One of the surprises this year for me is a brand from United Cigar called Fleur de la Reine. It is a cigar that I never heard of until I moved to New Hampshire, and United Cigar is a brand that you should begin to hear a lot about in 2015.
According to their website, “Bold and rich with spicy, full flavor, Fleur de la Reine is made up of a blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos surrounded by a Dominican binder, but the wrapper is what separates the flavors between the Natural or Maduro versions. Ecuadorian Sumatra is highlighted on the Natural and it’s U.S.A. Connecticut Broadleaf on the Maduro version.”
Cigar Review: Fleur de la Reine
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua
Length: 4 7/8″
Ring Gauge: 52
Vitola: Robusto
Strength: Medium
The Look: Packaged in painted cabinet style boxes of brown with a gold logo and lettering the Fleur de Reine is traditional in terms of presentation. The band that adorns the Fleur de la Reine shows off a woman who represents the feminine name of the cigar with a familiarity to it. The cigar has a nice amount of oils present and the Sumatra wrapper is rolled to perfection. The cigar is firm to the touch with no soft spots and a nice weight to it.
The Notes: Once the cap of my cigar was surgically removed with precision accuracy the cold draw revealed a sweet nutty notes with a touch of earth and a hint of chocolate creating a nougat like experience. The aroma from the foot of the cigar matched that of the cold draw with one addition; cedar.
As we work our way into the first third of the Fleur de la Reine the initial notes of are reminiscent of sweet nuttiness with wisps of vanilla, and touches of coffee with a graham cracker finish that really shines on retrohale and finish which is moderate in length.
In the center portion of the cigar, the nuttiness remains as the wisps of vanilla becomes a cream like note creating an experience that reminds of me Pralines and Cream ice cream. The moderate finish remains true with a touch of graham cracker goodness.
The last third of the cigar sees the creamy notes become more of an afterthought as the nutty notes becomes dominant with a slight cedar finish. There is the introduction of some spice on the retrohale in addition to the aforementioned cedar notes which shine on the finish.
The Burn: The Fleur de la Reine has a near perfect draw that serves up the right amount of resistance. The burn line was razor-sharp with a combustion line that wasn’t thick, but it wasn’t razor-thin either. The ash held firm and the cigar remained lit from first light to last puff.
The Finish: Since moving to New Hampshire two years ago one of my favorite cigars have been Fleur de la Reine. While I smoke the maduro version more often than the natural, the complexity of the cigar keeps me coming back for more. Consistant and well constructed the Fleur de la Reine is one of my go to cigars.
Score: 91
Price: $5.99 / $115.99
Fleur de la Reine
