Cigar Review: Hechicera Robusto
The name Grace Sotolongo might be unfamiliar to some cigar smokers, but she has worked in the cigar industry for quite some time before deciding to enter into a partnership with industry veteran Christian Eiroa at Fabricas Undias and creating Sotolongo Cigars. The inaugural cigar from Sotolongo Cigars Hechicera (pronounced Echi-Sei-Rah) is a Nicaraguan Puro blended with tobaccos from Esteli and Jalapa. The name Hechicera translates to sorceress who, through her beauty and charm is able to enthrall all of those in her presence. In layman’s terms this pretty much means that she’s one smokin’ hot woman who, with a flutter of her perfectly mascaraed eyelashes and a smile from her voluptuously lipsticked lips, could have anyone eating out of the palm of her porcelain moisturized impeccably manicured hand. This name is ideal for the cigar as it strives to captivate the enthusiast with its flavor. If the cigar lives up to its name, it will be capable of charming the pants off even the most jaded cigar enthusiast.
Prelight: The first thing I notice about the cigar is the vibrantly colored band, which, along with the cigar box, was designed by Grace’s friend Ninoska Perez Castellon, a real jack of all trades with an impressive resume of journalist, political commentator, radio talk show host, respected leader of the Cuban exile community in Miami, and artist. With vibrant shades of gold, blue, red, brown and green; it’s easy to get lost in the maze of vivid imagery and subtle symbolism of the band itself and forget that it is wrapped around an expertly crafted cigar. The cigar is equally as well made with ideal construction, minimal veins and a medium tan shade wrapper. After a botched the cut that left the head of the cigar at a weird angle, I take a cold draw and find that a mildly resistive draw, perfect for my taste, and notes of wood with a faint hint of grass.
1/3: Right off the bat, Hechicera is a really smooth cigar with notes of cream and a dash of cedar dominating the profile of the cigar. Even with a draw that may be a little tight for some connoisseurs, the cigar provides a great amount of flavor and medium smoke production. The burn of the first third is razor sharp allowing me to sit back, relax and analyze the flavors of the cigar without having to worry about it burning unevenly. The profile during the first third of Hechicera is predominantly driven by cream and cedar notes with the faintest hint of earth emerging in the retrohale by the end of the first third.
2/3: As the solid grey ash continues to burn into the second third, the medium smooth notes of the first third continue to take the helm making Hechicera a very enjoyable first cigar of the day. So far, I am finding that Hechicera pairs well coffee, which further enhances the cream and cedar notes of the cigar. Midway through the second third, the faint hint of earth has drifted back into the background and is no longer noticeable on the retrohale.
3/3: In a nutshell, Hechicera finishes with the same notes that I found constant throughout the cigar. Overall, it did not deviate much from the creamy and woody profile that was established in the beginning. While it may not be an overly complex cigar, the simplicity was very refreshing and is something I could see myself revisiting when I am in search of a cigar with a consistent profile. The light and delicate medium bodied notes did not linger on my palate for an exorbitant amount of time after I finished the cigar making it a superb choice if a smoker is looking to enjoy another cigar later in the day. Hechicera by Sotolongo Cigars is available in 4 sizes: Corona, Robusto, Toro and Gigante in ten count boxes at your favorite Emerson’s Cigars Hampton Roads location as well as online at emersonscigars.com.
