Video review HERE.
(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)
At the 2016 IPCPR Trade Show, La Palina Cigars unveiled its first box-pressed offering known as the La Palina El Año 1896 Oscuro. The cigar is the latest collaboration between La Palina Cigars and Abe Flores’ PDR Cigars in the Dominican Republic.
The significance of the 1896 is that it was the year that original La Palina brand was launched by Samuel Paley, the grandfather of current La Palina owner Bill Paley. It isn’t the first time La Palina has used the 1896 year on a cigar. Back in 2010, the company released the limited edition La Palina 1896.
The La Palina El Año 1896 Oscuro consists of a Mexican San Andres wrapper over Dominican binder and fillers. The cigar is being launched in three sizes, each launched in 20 count boxes. The packaging features the new alternate La Palina “LP” logo.
Wrapper: San Andres Mexican
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (PDR Cigars)
Vitolas Available
Robusto: 5 x 52
Toro: 6 x 50
Belicoso: 6 1/2 x 52 REVIEWED TODAY
The cigar comes in a long sleeve with El Ano 1896 printed on it. The cigar band is attached to the sleeve so when you slide off the sleeve the band comes off too leaving a bare, dark brown wrapper. The cigar is well made and box pressed.
The test draw after taking the absolute minimum from the belicoso tip was very good. The initial flavors were sweet cedar, brown sugar, and cream. There was quite a bit of black coffee as well. There was black pepper rated at an 8. The finish was coffee and raw almonds. It's early so I expect that to change. There was some nice lingering black pepper.
2 1/2 inches in (26 minutes) the flavors have changed to a sweet strawberry preserve, chocolate, and coffee. It reminds me of a chocolate covered strawberry. The pepper remains very good. The finish has changed to a buttery cream with lingering black pepper. I would call the cigar medium bodied. 
With 2 inches remaining I noticed the cigar going dark. The chocolate and coffee notes have increased quite a bit while the strawberry preserve notes have decreased. The pepper has increased, especially on the finish. The cigar is still medium bodied with slants toward medium to full.
The cigar ended (1 hour 12 minutes) with the same dark notes. The black pepper continued to increase. The cigar ended at medium to full bodied but it took to the end to reach that point. The order of the flavor notes would be coffee, chocolate, strawberry preserves. There were touches of cream here and there also. The finish was unchanged. Good cigar.
Score: 91
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