Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto Cigar Info

La Gran Llave | Connecticut is the followup to the 2016 La Gran Llave Maduro. The brand was originally started by Michael Argenti then later acquired by AJ Fernandez.

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 La Gran Llave Maduro had a Mexican San Andres wrapper, the Connecticut version has an Ecuador Connecticut shade wrapper. Like the original, the Connecticut version is rolled at AJ Fernandez’s Tabacalera Fernandez. It is offered in four vitolas: Churchill 7″ x 50, Gordo 6″ x 56, Robusto 5.2″ x 52, and Toro 5.5″ x 54. They all come in 20-count boxes. The internal blend uses a habano binder and Nicaragua filler.

Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto Vital Stats:

Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5.2″
Ring Gauge: 52
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Habano
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera Fernandez S.A.
Blender: AJ Fernandez
Number of reviewers: 4 Mickey T. (irratebass) John A. (Bostoneo) Ryan H. (Ryan H.) Jeff (ExpendableYouth)
Price: $8.00
Age: 3 Months
Release Date: 2018
Contributed by: Blind Man’s Puff

Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto Initial Impressions

Appearance: 90

“A waxy tan brown wrapper, very smooth with minimal tooth and minor veins, robusto in size.” –John A. (Bostoneo)

Aroma: 93

“A lot going on with the aromas already on this cigar. I get bread on the body & licorice, bread, cherries, wood, and some chocolate on the foot.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto First Third

Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto
Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto

Flavor: 96
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Light-Medium

“Getting some cedar and there is a sugary sweetness that lingers on my lips. Holy crap I just got yeast doughnut flavor on the retro…..that is a first!” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

“Off the bat, flavors of cashews, graham cracker and vanilla are present. A green peppercorn flavor sneaks its way in shortly after the light up. A transition in profile occurs an inch in. Flavors now consist of medium bodied leather, vanilla, oak and black pepperiness. This profile carries me until the end of this mild-medium bodied third. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)

Second Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The sugar has stayed in this third, but now I am getting a creaminess flavor along with some bread. ” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto
Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto

“Cream is sweetening up making things more interesting. A healthy amount of cedar protrudes joining the sweetened cream. Burn and draw are performing nicely. As the cedar fades. The combination of cream and sweetness move to a more cane sugar note.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

Final Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“A consistent profile of semi sweet vanilla, oak, and leather stay the course entering and ending the last third. The profile only becomes richer in body as the end comes. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)

“Cigar does leave a post draw bitterness. Nearing the nub , the cane sugar darkens to molasses.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 95

“The draw on this cigar was great. The cigar had just the right amount of resistance and a copious amount of smoke output. ” –Jeff (ExpendableYouth)

Burn: 98

Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto
Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto

“No corrections were needed, burn was impressive.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

Construction: 94

“The construction was perfect. ” –Jeff (ExpendableYouth)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 94

“This was a fantastic cigar. There was a lot going on with it. It was very creamy with cedar notes along with a sugary sweetness that lingered on my lips and to top that off there was a yeast doughnut flavor on the retro! C’mon! Pick up a box now! I just know this would have paired wonderfully with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning. ” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

“Overall, I was impressed immensely by the first third, especially the initial 10 minutes of flavor. After that, it seemed to kick in cruise control with its vanilla, oak, and light leather profile, which made me kind of bored. The flavor profile was flawless, I just had hoped for something more than a static profile throughout. Try one, they are not bad at all. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)

Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto
Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto

“Would smoke again. Maybe worth a box” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

“This was a really outstanding cigar. The cigar has crisp notes of leather, pepper, walnut, and charred cedar that mingled really well together. I would recommend you pick up at least one of these if not a fiver. ” –Jeff (ExpendableYouth)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 69

Reviewer
Apr
Aro
1/3
2/3
3/3
Draw
Burn
Const
Ovr
All
Mickey T. 90 95 100 100 100 100 97 95 100
John A. 90 88 95 88 88 95 100 100 88
Ryan H. 90 93 85 90 90 90 95 93 93
Jeff 95 93 93 95 92 95 97 95 95

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto

Overall Score – 94 – Excellent

Blind Cigar Review: La Gran Llave | Connecticut Robusto
Summary
"This was a fantastic cigar. There was a lot going on with it. It was very creamy with cedar notes along with a sugary sweetness that lingered on my lips and to top that off there was a yeast doughnut flavor on the retro! C'mon! Pick up a box now! I just know this would have paired wonderfully with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning. " -Mickey T. (irratebass)
Appearance
90
Aroma
93
First Third
96
Second Third
93
Final Third
90
Draw
95
Burn
98
Construction
94
Overall Experience
94
94
Excellent