Originally published at Tiki Bar Online
Robusto, 5” x 52 ring gauge / approx. $8.00
When Erik Espinosa parted ways with business partner, Eddie Ortega, a couple years ago, it was hard to see where each one would take their passions. Ortega ended up continuing the partnership that he and Espinosa had established with My Father Cigars, letting them do the production while he worked on the marketing and sales end. Espinosa decided to set up his own factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, called La Zona. He set it up in an old 2-story inn and almost immediately started producing new and old blends. The first widely distributed blend was the Habano, which Keith took a look at a while back (I’ll also be taking a short look at it later this week). In April, the company announced the next blend: the Espinosa Maduro. The Maduro is available in four vitolas (3 of which are box-pressed, although the Robusto sample I received had not visible box-pressing) and in boxes of 20. The filler and binder are Nicaraguan, while the wrapper is Mexican. I received a sampler box of Espinosa products from Anthony Jimenez, the Creative Director for Espinosa, and that is where this sample came from (the box had two Maduro samples…this is the second of them I have smoked).
The Espinosa branding is attractive, mixing some old-school and new-wave thinking in a way that works pretty well. After taking the cigar out of the cellophane, I did notice that there is indeed box-pressing, although it is so slight that it amounts to just flat sides that prevent the cigar from rolling off the table, but with very, very rounded corners to the box. The dark chocolate-colored wrapper leaf was toothy but quite oily and had a clean earth and leather aroma to it. The foot had a riper, more manure earthiness, along with some sweet hay. After clipping the head I got a very good draw with flavors of cocoa powder, earth and chili pepper.
Lighting up the Espinosa Maduro was easy and quick, even with a single-flame torch. I toasted it evenly and got a strong earthiness, with some of that distinct Mexican bitterness, but also some dry cocoa on the palate and a kick of pepper spice on the nose. Through the first third, I got mostly that earthy bitterness along with a good amount of pepper spice on both the palate and retrohale. Missing in action was enough balancing sweetness that I like to taste in a Maduro. There was a bit of sweetness there, but not enough…for me, anyway.
Shortly into the second third, the Maduro started to mellow and bit and developed more chocolately sweetness, which was a welcome addition. The construction of this sample had so far proven to be great. The draw was flawless, the burn line was mostly even with just one minor touch-up so far (not bad for a maduro wrapper), and the ash was solid. I do have to point out that the first sample I smoked had a rather large hollow spot in it leading to extra work keeping it lit and hotter-than-normal burning, which kind of messed up the flavor. Because of that experience, I am dinging .5 point on construction below.
By the final third, the Espinosa Maduro was showing a very nice balance of earthy bitterness and chocolate sweetness, along with notes of espresso bean and chili pepper spice on the palate. The retrohale had become more nutty than anything else. In the end, I rather enjoyed this blend and would definitely smoke it again. I would call the body in the medium to full range and the strength about the same. Nothing for experienced smokers to shy away from, but a little too much for newer enthusiasts. And judging from the first Habano that I smoked, it’s been a very nice Year One for La Zona. I look forward to seeing what other new blends Espinosa will develop in coming years.
Body: 8/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 7/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10
