General Cigar added a new La Gloria Cubana line last May: Spanish Press. The new cigar comes in three sizes and is rolled at the separate areafor the La Gloria brand, El Credito, of the Genera Cigar Dominicana factory.
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.
The Spanish Press names refers to the way the cigars are pressed which involves putting the cigars into trays with dividers immediately after rolling. Then they are put in boxes designed to allow the cigars to keep the shape. This method allows air channels within the cigar that make for better draw. The blend uses a Nicaraguan Jalapa wrapper, Mexican San Andrés binder, and Brazilian mata fina, Dominican olor and piloto cubano, and Nicaraguan Jalapa filler. The three sizes are: Robusto (5 1/2 x 50) – $6.29, Toro (6 1/2 x 52) – $7.29, and Gigante (6 x 60) – $7.99. Spanish Press also features a new logo for the brand.
“Gorgeous honey colored wrapper on this soft box pressed robusto. Seamless construction. Well placed triple cap. There is a slight sheen to the wrapper that really makes it capture your attention. ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
Aroma: 89
“There is a very pleasant aroma to this stick. it is sweet with a nice hay and hint of caramel at the foot. The dry draw is somewhat mild and is consistent with the initial aromas of the body and foot.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Flavor: 93 Strength: Mild-Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“Toasted the foot slowly to get an even burn. First few puffs were dry hay but then the flavors started to really shine. The dominant flavors were honey graham cracker and a honey nut cheerio mixture that were truly delicious. Mild in body but nice complexity this far. The burn is razor sharp and the draw is perfect. Anxious to see what awaits me as we head into the second third. ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
“Pre-light is all sweet leather and caramel. Begins nicely, very crisp and bright sharp notes on lighting. Twenty minutes into this, I’m enjoying it tremendously. Hate to abuse a cliché, but there is definitely a Cubanesque quality to this cigar, at least in it’s booming flavor profile, which can very clearly be described as “”vanilla cream soda.”” Super creamy, with loads of residual leathery sweetness. Also finding some mineral saltiness that balances really nicely. Burn is slightly one sided. Not a significant concern. Trying to position it when resting to correct. ” –John I. (John I.)
Flavor: 92 Strength: Mild-Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“The tingle from the pepper reminds me of that cola sensation. Still, it’s basically the carbon copy of the last third with a slightly toned down amount of pepper. Leather, wood, and red pepper work well together but a bit of sweetness would liven it up a bit. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
“Continues to offer a heavy load of sweetness and cream. There’s some increasing depth, and more of a roasted profile by the mid point. Burn is closer to appropriate, if still slightly askew. ” –John I. (John I.)
Flavor: 93 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“As noted before, I really don’t want this cigar to end. It slides into home with an even more amazing mixture of honey nut cheerio with some buttery creaminess that coats the palate. Razor sharp burn. This is what a mild cigar should really taste like. ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
“Leather, red pepper, and wood with a cola effect as the previous third. The draw has gotten a little better and that’s helping things. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 90
“Draw was nice on this cigar. I had no problems and it remained consistent from beginning to end. It produced a sufficient amount of smoke although not a huge amount.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Burn: 89
“Burn pulled a bit to one side through the intial two thirds, then corrected. No issues with performance, but marred the aesthetics of this experience slightly. ” –John I. (John I.)
Construction: 93
“Aside from minor burn issues, the construction here was a joy. ” –John I. (John I.)
Overall Strength: Medium Overall Body/Complexity: Medium Experience Overall: 95
“It’s not exciting in terms of flavor but at it’s size it’s enjoyable and engaging. I liked the box pressed look and overall construction. I wish the draw was a bit better and there was more of a dynamic profile shift at some point. Since it wasn’t a large cigar it didn’t bother me that the flavors were constant though. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
“This is what a cigar should strive for. Amazing mixture of different flavors that work together to create a truly enjoyable and unique experience. I’d easily rate this a 96. I would definitely go and buy a box of these. Highly recommended. ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
“Magnificent cigar. I’m not a boxed press enthusiast, but I really enjoyed this one despite the format. The flavors nailed a lot of my personal preferences featuring loads of creaminess, leather; ranging from soft and supple to bold and aggressive, and throughout offered a balanced sweetness. Additional notes of mineral and salt played against the sweet creaminess nicely. ” –John I. (John I.)
“I like milder cigars at certain times and this cigar would fit that time perfectly. Not a power house by any means and not a cigar that is going to give a lot of progression or flavor changes, but if you like a nice woody cigar with some hints of other flavors, then this is the cigar.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Blind Cigar Review: La Gloria Cubana | Spanish Press Robusto
Summary
"Magnificent cigar. I'm not a boxed press enthusiast, but I really enjoyed this one despite the format. The flavors nailed a lot of my personal preferences featuring loads of creaminess, leather; ranging from soft and supple to bold and aggressive, and throughout offered a balanced sweetness. Additional notes of mineral and salt played against the sweet creaminess nicely. " -John I. (John I.)
