The Fleur de Reine brand comes to you from United Cigar Group, the company that also makes Atabey and Byron. It has been around since 2010 and comes in two versions, Natural with a Sumatra wrapper, and Maduro with a Broadleaf wrapper. Both blends utilize Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers tobaccos and Dominican binder. Today’s review if of the Fleur De La Reine | Natural Cinq.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
These come in boxes of 20. The Fleur de Reine is available in 4 different sizes: Quatre (4.875 x 52); Cinq (5.5 x 54); Six (5.875″ x 60) and Sept (7 x 58).
Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Pre-light flavor is super lemony. On lighting there is an initial burst of lemon pepper flavor.
Fifteen minutes in, this is very enjoyable so far. Nice sharp burn on the retrohale, some sweetness developing along with the citrus and pepper notes. Only drawback is that the burn is creeping to one side, and the draw seems to be off somewhat. It’s taking a lot of pulling on this to keep it properly productive. By the end of the initial third its really taking
a lot of effort to keep smoke production reasonable. ” –John I. (John I.)
“The first thing I noticed was the pecan pie flavor right out of the first few draws. There is a very slight creaminess to the cigar and I am hoping that this increases. There is a nice sweetness that sits in the background and I really want to taste more. It is reminiscent of dark brown sugar mixed with a hint of maple syrup.This is a subtle cigar so far. Nothing is jumping out to the front but it is blended well enough to produce a few nice flavors. Subtle but not boring.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Cedar became much more pronounced in the second third, on the palate, retro and roomnote. There was still just a tinge of leather and a sweet and savory note that I couldn’t quite identify.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“As I am getting into the middle third there is really no transitions. So far a repeat of smooth black pepper, which is good thing. Getting a hint of orange citrus on the retrohale.” –Daniel S. (Daniel S.)
“Construction woes seem to be relenting. The draw has opened up a bit, burn is even and things a hitting on all cylinders.
In terms of flavor, things remain really good. Peppery notes are softening a bit, and there is more roasty sweetness with some earthy qualities as well. ” –John I.
“The strength has picked up a bit going into the last third. There is a tingle on the tip of my tongue from a splash of pepper but again, not enough to take over the other flavor notes. The cigar has blended well as it progressed and remains a subtle but flavorful cigar. The woodiness has come forward more but again, mixed nicely and not overpowering. There is a nice aftertaste to this cigar. Going from pecans to almost a fruity sensation. ” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“This cigar had a great draw. Not tight, not loose, just about right.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Burn: 88
“Aside from the lift in the wrapper midway through the cigar, there were not major burn issues. I had to touch up as the burn went through the lift but it did most of the work on it’s own and needed minimal help from me. After that it burned even and crisp with a nice burn line. The ash was a beige gray and produced ample white smoke.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“With the exception of the construction issue that I started with, this cigar held up nicely and worked it’s own way through the lifted wrapper. The cap loosened up a bit after the deep v-cut and my saliva mixed in but it didn’t fall apart or unravel so i was happy with that. The ash held nicely and had to be tapped rather than falling on it’s own. I am intrigued by the ash color having a beige hue to it. The filler seems to be color coordinated with the wrapper, lol.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“I had some difficulty with the construction of this cigar. If it weren’t for those issues, I would likely have scored it higher. The overall flavor profile was really solid, peppery, earthy with some sweetness and citrus happening particularly early on. Given a better made sample this would likely have been much more enjoyable. ” –John I. (John I.)
“This was a pleasant smoking experience. This cigar was pleasantly surprising and enjoyed the variations and progression of flavors yet the foundational consistency was also there throughout. I would love to have this with pecan coffee or a nice woodsy bourbon. I like a lot of consistency with variations in my cigars and this did it subtlety but nicely.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“This cigar was a solid smoker. It was something I could smoke just about any time of day and performed very well. I could easily see this cigar taking a place in my standard rotation and smoke regularly. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“Even though this cigars prominent flavor was pepper through out. The pepper did change and was not bored with one not flavor. I think this cigar would pair with scotch or bourbon.” –Daniel S. (Daniel S.)
Blind Cigar Review: Fleur De La Reine | Natural Cinq
Summary
"This was a pleasant smoking experience. I was pleasantly surprised by this cigar and enjoyed the variations and progression of flavors yet the foundational consistency was also there throughout. I would love to have this with pecan coffee or a nice woodsy bourbon. I like a lot of consistency with variations in my cigars and this did it subtlety but nicely." -Diana (ArmyRN)
