La Antiguedad TAA Exclusive Cigar Review

La Antiguedad was originally released in 2014 and was offered up at the 2015 Tobacconist Association of America convention earlier this year. The cigar that was originally set to ship in June is now available at TAA Cigar Shops around the country but it features a different wrapper then the regular release and a different sizes as well.

The filler tobacco for La Antiguedad is cultivated entirely in Nicaragua on the farms of San Rafael, Las Quebradas, and San Jose, all privately owned and operated properties of My Father Cigars. These tobaccos undergo a very strict and rigorous curing process of no less than three and a half years to guarantee exceptional quality.

Cigar Review: La Antiguedad TAA Exclusive 2015
Size: 6 x 50 (Toro)
Wrapper: Nicragua Rosado C-99
Binder: Dual: Nicaragua Corojo and Nicaragua Criollo
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Me
Source: Two Guys Smoke Shop

The Look (8/10 pts): The Nicaraguan Rosado C99 wrapper isn’t going to win any beauty contests, with a heavily brindled appearance that looks like a marble rye. However, the gorgeous band that is in reference to the Cuban art that the brand is named after makes up for the wrapper. The foot of the cigar has TAA on the red ribbon foot that completes the look of the La Antiguedad TAA Exclusive. In the hand the cigar is firm but light in weight with no soft spots and a well packed foot.

The Notes (34/35): The cold draw has a syrup like sweetness that reminds me of the cherry syrup that was used to make a Cherry Coke in the days of yesteryear when a true soda fountain was used instead of the automated machines in use today. The foot of the cigar is slightly musty with some pepper notes as well. There is a nice contrast between the foot and cap.

Once the cigar is toasted and evenly lit, the initial notes of pepper that are synonymous with the brand are front and center. They fade rather quickly and the sweetness of syrup is evident with a touch of caramel. It’s evident to me that the cigar has a lot more flavor than the original and even has what I consider to be a wow factor at this point of the game.

In the second third of the La Antiguedad TAA Exclusive the sweetness becomes milk chocolate like as the aroma of the cigar takes on nutty aroma. Just after the half way point the cigar develops coffee notes similar to that of coffee ice cream. There is some developing spice through the nose and on the aroma.

The last third of the cigar continues to have sweetness though it is subtle and in the background as the dominant notes become nuts and coffee with an increased pepper through the nose and on the aroma. The finish on the cigar is moderate in length.

The Burn (32/35): The La Antiguedad TAA is a cigar that has a perfect burn with an average combustion line. While not as razor-thin as some cigars, it does burn even and it reveals a medium color ash that holds on solidly for more than a third of the cigar. The draw was perfect, although I did need to relight the cigar once in the final third of the smoke but I was engaged in conversation and I will attribute it to user error.

The Finish (20/20): A lot of people subscribe to the fact that the wrapper makes up the majority of flavor in a cigar; and this is a perfect example on how much a wrapper can change things up in this case for the better. Kudos to My Father for changing up the blend slightly on this limited edition TAA release. The result is a La Antiguedad that is much more flavorful with a nice sweetness to it making it a slight step above the regular release which scored 93 points on The Cigar Authority.

Score: 94
Price: $8.69 / $152.99 at Two Guys Smoke Shop

Bullet Points

• I was rather surprised by the coloring of the wrapper, but it proves that looks can be deceiving on how a wrapper looks.
• I love the artwork on My Father bands, and their graphic design team is among the best in the industry.
• I smoked a few of the TAA Edition, and if you smoke this cigar fast it becomes bitter. Smoking a a slower speed enhances the sweetness.
• The band removed with ease, and has a nice heavy stock.
• I purchased a box of these at the completion of my review, because it was that good.
• I paired the cigar with water.
• The smoke lasted for 1 hour and 50 minutes.