While the La Conquista from Gran Habano would not be eligible to be grandfathered in, the company should be in great shape with many of its core lines coming out before 2007.
The La Conquista comes as a sample from Gran Habano and will be available in three sizes at this years IPCPR in Las Vegas with an MSRP of $8 to $9. The cigar name translates to The Conquest, and while the cigar was announced before the final regulations, one can only hope we as an industry conquer the FDA.
Cigar Review: La Conquista
Country of Origin: Honduras
Factory: G.R. Tabacaleras Unidas S.A.
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Colombia, Costa Rica & Nicaragua
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Vitola: Gran Robusto
Strength: Medium-Full
The Look: Since this cigar is a pre-release sample, I am not sure on how the final packaging will look, but I can tell you the cigar is a nice change from recent Gran Habano releases. The band has a better look then some that have adorned the brands as of late. While I would love to see the use of some foil to make this better pop it does create nice visual. The medium brown wrapper is a little coarse under the fingers feeling like sand paper and some of the cut lines are visible on the wrapper.
The Notes: The cold draw reminds me of Plantain Chips with a touch of Cocoa Crisps and Nabisco Ginger Snaps that reminds me of the box that had a cat drawn into the cookie on the box. It is so spot on that it takes me back to my youth. The aroma off the foot has some pepper and subtle cocoa.
One the cigar is lit my with Colibri Monaco there is some strong red pepper notes through the nose even when you choose not to retrohale. Once you move past the pepper note there is a subtle ginger component that sets the tone for the cigar in the early stages.
In the second third of the cigar the ginger is replaced with hearty notes of wood that are dominant while the red pepper remains on the aroma and through the nose.
In the final third, not much changes, as the stick continues on its course. I put the cigar down before I removed the band losing interest in the cigar.
The Burn: My sample burned a little hot for my liking and the draw was a little loose while the combustion line was thick and jagged. The cigar just didn’t look good as I was smoking it and I needed to touch up the wrapper at times to ensure it burned at the same speed as the rest of the cigar.
The Finish: The cold draw of the cigar really had my hopes up high and on the initial light once the cigar was lit, it came off as unbalanced and lacking complexity. While the core lines remain an enjoyable cigar, Gran Habano has been more miss than hit the last couple of years. One item of note is the cigar has not been finalized and the band and blend could change prior to IPCPR.
Score: 85
Price: $8.50
Gran Habano La Conquista
Gran Habano La Conquista Foot
Gran Habano La Conquista Burn
