For many months I've been watching from Instagram & Twitter the making of a cigar brand. From following Jose Blanco as he smoked & tested various numbered blends to conversing with his wife Emma about the design of the band -- I've been intrigued with Jose’s first release from Las Cumbres Tabaco, the Señorial.   While the cigar itself does not have outstanding looks, the beautiful band that adorns it attracts me instantly.  

 

The Señorial is made in the Dominican at Tabacalera Palma factory overseen by Jose's cousin at the family tobacco farm.  The Senorial has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with a Nicaraguan binder that is from Estelí and the filler is all Dominican (Cuban Piloto, Corojo). While I've smoked the Robusto, for this review, I'm smoking the Corona Gorda No. 5, and measures 5.5 with a 46-ring gauge producing a medium to full profile. Cost varies, but in NYC it ran around $10.  

 

To start out the Senorial is a firm cigar that features pre-lit aromas of earth, spices, leather and tobacco. The cold draw produced a slight licorice note, molasses, and a nice nutty and woodsy flavor. It lit easily, stayed lit with a beautiful long ash and nice smoke output throughout. 

 

The first third has a delicious profile of Autumn spices like cinnamon, white pepper, cloves and a touch of licorice and sweetness. An inch in I'm picking up toasted hazelnuts and cashews which intermingle with the other flavors very nicely. Then as I'm smoking through this first third, I'm aware of the background notes of oak and deep tobacco flavors. 

 

The second third my ash is hanging on nicely in the beginning, but as soon as the ash drops the flavor profile continues with mixed nuts, spice and then an addition of roasted coffee. The profile is creamy, easy to smoke with a touch of sweetness that rounds out the flavors. I found myself in a dreamy completely content state of smoking goodness -- it's the point when you just know you will be buying a box of this cigar. 

 

The last third is when I realized I didn't want this smoking pleasure to end. All the notes of flavor that really drew me in during the first third reemerged more distinctly with the spice and pepper taking the lead and the profile changing from medium to almost full.  As the cinnamon and cloves are amping up to tantalize my palate, the licorice and coffee flavors are intermingling in my mouth pulling away from the touch of sweetness I detected earlier to a drier leather finish.  Could I sum this smoke up in one word? No way. I need two: box worthy! 

 

This is a cigar to savor, enjoy each dimension of flavor in every puff. It's the type of cigar you share with friends after a long week of work or on a cruise after a summer meal, or a lazy Fall Sunday afternoon. Smoking the Senorial is like getting an hour and a half of precious time and experience with Jose himself. You can really learn a lot about your tastes and palate from this delicious stick.  I just know you will enjoy it.