Those that know Arnold Serafin, the owner of Serafin de Cuba Cigar Co, know that he is on a mission. As a generational Cuban American shop and factory owner, Arnold wants to bring back, many of the old Tampa Cigar Brands to the market. One of those brands is the La Floridana – a classic Tampa brand that was founded in the late 1800’s by Cuban cigar maker, Emilio Pons. “La Floridana” means “the Florida Girl” in English. These cigars are a local favorite in the Tampa Bay area. They are described by the company as ‘a smooth blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos, finished in a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper. They create a mild to medium smoking experience. These cigars are available in bundles of 25.’
The blend is described as:
- Wrapper – Nicaraguan Habano
- Binder – Nicaraguan
- Filler – Nicaraguan
The La Floridana is expressed in three vitolas, each packaged in 25-count bundles:
- Little Piggy Gordo (6 x 60) – MSRP $6.00
- Robusto (5 x 50) – MSRP $6.00
- Lancero (7 x 38) – MSRP $6.00
For this review I smoked one of the La Floridana lanceros, which was a gift from Arnold to try and review, if I wished to. Well, I smoked it and it deserves a review.
Pre-Light Examination
The Serafin de Cuba La Floridana Lancero is a finely crafted specimen of a lancero vitola with its dark tan wrapper that is lightly oily and fairly smooth to the touch. It is firmly packed from foot to head. It does have noticeable seams in the roll. A classic twist cap finishes the presentation.
The band is a duplicate of the original brand mark that is now owned by Serafin de Cuba with the added denotation of the company name at the bottom of the band.
Running the La Floridana along the nose, I picked up sweet baking spice notes along the barrel while the foot offered mild earthy notes.
I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder of the cigar with my double blade cutter and proceeded to give it some cold draw puffs that I found to be spot on with restriction and delivered subtle pepper and buttery note.
Using a lit cedar spill, I warmed the foot gently to an even orange glow and drew in the first puffs of baking spice and fruit notes to start the journey. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- The journey started with baking spice and fruit notes
- White ash forms on top of a thin and even burn line
- Delicate sweet cracker notes begin to fill in the introductory profile
- Mild earthy notes add to the profile
- Sweet and savory aroma wafts off the foot
- Ash fell in an excellent chunk, especially for a lancero, revealing a well-formed burn cone
- Spice notes grow in the second quarter as the earth is found on the retro-hale
- Earth notes grow midway morphing into a dark chocolate sensation
- Tangy fruit notes enter deep with continued spice in the third quarter
- Burns a tad hot in final
- Spice increases in the final
- Mild – Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time Was 1 hour and 40 minutes
Final Analysis
The Serafin de Cuba La Floridana Lancero journey embarked with a tantalizing blend of baking spices intermingled with the inviting note of fresh fruit. The palate is graced with subtle, yet distinct notes of sweet crackers, creating an initial flavorful profile. Gradually, the introduction of mild earthy undertones contributed depth to the overall character. A delightful interplay of sweetness and savory elements gracefully wafted from the cigar’s foot. Continuing on the journey, the spice notes crescendoed in the second quarter, complemented by the rediscovery of earthiness in the retro-hale. Midway, the earthy essence evolved into an indulgent sensation reminiscent of dark chocolate, adding richness to the journey. Deep into the third quarter, tangy fruit notes emerged alongside persistent spices, further enriching the tapestry of flavors. It is more about the spiciness at this point. However, as the finale approached, the cigar started to burn hot in smoke and this is where I ended it. Buy a bundle of these. I rate this a 94.
Point Deductions: (-2) Smoke is Hot In final
Bonus Points: (+1) Pristine Burn; (+1) Buy a Bundle
