On Facebook, I saw Dan Reeves of Cigar Press Magazine on Facebook call the La Riqueza Lancero one of the best cigars he smoked at the show, so naturally I had to get my hands on one. Being a cigar geek, I like the small ring gauge cigars, however the marketplace doesn’t agree with me and sales back that up. Over the years, the size has steadily declined with only the hardcore fans remaining.
This La Riqueza right now is only available in a sampler of Lancero smokes by Tatuaje.
Cigar: La Riqueza
Size: 7.5 x 38 (Lancero)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium-Plus
The Look: A naturally dark Connecticut broadleaf adorns this well rolled Lancero made at My Father Cigars in Esteli, Nicaragua. The wrapper is glistening with oils, and there is a lot of small magnesium spots on the wrapper. These look like little tiny braille dots, and for me they are the holy grail of tobacco right next to plume. The Lancero features a red and gold band with Pete Johnson’s, Prince like initial logo in the center. There is a small pigtail on the exquisite triple cap and in the hand the cigar is firm, and quite heavy for its size.
The Notes: The cold draw on the La Riqueza offers up notes of cherry and mocha while the wrapper offers a nice earth like aroma similar to the morning dew after a rain storm and the foot continues with some mocha and pepper which causes me to sneeze.
Once the La Riqueza Lancero is lit there are some notes of pepper and leather that slowly start to fade. As we work into the first third of the cigar there is a nice cinnamon note with some coffee thrown into the mix.
The second third of the La Riqueza keeps the cinnamon note, although it is much more subtle and the dominant note becomes mocha and coffee with some pepper through the nose.
In the final third of the cigar, the cinnamon note lingers and a strong coffee flavor develops with a touch of dark chocolate, two tastes for me that are always synonymous with Connecticut Broadleaf. There is also a gritty sandy feel in the mouth on the long finish.
The Burn: I believe a lot of issues people have with Lancero cigars, or at least those in my circle is how they need to be relit more often if you ignore them. With that said I did have to relight this just after the half way point. The ash was light in color and held for about an inch to an inch and a half at a time, which is normal for the size. The burn line was crisp with a razor sharp carbon line.
The Finish: I continue to be a fan of Tatuaje, but the Lancero didn’t come off as smooth for me as the other sizes in the line. It was still an enjoyable lancero, with a nice flavor profile, but there are other sizes in the line that I would reach for. Given the span of his catalog I would still reach for a Cabiguan Guapo every time.
Score: 88
Price: $95.00 (Sampler)
La Riqueza by Tatuaje
La Riqueza by Tatuaje (Foot)
La Riqueza by Tatuaje (Burn)
