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Stogie Reviews: La Rosa Cubana Robusto

24 May 2006

Last week I told you about my visit to La Rosa Cubana, where handmade cigars are being produced right in the heart of midtown Manhattan.

I noted the joy of seeing a cigar made, but that left one very important question unanswered: How is the cigar? I lit up a La Rosa Cubana Robusto to find out.

This Robusto had a veiny Connecticut shade claro wrapper that reminded me of a Jamaican Macanudo (La Rosa Cubana also produces cigars with a Dominican Maduro wrapper) . The cigar itself was well constructed (it wasn’t too firm or too soft) and it had classic Robusto proportions: 5 inches x 50 ring gauge.

I found the stogie to have a sweet leathery smell when lit. The burn was perfectly even to the end, and the ash held firm at well beyond an inch.

The flavor of the cigar was influenced by the leathery smell, but a peppery taste was the most intense flavor that this mild to medium cigar provided. Ultimately, this cigar lacked the complexity of bigger-name cigars (which is to be expected given the small size of the operation). After all, there is no way that La Rosa Cubana can compete with massive companies for tobacco, and it doesn’t have the facilities for extended aging of tobacco.

And yet I thoroughly enjoyed this stogie. While lacking the sophistication expected of an after-dinner cigar, this stogie would work well as a late-afternoon smoke while one is enjoying the outdoors… say on a golf course or over a barbecue.

All you Stogie Guys in New York would be well advised to head over to La Rosa Cubana’s midtown factory/store, watch an experienced master roll you a cigar, and then light one up… taking pleasure in telling people that you’re not smoking a Cuban or a Dominican, but an authentic New York stogie.

All told, I give this cigar a solid three out of five stogies, and I particularly recommend it to those who enjoy a more mild cigar.

-Patrick S

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4 Responses to “Stogie Reviews: La Rosa Cubana Robusto”

  1. Anonymous Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 9:58 pm #

    You guys are fucking D-bags! I dropped a good amount of money on cigars you recommended and they sucked monkey nuts!

  2. Padronnie Thursday, July 12, 2007 at 6:18 am #

    Actually Anonymous… I bought these after the Stogie Guys recommended them and they were quite good.

Trackbacks and Pingbacks

  1. The Stogie Guys » Blog Archive » Stogie Reviews - Monday, February 12, 2007

    […] La Rosa Cubana Robusto […]

  2. The Stogie Guys » Blog Archive » Quick Smoke: La Rosa Cubana Churchill - Saturday, March 24, 2007

    […] This massive eight inch by 50 ring gauge Dominican is a boutique smoke, rolled in the heart of mid-town Manhattan (of all places). Back in May 2006, the Robusto was the subject of a full review. With a mild, leathery flavor, notes of sweet hay, and a price of only $4 apiece, I can easily recommend this stogie. Perfect for a sunny morning. Order yours online here. […]