Video review HERE.
(Description taken from Halfwheel.com website)
Luciano Cigars has announced an exclusive cigar for retailers who attend the 2022 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Convention & Trade Show in July. The company will release Maria Lucia, a limited edition that the company says is inspired by the story of grit, passion and survival of Maria Lucia Meirelles, the mother of Luciano Meirelles, founder and co-owner of ACE Prime.
The Maria Lucia is a 5 1/4 x 54 box-pressed robusto that uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, a double binder of Ecuadorian Sumatra and Ecuadorian HBN 92 leaves, and a filler that contains tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Peru. The blend is described as being medium-full in strength and delivers “an abundance of depth and complexity, where every flavor elicits a double take from its smoker,” according to a press release.
It will be offered in 12-count boxes, with individual cigars having an MSRP of $12.80. The Maria Lucia is made at Tabacalera Pichardo in Nicaragua and is limited to 4,000 boxes.
“It took me many years before I dared to blend something inspired by my mother,” said Meirelles in a press release. “She passed away when I was only 12 years old, and it was only recently that I was able to fully understand and know her complicated life’s story.”
“She was the flower that rises from cracked pavement, the beauty that survives brokenness, the redemption that overcomes tragedy. This cigar echoes the life of a complex woman who reminds us that even when all odds are against us, we nevertheless have the capacity to hold onto the light.”
But the cigar has connections to more than just Meirelles’ mother, as the band’s design and artwork comes from his oldest daughter, Deborah, a Paris-based artist and fashion designer. Several years ago, she had a dream of a woman that she did not know, and upon waking drew a sketch of that woman.
“When I saw the drawing next to old photographs of my mother, I saw the similarity immediately,” said Luciano Meirelles, who added that none of his children had ever met their grandmother, or even seen a photograph of her. “It was almost supernatural the way things happened. It’s hard to believe it was only a coincidence… and now years later, when I decided to finally create this cigar, naturally, in a full-circle kind of way, we thought there would be no better idea than to use my daughter’s drawing for the box.”
The box makes reference to “Since 1957” which honors the year of Maria Lucia’s birth.
The cigar is very dark and a nice box press. It has a nice feel in the hand.
The test draw after cutting the cap was good. The initial flavors at light up were peach, brown sugar, light citrus peel, dark chocolate, and black coffee. There was black pepper rated at 7 1/2 to 8. Nice sweet notes and plenty of dark notes.
At the first third (25 minutes) the cigar is burning very evenly. The flavor notes are just like they started. They make a pretty good combination. The sweet notes and dark notes are fairly even. The finish is a touch of peach and dark chocolate with good lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied but it seems to be wanting to move up. The cigar is tasty. Sweet and dark. I rated the first third 94.
Moving through the second third (47 minutes) the cigar got a little darker. There are more dark chocolate and black coffee notes. But the sweet notes have not been hurt much at all. The cigar is now medium to full bodied. The finish is hints of peach with quite a bit of dark chocolate and black coffee and very good lingering black pepper. Even with the elevated dark notes the cigar is still very enjoyable. I held the score of 94.
The cigar lasted 1 hour 14 minutes. The dark notes which started rising in the second third caught a new gear and really increased. There are now only hints of peach and brown sugar with a lot of dark chocolate and black coffee. The cigar is now full bodied. The finish is dark chocolate and black coffee with very good lingering black pepper. The cigar changed a lot from the second third. I rated the final third 91. Still, overall a very good cigar.
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