Cigar Review: Gloria de Leon Fuerza
Words like luxurious, opulent, and high end are often associated with the lexicon of cigars. While it is easy to get caught up in the enticing notion that quality necessitates a high price tag, there are cigar brands striving to turn this concept upside down. For these companies, it’s not about the price tag of a cigar, but whether or not the consumer finds pleasure in the properties that make the product unique. Regardless of price, all cigar enthusiasts enjoy cigars for the same reason; it provides reprieve from the rigors of life. Cigars are, in essence, a pause button on the traffic jams, bills and other responsibilities of life. Curivari has taken this idea to heart and made it its mission to provide cigar aficionados the chance to enjoy the classic flavors and balance that make cigars so important to enthusiasts at a budget friendly price. Smokers are definitely taking notice as the company has earned the attention and praise of cigar novices and aficionados alike. For this review I will be focusing on the flavors and experience of the Gloria de Leon Fuerza to see if the smoke lives up to the company’s mission of providing outstanding balanced flavors at an excellent price point.
Pre-Light: The clay red shade wrapper of this Nicaraguan Puro is toothy with minimal veins showing. The feel of the cigar is firm, yielding just slightly under the pressure of my thumb and index finger. The aptly applied cap is easily removed, allowing me to test the effortless draw of cigar detecting clean notes of dark chocolate with a hint of black cherry.
1/3: The initial flavors of Gloria de Leon Fuerza are nearly identical to the pre-light notes. An aroma of cedar fills the room as I notice notes of dark chocolate and black cherry with a subtle, almost imperceptible, note of white pepper in the background. The retrohale from the cigar is rich with robust tobacco flavor and a semi-sweet sucrose finish.
2/3: By the beginning of the second third, the softer black cherry notes have begun to give way to a delectable coffee bean note, which further compliments the dark chocolate note that seems to be driving the cigar. By this point in the smoke, I am expecting the pepper properties to become more prevailing, much to my delightful surprise, this does not occur. The spice note of the cigar remains in the background enhancing the more sumptuous and succulent flavors.
3/3: By the time Gloria de Leon reaches its end, the flavors become slightly drier further complimenting the cedar and coffee bean notes. The dark chocolate notes that were found first two thirds of the cigar have moved to the cigar’s background and are only noticeable on the retrohale. Reflecting upon my time with Gloria de Leon, I feel the cigar was successful in accomplishing Cuivari’s mission of creating complex cigars at an excellent price point. The burn and construction of the cigar were perfect, indicative of the cigar’s exemplary quality. Throughout the whole experience, Gloria de Leon’s strength did not get above the medium bodied range, while the flavors were full and complex. The balanced flavor was a welcome change to the full bodied full spice cigars I have enjoyed in the past. With the Fuerza size costing only six dollars; it can easily become an everyday cigar for those who enjoy a medium bodied experience. Gloria de Leon by Curivari is available in three sizes in ten count boxes at our five Hampton Roads locations as well as online at emersonscigars.com.
