Oscar Valladares may be best known to cigar enthusiasts as being the man behind the Leaf by Oscar, the iconic cigar brand that uses a loose tobacco leaf wrapped around the finished cigar to keep it from drying out during shipment. Since that launch, in conjunction with Island Jim Robinson, Oscar’s factory has flourished, and rightfully so. When your name is known in shops in just about all 50 states in the US and across the globe you begin to get notoriety.
At the 2019 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) trade show, Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. was showcasing an eye popping new release known as the “Super Fly”. With its bold, bright, purple and gold marketing it was not to be missed and I would say the same if you saw it on a humidor shelf. When speaking to Oscar he is proud to say this is the strongest cigar his factory has made to date.
The multi-country blend used to create the Super Fly is described as:
- Wrapper – Mexican San Andrés
- Binder – Honduran
- Filler – Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan
The Super Fly is expressed in three vitolas and come packaged in beautiful 20-count boxes with bold marketing:
- Super Corona (5 1/4 x 45) MSRP $9.00
- Super Toro (6 x 54) MSRP $10.50
- Super Gordo (6 1/2 x 60) MSRP $11.50
The marketing design is reminiscent of the 1972 movie of the same name which is about the daily routine of an African American cocaine dealer “Priest” who wants to score one more super deal and retire. Let’s hope Oscar is not retiring any time soon.
At the show last year Oscar shared what he has been working on in an short interview:
When I was at the show last year, Oscar gave me a couple of samples of the Super Toro to review on Stogie Press. I will say the first one I sampled was not lighting me up, but I saved the second to age more, and after about 8 months in my humidor it was time to awaken it from its long slumber and go on a a Super Fly journey.
Pre-Light Examination
The Super Fly by Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. is a toothy, dark brown cigar that is heavy in the hand and well packed. No soft spots are detected along the barrel. The veins are minimal, there is a decent amount of marbling to the wrapper, and it is finished with a well applied cap.
As I noted, the marketing of this is bold and each cigar is a adorned with a rather large, purple and gold band that proudly declares this as the Oscar Valladares Super Fly. I promise, you will not miss this on any humidor shelf.
As I ran the cigar along my nose I was a little surprised that I did not pick up any discerning aroma along the barrel but I did note the earthiness off the foot. I will attribute that to the Honduran and Nicaraguan leaf in the blend.
I sliced the cap with my double blade Xikar cutter and before I proceeded to cold draw it, I used my Cigar Medics HumidiMeter to check the moisture. The foot read 65% and the head read 69%. Ok, that is good for me, so I moved on to the cold draw and noted it was nicely restricted and offered more earthy notes.
Reaching for my dual flame torch I warmed the foot, which took to the flame well and brought it to an even orange glow as I gently blew on the end. Taking in the first puffs I was greeted with an enticing dark chocolate note to start the journey.
Cigar Review Notes
- Dark chocolate notes to start
- Pepper enters to brighten the chocolate
- White ash forms on top of a thin burn line
- Smoke is thick and full right from the first puff
- Slight herbal notes join the mix
- Ash is holding solid though the burn line is a bit jagged
- Peanut and fruit make their way in near the end of the first third
- Ash falls with off centered burn cone
- Spice notes join the profile along with a toasted caramel sweetness
- Ash is getting flaky in the second third
- Burn is still wavy
- Spice increases moving into final and it is the predominant note
- A hint of savoriness is detected in the background
- Medium-Full in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 40 minutes
Overall, the Super Fly by Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. was a cigar that was worth aging a bit. As I said, the first one I smoked did not do much for me, but this second sample offered a decent complexity and more balance. I loved the fact that it started with dark chocolate notes right out the gate and it slowly moved up in strength as the journey continued offering an array of flavor that kept the journey interesting. It did have a few issues with the burn but nothing that needed a touch up and the ash did get flaky after the first fall. This is worth a fiver in my mind and let some age. I rate this a 91.
Point Deductions: (-1) Wavy/Jagged Burn; (-1) Flaky Ash; (-1) Off Centered Burn Cone
