Cigar Review: ADVentura King’s Gold Corona

On a recent trip to the Dominican Republic, our own David Garofalo had a chance to visit the factory where ADVentura Cigars are made. During the trip, sample after sample left him in awe of what the factory was doing. We even smoked the ADVentura King’s Gold on a recent episode of The Cigar Authority where both Ed Sullivan and I (Barry) were definitely intrigued. Now that the cigar has landed to us I decided to share my review of this cigar that features tobaccos from four countries that has been aged for 5 years.

Cigar Review: ADVentura King’s Gold
Wrapper: USA Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: San Andres (Mexico)
Fillers: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, USA
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 44
Size: Corona

The Look: Packaged in 20 count boxes that have a chest like appearance which fits in with the theme of the line where the cigars represent something and adventurer would bring back for the King and Queen. Inside, the rustic looking cigar sits with an oily and toothy Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. The band which is made out of a foil-like material showcases the ADVenutura shield in a bronze color. It is worth noting that these bands, might be the hardest to remove in the industry due to the material and adhesive used on them. In the hand the cigar is firm with no voids of tobacco and a well packed foot.

The Notes: Some people ask why I do the cold draw, and I think it is an important step in enjoying a cigar. Just like you would smell the cork from a bottle or the wine in a glass it helps prepare the senses for the experience to come. On the ADVentura King’s Gold, the cold draw reveals notes of cocoa and rum raisin while the aroma off the foot of the cigar serves up clay, cinnamon and additional cocoa notes. Once the cigar is toasted and lit the first draw serves up some rich cocoa components.

Smoking our way through the first third it’s easy to call this a creamy smoke, and I find myself thinking how much it reminds me of Bailey’s Irish Creme Liqueur just based on the body of the cigar. It has a very similar mouthfeel and tasting components of vanilla, cocoa and a subtle fruitiness. As we arrive at the one-inch mark of the cigar some almond joins the mix along with a subtle cedar both of which are enhanced on the retrohale.

Moving on to the second third notes of almond become more dominant and the mouthfeel becomes less creamy and the flavors of the smoke are more pronounced. The almond is joined by cocoa, coffee bean, and cedar with the subtle addition of pepper around the halfway point that slowly intensifies but not becoming overpowering by any means. The retrohale sees notes of almond, leather and additional pepper. As we conclude the second third I find myself admiring how balanced of a cigar this is.

Moving into the last third the cigar sees the sweetness fades away with notes of earth and leather becoming dominant with nuances of coffee beans and almonds showing themselves occasionally in the background. As we move just a hairline from the band which I will slide down over the ash which I found to be the easiest way to remove so far, a quick hit of cocoa appears before once again disappearing. It’s important to note that trying to peel the band too soon with no heat from the cigar is virtually impossible and if you try to slide the band to soon you risk nicking the wrapper. The retrohale sees almonds, earth and a subtle floral component with virtually no pepper left to be found.

The Finish: This medium-full strength cigar has nice changes throughout with crisp and easily identifiable notes. For those that like a milder version, there is the Queen’s Pearl from ADVentura and we will review that in the near future. I’ve smoked this in all three sizes currently available and they all smoke very similar, though the Corona comes off as slightly stronger than the other two sizes. While still new to me, right now it stands as one of my favorite Dominican cigars and I haven’t been disappointed by anything from the company to date. It’s definitely worth your hard earned dollars.

Score: 92
Price: $13.19 / $233.99