Initial Thoughts:
Whether you've heard of La Palina Cigars or not, you'll surely appreciate the eye-catching nature of their beautiful labels. As a brand, La Palina has been around since 1896. And today, we're reviewing the La Palina Red Label Sun Grown Toro.
Just as the label of this cigar was intricate and ornate, so was the cigar itself. The Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper is almost flawless and has minimal veins. The wrapper's pre-light aroma was of leaves and wood.
With a quick cut from my guillotine, the cold draw was light and citrusy, almost like a lemon. The aroma of the smoke was earthy and had hints of Nicaraguan leaves. The first flavors I got from the La Palina Red Label Sun Grown Toro were very spicy.
My first impression of this cigar was that it's spicy but good. Will the La Palina Red Label Sun Grown Toro continue to impress? Is it worth almost $10? Let's find out.
CigarScore:
Brand: La Palina
Line: Red Label Sun Grown
Size: 6 1/2 x 52
Cut: Guillotine
Light: Torch
Price: $$9.50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown Habano
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Smoke Time: 70 minutes
Through the middle of the La Palina Red Label Sun Grown Toro, things were going pretty well. However, there was an uneven burn. But, that burn was even in its unevenness and kept burning at a consistent rate.
Final Thoughts
After smoking the La Palina Red Label Sun Grown Toro for 70 minutes, I had some mixed feelings about it.
While the burn was uneven, it remained consistently uneven. Had I touched it up, which I didn't, perhaps things would've leveled out and stayed that way.
Regarding the Red Label Sun Grown's flavors, they were quite spicy in the first third. And while the cigar did mellow out in the second half, the spice from the first third overshadowed any nice, more mellow flavors that came next. Because of how the flavors progressed, the final third almost tasted a little bland.
Although I think this cigar could've been a little better if the blenders, perhaps, reversed the flavors, I'm sure someone will love the powerful spice that comes off this cigar. And, because the burn issue was a minor one, the La Palina Red Label Sun Grown Toro earns a CigarScore 4.
