Welcome to the latest craft to come Straight Outta La Zona, – The Espinosa Sumatra!
This is not the first time Espinosa Premium Cigars has used Sumatra leaf but, it is the first Sumatra offering to come out of La Zona in Nicaragua. The company describes the blend as:
- Wrapper – Ecuadorian Sumatra
- Binder – Nicaraguan
- Filler – Nicaraguan
Hector Alfonso, Director of Operations noted:
“This is the first Sumatra blend made at La Zona, and unlike the Laranja Azulejo or the Knuckle Sandwich Maduro, this has its own distinct and unique flavor profile. This is a great cigar for us to start off 2024.”
The Espinosa Premium Cigars Sumatra has been expressed in 3 popular vitolas, each packaged in 20-count boxes and should be in Espinosa retailers now:
- Robusto (5 x 52) – MSRP $11.00/cigar
- Toro (6 x 54) – MSRP $11.50/cigar
- Gordo (6 x 60) – MSRP $12.00/cigar
Erik Espinosa stated:
“This is just another example of us finding the right cigar to fill a void in our portfolio. It’s right in my wheelhouse, nutty but with the spice note I love.”
For this review, I sampled one of the Espinosa Premium Cigars Sumatra Robustos that was gifted to me by my local BOTL and friend Lou Piscitelli.
Pre-Light Examination
The Espinosa Premium Cigars Sumatra is an attractive cigar with its milk chocolate brown oily wrapper that is finished with a well applied triple cap. The cigar exhibits minimal veins and is firmly packed from head to foot showing no signs of soft spots in the bunch and roll.
Maybe it is just me, but I really like to color motif of the band. The purple and silver pop on the cigar. The band is not anything new, it is just a different color than others in the core line offerings. The name SUMATRA is the identifier on this one. There is also a white satin footer band applied.
Running the cigar along the nose my nasals were greeted with notes of sweet baking spice notes from the barrel. Moving to the foot, the notes were similar with a hint of earthiness added into the mix.
I used my CigarMedics Baller cutter to open the cap perfectly and gave it some cold draw puffs that I found to be spot on with restriction while offering a mild pepper note overlaying butter and bit of fruity tang.
Using my Xikar single flame fan torch lighter, I warmed the foot to an even orange glow and drew in the first notes of natural tobacco sweetness and mild spice to start the journey. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Natural tobacco sweetness and mild spice to start
- Fruit notes gracefully join the early profile
- A light grey ash forms on top of a thick wavy burn line
- A pleasant nutty essence joins the mix
- The ash drops in a decent chunk revealing a flat but centered burn cone
- Creamy notes begin to develop further enticing the palate
- Dark cocoa notes join the mix deep in the second third
- Continued sweet undertones, bordering on caramel notes, entice the palate
- Finally, a hint of creamy coffee finished the journey
- Mild to medium in strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 30 minutes
The initial experience, of the Espinosa Premium Cigars Sumatra, unveils a delightful blend of natural tobacco sweetness and a subtle hint of mild spice. As the journey progresses, the profile is gracefully enriched with the addition of fruit notes, creating a harmonious composition. Introducing a pleasant nutty essence, the blend starts to build a nuanced complexity. Entering the second third, creamy notes emerge and further captivate the palate, providing a smooth and luxurious texture. Deep into the second third, the infusion of dark cocoa notes adds a layer of richness to the overall flavor profile. The sweetness persists, with undertones that flirt with caramel notes, creating a tempting and satisfying taste experience. Finally, the journey concludes with a subtle hint of creamy coffee, leaving a lingering and satisfying finish on the palate. This is worth grabbing a fiver of. I rate this a 92.
Point Deductions: (-1) Flat but Centered Burn Cone; (-1) Jagged Burn; (-1) Slight Off Burn but no touch-up needed
Bonus Points: (+1) Moderately Complex and Nuanced
