    Sweet tobacco and a light scent of cedar and other distinguishable wood.

    Construction : [rating:5/5]
    Flawless. The wrapper is golden brown with a striking black and gold band. It has another band underneath identifying it as an Exlusivo Italia release. No soft spots and no imperfections can be found on the cap, foot or wrapper.

    Flavor : [rating:5/5]

    First Third:

    That very sweet tobacco that Cubans are notorious for. The initial few draws had just a hint of spice on the exhale. My initial thoughts were that I should be pairing this with some spiced rum on the beach instead of sitting on a snow patio. Another few puffs in and I was getting bbq meat flavors and mixed nuts. The exhaled smoke lingers and has a distinct smell of roasted peanuts. After a few minutes into the first the spice picks up slightly but I’m also getting more light sweet and creamy tobacco. As I’m halfway through first third I’m already wishing I had a box of these sitting in my humidor. My thoughts are that I’ve never smoked a Cuban this smooth before. As I finish out the ifrst third the spice was moved from the middle of my mouth to the tip of my tongue.

    Second Third:

    The spice picks up significantly here. Again it’s still quite sweet and creamy with some earthy notes now coming through. Although not overly complex, the flavors are quite satisfying. Halfway through I’m getting a mixture of oak and cedar.

    Last Third:

    Again the spice picks up almost on cue. The final is predominantly spice and nuts with just a hint of the sweet creamy tobacco from the first two thirds. About halfway through I’m starting to pick up peaty soil. It reminded me of a peaty scotch.

    Burn / Draw : [rating:5/5]
    The draw was tighter than I would have expected from a Cuban. This is almost certainly due to the smaller ring gauge and longer length. Each draw produced a significant amount of smoke. I wish I had smoked this in a warmer, more humid environment to get a nice ash going. Unfortunately in the cold and low humidity the ash routinely dropped off. I smoked this right down to the nub, total smoking time was about an hour and ten minutes.

    Value : [rating:3/5]
    If you could even get your hands on a box of these, they would run you well into the mid $400 mark. The low availability coupled with the high price makes this a low value option, even if the taste of this cigar is fantastic.

    Overall Rating : [rating:5/5] < 23/25 || 92%* >
    I would say this is as near a perfect Cuban as I’ve ever had. That needs to be taken with a grain of salt, however, as I have smoked significantly more non-Cubans. It’s a shame that the La Escepcion is both hard to come by and quite pricey as I feel like these would be a regular staple in my humidor.

    * Any cigar below 60 will be in the ‘yardgar’ category. Between 60 and 74 should be an every day smoke. Between 75-85 should be in the great smoke category, and anything above that should be in the excellent smoke category.

    Helpful?
    0 0
    • Packerjh

      I have been chasing this cigar for a long time and finally got my hands on ONE! The review is enchanting…can’t wait to smoke one for myself!

    • Joe

      These are absolutely fantastic. My “Excalibur” is a cigar with classic Cuban flavor that exhibits a full body and a lot of power / strength. By nature, most Cuban cigars tend to be medium. Even the full ones seldom pack as much power as most of the Nicaraguans on today’s market. Here is a Cuban cigar with loads of flavor and a lot of power.

      I am a BIG fan of the Regional Edicion cigars and after smoking boxes and boxes of dozens of different releases, I am confident when I say that I truly believe the best grade tobacco goes into these cigars. Standard releases CAN be just as good – but they are, as always, hit or miss. While you are going to spend a LOT more money in many cases picking up RE cigars, the one thing you’re practically guaranteed is a fantastic smoke – as long as you match your profile as some tend to be quite different from their standard release counterparts!

      I am such a fan of these smokes, I went overboard, as usual, and picked up the jar they made for these. Got my jar, got plenty of boxes to keep filling it up… If I got stuck on an island with nothing but these, I’d be fine. ~Dr Joe of DrJoeShow .com

    • ricovegas

      I picked up 10 when I was in Rome last September. One of the best CIgars I have ever had. I can tell they get even better with age!

    • Avatar photo

      Inspector

      I bought a few when I was in Rome. Smoked one this summer but it was plugged, unfortunately… Got some more waiting for their turn in the humi, hope their construction will allow me to fully enjoy them.

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Cigar Region Cuba
Filler Cuban
Wrapper Cuba
Binder Cuba
Length 6 1/2
Ring Gauge 38
Vitola Parejo
Construction Hand Made