Blind Cigar Review: Cubariqueño | Protocol Official Misconduct Corona Gorda

Cigar Info

Last year, Cubariqueño Cigar Co. added a new vitola to their Protocol Official Misconduct line, a Corona Gorda. This new size is a regular production and joins the only other size in the line, a 6 x 50 toro. It was shown off at IPCPR last year and like the rest of Protool cigars, is rolled at Erik Espinosa‘s La Zona Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

The new Corona Gorda measures 5 5/8″ X 46 and comes in boxes of 10. Each box costs $99.40 MSRP. The blend uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and fillers from the Estelí and Jalapa growing regions of Nicaragua. A soft launch of this new size took place at their 4 Year Anniversary Party on June 1st, 2019. The regular production release took IPCPR 2019 inside Espinosa’s booth where they normally make their home.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Corona Gorda
Length: 5 5/8″
Ring Gauge: 46
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: La Zona
Blender: Juan Cancel, Bill Ives, Erik Espinosa , and Hector Alfonso Sr.
Number of reviewers: 5 – Alan (Eulogy) Sean F. (fullermaine) Kevin A. (Kevin A.) Matt Cade (CADE) Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Price: $9.95
Age: 10 Months
Release Date: July 2019
Contributed by: Cubariqueño Cigar Company

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 89

“The cigar is very enticing at first look. Nice medium brown wrapper with a nice oily sheen. The seams are tight and invisible, and the cap appears very nicely applied. There are quite a few small veins running throughout the wrapper, with one very pronounced one running from the foot up to about an inch below the cap. The cigar is slightly spongy to the touch throughout.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

Aroma: 89

“Mild amount of pepper and just a hint of barnyard from the foot. There’s a slight grassy note on the wrapper. The predraw is very loose but I’m finding some bready notes with a bit of cedar. ” –Alan (Eulogy)

First Third

Flavor: 91
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The cigar starts right out in the medium range, with strong notes of herbal tea, cedar, along with a little bit of cinnamon. The smoke output is heavy and creamy on the palate, with a medium finish. On the retrohale, there is white pepper and a smooth creaminess that brings it all the flavors together. Getting towards the end of the first third, there is a slight bitterness starting to develop that is unexplained. Draw is just about as close to perfect as can be, and the burn is producing a nice thin and wavy carbon line. The ash is very tightly packed and almost white.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

“It keeps getting spicier as I smoke. Sort of a nice refreshing way to wake up as it’s a jolt of heat. I’m getting notes of black tea, leather, cedar, and a bit of char. The draw is a little loose but the smoke output is great.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Second Third

Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Leather became much more pronounced in the second third. Kitchen spices, though, were still the main flavors – especially cumin and saffron. The cigar was having a hard time staying lit if left alone for more than a minute or two, so there were a couple relights required.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

“The bitterness develops into a strong black tea note, with quite a bit of tannin bitterness and hints of leather and cedar. The retrohale is still white pepper with the smooth creaminess from the start. As the cigar progresses notes of raisin and molasses start to coat the tongue, really accentuated by the creaminess of the smoke. There was some concern the bitterness that developed at the beginning of this third was going to take over and mask the flavors, but it has been quite the opposite. The bitterness actually brings everything together, all heightened by the creaminess that has been there since the beginning.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

Final Third

Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“Okay, this cigar is getting a bit messy – visually. The spice has receded a bit on the nose but those cedar and mineral notes are still holding their place on the draw. While the stogie ain’t pretty it’s still smoking fine and the open draw has improved from the second third so that’s notable. The flaky ash needs to be watched with a guard dog’s eye so you and your laps have all been warned…” –Matt Cade (CADE)

“The nicotine has spiked quite a bit since the beginning but still isn’t knock your socks off strong. Leather is much more dominate taking over the principle note but still letting the occasional sweetness from the tobacco come through. Hints of black tea and bread are still there to be found also. The draw has become even looser from the previous two thirds and the smoke output has gotten noticeably thinner but the flavors are still strong. ” –Alan (Eulogy)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 88

“The pre-light was a little on the loose side but the draw from start to finish once lit was pretty close to perfect” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

Burn: 88

“No retouching was required during the smoking experience.” –Matt Cade (CADE)

Construction: 88

“No complaints on the construction. Draw, burn and smoke output are very good. The cigar stayed nice and cool all the way to the nub. With a smaller ring gauge, that definitely speaks to the quality of the tobacco and the care taken while rolling. ” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Experience Overall: 88

“I really like it. I think the flavors are great and there’s enough profile changes to keep me interested. I think I would need to smoke it again to see if some of the flaws were just limited to this experience. Overall, if you’re looking for an interesting profile and a cigar with a fairly stout level of nicotine this is a great choice. ” –Alan (Eulogy)

“I’d call this stick “the things of earth”. Everything from earth to tree notes with hints of leather, tea, and cocoa. A very interesting stick that I would look for at my local cigar shop.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)

“This was an enjoyable cigar from start to finish. There were constant surprises in the profile from the pre-light all the way to the nub. It progressed the way I like for cigars to smoke. It started out with very pleasing flavors, and developed more, and different ones as it went along. The strength started out close to medium, and slowly progressed to finish solidly as medium full. This would pair well with bourbon or rum, and smokers with a little experience will get the most from it.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

“Overall I got a decent profile of cedar and mineral and that spice was consistent on the nose throughout the smoking experience. Was this a bad cigar? No. Did it leave a lot to be desired? Yes. Perhaps I should’ve smoked it a bit slower and maybe that would have helped its “fragile” case, but I didn’t so here we are…” –Matt Cade (CADE)

“This cigar never spoke to me. While it had a nice smoke output, it was dry and lacked in texture. The flavor profile was nice, but never really grabbed me. This cigar just needs a little bit of tweaking.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 62

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Blind Cigar Review: Cubariqueño | Protocol Official Misconduct Corona Gorda

Overall Score – 89 – Good