Cigar Review: La Hoja Classica

La Hoja ClassicaVitola: Robusto No. 1
Size: 5.25″ x 52 ring gauge
Price $11 MSRP
Obtained From La Hoja Cigars as a sample

Background

Today I’ll be looking at the second blend I received from La Hoja, the Classica.  You can check out my review of the maduro here, and Dave’s look at the Classica, including background info, here.  This was the second of this blend that I got a chance to smoke.

Prelight

The wrapper is a nice dark brown in color with a reddish tint and some darker mottling.  The band is easy to read, in spite of how it looks in the picture.  It also had a good amount of oils in spite of it being without cellophane.  The ribbon around the foot would help it from getting damaged since it isn’t in cello.  The cigar did have a soft box press as well.  When I gave it a squeeze there a slight amount of give and no soft spots.  When I put my nose to the wrapper I could detect the aroma of leather with cinnamon and chocolate coming from the foot.  When I clipped it and took a cold draw on it I got a good draw with some light cinnamon tastes.

Flavor

It started off with a good amount of cinnamon, leather and earth flavors.  The spice was pretty strong on the retroahale and tongue to start.  Towards the end of the first third the finish started to get slightly sweet.  That was also about the time I started to get a slight bitterness from it as well.  The cigar was medium-full strength to start.  The spice had definitely toned down by the time I started the second third.  The flavors I could detect in the second third; leather and tobacco with a slightly sweet finish, were unfortunately overwhelmed by the bitterness.  When I got into the final third the spice did start to come back.  I seemed to get the same flavors in this third; leather and earth with the sweet finish, that I got in the first.  The bitterness was still there though.  It finished off at the bottom end of full.

Construction

The cigar took a bit of fire to get going and it did seem like it took constant puffing on it to keep lit.  The burn was uneven, but that could be due to the wind or my uneven light.

Value

This cigar didn’t really do much for me so I’d be hard pressed to pay $11 for it.

Conclusions

I’m going to chalk up my experiences with these cigars to they weren’t made for my palate.  Dave had VERY different experiences than I did smoking the Maduro and Classica.  That is why you need to try things for your own because we all don’t have the same tastes in cigars.

By-The-Numbers

Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 7.5/10

Keith Hollar

Keith has been a cigar enthusiast since 2003 and it's rumored that he remembers details about every single cigar he's ever smoked. He wrote for Tiki Bar Online for four years before co-founding Leaf Enthusiast. Twitter: @Keith1911

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9 Responses

  1. Mark VanSledright says:

    Wow, two different experiences. I wonder if that is common throughout the line, or if you just had a outlier. Bitterness is never an asset in a cigar for me.

    • Keith1911 says:

      With this line Dave and I have had opposite experiences. I’ve seen quite a few other people that have liked them. I don’t know if there was something up with the samples or they just aren’t for me.

  2. bob langmaid says:

    I’ve had a few of these and have not experienced any bitterness. Mine were all a very good experience, but it’s a bit pricey…

  3. Texican says:

    That’s never fun w/ the bitterness.

  4. curt pickens says:

    Never tried them. Now on my list. Thx

  5. Miguel Rocha says:

    Ugh bitterness! Not for that price, thank you.

  6. dale427 says:

    Wow! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a 7.5 here.

  7. Craig says:

    Bitterness, no thank you. Like the honest 7.5 though.

  8. atllogix says:

    There are times when it could purely be that something just didn’t work out the way it was suppose to. I myself usually write it off with one go, there are too many out there, and a first impression is a lasting one. If you’re not like me here’s to hoping you get a better experience out of it on the next one.