It was once the pinnacle of NC's.

[El Presidente]

Does anyone else here remember the LGC Wavel Maduro when first released by Ernesto Perez Carillo in the 1990's?  It was one of the first NC cigars that I actually enjoyed.  

The cigar was never quite the same (to me) arter the first few years. There are of course pressures when something becomes "hot" in the market. 

Carillo sold to Swedish match and stayed on as the blender. I am not sure if he is still there. 

 

This is the new release. 7 X 70

.....Shoot me now 

 

[riderpride]

The first wavel i had was in the early 2000s. I recall hearing rave reviews but all i could taste was pencil (lead included). I have yet to have Carillo's stuff since he left, but hopefully it was due to qc concerns with his overlords.

Cheers!

[El Presidente]

8 minutes ago, riderpride said:

The first wavel i had was in the early 2000s. I recall hearing rave reviews but all i could taste was pencil (lead included). I have yet to have Carillo's stuff since he left, but hopefully it was due to qc concerns with his overlords.

Cheers!

The WMadiro glory period only lasted 2-3 years from memory. 

[gustavehenne]

Never tried it in its hey day unfortunately - I came to the cigar party way too late and missed some crackers.

As for the 7x70 - I couldn’t bring myself to smoke that. I find a 42 ring gauge massive now and my sweet spot is 38. I had a 6x60 the other day and nearly got lock jaw 😂😂

[Habana Mike]

Yes, they were a go to in the late '90s

[cgoodrich]

Ernesto Perez Carrillo has no connection to LGC anymore. He has his own brand now, EPC, but I have never tried this new brand of his.

I loved the old Glorias Extra, a Corona Gorda extra 46 x 6.25”. I liked the hint of pencil lead at that time, but the whole brand gradually changed after he sold.

My understanding for selling is that he did not have the deep pockets to go to court against Habanos over the LGC rights, so he sold while he could get the good terms. I’m sure there are other members that have better/more accurate info.

[SpecialK]

amazing cigar from 97 - 99  .. You are correct they fell off during the 2000's..   

[HawkI84]

I was a bit young to be smoking in the 90's, but I'm a fan of the La Historia and Pledge lines of the current EPC brand. The Encore didnt do as much for me.

Hard pass at a 7x70 though.

[Ford2112]

7x70??? Just terrible. I remember the LGC to be very good in the 90s. Haven't tried them in years.

[ChanceSchmerr]

Wasn't around for the 90's Wavells, but the first NC i actually enjoyed was the LGC Artesanos de Miami Elegantes in the late 2000s. Just a delicious rich cigar with lots of evolution through the smoke. I bought a box in Seattle, at a time when I was still only really buying single cigars/samplers.

Made me want to look around and find other NC LGCs to try.  So I did. Each successive different LGC was worse than the last.  I gave up. No regrets.

Still have one of those Elegantes left though, perhaps a good smoke to light up this weekend!

[OrangePaw]

My neighbour traveled to Miami frequently during the late 90’s, he would always stop at the El Cedito factory and get us a bundle (no boxes) to try upon return.  The maduro wavells were fantastic cigars as were the natural wrappers.  I also distinctly remember the maduro El Credito torpedo being on the best cigars I’ve had.  Good memories!

[Huckleberry]

7 hours ago, El Presidente said:

The WMadiro glory period only lasted 2-3 years from memory. 

It was a very short window but I remember a good 18-24 month run.  If memory serves me correct, the Wavell received all the good press before Ernesto sold the brand in 1999.  I believe the Wavell was a size offfered in the LGC Classic line.

It is interesting to note that LGC really rose to fame to coincide with the launch of CA in 92.  The brand had been around for quite awhile before that time, but it was truly the boutique brand before anyone ever used the word boutique.  IMHO, and in my smoking experience from those days, the LGC Classic brand was only at its best if produced at the El Credito Factory on Calle Ocho in Little Miami.  They had been rolling the line in both the DR and Miami for a time before the end of their awesome run.  The cigars with the DR stamp were nothing special at all to my tastes.  That being said, when I was lucky enough to find cigars from a box that said "Made In Miami Florida" on the inside of the lid, I knew I was in for a treat.  Those cigars made at El Credito were as Cubanesque as any NC I have smoked.   They were chock full of cuban traits.

They were truly something special, in fact i found them transformational for all kinds of reasons.  The wrappers were very thin and delicate for sure, but the taste, the finish, and the aroma from those treats were very similar to what I experience when smoking a CC.  In fact, it was about the only nc cigar, outside of the RyJ Vintage lines of the same time period, that would make non smokers or cigar nazis comment on how wonderful they smelled.  Unfortunately the brand quit making the classics in Miami altogether, and that was the day the music died for all things LGC Classic.

The La Gloria Cubana Torpedo received a stunning 98 rating in Cigar Aficionado magazine. Marvin Shanken, publisher, hailed the cigar as “one the most delicious non-Cuban cigars I have ever smoked.” 

The El Credito LGC Classic Torpedo in natural or maduro was my absolute favorite of the line.  They were a special boutique smoke, to my memory the "boutique of boutiques".  I don't know Marvin, but I wholeheartedly agree with his statement above.  I can't believe these beauties went away over twenty years ago now.

 

5 hours ago, ChanceSchmerr said:

Wasn't around for the 90's Wavells, but the first NC i actually enjoyed was the LGC Artesanos de Miami Elegantes in the late 2000s. Just a delicious rich cigar with lots of evolution through the smoke. I bought a box in Seattle, at a time when I was still only really buying single cigars/samplers.

Made me want to look around and find other NC LGCs to try.  So I did. Each successive different LGC was worse than the last.  I gave up. No regrets.

Still have one of those Elegantes left though, perhaps a good smoke to light up this weekend!

"Each successive different LGC was worse than the last."  So sad and so true.  May the once great brand properly RIP.

 

https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/a-timeline-of-fat-ring-gauge-cigars

I almost forgot, you can also thank them for being the first major brand to release the 6x60.  Forget the RIP, may they roll in their cold graves for this.  Serie R should have been Serie RBI for really bad idea.

[anacostiakat]

Yea.  I remember them well.     

They were very good.

[Fox Sterlingworth]

Agreed.  My local had some late 90s LGCs still hanging out in the humidor in the early 2000s.  I wasn’t smoking cigars in the late 90s, but if these smoked as good aged as they did fresh, then they were a real treat. I’d love to find a nice aged box now to see how they held up.