Cigar Review: La Galera 85th Anniversary Connecticut

Turning 85 is a big deal, and Tabacalera Palma wanted to do something just as exciting to commemorate this incredible feat. When they sat down to think of ways to accurately convey what this occasion meant to them, they decided to consult their fathers. Jochy Blanco revisited dozens of scribbles and stand-alone paragraphs in his father’s notebooks and reexamined the tobacco growing and processing wisdom of two generations, along with the cigar manufacturing wisdom of one generation.

The company created two cigars to celebrate tis milestone with both of them being packaged in a split box of 10 cigars each. Today we review the cigar blended by Jochy Blanco which is the Ecuador Connecticut version. The other cigar in the box features a Broadleaf wrapper blended by Jose Manuel Blanco.

Cigar Review: La Galera 85th Anniversary
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Dominican Republic (Corojo)
Filler: Dominican Republic (Piloto Dominicano & Criollo 98)
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Size: Toro

The Look: Packaged in 20 count boxes, containing two different cigars blended by father (Jochy Blanco) and son (Jose Manuel Blanco). In addition to featuring 10 of each blend, the box serves as a keepsake where it can be used as an ashtray. The Jochy Blanco blended cigar features a golden looking wrapper with minimal veins. The ornate looking La Galera band is joined by a secondary band denoting the 85th Anniversary. In the hand the cigar appears to be well packed with a slightly spongy foot.

The Notes: The cold draw has a subtle raisin sweetness along with a nutmeg and sunflower seeds while the aroma from the foot of the cigar has an earthy aroma consisting of a subtle cedar and wheat component. Once the cigar is toasted and lit the raisin component really begins to shine.

As we smoke the first third the dominant note is a continued raisin with a hint of nutmeg. Im going to channel my inner Mr. Jonathan and ask if you ever had a powdered donut. Now you take the donuts out of the package and inside is some powder residue. That’s what I get as well in the first third. Now I could have said powdered sugar, but you have to admit his waxing poetic is more amusing. The retrohale sees some hints of sunflower seeds with a subtle pepper.

Moving into the second third powdered sugar notes still hold on as an afterthought with primary notes of vanilla, sunflower seeds and nutmeg. While the cigar is mild-medium in terms of perceived strength, the cigar is loaded with flavor. Around the halfway point cedar notes begin to develop with added pepper on the retrohale and a touch of raisin sweetness. As the second third comes to a close the sweetness begins to dissipate.

The last third of the La Galera 85th Anniversary Connecticut blend sees notes of wheat become dominant with hints of nuts and cedar. The finish of the cigar is earth with a subtle raisin and white pepper while the retrohale sees the pepper intensify.

The Finish: Over the last few years I feel like cigars have been stronger, fuller bodied than the years before it. The industry it seems was in love with San Andrés and other darker leafs. It seems to me like a really good new Connecticut has been missing, and this fills that void. The only issue is that is a limited edition cigar. It’s one of the best limited editions in years and in a word it is outstanding. It is smooth and elegant and an instant classic.

Score: 95
Price: $14.69 / $259.99