Laranja DeSocio (5 5/8 x 54 Perfecto)

Video review HERE.

(Description take from Cigar-Coop.com website)

An exclusive size of the Espinosa Laranja Reserva is now available from wholesale distributor Alliance Cigar.  The Espinosa Laranja Reserva DeSocio will introduce a 5 5/8 x 54 double perfecto. The cigar is the sixth installment of Alliance Cigar’s DeSocio series – a series of sizes of popular cigar blends that are only available through Alliance Cigar.

The DeSocio series was the brainchild of Tom Sullivan, President of Alliance Cigar. Sullivan introduced the new series as a way to pay tribute to his maternal Grandfather who had an affinity for cigars. The other cigars of the series include the Alec Bradley Tempus DeSocio (6 1/2 x 54),  My Father Cigar’ Flor de Antilles DeSocio ( 5 3/4 x 54),  Oliva Serie V Melanio DeSocio (6 1/2 x 54), Alec Bradley Prensado DeSocio (5 1/2 x 56), and the Aging Room Quattro F55 DeSocio.

Photo from Halfwheel.com

The Espinosa Laranja Reserva DeSocio is also available through Alliance Cigar’s retail arm, Superior Cigars.

The wrapper is called Brazilian Laranja. This is a wrapper that comes from the Recôncavo region of Brazil located in the Bahia State. The cigar itself is made at Espinosa’s La Zona factory located in Esteli, Nicaragua.

Wrapper: Brazilian Laranja

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Country of Origin: Nicaragua (La Zona)

Vitolas Available

The DeSocio is the fifth size in the Espinosa Laranja Reserva line. Consistent with the rest of the line, the DeSocio is packaged in 20 count boxes. For reference, we include the other four sizes of the Laranja line.

DeSocio: 5 5/8 x 54 (REVIEWED TODAY)

Caixa: 6 1/2 x 48

Corona Gorda: 5 5/8 x 46

Robusto Extra: 5 1/2 x 54

Toro: 6 x 52

This is an absolutely beautiful cigar. I love the look. This is the newest version of Laranja. Espinosa Cigars also came out with the Caixa last year which is a new vitola of this cigar. Here is a shot of the Caixa and the DeSocio side by side.

Since the blends are the same I chose to review the DeSocio simply because I love the perfecto shape. I first reviewed the Laranja back in November of 2014. The toro I reviewed received a rating of 91.

The DeSocio has a shiny, oily wrapper and is expertly made. Here is the foot.

I wanted to take the absolute minimum from the cap so the first attempt gave a firm draw so I had to recut it. The second cut gave a better draw. The initial flavors were a sweet, tangy orange citrus, brown sugar, and a buttery cream. The pepper was a black pepper rated at a 7 1/2.

One inch in the only change is there are now white chocolate notes in place of the buttery cream. The brown sugar is quite prominent and tries to overwhelm the orange citrus. There are also light coffee notes at the base. The finish is a sweet cream with a lot of lingering black pepper. The cigar is a high-end medium to full bodied.

At the midpoint the burn is almost perfect. The flavors are unchanged but they are very pleasing. I am a fan of the orange citrus and brown sugar combination. The white chocolate gives a thick sweetness to the flavors and the coffee makes a nice base. I do not recall the Laranja I reviewed 1 1/2 years ago having this much black pepper but I am loving the pepper in this cigar. The cigar is still medium to full bodied.

As the cigar ended I got notes of dark chocolate, which I found unusual. The coffee notes came out much more. The brown sugar was very strong and overshadowed the orange citrus. The finish was unchanged. The strength was still medium to full bodied. I very much enjoyed this cigar. The flavors were balanced and very nice. Excellent cigar.

Score: 93