La Gloria Cubana Serie R # 4
Origin: Dominican Republic
Size: 4.75 X 52
Wrapper: Natural

From Superior Cigars:
Cigar Master Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. created the La Gloria Cubana Serie R cigars for smokers with a passion for a more full-bodied taste. Introduced in 1999, their larger sizes and ring gauges helped create today's tremendous demand for a fuller, richer-flavored smoke.

Reviewed by: Stephen
Date: February 2006
Notes:

My first experience with the La Gloria Cubana was with their top of the line Reserva Figurado Maduro, and that cigar is probably one of my favorites, so when I found out that my local cigar store didn't carry them naturally I was devastated.

They do however carry the Serie R #4 which are robusto only, so since they were cheaper anyway I decided to give it a try. Once I got home I went for a walk and took it with me. It\'s appearance seemed to be just as good as the Reserve maybe a little lighter, when I lit it up I only had some matches so it burnt a little uneven at the beginning, but I evened it out by rotating it. Anyway it was a medium to full bodied cigar that was smooth, with hints of chocolate, or coffee, overall not real complex but a smooth smoke for a medium to full bodied cigar. (not quite as smooth as the Reserve though) Overall it is a very good smoke for the money, smooth, yet strong, let me warn you though, after you will want to sit down.

Reviewed by: Jim Goldstein
Date: February 2004
Notes:

This cigar is a full bodied smoke. Never have this on an empty stomach or early in the day. This is great to have after dinner or with drinks. This cigar seemed to get stronger as I smoked it. I have had many maduros that don't have the kick that this cigar has. For the money, this cigar is a steal. I would give it a 7.5-8 on a scale of 10. I would have again and I suggest it as a superb value to anyone.

Reviewed by: Travis Holmes
Date: July 2003
Notes:

The wrapper was veiny and a bit oily to the touch. The band is the standard LGC style but with a red "Serie R" addition to the bottom. Looked solid and seemed to have been pretty well constructed.

The cigar lit well and burned evenly for the first 1/3 rd or so. Then, for some reason, it started to become a bit uneven so I just worked a little magic to get it burning even again. The ash was a very light gray color and was firm and only required a touch of the ashtray to let loose. Towards the very end of the smoke, a bit of tunneling occurred, but this is somewhat to be expected. So, aside from the uneven burn for a brief moment and a little tunneling towards the end. I would say that this cigar was constructed well. No major issues.

This guy really packed a MAJOR punch. This will show someone who is used to more mild cigars what "full bodied" means. The flavor was full and had subtle changes along the way. After allowed to heat up properly the taste was rich with almost a coffee flavor. Lots of thick smoke. At about 2/3rds in the smoke became very creamy and I tasted almost a bit of cinnamon. This may be related to that "woody" flavor that many have described. Really an interesting developing flavor. Not OVERLY complex but it definetly had its moments.

So if I were to break this into 3 categories:

Taste: 9-10
Construction: 8-10
Overall: 8.5-10

Anyone who wants a full bodied smoke and hasn't tried one of these yet should really bump this one up on the list. Just don't smoke one on an empty stomach.