Cigar Review: Entrada

• Vitola: Corona
• 5.5” x 44 ring gauge 
• ~$8.50
• Provided by manufacturer

Background

I first heard of Entrada Cigars at last year’s IPCPR trade show. I picked up a sample or two of their Lancero, although I honestly don’t remember talking at length to anyone…it was a busy show, though, so I guess that’s not unusual. A month or so ago, I got a box in the mail that contained more samples of their cigars…this time in a Corona format…so I decided to give the cigar a second try and review.

Entrada started in 2013 when a couple cigar enthusiasts pursued the idea of creating their own blend. They worked with Arsenio Ramos of Casa Fernandez to develop this blend of Nicaraguan criollo, visa and corojo, along with a Mexican San Andres wrapper. “Entrada” was the “entry” point into the industry for the partners.

I have had a few of this blend, all of which were provided by the manufacturer.

Prelight

When I saw these cigars come in I immediately remembered them because of one simple thing: the band is extraordinarily different in the cigar business. It looks like a postage stamp with arms extending right and left to hook around the body of the cigar. The red and white artwork, combined with the imaginative die cut and overall design make for a memorable look and should help this cigar stand out in any tobacconist’s humidor. The secondary band on the foot of the cigar reads “1st Edition.” I’m not sure if that refers to this being the first blend from the company or if this batch of sticks I received for review is from the first batch rolled. The cigar(s) I received at the show last year also had “1st Edition” bands on the feet. If they are from the first batch rolled, then they are ultimately selling very slowly…or they rolled way more than I would expect for a small company.

The wrapper leaf of the Entrada was a dark chocolate brown with an aroma of earth and coffee grounds. The foot had a mix of pungent, ripe earth and wet cedar aromas. The cold draw was good and had flavors of dry earth and cocoa powder.

Flavor

The Entrada started out with plenty of earth and cedar notes up front, with hay and dark roast coffee riding along playing second-fiddle and a bit of roasted nut on the finish. The retrohale had more roasted nuts and a short blast of red pepper. Nothing about the blend screamed out “powerhouse” from the beginning (and it was not meant to be), but you could definitely taste the character of the Nicaraguan tobaccos used. The first third continued on to be very rich and tasty, with a definite edge from the Mexican wrapper leaf, but blended and balanced well with the sweeter, more aromatic Nicaraguan leaf.

The second third of the cigar was creamy in texture with spice notes held down to a bare minimum. I had muted notes of earth and coffee, while the cedar became amplified and a floral note was introduced.

The last third had more cedar and a touch of cinnamon from time to time. Earthy Mexican tobacco notes still held on as a secondary flavor and pepper just barely hung around.

Construction

I had a nearly perfect draw on all samples I smoked, plus a very even burn line and a solid ash that never flaked off on my computer or pants.

Value

The price of these is very good for a low production cigar and the experience was definitely a good one.

Conclusions

The Estrada proved to be a very good cigar and a definite hit for a new company. As I write this, they have announced a new blend for this year’s trade show and I’m eager to give that one a try, as well. This first offering from the company proved to be a great example of balanced blending with Mexican Maduro wrapper leaf; even in a very small ring gauge, the drier, chalkier notes of the leaf didn’t hold sway, instead giving way to lighter hay, floral and sweet notes from the Nicaraguan filler and binder.

By-The-Numbers

Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10