Marco-Polo
Go Irish Go!
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2008
- Messages
- 724
Cigar: Flor de Gonzalez White Label (variously "Green & White Label" or "Green Label")
Size: Extra Corona 6.5x52
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Nicaragua (or perhaps that should be Nicaragua? FdG plays it very close to the vest when discussing their blends)
Executive Summary: A well-constructed, very flavorful mild-to-medium cigar. Will definitely appeal to those who enjoy more complex blends. 8.4/10
Preamble: Flor de Gonzalez is most well-known for their sandwich bundle. However, they also make long-filler cigars in Nicaragua and Miami. This review is for their value line long-filler cigar, which received an "A" on cigarcyclopedia. Complicating the matter is that they call it the "green label" on their website, and also call the sandwich cigar the "green label". Furthermore, they don't seem to be widely distributed; I haven't seen this cigar at any online outlet other than Larry Lynn for $30 a box. Possibly that's by preference, of course, but my assumption is that marketing is not their forte.
Which is fine, because they seem to be much better at making cigars than selling them.
Appearance: Light brown Connecticut shade wrapper, even in color. Some very small veins. Cap is somewhat sloppily applied, and the Connecticut shade wrapper allows flaws that would otherwise go unnoticed to show through. Cigar is slightly soft to press and possibly slightly underfilled, but only slightly. Dominant prelight odor is grassy. Band is an unremarkable white with embossed green script and gold accents. 7.5/10 - nothing wrong with it, nice wrapper, but nothing really right with it either.
Flavor: Cigar is mild to medium but very flavorful. The dominant flavor for the first half is eucalyptus, with a light sweetness to it that reminds me of caramel, honey, or cinnamon toast, like the boozy sweetness you get from sniffing a glass of brandy. Smoke is very creamy as opposed to acrid. There is substantial spice in the first half of the cigar, but again it's very difficult to describe - nutmeg or cinnamon as opposed to black pepper or capsicum. In the second half a spicy and leathery character takes over, again well balanced and very pleasant, with the spice increasing slowly until you hit the last inch. I've never smoked a cigar like it. Unlike the cuban ERDM in flavor profile, but very much like it in execution. Perfect afternoon cigar, but there is a substantial nicotine kick if smoked quickly, so be warned. Solid 9/10 - a desert island cigar.
Construction: Burns evenly and slowly. Draw is slightly loose and very consistent throughout. Smoke is plentiful. Ash is slightly crumbly, probably related to the soft construction, and light grey to snowy white. Stays lit for at least 5 minutes unattended. 8.5/10
Time elapsed: 1 hr 10 minutes
Size: Extra Corona 6.5x52
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Nicaragua (or perhaps that should be Nicaragua? FdG plays it very close to the vest when discussing their blends)
Executive Summary: A well-constructed, very flavorful mild-to-medium cigar. Will definitely appeal to those who enjoy more complex blends. 8.4/10
Preamble: Flor de Gonzalez is most well-known for their sandwich bundle. However, they also make long-filler cigars in Nicaragua and Miami. This review is for their value line long-filler cigar, which received an "A" on cigarcyclopedia. Complicating the matter is that they call it the "green label" on their website, and also call the sandwich cigar the "green label". Furthermore, they don't seem to be widely distributed; I haven't seen this cigar at any online outlet other than Larry Lynn for $30 a box. Possibly that's by preference, of course, but my assumption is that marketing is not their forte.
Which is fine, because they seem to be much better at making cigars than selling them.
Appearance: Light brown Connecticut shade wrapper, even in color. Some very small veins. Cap is somewhat sloppily applied, and the Connecticut shade wrapper allows flaws that would otherwise go unnoticed to show through. Cigar is slightly soft to press and possibly slightly underfilled, but only slightly. Dominant prelight odor is grassy. Band is an unremarkable white with embossed green script and gold accents. 7.5/10 - nothing wrong with it, nice wrapper, but nothing really right with it either.
Flavor: Cigar is mild to medium but very flavorful. The dominant flavor for the first half is eucalyptus, with a light sweetness to it that reminds me of caramel, honey, or cinnamon toast, like the boozy sweetness you get from sniffing a glass of brandy. Smoke is very creamy as opposed to acrid. There is substantial spice in the first half of the cigar, but again it's very difficult to describe - nutmeg or cinnamon as opposed to black pepper or capsicum. In the second half a spicy and leathery character takes over, again well balanced and very pleasant, with the spice increasing slowly until you hit the last inch. I've never smoked a cigar like it. Unlike the cuban ERDM in flavor profile, but very much like it in execution. Perfect afternoon cigar, but there is a substantial nicotine kick if smoked quickly, so be warned. Solid 9/10 - a desert island cigar.
Construction: Burns evenly and slowly. Draw is slightly loose and very consistent throughout. Smoke is plentiful. Ash is slightly crumbly, probably related to the soft construction, and light grey to snowy white. Stays lit for at least 5 minutes unattended. 8.5/10
Time elapsed: 1 hr 10 minutes
