The big reveal at the La Barba booth at the 2019 PCA trade show was Tony Bellatto’s latest extension to the highly rated La Barba Ricochet released last year. The new Ricochet is named “Cru Mexi-Sol” meaning it is a Mexican Sungrown wrapper.
In the company’s press release, Tony Bellotto, owner of La Barba Cigars noted:
“Ricochet is meant to be a series brand, sort of going back to my roots as a Sommelier, each blend I did takes the components of wines from around the world that I have fallen in love with.
The first was blended with my love of Italian Zinfandel or ‘primitivo’ in mind, taking cues from the wine like spicy, earthy, leathery, and a little sweetness and spice. The new Ricochet is modeled after first Left Bank Bordeaux and is very balanced and complex with a definitive spicy minerality, and a touch of soft sweetness.“
If you would like to hear Tony talk about this cigar you can view the interview I did with him at the 2019 PCA Trade Show earlier this year.
The full blend of the Ricochet Cru Mexi-Sol is described as:
- Wrapper – Mexican Sun Grown
- Binder – Indonesia,
- Filler – Nicaragua, Pennsylvania and the Dominican Republic.
The Ricochet Cru Mexi-Sol will be expressed in 4 vitolas, each packaged in 25-count boxes.
- 4.25 x 44 ($7.00 MSRP)
- 6.25 x 52 Torpedo ($11.25 MSRP)
- 5.5 x 54 ($11.00 MSRP)
- 6 x 60 ($11.75 MSRP)
The La Barba Ricochet Cru Mexi-Sol, like all La Barba cigars, is hand crafted at Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic.
For this review I sampled 2 of the La Barba Ricochet Cru Mexi-Sol Petite Coronas which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
Pre-Light Examination
The short La Barba Ricochet Cru Mexi-Sol Petite Corona is a beautiful dark tan cigar that is well capped and has a nice oily sheen. It exhibits minimal veins and has a tight packing.
The cigar is adorned with two bands. The primary is the standard La Barba logo, this time using a blue and gold motif. Just below is the secondary band that defines this as part of the Ricochet line and also uses the same blue and gold motif.
The pre-light aromas enticed my nasals with a baking spice note on the barrel along with fruit and cracker notes off the foot.
I sliced the cap straight at the shoulder and took in some pre-light cold puffs and noted it had a slightly more open restriction than I would normally like, but it was not airy by any means. The cold draw flavors added to my interest in the cigar with notes of maltiness and light pepper.
With the pre-light examination out of the way, it was time to fire this one up and turn it to ash. I used a double flame torch lighter to warm the foot, which took the heat well as I brought the foot to even orange glow. The first puffs of smoke opened the nasals with a a solid pepper blast.
Cigar Review Notes
- Delicious caramel notes off the first light
- Pepper blast hits the nasal
- Full thick volume of smoke
- Nice white ash forms on top of a medium char line
- Rich and savory spice enters after an inch plus
- Burn line is quite nice
- Natural tobacco sweetness joins the mix
- Ash falls revealing a flat but centered burn cone
- Gentle cinnamon spice evolves midway
- Smoke smooths out moving into the second half with a return of caramel
- Strength has ratcheted up
- Moving into the final there was a increased spice and nuance of cedar
- Burns hot in the end
- Medium to Full in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was an amazing 1 hour and 15 minutes
Overall, the La Barba Ricochet Cru Mexi-Sol Petite Corona was an amazing petite corona. I have come to appreciate the craft from LA Barba over the years and this is just another example of the excellent work from La Barba. The burn was excellent and the flavors were balanced and enjoyable from the foot to the nub. The only dig on this was that it burned hot to the touch in the final. This is certainly box worthy and I rate this a solid 95.
Point Deductions: (-1) Flat Burn Cone; (-1) Burned hot to the touch in the final
Bonus Point: (+1) Buy a Box
