Not to be confused with the exorbitantly priced Gran Reserva Cosecha 2007, these are not an 'official' special edition issued by Habanos but rather, simply aged cigars from the stock of a La Casa del Habano in Belgium. At approximately $1,000 US per cabinet of 50, they cost about one-tenth the price of the Gran Reserva. Does this make them a bargain priced version, or something different entirely?
Sadly, it's the latter. Had we smoked these blind, we'd say they're a tasty but very mild and uncomplicated smoke for the golf course, well made, very attractive and overpriced at $20 each. But we didn't smoke them blind. And we know how good an aged Luisitanias can be, so these were a huge disappointment to say the least.
Certainly this is a quality cigar—don't confuse it with some kind of dog rocket. It's better than most of the non-Cuban cigars you'll come across this month, though that's partly by virtue of the fact there are so many crap brands out there, particularly in catalogs. It's just underwhelming, so darn underwhelming.
What happened? We can only speculate. Perhaps the cigars were stored not quite optimally and lost a lot of their essential oils. But that's hard to believe considering these came from knowledgeable specialists. Then again, it's hard to believe someone so experienced would smoke samples of a bland Lusi and decide to lay it down for many years of aging, which will only render it more bland. Of course, the cynics around here think maybe the cigars were not very attractive to customers when new, so the retailer's strategy was to lay them down and sell them as something special years later. After all, "aged" does sell when it comes to Habanos.
The cigars does offer a very smooth and easygoing midday smoke, with muted flavors of, well, tobacco
Our advice: unless the idea of a neutered Lusitanias appeals to you, avoid these, and perhaps be somewhat skeptical of all 2007 production. Once again however, bear in mind this review applies only to this one-off cigar from one particular retailer and does not apply to the Lusi in general, which remains one of our favorite smokes.
Sadly, it's the latter. Had we smoked these blind, we'd say they're a tasty but very mild and uncomplicated smoke for the golf course, well made, very attractive and overpriced at $20 each. But we didn't smoke them blind. And we know how good an aged Luisitanias can be, so these were a huge disappointment to say the least.
Certainly this is a quality cigar—don't confuse it with some kind of dog rocket. It's better than most of the non-Cuban cigars you'll come across this month, though that's partly by virtue of the fact there are so many crap brands out there, particularly in catalogs. It's just underwhelming, so darn underwhelming.
What happened? We can only speculate. Perhaps the cigars were stored not quite optimally and lost a lot of their essential oils. But that's hard to believe considering these came from knowledgeable specialists. Then again, it's hard to believe someone so experienced would smoke samples of a bland Lusi and decide to lay it down for many years of aging, which will only render it more bland. Of course, the cynics around here think maybe the cigars were not very attractive to customers when new, so the retailer's strategy was to lay them down and sell them as something special years later. After all, "aged" does sell when it comes to Habanos.
The cigars does offer a very smooth and easygoing midday smoke, with muted flavors of, well, tobacco
Our advice: unless the idea of a neutered Lusitanias appeals to you, avoid these, and perhaps be somewhat skeptical of all 2007 production. Once again however, bear in mind this review applies only to this one-off cigar from one particular retailer and does not apply to the Lusi in general, which remains one of our favorite smokes.
THE DETAILSCuba W: Cuba B: Cuba F: Cuba $20 (approx.) | THE HIGHLIGHTSFar from what this cigar can be at its best. Smooth and pleasant but also muted and totally lacking in complexity. A good golf course cigar for people who hate money. | THE VERDICTCLASSIC EXCELLENT VERY GOOD GOOD ---------------------- SMOKE/HOLD |
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