Artesanos de Tabaqueros cigars by General Cigar's La Gloria Cubana team are the result of the company's attempt to create what is essentially two cigars in one. You may know that there are other complex cigars made with two wrappers (that are also blended with a variety of filler tobaccos in different proportions in different locations inside the cigar), but Artesanos de Tabaqueros cigars are unique in that these cigars are made with two wrappers that do not overlap, covering only their own specific portion of the cigar. This creates two completely different smoking experiences in the same cigar, together with the flavor nuances created by the way the filler is blended. Since the wrapper accounts for 40-60% of the flavor of a cigar, this unique method of wrapping a cigar creates a much more significant flavor transformation than what is possible to achieve by tinkering with just the filler.
Artesanos de Tabaqueros cigars are available in three sizes, each named after their dimensions. The 650 Toro size cigar is six inches long, and has a ring gauge of 50. The first 2¼ inches are wrapped inside a Connecticut Shade wrapper. The remainder of the cigar is wrapped inside an Ecuadorian Sumatra leaf. The blend consists of proprietary tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and Honduras. As you can see in the picture, the band on this cigar is in an unusual place. It is not a foot band, but covers the seam where the two wrappers come together. Obviously, the band has to be removed in order to smoke the cigar beyond the first couple of inches.
Artesanos de Tabaqueros cigars are available in three sizes, each named after their dimensions. The 650 Toro size cigar is six inches long, and has a ring gauge of 50. The first 2¼ inches are wrapped inside a Connecticut Shade wrapper. The remainder of the cigar is wrapped inside an Ecuadorian Sumatra leaf. The blend consists of proprietary tobaccos from the Dominican Republic and Honduras. As you can see in the picture, the band on this cigar is in an unusual place. It is not a foot band, but covers the seam where the two wrappers come together. Obviously, the band has to be removed in order to smoke the cigar beyond the first couple of inches.
Flavor
The first wrapper that you taste is a Connecticut Shade that is located at the foot of the cigar (the end that you light), which covers a little more than the first third of the cigar. The initial taste was a combination of pepper and rich spice, not a strong peppery blast like some Pepin cigars, but still a bit more than just enough. The spicy flavor began to fade after ten minutes, becoming more creamy and smooth, but still with some noticeable spice. It took about 45 minutes to smoke through the first wrapper, and I would classify that section of the cigar as being mostly medium-to-full bodied, but tapering off to medium near the end. After the Sumatra wrapper kicked in, both a big boost in strength and a change in flavor were only too apparent. The cigar was now full flavored and at full strength. The predominate flavor at this point might be described as leather, but the smoke was definitely much fuller and richer. After about 30 minutes, this portion of the cigar eventually became too strong for my liking, and I had to put it down with about 2 ½ inches remaining. The total smoke time for this one cigar having two distinct sections was one hour and 15 minutes. The cigar was so potent near the end that I actually felt a bit queasy, which never happened before after 17 years of smoking cigars. Therefore, be warned: THIS CIGAR IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS OR OCCASIONAL CIGAR SMOKERS!
Draw and Construction
The Artesanos de Tabaqueros cigar was well made, considering the new process that was used to construct a unique cigar of this kind. The draw was adequate, the ash medium-to-long, and the burn stayed pretty much even for the first 20 minutes. At that point, I applied a touch-up light to get the burn perfectly even, in anticipation and preparation for the big transition to the second wrapper. However, the cigar went out before the burn reached the Sumatra wrapper, and I had to relight the cigar at that point, after 45 minutes of smoke time. After about 30 minutes into the Sumatra wrapper, the cigar went out again, with just over 2 ½ inches remaining, for a total smoke time of 1:15.
Value
The SRP of a single 650 La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Tabaqueros cigar is $8. The average price per stick is lower if purchased by the box of 25 cigars. The price for this cigar can only be considered a decent value if you are an experienced and very seasoned cigar aficionado who is looking for both a unique cigar unlike any other, and a very complex cigar with a number of unusual flavor nuances plus a strong finish. Again, this cigar is not for new or occasional smokers. I actually prefer the original La Gloria Cubana over this newer blend. It not only has a great taste, but the lower price makes it one of the best values on the market.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
