Cigar: Latitude Zero Tortas
Size: 6 x 50
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $21.14 ($1.41 per cigar) per pack of 15 cigars from Cigars International
Like many of you starting 2017, the beginning of a new year can signify many things. A fresh start to a bad year, a chance to do something we have been putting off (aka resolutions), or maybe it’s a celebration that we are simply around for one more year. One thing that I am nearly always reminded of starting the new year is the post-Christmas bank account…or a lack of what should be in it. Gift giving gets expensive, meaning less money for premium cigars. A few weeks before Christmas, I got the bright idea to pick up a value bundle because I knew the doom to our bank account was imminent. Browsing around on CI’s website, I came across the Latitude Zero Tortas. It had many of the right descriptors that peaked my interest: Made by Oliva, “Cuban Sandwich” style cigar (mixed blend of filler that is “sandwiched” by the binder), dirt cheap. I figure the price alone was enough to give it a shot.
No construction issues were found on the Tortas chosen for review. The pre-light aromas gave me woody and sweet notes while the cold draw brought faint hints of fruit. I opted for a punch as it was the closest device to where I was sitting and lit up. The draw was balanced but leaned more to the open side while the opening flavor notes gave me mild spice and wood. The spice, while not strong, balanced well to the woody notes and lasted a good 20 or so minutes before mellowing out. From here on out, the cigar more or less smoked down with exactly this flavor profile and a mild-to-medium bodied strength. The last inch gave a touch more strength with more wood flavors and maybe something akin to straw or something reminiscent of being in a field. Total smoking time on the Latitude Zero Tortas was 1:21.
Besides a minor burn correction, I encountered no problems with the Latitude Zero Tortas. The draws stayed consistent throughout. The flavors didn’t get bitter. And being an inexpensive cigar, the cigar (and others like it) did not fall apart on me (this was mentioned in the customer review section on CI a few times).
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.25/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.25/10
To recap the Latitude Zero Tortas:
- I wouldn’t consider this cigar to be strong in the flavor category but it’ll get the job done for you if you are looking for a milder smoke.
- You could hand this one out to literally anyone looking for a cigar and it would more than likely be acceptable.
- Dirt cheap. Enough said.
- For my value cigars, I will usually go for something a little bit stronger, even if it costs just a little bit more, so I probably won’t get another bundle. But for those who are looking for an inexpensive bundled cigar that smokes on the milder side, this will definitely be on the list.
Thank you very much for reading. I look forward to the next time I can share my thoughts with you.
