Most of you have heard of Flor de Gonzalez cigars a boutique cigar company based out of Miami, Florida. The Gonzalez family has roots back to Cuba and is now run by third generation owner Yadi Gonzalez. The company has been doing it’s best to navigate the unpleasant waters of the FDA rules and regulations, and while many cigar company’s have reached into their archives for marketable blends, Yadi has chosen to stay the course with the company’s existing blends for now. I have reviewed a number of them over the years, and if you have been reading Stogie Press from the beginning you know, the FDG 20 Anniversary Broadleaf Toro placed number 17 in our 2015 top boutique cigars of the year.
While I have enjoyed the Flor de Gonzalez craft over the years, one of the oldest in the line, the 90 Miles 1980 Edition, I had yet to experience. That is until now. I got one of these at the Miami Mega Herf last year and today I offer you my views on the Flor de Gonzalez 90 Miles 1980 Edition churchill vitola.
The Flor de Gonzalez 90 Miles 1980 Edition is a bold blend that is described as:
- Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
- Binder: Ecuadorian Connecticut Seed Broadleaf
- Filler: Nicaraguan (Ligero), Dominican (Ligero)
The company introduced this cigar back in 2013 and then added a gordo vitola in 2014 for a total of 5 sizes each packaged in 20-count boxes:
- Gordo – 6 x 60
- Torpedo – 6.5 x 54
- Churhill – 7 x 50
- Corona Gorda – 6 x 56
- Gordito – 5.5 x 52
For this review I sampled the Flor de Gonzalez 90 Miles 1980 Edition churchill vitola.
Pre-Light Examination
The Flor de Gonzalez 90 Miles 1980 Edition is an oily, coffee bean brown, cigar that has a some noticeable veins running along it. It is has a nice feel in the hand with a just a slight spring to the barrel. The cigar is finished with a well applied double cap.
There are two bands that adorn the cigar. The primary band is the same as the company’s 90-miles brand and the secondary is a gold band with black lettering that declares it as the “1980 Edition”.
Running the FDG 90 Miles 1980 Edition along the nose I picked up a deep fermented leaf aroma along the barrel and sweet baking spice aromas off the foot.
As I do in most cases, I gave the cap a straight cut right above the shoulder of the cigar and took some cold puffs. I found the draw to be a bit snug with pleasant notes of pepper and savory spice.
Well, time to take the 90 mile journey and see what she has to offer. A nice warming of the foot with my double flame torch lighter and a few pepper filled initial puffs and the trek begins.
Cigar Review Notes
- Rich, pepper filled, creamy smoke to start
- Coffee notes rest in the background to get things rolling
- Mouth watering citrus notes enter
- Medium grey ash starts to evolve resting on thick char line
- Ash fell after a good inch plus of burn revealing and off-centered burn cone.
- Spice enters to round out the early profile
- Moving into the second third, a creaminess enters wrapping the early citrus
- Ash fell once again just south of the secondary band with a flat burn cone
- Spice grows moving through the second third
- Floral fruit aroma wafts off the foot
- Sweetness enters midway through the burn
- I am loving the sweetness and spice tango
- Burn starts to go off at the end of the second third
- A mild touch up with my single flame torch fixes the burn
- An earthiness appears in the final with a nuance of nut in the background
- Medium Plus in strength
- Total Smoking time was just shy of 2 hours
Overall, the Flor de Gonzalez 90 Miles 1980 Edition was a pleasant smoke with a fairly well balanced array of notes and aromas. It was a long smoke and one you should take time to enjoy. From a construction viewpoint, it burned good through the first half but did begin to burn off as it moved through the second half and required a touch up to get things right. I rate this a 90.
Point Deductions: (-2) Mild Run in the Burn (-1) Off-Centered Cone; (-1) Required Touch Up; (-1) Medium Grey Ash; (-1) Buy One Again
