The HVC500 Years Anniversary was made to celebrate to anniversary of the city Havana, Cuba. The cigar went on to take the #7 spot in our 25 top cigars of 2019 list.
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.
HVC's Reinier Lorenzo created the blend, a Nicaraguan puro with all AGANORSA tobacco with a corojo 99 wrapper from Jalapa, undisclosed binder from Jalapa, and criollo 98 and corojo 99 fillers from Jalapa from Estelí. When released, it came in one size, a 5 7/8 x 52 toro, called the Tesoros in the factories but is also known as a Cañonazo. Only 1,333 boxes of 15 were made in 2019. Earlier this year, the company announced two new sizes to the line, a 4 1/2×52 SHORTS and a 5 5/8×46 SELECTOS. The SHORTS is exclusive to online stores, and SELECTOS exclusive to brick and mortar. There are only 1200 boxes made of new sizes. All sizes are made at TABSA, Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A. in Esteli Nicaragua.
“Nice medium dark wrapper that is smooth to the touch with a few medium sized veins. There's a well applied triple cap and the seams are drum tight. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Aroma: 93
“I pick up chocolate, wood, barnyard and sweet tobacco on the body followed by walnuts, and cherries on the foot.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Flavor: 93 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“There's a fair amount of saltiness from either the wrapper and the smell has a slight herbal note. Starts out pretty peppery but that dies down a bit and the flavors really start to shine. A little vegetal flavor begins to develop along with grain, red pepper, dry cedar, and leather that's actually making a pretty complex profile.” –Alan (Eulogy)
“Very spicy with oak cinnamon on the back end. Very well balanced and smooth medium in strength. Burn has been immaculate. Very strong ash as well.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
Second Third
Flavor: 93 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“A creamy chocolate joins that with the oak which might seem very strange but it's working with the lemon zest which makes it even more strange but interesting at the same time.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“Rounding the corner into the second third, a medium bodied profile of milk chocolate with some notes of charred and perfectly salted steak when pushed with perfect puffs of flavor. Sweetness fades to favor a drier profile as the stick burns down further, releasing wonderful nutty, cocoa, and minor woodsy notes accented by a black pepper retrohale.” –John A. (Bostoneo)
Final Third
Flavor: 93 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“The final third provides a fuller medium bodied approach. Dry, unsweetened, notes of cashew and malt start things off and end in a magnificent finish.” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“A very boxable cigar. Oak still the main attraction. Spice level increasing slowly but surely. Cream also making sporadic reappearances. Definitely looking forward to smoking this cigar again.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“No issues with the draw……little bit of a resistance, which is what I prefer.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Burn: 92
“Burn was excellent…..no touch up were required.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Construction: 95
“There's no gimmicky additions like a pig tail cap, closed foot, or broom foot to give it flair but it does the standard roll perfectly. The seams were flawless, the large triple cap was perfectly applied, and there were no soft spots or over/under filled areas.” –Alan (Eulogy)
Overall Strength: Medium Overall Body/Complexity: Medium Experience Overall: 93
“This cigar delivers a classic experience perfectly. The flavors shifted in interesting ways keeping me engaged, the construction make it an effortless experience, and the quality of smoke was rich and creamy. I'd pick up a box and smoke this any time.” –Alan (Eulogy)
“Like I said, very boxable, may not look like a gem but it smokes like one.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“Overall, a tasty fine smoke! The medium profile was definitely my gig. Great complex chocolate and nut flavors brought this into one of my favorite blind smokes. With slight variations, this cigar also was not boring at all. The great transitions of various flavor profiles made it an absolute joy to smoke. I'd definitely smoke this again, and again, and again. Thumbs up.” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“Overall this cigar was ok. It was your typical cigar with wood/earth notes and touches of sweetness that pops up every now and then, but only on the retro. I would not seek this out.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
"This cigar delivers a classic experience perfectly. The flavors shifted in interesting ways keeping me engaged, the construction make it an effortless experience, and the quality of smoke was rich and creamy. I'd pick up a box and smoke this any time. " -Alan (Eulogy)
