la palina

,

Blind Review: La Palina El Diario KB II

0 0 1.1k

La Palina El Diario KB II is made by “negociant” cigar manufacturer La Palina Cigars.  The El Diario brand is a collaboration with the great minds at Alec Bradley and is made out of their Fabrica de Tobacos Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras. La Palina is a cigar manufacturer with roots that trace back to the USA, namely Chicago. Started in 1896 bv Sam Paley, La Palina, was a heralded cigar brand up until the Great Depression when his factory unfortunately closed. La Palina was revived in 2010 by his grandson, Bill Paley. Today Bill is the “principle and chairman” of La Palina with Samuel Phillips and Clay Roberts as the main “stewards” of the brand.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: La Palina El Diario KB II
  • Wrapper: Honduran Corojo ’99 Rosado
  • Binder: Honduran Criollo ’98 (Double binder)
  • Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98
  • Size: 6×40

Blind Review Notes: La Palina El Diario KB II

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a traditional corona vitola with a classy triple cap.  The cigar wrapper is a light beige with some green spotting reminiscent of a not-fully-cured Connecticut shade wrapper.  The wrapper looks dry and delicate. Featherweight in my hands and packed loose.  I have my reservations.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cigar smells of old cedar.  Like an old dry cigar box that needs to be rehumidified.  I V-cut and cold draw, and experience the same old humidor that is in desperate need of seasoning. I guess that’s what they’re going for?

My soft flame licks the foot of the cigar and it combusts just fine.  On the palate I am immediately greeted with rod iron, graham cracker and sweet peppers.  Very interesting.  I’ve never tasted all those notes together before on a cigars’ introduction.  The finish is both salty and peppery with some hints of strawberry.  The first third has a nice body to the smoke and it is smooth and creamy.  I find that I do have to watch my smoking speed, as if I’m not already a slow smoker! The cigar is burning hot! Not much of a retrohale.  Not yet, at least- just some cedar steam.

The second third has notes of fried dough, more strawberry and chili.  Altogether it’s like you took a jalapeno popper and wrapped it in a fruit roll up, and then ate the whole thing at once without chewing.  I think I just nailed that perfectly in terms of description-PAT ON THE BACK FOR ME!  The retrohale finally emerges with peanuts.  There is a lingering black pepper and peanuts on the back of my palate.  The cigar is still too hot!  For a cigar that was stored properly, its burning like autumn leaves.  If you’ve ever smoked a dry cigar, especially if its one you’ve smoked before, you’ll notice the aroma coming off the lit foot of the cigar actually smells different.  Since, I have no clue what I’m smoking right now, I have to at least compliment this dried out stick for producing a nice cafe mocha ambiance in the air.  It leaves me wondering what the same cigar fully resuscitated would smell like.

As I enter the last third, I cant thank the cigar gods enough for producing the corona vitola.  It is a great vitola to watch the lightning bugs dance from a screened-in porch as I happen to be doing right now.  If you have no clue what I’m talking about, take one of the waterbugs that are coming out of your shower drain and duct tape a motion sensor LED to it.  SAME THING! Trust me.  The second third was very diverse compared to the last few puffs of this cigar.  This last third is very straight forward with some molasses and general tobacco taste.  The draw is also tightening as I puff away on it. Its still smoking way too hot and finishes harsh.  Nothing but burnt smoke hitting the tip of my tongue.  Not a fan.  This cigar needs to “purify in the waters of Lake Minnetonka.” “Purple Rain” was such a good film! You can tell by my attention span that I’m done.

Conclusion

This was my first La Palina cigar, EVER!  After doing some research on the “El Diario” line of cigars they offer, I am amazed to find out that this line is meant to be one of their stronger blends.  In my opinion it was mild-medium.  The La Palina El Diario Kill Bill II is only offered in the corona vitola and I’d love to see it folded in half to make a nice gordo. I think that THEN, we’d have better combustibility as well as the strength that is advertised.  What started out as a very traditional vitola with a very interesting flavor profile, was buried in a smoldering blaze I couldn’t contain- EVEN as a world renowned slow-smoker.  I, however, wouldn’t mind continuing to explore La Palina Cigars a little more to see if they have something just for me.  It seems that as a remerging company, they definitely hired the right people to bring the best smokes they can to market.  My interest has been peaked.  Enjoy!

Final Score: 85

La Palina Bronze Label Review

2 3 3.9k
La Palina Bronze Label

Droplets of water ricochet off the brown marble base of the waterfall taking flight into the air, creating a cool mist in the immediate surrounding space. People in business attire bury their faces into their cellphones, shoving food into their mouths.

After choosing a seat by the base of the waterfall, I dive into my bookbag and pull out a cigar to accompany me for the next hour. As I toast the foot of the cigar, all eyes within my immediate vicinity shift towards me instead of their cellphones. Some look confused, some with disgust, and others go back to their lunch without skipping a beat.

Fun fact about Paley Park: it’s the only park in NYC where you can smoke tobacco freely.

Coincidentally, the founder of Paley Park, William Paley is also the founder of La Palina Cigar which I’ll be reviewing today.

Originally, La Palina closed its door when William decided to retire. However, by 2010 his son Bill Paley re-opened La Palina. Since then, La Palina has successfully introduced several high quality cigars including the La Palina Goldie which received a whopping 94 on Cigar Dojo. Below I will be doing my very first blind review of the La Palina Bronze Label. The dissection and comments are thus completely unbiased.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: La Palina Bronze Label
  • Wrapper: Honduras (Habano-Seed)
  • Binder: Honduras
  • Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua
  • Size: Toro (6.5” x 52)

Appearance & Construction

Overall, this cigar is a beauty. The wrapper has a nice Colorado rosado sheen with a smooth and slightly oily touch. Packed but not over stuffed. There was a minor vein but it didn’t take away from the construction.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

At the foot of the cigar, I pick up a scent of sweet hay and light vanilla accents. I’m pleasantly surprised on the cold draw; plum, cranberry and a mouth full of zesty flavors. At the same time, at the tip of my tongue there is a hint of spiciness and a tingling sensation at the inner part of my lips. The sweet, tangy and spicy combination is an immaculate start for this cigar.

With a soft flame, I toast the foot of the cigar. As the base turns from charcoal to salt and pepper ash, I take the first puff. Sweet hay, dry berries, and a hint of cinnamon spice are the initial taste. The smoke itself is ample, cool and has a lush creamy texture.

One inch in, the sweet hay becomes creamier, almost like sipping on a latte. There is a festive dry fruit note in the aftertaste. The retro-hale is very easy with this cigar, there is no harshness to it, the taste is fruity and leaves a light floral scent in my nose. Towards the end of the first third, a light caramel emerges.

Upon arriving at the second third, a sweet taste reminiscent of sunflower seeds emerges. There is an undertone of light milky caramel and a consistent aftertaste of sweet hay, and dry fruits. One thing I want to point out is that the smoke itself is on the lighter side of medium body. And unlike majority of other cigars, this one doesn’t leave any strong, heavy tobacco aftertaste on the palate.

The Bronze Label continues to impress me as it reaches the final third. All the previous flavors mellow out, taking a step back as it introduces an even more festive flavor, pine. Experiencing it, there is an instant warmness over me like a kid waking up on Christmas Morning.

Conclusion

The Bronze Label was a complex cigar, yet simple in its own way. Not only would it be my ideal daily smoke, but in my opinion, it would be a fantastic introductory cigar for any new comers. This cigar is light enough for anyone to enjoy and to understand its beauty.

Final Rating: 90

La Palina Releases the Second Goldie from the La Palina Collection: The Goldie Laguito No. 5

0 0 2.7k

La-Palina-Logo-480x330

April 24, 2013 — Goldie Drell Paley, the namesake of La Palina cigars, was the wife of Samuel Paley, who founded the company in 1896. Bill Paley, Sam’s grandson and current owner,created The La Palina Collection Goldie to celebrate the history, contributions and accomplishments of women in the cigar industry. Bill is proud to present the initial release of the new Goldie in late May, with a second release in August of 2013. The La Palina Collection Goldie Laguito No.5 will be limited to 2500 numbered boxes.

Produced at the El Titan de Bronze factory in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, the Goldie is made under the supervision of owner Sandra Cobas. The La Palina Goldie Laguito No.5 will be a 5 5/8 x 54 cigar and presented in boxes of 10.

Master roller Maria Sierra, who will have signed each numbered box, rolled the entire La Palina Collection Goldie Laguito No.5 release. Maria was one of the first women trained to roll cigars in Cuba. Her historic 32 year career at Villa El Laguito began July 22, 1967. Maria is a 95 rated, category 9 roller trained by Fidel Castro’s personal roller Eduardo Rivera Irizarri, as well as Avelino Lara, the creator of the legendary Cohiba blend.

Each cigar is finished in the traditional Laguito style with a fan cap, exclusively taught to rollers at Villa El Laguito. The Goldie is blended with the prized Medio Tiempo leaf, found on only 10% of tobacco plants.

The La Palina Collection Goldie Laguito No.5 embodies the tradition, expertise and passion of women in the cigar industry.

Bill Paley and La Palina will debut the La Palina Collection Goldie Laguito No.5 at Nat Sherman International in NYC on May 9, 2013. Maria Sierra will be rolling the Goldie Laguito No.5 at the event. Please contact Nat Sherman 1-800-MY-CIGAR regarding attendance. The May release will be limited to 1000 boxes, and distributed to select accounts across the country. The rest of the release will become available sometime in August.