Created by Don Pepin Garcia in his El Rey de Los Habanos factory in Miami, in honor of the famous Cuban baseball team that he watched as a young man: the Habana Leones. Since the Leones were nicknamed the “Rojos” by their legion fans, the red label is as appropriate as it is telling.

Pepin uses a strong and full-bodied blend of slow aged all-Nicaraguan tobaccos in the Habana Leon. The filler is 70% Ligero tobacco wrapped in a Nicaraguan grown binder. It is topped off with a reddish-brown (”rojo” again) Corojo wrapper from a crop harvested in 2000.

I am smoking the Toro size in a line that offers 7 different vitolas. The light brown wrapper leaf is unimpressive to look at, but the aroma is another matter. The Corojo wrapper is scented of wet hay and the ligero filler is... wow! Big, bold and barnyard. I love it! That’s all the pre-light ritual I need, so I top the Toro with my Laguiole cigar scissors and proceed to torch with my Blazer.

I am immediately met with full spicy flavors that tingle on my tongue. The body is medium-full and the draw is firm, but not problematic. The ash flowers readily and after I tap off at an inch, I note a small tunnel down the center. The burn line is slightly irregular and blistered, but not badly so.

As I smoke past the halfway mark, the filler tobacco is still not burning perfectly. There is a sharp, hard cone that exists until the two-thirds mark. But the flavors are rich and full. Tobacco flavors predominate and I enjoy this cigar down to the nub. I am hopeful that a bit more aging will correct the burn problems.

This is not a cigar for the feint of heart. It is a full bodied and full flavored smoke for those who like them that way. This cigar is a real sleeper, partially because it is still a fairly well kept secret and partially because it’s only sold in a couple of places, that I know of. I recommend this cigar for those with a penchant for adventure and full-bodied cigars. The price is definitely right.