La Palina Expands Highly Rated Classic Line

Source from:  cigaraficionado  07/25/2013

La Palina Classic, the least expensive cigar line from La Palina Cigars, has a trio of new sizes that will begin shipping to retail shops next week. The Dominican brand will soon count a lancero, corona and short robusto among its sizes.

The Short Robusto is extremely plump, measuring 4 1/2 inches by 58 ring gauge, the Corona is 5 1/2 by 42, and the Lancero measures 7 by 38—the traditional length of a Cuban lancero, but this version is produced sans pigtail. The cigars retail for $6.75, $7.25 and $8.00, respectively.

La Palina Classic first hit the market in September as a four-size line. The smokes scored an average of 89.8 points in an April 30 vertical brand tasting in Cigar Insider, the semimonthly cigar newsletter from Cigar Aficionado, with a blockbuster showing for the Toro, a 6 by 50 cigar that scored 93 points.

Like the originals, the new La Palina Classics are wrapped in Brazilian leaf with a mix of Nicaraguan, Dominican and Ecuadoran tobaccos on the inside. They are made at PDR Cigars Dominicana, a factory in Tamboril, Dominican Republic, run by Abe Flores.

A sample of the Lancero smoked non-blind showed a cigar with fine construction and a full draw. The smoke was floral and bright, with some creamy notes and a pleasantly long finish, and a faint hint of chocolate reminiscent of some of the notes found in the blind tasting of the first La Palina Classic sizes. Enditem