The Los Blancos Premium Selection Criollo is wrapped with a medium-brown Criollo wrapper grown in Honduras. Unlike when I first received these cigars, it's surface is now displaying a waxy shine as the leaf oils have now broken the surface. It is still somewhat leathery to the touch and displays a light vein pattern. There are no visual flaws or blemishes on the wrapper, and the triple cap is nicely finished.

As I nasally interrogated this cigar, I detected the aroma of cocoa, wood and sweet spice. No under-filling or soft spots were noticed while squeezing the barrel of this cigar.

I cut an ample portion of the triple-cap and took a pre-light pull. The medium draw exhibited light flavors of cocoa and a light, sweet spiciness.

After initial light-up, this cigar displayed light, muddied notes of wood and just a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste. After about inch, the cigar flavors began to develop with more discernible woody notes, a sweet aftertaste, and a pleasant spiciness that was detected in the retrohale. At this point, the body was mild to medium.

The profile and body of this cigar appears to remain constant through most of the experience. By the halfway point, a light pepper, or chili spice can be detected on the palate, and becomes more detectable as the cigar progresses.

At the 2/3 point, the profile rapidly deepened to the more robust flavor of coffee with hints of wood, but the cigar still retained the sweet aftertaste and spice. Purging the cigar at this point seemed to lighten these traits, but they continued to build again to the finish.


This cigar finishes with full coffee flavors and spice on the palate, while the body finishes medium.

This cigar produced a firm salt and pepper ash with light concentric rings. The burn line was almost perfect with nothing but minor issues. I also noted that the cigar began to get somewhat soft along the body, but nowhere near mushy. Not much of an issue since most cigars get slightly soft when smoked.

This cigar still is aging well and it's appearance is becoming more refined with the migration of essential oils to the surface of the wrapper. It is a somewhat challenging cigar, not necessarily for the flavor profile, but for the technique in smoking it. I've found that if the cigar coal gets too hot, or is over-smoked, then the delicate tobacco leaves will give off a heavy coffee, or charry flavor. I've found that purging this cigar at the halfway point and slowing down the smoking time will keep the cigar smoke cool, and bring out the best of the original flavor profile.

We'll rate this cigar again after 6 months and assign it an "Aging Potential Score."

~Blake