Some New Things From Gran Habano, Part 1

There are those brands you start out with on your journey of experience in cigar smoking…sometimes you stick with them, all too often you end up leaving them behind for newer and (sometimes) better things. Gran Habano is one of those brands for me. I was an early devotee of Gran Habano cigars, mainly because their price was great for a decently good smoke…especially when you bought them on line and got them for $2 or $3 a stick. I grew out of that phase of online purchasing, though, and started supporting my local Brick and Mortar shops instead…and let’s face it, not many B&Ms carry Gran Habano products.

So I was a little surprised to get a package from Gran Habano in the mail a couple weeks back. They sent me samples of 4 of their new cigars and some information about them (well, some of them anyway). I decided to go with a non-review, more “introductory” format for these cigars. 2 will be looked at today and the other 2 in a couple days.

Gran Reserva No. 5, 2011

• Vitola: Robusto?
• 5” x 52(?) ring gauge
• Price $7.50 to $10, depending on size

So the first cigar I selected to smoke for this series was the cigar marked “Gran Reserva No. 5, Gran Habano, 2011” on the very Cuban-esque label. I proceeded to measure the cigar out to a 5” length and found that it matches none of the lengths of that cigar as listed on the info sheet that the company sent with the cigars. And it doesn’t match the sizes listed on the Cigar-Coop story about this blend. Then I ran into inconsistencies between his story and the provided info on the blend…

Coop says Costa Rican 2005 Corojo fillers, along with 2002 Nicaraguan Sun Grown Corojo binder and wrapper. The information that was sent with the cigars  says Jalapa Valley (which is Nicaragua) fillers, a Habano binder and a Corojo wrapper (no country of origin for those last two). Obviously they can’t both be right, but…hey, at least they both agree that they are made in Honduras. Of course, Gran Habano’s website appears to not have been updated in 2 or 3 years, so there is that…

The wrapper leaf was the color of medium-roast coffee and had a good amount of oiliness, along with a very cedary aroma, helped I’m sure by the sheath of wood that wraps the cigar from the band to the foot. The foot had more cedar and plentiful earth aromas. Once cut the draw was good and the cold flavors were mostly of wet earth and cedar.

The Gran Reserva No. 5 lit up fairly easily and I had it burning evenly in no time. I got plenty of cedar and earth notes from the cigar, as well as a bit of a chemical note that faded quickly. Mostly it was a good, medium-to-full bodied smoke that had a decent flavor, at least at first. As the cigar went on, I got more earth while the cedar flavors receded into the background. I paired this stick with some Maker’s Mark and they went together well, with the whiskey pulling more sweetness out of the cigar.

Toward the end, I got more pepper notes from the Gran Reserva No. 5 and it ended up being a good experience overall, though I struggled with the price point.

George Rico S.T.K. Miami Zulu Zulu Mas Paz Edition, Black

• Vitola: Corona Gorda
• 5.625 x 46 ring gauge
• Price $??

The Zulu Zulu project was first brought out in 2011. According to the story I found on Coop’s site, it was originally going to be part of George Rico’s private collection, but he eventually decided to make it a bigger project to benefit organizations for children in countries where there are not the opportunities we have here. The Mas Paz will see a percentage of the sales funding renovations for La Casa de la Madre y el Niño, an orphanage in Columbia. There are two versions this year…White and Black. The White has a white box and wrapping paper around each cigar, and it features a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper.

I was sent the Black edition that has the black box and paper wrap; it sports an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper around Nicaraguan Habano binder and Nicaraguan fillers. It is made in Miami at G.R. Tabacaleras. Once I got the outer paper wrap off the stick I got a good look at the cigar itself. The Shade leaf was a very even and golden color with minimal veining and excellent construction, all the way up to the flag pigtail at the cap. I got a strong grassy, hay-like aroma from the wrapper. The foot had a earth and cocoa powder notes.

The cold draw had notes of grass and light-roast coffee. Once lit, there was very little resistance on the draw…almost too effortless. The flavor was excellent, though, featuring hay, cedar and earth up front, with some subtler notes of caramel and coffee, and a nice white pepper finish.

I enjoyed this Zulu Zulu Mas Paz Edition, Black. I found it a mostly medium-bodied smoke that combined the creaminess of a Connecticut Shade wrapper with some of the earth and coffee notes that you get from Nicaraguan leaf. That being said, I only found a couple things different about this cigar from the many other “new wave Connecticut” offerings on the shelves already: First, I really like the Corona Gorda size…it’s a great format for almost any blend and has been one of my favorite sizes for a few years. Second, a portion of the proceeds go to help less-advantaged children…and that’s just not something I’m going to argue with.