La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco (5x44/57)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The History

Created as a tribute to the virtuoso cigar makers at El Credito’s “fabrica” in Santiago, Dominican Republic, La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco is the third installment in the Artesanos trilogy. Inspired by the iconic Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration situated high atop the center of Santiago, La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco heightens the innovation that has become a trademark of the Artesanos series.

The Cigar

Handcrafted of a blend of Dominican and double Nicaraguan ligero, this ground breaking figurado is a feat of cigar-making artistry, for it replicates the shape of the monument that inspired its creation. Novel construction evident at the first blush is bolstered by a triumph of superior blending by Yuri Guillen, Michael Giannini and Rick Rodriguez, aka Team La Gloria Cubana. A cigar of such ingenuity demands an equally alluring package. In this, Team La Gloria Cubana developed a wooden demilune box, a first for the premium cigar category. This visually stunning presentation spotlights 25 of the 5” x 44 x 57 Obelisco cigars.


Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Dominican, Double Nicaraguan Ligero
Country: Dominican Republic
Factory: El Credito Cigar Factory in the Dominican Republic

Video review HERE.


This La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco was provided by Cigars Direct.


In short, this is a beautiful cigar! The shape is stunning. Top notch construction. It is dark brown in color. The cigar had good density.

I cut the very tip of the pyramid cap and gave a test draw. It was perfect! The initial flavors after lighting the large foot were tons of leather with slightly sweet cinnamon and plenty of black pepper. The finish had lightly roasted almond notes.


About one half inch in the flavors have settled somewhat. I now get a mix of cinnamon and orange citrus and both are engulfed in leather and black pepper. The finish is a semi-sweet vanilla at this point. But...it's still early.

The cigar shows signs of being complex. Just a bit further, maybe 3/4 inch total, the flavors have switched a little. Leather is still the main flavor with a nice even mix of cinnamon and rich orange citrus. The black pepper is quite obvious. The burn is very good for a box pressed cigar. The finish is indeed vanilla and there is some lingering pepper.

At about 1 1/2 inches in the flavor has really settled down nicely. On the draw you taste the cinnamon. When you work the smoke a little you get the rich orange citrus and tingling black pepper. The leather is everywhere; on the front and back of the spice. The finish is a creamy vanilla with lingering pepper. The cigar is fairly full bodied at this point. The ash is very tight and looked great before it finally fell off.

At the midpoint the leather notes decreased and the rich orange citrus and cinnamon became prominent. The pepper actually increased! The finish remains about the same; creamy vanilla. The burn continues to be very good.


At the 2/3 point the leather came back! Now it's forefront again. The orange citrus has decreased. The rich cinamon is pretty much tied with the leather in intensity. The finish is the one thing that has remained consistent; creamy vanilla. I believe this cigar could be considered complex.

At the end of the cigar it finished with changes on the finish. Some of the leather notes crept over to the vanilla finish. The main spice flavors remained leather and rich cinnamon. The orange citrus has pretty much gone away. I very much enjoyed this cigar. The changes made the cigar very enjoyable. This would be considered a full bodied cigar.


Score: 90