Cigar Info
HVC came out with a new regular production line in 2020 called Hot Cake. The new line was said to serve as a sequel to the company's Pan Caliente, which was a limited edition release from 2016. The original Hot Cake blend used a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, double binder of corojo 99 from Jalapa and corojo 98 from Estelí, and corojo 2006 maduro filler. Now, this year, in 2023, the company has released a line extension called the Hot Cake blend named Golden Line. This new blend swaps the original Mexican San Andrés wrapper with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. The binder and filler are also updated using a Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Estelí and Jalapa.
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 Hot Cake Golden Line is a regular production line and is made at HVC's Fábrica de Tabacos HVC S.A. de Reinier Lorenzo factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. It comes in four sizes: Corona Gorda 5 5/8 x 4 $8.30, Laguito No.4 4 1/2 x 52 $9.00, Laguito No.5 6 x 54 $10.00, and Gran Cañon 6 x 60 $11.40. All come in boxes of 25.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos HVC S.A. de Reinier Lorenzo
Blender: Reinier Lorenzo
Number of reviewers: 5 – John A. (Bostoneo) Jason H. (Jokey Smurf) Mickey T. (irratebass) Alan (Eulogy) Quinn (quinnpins269)
Price: $10.00
Age: 2 Months
Release Date: July 2023
Contributed by: HVC Cigars
Initial Impressions – HVC Hot Cake Golden Line Laguito No.5
Appearance: 91
“Really nice looking toro-shaped cigar with a honey mustard colored wrapper. There are minimal veins and seams.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Aroma: 89
“The aroma was quite light and only offered a bit of earthiness to it and faded quickly.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)
First Third
Flavor: 91
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Light-Medium
“On the cold draw, I get a mixture of must and honey. Picking up lots of cedar notes in this first third mixed with some sweet coffee, but just a hint of sweetness mind you. There is also a hint of cinnamon lurking in the back. It is right at a medium in strength.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
“The first puffs on this cigar are slightly vegetal like a green tea with an oily butter finish. Each puff leaves my palate slightly tingly with spice which is a little odd given the mild and easy nature of the smoke. Through the nose I'm getting sharp black pepper that hits almost like a quick blast of wasabi…zing, then gone!” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Second Third
Flavor: 92
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“At this point, I felt the profile bumped up to a solid medium. Even with this, the sweet caramel notes were very welcomed. There was a good amount of baking spice that came in during this third. The white pepper had faded into the background, but it was well noticeable on the retro-hale.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)
“There isn't a lot of sweetness this third like the first. I find it mostly a tobacco, cedar, and mild pepper profile with a very dry mouthfeel.” –Alan (Eulogy)
Final Third
Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“As I move into the final third, a transition into bold earthy & black peppery notes with a creamy finish becomes the new normal as a syrupy aftertaste of sweet char covers my tongue for a long finish. As this cigar comes to a close, the last couple inches begin to develop an overwhelming sour wet charred wood flavor.” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“More baking spices and sweetness with a bit of nuttiness sprinkled in to round out this review. I was not disappointed with the ending. I smoked it fairly close to a nub and did not experience any bitter or charged notes. The smoked stayed cool to the end.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)
Overall Impressions – HVC Hot Cake Golden Line Laguito No.5
Draw: 94
“Great draw with no snug spots or plugs. Can't ask for more than that!” –Quinn (quinnpins269)
Burn: 94
“I smoked this while camping on the California coast so I was dealing with a stiff coastal breeze…taking that into account I was impressed with the burn performance of my sample. The wind never let it burn razor sharp, but I never needed a touch up which is nice!” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Construction: 94
“Very good construction on this cigar. I was smoking in temps of over 90 degrees and no issues to report on the cigar. It smoked cool throughout.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 92
“Overall, this was a great cigar I'd smoke again. It started out with a wonderful mild-medium profile with luxurious silky smoke that included flavors of leather, roasted nuts and sweetened cream. Towards the end, however, it began to get a bit sour in the final inches. Construction was one of the best I've seen with the perfect amount of draw, allowing power puffers to take this cigar slowly without overheating the tobacco. This one I'd recommend to those who love Connecticut wrappers with some character!” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“This was a nice, mild, first cigar of the day. The flavors eased my palate into stride and gently ramped up power as it worked toward an eventful finish. I'm not particularly a fan of Connecticut cigars but this one proved me wrong again. I would recommend this to a friend and would gladly smoke another!” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
“Overall this cigar was just okay for me. It didn't wow me by any means, but I didn't hate it either. It was kind of one-dimensional except for the final third. I got mostly cedar and cream notes until the end where some coffee notes spoke up. I would smoke it again, but wouldn't seek these out.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
“Sort of a mixed bag. The flavors weren't really in my wheelhouse with mainly a tobacco and dry cedar profile. The draw and burn were perfect making this a joy to smoke though. Maybe it's not something that I would seek out but it is still a very well-made cigar.” –Alan (Eulogy)
“A pleasant medium-body smoke that offered an abundance of sweetness and creaminess. That in my opinion would go nicely with an espresso. I enjoyed smoking this cigar mid-morning and I feel it would be a great addition to my rotation.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 83
| Reviewer | Appear. | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall Experience |
| John A. | 92 | 97 | 92 | 92 | 90 | 97 | 95 | 95 | 92 |
| Jason H. | 90 | 90 | 90 | 92 | 92 | 93 | 93 | 95 | 92 |
| Mickey T. | 90 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 88 | 95 | 90 | 85 |
| Alan | 88 | 92 | 90 | 90 | 88 | 95 | 95 | 93 | 90 |
| Quinn | 92 | 88 | 90 | 92 | 90 | 93 | 90 | 93 | 92 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.