The Signature: Guillermo Leon Signature Line

When I heard from my buddy Huff (@CigarConnection) that he had the Guillermo Leon Signature Line in the shop, I had to check it out. There has been quite the buzz about this latest creation from La Aurora & Miami Cigar Company since this year’s IPCPR.  Having snagged a show sample, I definitely wanted to get a production release to see if my palate was deceiving me. Let’s just say, I was not disappointed. Read on…

Vitola: Gran Corona
Size: 47 x 6
Wrapper:  Ecuadorian Havana
Binder: Corojo & Cameroon
Filler: Dominican Republic, Peru, Nicaragua, & Brazil

Pre-light:  The construction is fairly sturdy with a nice feel when pinched slightly.  No noticeable soft spots were present and the cigar feels good in my hand.  The wrapper has a nice chocolate hue with only a few veins and is slightly oily.  The aroma is rich earthy tobacco with just a touch of barnyard hay.  Upon clipping the head with my Xikar MTX, the draw is open and ample producing a pre-light flavor of tobacco and barnyard hay.

First third:  The cigar starts off with the slight edge of peppery spice followed by a rich tobacco note and a slight sweetness on the finish reminiscent of licorice.  The strength is medium range as well as the body.  The ash is solid and grey in color holding for about an inch before falling into the bowl.  The burn is even so far.

Middle third:  The cigar is incredibly smooth at this point producing an almost creamy textured smoke that has flavors of slightly earthy yet rich tobacco, coffee, and a sweetness that meshes nicely with a faint caramel note on the finish.  The burn continues to be extremely steady and even.  The ash continues to fall about every inch or so.  The strength is still medium.  The body is medium-full as the texture of the smoke gently coats the palate.

Final third:  I am really enjoying the choreographed dance of flavors as each note has taken a turn at the forefront during the course of the cigar.  The final third has a nice toasted wood note with some spice on the retrohale and the sweet licorice bite on the end.  The burn has been stellar throughout with no touch ups or extra attention required.  The body has touched the medium-full range yet managed to remain smooth and clean on my palate.  The strength is medium and might be noticeable to a novice smoker but basically it blends right in with the experience.

Final thoughts:  Having enjoyed both the show sample and a stick right off the store shelf, both experiences had subtle differences but were equally enjoyable.  This is definitely a box-worthy cigar even at the $9 price point.  It is well worth the money!  The final burn time was 1 hour 25 minutes.  On my unofficial “official” rating scale I give it 4.8 out of 5.0.  As always I’m curious to hear your thoughts.  Be sure to leave me a comment and let me know what you think of this cigar.

Until next time, happy smoking and enjoy the experience.

-DaByrdman-