Video review HERE.
(Description taken from Halfwheel.com website)
Espinosa Premium Cigars is adding a new member to its Laranja lineup, the Reserva Azulejo. It becomes the third member of the Laranja series, which debuted in 2014 and added the Laranja Reserve Escuro in 2019.
The cigar uses a dark Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, a Brazilian Arapiraca binder, and fillers that come from all of Nicaragua’s growing regions, according to the company. “This is a special cigar and I believe it is the perfect blend to join the Laranja family,” said Erik Espinosa in a press release. “I can’t wait for our retailers to try it. The original Laranja and the Laranja Escuro have done incredibly well for us. I am looking forward to this Azulejo launch.”
While the original Laranja got its name from the Portuguese word for orange and was a nod to both the color of that cigar’s Brazilian-grown wrapper and the cigar’s color scheme, the name Azulejo originates from a Portuguese word for a blueish glazed colored tile. That same blue is used on the Laranja Reserva Azulejo band.
The Espinosa Laranja Reserva Azulejo is being launched in four sizes:
Espinosa Laranja Reserva Azulejo Corona Gorda (6 x 46) — $11 (Box of 20, $220)
Espinosa Laranja Reserva Azulejo Robusto Grande (5 1/2 x 54) — $11.60 (Box of 20, $232)
Espinosa Laranja Reserva Azulejo Toro (6 x 52) — $12.05 (Box of 20, $241) REVIEWED TODAY
Espinosa Laranja Reserva Azulejo Gordo (6 x 60) — $12.70 (Box of 20, $254)
Like the Laranja Reserva Escuro, the Azulejo is being made at AJ Fernandez’s San Lotano Factory in Ocotál, Nicaragua. It will begin shipping to retailers in late August.
The cigar is very well made and has a nice sharp box press. It has an average +/- feel in the hand.
The test draw after cutting the cap was good. The initial flavors at light up were sweet chocolate, citrus peel, brown sugar, and black coffee. There was nice black pepper rated at 7 1/2 to 8. Just 4 flavors but a very good start.
At the first third (34 minutes) the cigar is a very sweet cigar. There are now developing citrus notes, sweet dark chocolate, brown sugar, citrus peel, black coffee, and flashes of graham cracker (just flashes). The black pepper is still very good. The finish is cocoa and citrus with pretty good lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied. This is a very tasty cigar. I rated the first third 95.
As I moved through the second third (1 hour 4 minutes) there are very pronounced cinnamon notes and they are nice. There are now citrus notes with some cedar influence, cocoa, dark chocolate, brown sugar, citrus peel, and black coffee. I don't get any graham cracker notes any more. They were flashes anyway so they won't be terribly missed. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is cocoa and brown sugar with a minor amount of citrus with very good lingering black pepper. I held the score of 95 for the second third.
The cigar lasted 1 hour 26 minutes. I was enjoying the cigar so much that I used a toothpick to smoke it to the very end. The cigar still has some citrus, brown sugar, light citrus peel, cocoa, dark chocolate, cinnamon, and a lot of black coffee. There is also a lot of cinnamon and black pepper. The cigar is a low grade full bodied. The finish is unchanged. Being very critical the sharpness of the citrus is a little toned down in this segment. Therefore I'm rating the final third 94. Not a huge changed. But, this is a very good cigar. A must try.
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