I had the opportunity to sit down with Bob Moreno the VP of Sales for La Palina where he brought back a few samples from the TAA of the forthcoming La Palina Family Series Miami, specifically the Pasha for me to smoke and review.
The series which was once produced at the Graycliff factory moves to the famous El Titan de Bronze in Miami where all the roles are 100% Cuban trained and are rated category 9 while employing the entubado method of rolling.
Today’s review is the first release, Pasha and will come in 20 count boxes which each cigar packaged in an individual coffin. The other sizes forthcoming are The Babe (5.25 x 50 Robusto) and The Alison (6 x 52 Torpedo).
According to a press release from William Paley, “For more than year we’ve been trying to get this blend exactly right. Working with Aixa Vazquez, ETBs master blender, and with the help of Willy Herrera, unquestionably the best young blender in the world, we have made a cigar worthy of putting the names of my closest family members on the band.”
Cigar: La Palina Family Series Miami
Size: 7 x 50 (Pasha/Churchill)
Wrapper: Ecuador Corojo ’98
Binder: Ecuador Habano
Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa and Esteli)
Strength: Medium
Source: La Palina
The Look: For those who remember the original Pasha the shaggy foot was to the extreme and it wound up putting many holes in my shirts to the point where I once joked with Mr. Paley about sending him the bill for my clothes while sitting at Cigar Inn just after the launch. The new release still sports a shaggy foot but it is a little more traditional than in the past. The advantage of a cigar using this method is it allows you to taste the binder and fillers separately before the wrapper is introduced. The flawless looking wrapper is rolled seamlessly and the classy look La Palina band adorns the cigar. In the hand there are no soft spots except for the foot.
The Notes: The foot of the cigar has some cedar notes with a bit of sweetness while the cold draw serves up the same but reverse with a hint of caramel.
The initial notes of the cigar before the wrapper is combusted is woody and nutty. As we reach the wrapper the cigar picks up some spice through the notes but a sweetness on the palate.
In the second third of the La Palina Pasha the cigar loses some of the sweetness though it does linger in the background with little fanfare. The notes of nuts and coffee are dominant with some cedar and spice on the finish.
The last third of La Palina continues down the road of cedar and nuts, however some mocha enters the mix with some spice through the nose on the moderate finish.
The Burn: The ash of the Pasha has an appearance of being strong but a few times it dropped without warning and on to my shirt. The light color ash was revealed by an ultra thin combustion line on the La Palina Family Series Miami which also has an exquisite draw.
The Finish: It’s hard not to compare this rendition of the Family Series versus the one produced in the Bahamas at the Graycliff factory. However, it is human nature to do so and I can safely say this cigar is miles above that release and is a completely different cigar. If they both had the same price point (which they don’t, this one is cheaper) I would reach for this one time and time again.
Score: 90
Price: $TBD
La Palina Pasha
La Palina Pasha Foot
