La Gloria Cubana Reserve Figurados were introduced by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo in 2004 as a limited edition cigar. Only two master rollers, hand picked by Ernesto for their superior skills, are assigned to the Reserve Figurados. The tobaccos for this line are aged for three months in specially designed cedar bins to impart an extra spiciness — and then they are aged for three months further in the box.

The line was expanded in 2005 to include two maduro wrapped cigars — the Regalias Perfectos, and the Felicias Maduro pictured above. These are the only two sizes wrapped in Connecticut broadleaf maduro, but they are also available in Ecuador grown Sumatra.

The size is 4 5/8 by 49, a small but beautiful figurado reminiscent of Fuente’s Hemingway Short Story. The wrapper on this cigar is rich with oil and smells good enough to eat. So good in fact that I think I’m going to give you a close up:

The name “Felicia” is a tribute to Ernesto’s mother. You know she has to be proud of her son. It’s a beautiful cigar, and a testament to the fine art of cigar rolling.

Like most LGCs this one is made in the Dominican Republic. The binder is Nicaraguan, and the filler is a Nicaraguan-Dominican blend. The prelight draw is tight due to the perfecto foot — once this burns off the draw is also perfecto.

The initial taste is peppery, sharp but not strong. There is a little bit of a bite. The aroma is of sweet wood — cedar, almost piney. A few minutes later there’s some sweetness from the maduro, and a bit later some sulfur. The aroma remains true to its cedary base.

I picked this cigar tonight because I wanted something fairly short. By 8:30 it had cooled down outside to about 107 degrees from the 114 during the day. It wasn’t a double corona kind of evening, by my standards anyway. Even so, this cigar lasted a good 45 minutes. My only gripe is that it burned a little hot toward the end, but by that time the coal was touching the band anyway and it was time to go in and cool off.

The aftertaste is rich and chocolatey — strangely similar to the scent of the cigar in a pre-lit state. So in this way it comes full circle. A very nice smoke. I’d really like to try the larger Regalias sometime, perhaps in the fall when the desert is a little more cigar friendly.

I received this smoke as part of a sampler trade on Club Stogie. Thanks Bonggoy!