Having lived in different parts of the United States I’ve always been surprised by how many region specific cigars there are. It’s not by design, but there are some cigars that sell well at one shop, that are very hard to find in another city.
One of those is Fleur de la Reine a cigar that’s distributed by United Cigars
. It does very well where I work but finding them in Miami or NYC would be a problem. But for me this is one of the cigars I would want with me on a desert island as I enjoy them that much.
Cigar: Fleur de la Reine Maduro
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua
Length: 5.5
Ring: 54
Size: Cinq (Robusto Extra)
The Look: Starting with the band, the lovely lady that adorns this band instantly reminds you of another whose band is also graced by a beauty. Beyond the band, the Fleur de la Reine features an aged looking Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that has a slight marble appearance to it in color. The vein structure is what one would expect from a Broadleaf and under the fingers it feels like velvet. There is a fair amount of oils on the wrapper and a well packed foot to round things out.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Fleur de la Reine has a nice sweetness to it that reminds of a root beer float complete with the vanilla ice cream. On the foot of the cigar the nose is earthy with a touch of caramel sweetness. After we toast the cigar the first note experienced is a burst of leather.
As we progress into the first third of the Fleur de la Reine the flavors began to develop some complexity with an addition of cocoa and cedar. Through the nose a licorice component is present and a subtle sweetness remains on the finish.
In the second third the licorice note becomes dominant as it slides from retrohale to the palate where it is joined by cocoa and continued leather notes. Around the half way point some espresso begins to develop as the cocoa slowly dissipates.
The last third continues with notes of espresso and licorice and an addition of caramel that shows itself on the retrohale. The cigar has a long finish that is quite enjoyable as we smoke the cigar down to the nub.
The Finish: This cigar is a staple of my humidor and a part of my daily rotation. For me it fits right into my wheelhouse in terms of flavors and strength. I call it medium to medium plus, but I do believe Dave thinks these are full bodied. Without a doubt, hands down one of my favorite every day smokes.
Score: 94
Price: $6.99 / $119.99
Fleur de la Reine Cinq
Fleur de la Reine Cinq Foot
Fleur de la Reine Cinq Burn
