Cigar Review: Sabor de Esteli by Guayacan Cigars

Vitola: Lonsdale
Size: 6.5” x 42 ring gauge
Price ~$12
Gifted by Guayacan Cigars

Background

Two years ago I made a most unexpected friend at the 2nd Chattanooga Tweet-Up. I’ve probably told this story before, so I’ll keep it short…the Monday before we started the event, Frank Herrera dropped me an email asking if he could bring a friend who wanted to sponsor the event. I said, “Yes,” and that friend ended up being Noel Rojas, who had recently started his own company—Guayacan. He had been at the IPCPR show a few weeks previous, but attracted very little attention. But he became the hit of the Tweet-Up that year and I think he might just love Chattanooga more than any other American city…but that may just be speculation.

As this year’s Tweet-Up was getting started, Noel called me to say he wouldn’t be able to attend. He had planned on it and really wanted to, but he had to attend to some issues at his factory in Nicaragua. I appreciated the honesty and communication, something I’ve seen sorely lacking from others in this industry. He told me he was sending some sticks to give out to people and a box of Sabor de Estelí Lanceros for me. What can you say but “Thank you!” to something like that? I did…and I do again…Thank you, Noel.

I don’t normally “review” cigars that are a true gift, but after I smoked the first one, I knew that a review might just be a gift back. Yes…these are excellent sticks! Sabor de Estelí is new from Guayacan, one of several new products that debuted at this year’s IPCPR (along with Guayacan Maduro). Sabor de Estelí (SdE) comes in 2 wrapper varieties: a Habano Ecuador (round cigars) and a Mexican San Andres Maduro (box-pressed). Each comes in Robusto, Toro and Gordo sizes, but only the Habano Ecuador comes in the Lonsdale, which is a Limited Edition and packed 10 to a box. I thought Noel said he only did 2,000 boxes of these, but I can’t find independent confirmation of that so…don’t take it as gospel. Aside from the wrapper leaves, all filler and binder is purported to be Nicaraguan.

Prelight

The first thing that strikes me about this stick is that it’s called a Lonsdale. Almost every other manufacturer would call it a Lancero, but apparently the final size is closer to Lonsdale so that’s what Noel called it. Lonscero? Now I’m just making things up! (Although that’s what a lot of cigar companies are doing with vitola sizes these days, so I guess I’m in good company.) The band is a beautiful illustration of a lady with a wildly flowing dress in front of tobacco field. Oddly while the brand (and band) is “Sabor de Estelí” there is wording on the box that says “Aroma de Jalapa.” So…it tastes like Estelí but smells like Jalapa?

Speaking of aroma, I gave the wrapper a good sniff and caught the familiar scent of Habano Ecuador leaf in the form of slightly sweet hay and a good mix of earth. The foot was closed with part of the wrapper folded over, so it didn’t give off a huge amount of aroma, but it was a little funkier in the earthiness. After clipping the cap, I got a very nice draw that had flavors of cedar, hay, earth and red pepper.

During the second third, I lost some of the pepper, but the smoke got creamier and thicker at the same time, with even more earth and cedar.

As I got toward the end, the Sabor de Estelí Lonsdale picked up some nice peanut notes, along with more sweet hay, while the earth notes receded a bit.

Flavor

The Lonsdale lit up quick and easy with a very even burn line. I picked up on cedar right up front, followed on by earth, coffee and hay notes. Finally there was a cayenne pepper on the finish. The retrohale was nutty and peppery.

Construction

Both samples of this I smoked had a great draw throughout, straight burn line and solid ash.

Value

At over $10 per stick, the price is a bit high, but these are a limited edition. Add to that the fact that they deliver great flavor and I deem them worthy of the price.

Conclusions

So, no surprise…I really enjoyed this cigar. Loved it, in fact. As much as I enjoyed Noel’s first release with Guayacan, this is even better, delivering a great Nicaraguan profile with lots of complexity throughout, though never getting beyond medium-to-full body and a medium level of nicotine strength. Truly a gem from one of the industry’s young stars and a contender for cigar of the year.

By-The-Numbers

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