Vitola: Corona Gorda- 5.5” x 46 ring gauge
- MSPR $8.50
- Samples provided by company
Background
De Los Reyes Cigars introduced the Saga brand for the 2014 IPCPR. It was one that I honestly didn’t pay much attention to for a variety of reasons: first, I was too busy paying attention to a host of other brands I already knew; also, I don’t recall the buzz on this one being very big; finally, no stores that I frequent carried it and no reps brought it by the shop I work at. That changed recently when one of our local brokers was contacted by the company and he started evaluating whether or not he should represent them in the Southeast region. He elicited feedback and now he does indeed represent them.
The Reyes family has a 150 year background in the tobacco business, but it was really fifth generation Augusto Reyes who has guided the company into the modern age in 2012, along with his daughter, Nirka. Now they are working to balance “the realities of modern world and technology, with the nobility of tradition and respect of our master: tobacco.”
The Saga Golden Age is a “timeless blend of classic tobacco seeds that uses the nobility of the tobacco to bring you the perfect balance of power and flavor. It narrates better than words can describe, the history of a family’s tradition in tobacco, delivering a cigar much like the ones they use to smoke in the times of Hemingway.” It is a Dominican Puro, using “original Cuban seeds grown in the DR” for filler and a Corojo 2006 wrapper leaf.
To this point, I’ve smoked one Corona Gorda and one Lancero before it was time to review this cigar. While I enjoyed both, the Corona Gorda was better to me, so I’ve elected to review it. The company provided all the samples I’ve smoked so far.
Prelight
The band design of the Saga Golden Age is mostly a modern construct, with a stencil-type font for the company name, along with geometric shapes in both bands, and a fairly nondescript and simple font for the blend name. The construction of the cigar is more old-school, with a pigtail-finished cap and seemingly flawless wrapping job.
The wrapper was a toasted caramel color with an oily sheen to it and just a bit of toothiness under the finger tips. The aroma from it was woody and earthy. The foot had a stronger earth notes, with after-thoughts of hay and pepper.
The cold draw was excellent and featured flavors of hay and dried fruit, white pepper and cedar.
Flavor
The Golden Age opened up with a solid sweet hay and cedar flavor, followed up with natural tobacco and graham cracker. What hits me on the first few puffs of this cigar is the same thing as when I first lit up a Corona Gorda…this tastes very similar to a mild-to-medium bodied Cuban cigar…perhaps a Romeo y Julieta, or something of that nature…except better than the last Cuban RyJ I smoked. It’s not that the tobacco has that specifically “Cuban” flavor…although there is a touch of that…but just the overall impact the flavor profile had on my palate. It wasn’t the same with the Lancero, which came off as stronger, but still very tasty in its own right.
As I cruised into the second third of the Golden Age, I noted that the body was on the mild side of medium, but flavor was definite full. I tasted sweet and semi-salty notes, with rich, natural tobacco leading the charge and hay and cedar following close behind. White pepper was in the mix, as was a little graham.
The start of the final third was much like the second…sweet and salty with plenty of natural tobacco notes. As I got down to the very nub, the flavor died off a bit, ending with a little cedar and hay.
Construction
I had to touch up the burn line a couple times, but it was only a minor thing. The draw was uniformly excellent and the ash was solid.
Value
This is an excellent cigar and the price is fantastic. Great value.
Conclusions
From beginning to almost the end, the Golden Age was a fantastic cigar that had plenty of flavor and complexity along with a very Cubanesque profile. I got done with it and had the very rare occasion of wanting to smoke another one…yes, it was that good. Even the slight die-off of flavor at the very end didn’t put a damper on my enthusiasm for this cigar…I really wish I had found this one two years ago when it first came out! If you enjoy Dominican cigar that truly recalls the golden age of Cuban cigars, you really must try the Golden Age, specifically in the Corona Gorda size. After smoking two of this size, as well as a Lancero, I’m prepared to put the Golden Age Corona Gorda into the mix for Cigar of the Year…it’s that good.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 10/10
