Despite not being thought of as essential, the winds play a vital role in the growing of tobacco. They instruct tobacco farmers, by way of their direction, of the best spaces in which to grow tobacco. The Greeks, geniuses in their own right, also understood the importance of wind. The collective name of their wind gods is Anemoi. The northern wind was named Boreas. The southern wind was christened Notus. The eastern wind was baptized Eurus, and Zephyrus was reserved for the western wind. Each wind’s direction gave the Greeks an idea of whether to expect a good crop or to brace for a bad season.
The La Galera has taken these limited productions and shared them with retailers in the US based upon the region they are in. In the past we have review the Eurus which was named after the eastern winds which remove the excess humidity and disease from the region, helping the tobacco growth. Today we review the Boreas which is named after the northern winds in the Dominican Republic that bring water to the Cibao Valley during the fall and winter. Both of which are available at 2GuysCigars.com which is based in the Northeast.
Cigar Review: La Galera Anemoi
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Dominican Republic – Corojo (Grown in Jacagua)
Fillers: Dominican Republic – Piloto Cubano (Jacagua), Criollo 98 (Potrero), Criollo 98 (La Canela)
Length: 4.75″
Ring Gauge: 46
Size: Boreas
The Look: The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper used for the La Galera Anemoi is an ugly specimen with a brindle effect and a lot of “peaks and valleys” in the roll. There isn’t any voids of tobacco, but there is a rustic look to the cigar and a very coarse feel under the fingers. The band an elaborate piece of art that has a frost like look to it and a secondary band that denotes the size in a greek font.
The Notes: The cold draw of the cigar offers up notes of cinnamon with a subtle raisin sweetness. The aroma off the foot serves up aged tobacco and a hint of spice. Once we toast and light the cigar the initial notes are that of a sweet maple.
As we smoke the first third the maple sweetness disappears fairly quick as the La Galera develops notes of mocha and coffee with a touch of cinnamon which is especially noticeable on the retrohale which adds to a lengthy finish.
The second third sees notes of espresso envelop the palate becoming the dominant flavor profile with a touch of leather that lingers in the background. The finish of the cigar sees the development of roasted nuts along with a touch of maple sweetness on the retrohale.
The final third holds on to some sweetness that appears during the retrohale throughout the duration of the smoke. On the palate there is coffee, mocha and a toasted almost component which makes it very hard to put down as the retrohale toward the end becomes loaded with red pepper.
The Finish: La Galera continues to impress. The Anemoi offers up a rich profile with a fair amount of strength that is smooth and refined. This Dominican made cigar sits near the top of their portfolio for me and is something I am glad we showcased on The Cigar Authority podcast this past weekend.
Score: 92
Price: $8.69 / $152.99
La Galera Anemoi Boreas
La Galera Anemoi Boreas Foot
