Selección José L. Piedra

[rahko]

Here's the deal, I'm going to smoke three JLP's and report back on each one. Bought as singles, no dates, no box codes, no nothing. New bands so no older than '07. All opinions will be highly subjective, and the whole endeavor is likely to have very little value, both informational or otherwise. Just like the cigars.

I have smoked one JLP several years ago, not sure what it was, but I remember it tasted like some nonspesific petroleum product. Thankfully the mind is very forgiving in its ability to push down unpleasant memories into a haze of oblivion, so I'm once more ready to be disappointed. I mean people smoke this stuff, right? I do enjoy some foods many people frown upon as well, so hey just maybe. I am also a cheapskate.

And here are the contestants, from left to right Cremas, Nacionales, Brevas.

First up, Cremas!

The general appearance is rustic, wrapper is veiny and bumpy, but that's not a turn-off for me. Cold draw is earthy, damp forest floor. I notice something sticking out of the foot, so I pull on it.

Out comes a piece of some kind of fibrous material, which feels exactly like glass wool. It says Vuelta Arriba on the band, so yeah it's not premium stuff here, but I did believe it would be made out of tobacco leaves and not from other materials!

This has almost put me off. But I decide to soldier on. You will not get the best of me, Piedra!

Hands trembling, I light the cigar.

First few puffs, nothing bad has happend, and the taste is surprisingly mild. Light-medium at this point, somewhat leathery and mossy. Rustic as the appearance. Not unpleasant. Light tingling a the back of the throat, maybe the glass wool?

Still going after 1/3, this isn't bad actually, pretty generic, but there's enough there to hold interest. Medium, mellow, mossy, earthy. Dare I say a bit creamy? Not so much in a milky sense, but a nice thick mouthfeel.

Into the second third the taste palette is somewhat more vegetal and woody. Despite the prejudice, this is actually pretty good, honest tobacco. There is a blend, the different tastes are not fighting each other, the cigar evolves, it draws and burns well. I would take this over any NC I've had.

Mid second third it really hits its stride, nice balance of earth, wood, moss and leather working together with a straight tobacco core. Not so great aftertaste, short, sharp and bitter.

Didn't expect much of a last third at all, but it's still going. Darker, and the bitter aftertaste is gone. Maybe I got a good one, but this is more than "fine for the price", this is actually a real cigar. What a pleasant surprise.

Near the band it turns acrid. Done.

[mazolaman]

Thanks for the review.

Although they may not be to everyones taste,if nobody reviews them,we won't have a clue about them!

cheers.

[ckearns]

Nice review. Looking forward to the others.

[Liuk]

funny review man =)

[dicko]

nice review man

[rahko]

Nacionales

Slightly underfilled this one, not too loose though. If one would want to use "rustic" as a positive assesment, that's one rustic wrapper. Or if you prefer, the cigar has "character". Or "all the real wrappers went to other factories, so we used what we got". More damp earth on cold draw, somehow more fresh than on the Cremas, like more green stuff on the forest floor.

Lit, nice start! Straight honest tobacco, no frills. The wrapper has a faint ground coffee aroma at the clipped end. Definately a different blend from the Cremas, clean tobacco core with white pepper spice and a hint of cocoa on the nose. The first inch could almost be mistaken for a PLPC, but the aftertaste gives it away. It's short and sharp like on the Cremas, not unpleasant, no richness either. Spice intensifies towards the second third.

Second third, on the plus side of medium body, no real complexity, nice balance of tobacco and white pepper. I'd guess this is a bit younger compared to the Cremas, but no harshness or ammonia, just very straightforward in its delivery. During the second third, the spiced tobacco gradually becomes more rounded.

Another surprise, the cigar mellows entering the final third. Still no harshness, no real complexity either, spice pretty much gone, the blend is now smooth and round tobacco with a hint of cocoa bean on the background. I'm beginning to think these are really unfairly maligned cigars, at least based on these two examples. Maybe I lucked out, who knows, but in my opinion there is real merit, it stands on its own two legs, pround and honest. The price point is a natural thing to consider on any cigar, on the cheap ones it sometimes overexaggerated, you know "at least it's didn't cost much". I don't buy into that at all, I won't smoke **** no matter what the price, life's too short for that. And I won't call this cheap, but inexpensive, and there's a real difference.

Past the band now, no harshness whatsoever, nicotine hits like sack of bricks and I'm done.

[dicko]

are you saying the cigars wrapper has a "nice personality" ahah! i like those descriptions/euphimisms.

I must admit my first ever box of cigars were JLP cremas. they were cheap, with an inoffensive nice decent flavour. I wouldnt go back now but they are what they are.

lol i also had that wierd string stuff in the cigar what the hell!

nice reviews man!

[thechenman]

Enjoying your colorful reviews...funny. Looking forward to you closing out the trifecta.

[frenchkiwi]

so are you guys saying that we should add a new ingredient in the encyclopedia of cigars?

seco, volado, ligero, and fibreglass.

these must be the JLP Fibra de Vidrio E.L. 2010, very rare.

[#2 man]

Nice review

[rahko]

Hey, thanks for all the kind words. And welcome to the last installment in the series, Good Times with Jose L. Piedra!

Google translate has the following to say about Brevas:

noun

1. fig

2. flat cigar

3. plum job

Well clearly not a fig, I'm not sure I want to know what a "plum job" is, but a flat cigar?? That's unfair, we haven't even started yet.

Looking at the wrapper, it's not flat at all.

It's also oily, and smells faintly of cocoa.

I cut, and the wrapper cracks for over an inch. Mind you, I always wet the cap before so this wouldn't happen, so I'm blaming that guy Piedra. Folded it back with some saliva, seems to hold it for now. Damp earth on cold draw as before, tingles a bit on the back of the throat.

Don't know why I'm doing this now, I was in the mood for something good, but pulled this out instead. The previous two were fine, but I still seem to cringe. Hard to shake that very first impression. And the dog-rocket reputation. And I wanted an Epi #2 but I'm out. So might as well.

OK, now it's on fire. Tates like tobacco.

...

Still tobacco.

Seriously, the taste is mild to medium tobacco and nothing else. Oh, a dash of pepper now. A lot like the Nacionales, which is a bit boring. At least it's not bland. Building up to medium in fact.

First third gone. Spice keeps increasing, and it's starting to overpower the tobacco flavor. Tickles the palate. Still much like the Nacionales, only with extra spice. That also completely changes the aftertaste, this actually stings a bit. I like it.

It might seem I like everything at this point, but it's not exactly that. I don't like bland and ordinary, and this isn't either of those. So I'm entertained. One-dimensional so far, but not bad. I'm actually intrigued to find out what happens to the spice, it can't keep up building like this much longer.

I wanted to say something about the critical mass of spice, but maybe I shouldn't.

That's a lot of nicotine I'm getting as well. I generally don't get light-headed from cigars anymore, but I'm really feeling it here.

Just past the halfway mark, the spice just imploded. Back to slightly spiced tobacco laden with nicotine. It's a challenge now to keep going. Bring it on!

I'm on the final third, taste seems to have settled on the slightly Upmann-esque spiced tobacco, or my taste buds are shut from the spice and nicotine onslaght. There's been some talk about cigars after which there's no need to have another, I certainly can't have any more today, and I like strong stuff. Although I'm smoking in an unventilated basement, but this is where I always smoke during winter. These might be better enjoyed outside. Considering I just ashed on the keyboard and dropped the cigar in the ashtray.

I managed to finish it, now I need to sit and stare for a while.

Can't really make far-reaching conclusions from smoking just these three, but have to say I was plesantly surprised. This may have something to do with the quality of the crops in recent years. They're not pretty to look at, not much in terms of complexity, but every one of them had flawless draw, burn and construction. This excercise changed my outlook on these cigars, I'm going to get a bundle of the Nacionales, put it away in a cab and see what happens!

[dB69]

Thanks for nice reviews!

...I'm going to get a bundle of the Nacionales, put it away in a cab and see what happens!

I wish you good luck and tasty smokes after some years!

[melies]

I'm just having a cremas, and your review is spot on man! Exact same experience here sans the wool

Thank you very much

[beamer]

Thanks for the reviews! One was gifted to me in a larger trade a while ago, haven't had a chance to try it yet.