Are Lanceros...Hit and Miss?

[JohnS]

Are Lanceros...'hit and miss'? According to Steve Saka, the founder of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, they indeed are. He's recently announced the release of a new sampler of Lanceros with different choice of wrappers (including a candela option), which you can read about in the following articles. As for me...I've found the Nudies Lanceros thankfully quite consistent in construction and smoking.

The lesson with Steve Saka about Lanceros

March 29, 2024 Katja Gnann

We had an informative chat with Steve Saka, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, at the trade fair stand. As a blender, he has long since achieved legendary status – and his cigars speak for themselves.

There is an interesting Lancero sampler on the table in front of him and I admit to being a Lancero fan.

“I hate Lanceros and that’s exactly why I launched this sampler,” laughs Saka. “This is the last time in Las Vegas for now, I’m going to miss it a bit – today is day two and it’s been a great show for us so far”, Saka continues.

Saka explains to me that there is a risk with lanceros – due to their length and thinness, the buncher does not press the roll properly when turning it in the mold – simply because it is a very uncomfortable movement for the hands. He shows me how – and is very right.
In addition, there would be little freedom for blending creativity – again due to the thinness.
What is the name of the sampler? – GFY Lancero Collection!

What else? Sin Compromiso No. 4 (5 x 54) was launched off during the 2024 PCA, which is the 9th vitola of the Sin Compromiso family.

Source: https://www.cigarjournal.com/the-lesson-with-steve-saka-about-lanceros/

[JohnS]

March 12, 2024 Brooks Whittington News,  PCA 2024

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Announces #GFY Lancero Collection for Fall

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust has announced a new sampler, but for now, most of the cigars inside are not being named.

The #GFY Lancero Collection is a sampler box containing 10 different 7 x 38 lancero violas—nine of which have never been released—utilizing six different wrappers. While the details of eight cigars are being kept under wraps until a later date, Dunbarton has confirmed that one of the lanceros is the Muestra de Saka #NLMTHA lancero that debuted in 2019 while another is covered in a candela leaf, marking the first time that the company has released a cigar with that wrapper choice.

In an email, Steve Saka, founder of Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, told halfwheel that while the sampler is being “made to order” and will have an MSRP of $159.50, there will only be a maximum of 3,000 boxes produced.

“And one of the things I have learned over the years is that these customers are always chasing the next great lancero,” reads the inside of the collection box. “So why not give them their ‘wet dream’, a selection of 10 totally unique lancero ligas in just one box? I crafted over 63 different blends while perfecting the Muestra de Saka #NLMTHA, so I chose 9 of the best and 1 awful Candela one, another relentless cigar geek ask.”

According to Saka, all of the cigars are being made at the Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A. factory. The collection boxes will be sold during next week’s 2024 PCA Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas and are scheduled to begin shipping to retailers in either September or October.

Source: https://halfwheel.com/dunbarton-tobacco-trust-announces-gfy-lancero-collection-fforor-fall/436102/

[RDB]

Most notoriously, CoLas are horribly unreliable. They can be fantastic when properly made. But the fact such a prestigious Cuban cigar is only about 50% acceptable says a lot.

I love the vitola and now have good supplies of N1s, which have 100% good construction so far. Hamlet and Rob are showing up Cuba royally.

[PigFish]

Every cigar made in Cuba is hit or miss! Nothing new here. As a Lanceros fan, sometimes they are a bit too mild for me (the miss). Medium, with plenty of character is what makes them a hit for me.

[BrightonCorgi]

Never had an issue with Lanceros except for one '01 box of Cohiba's about 15 years ago that were just so so. I talking solely about construction.

[targa88]

Definitely hit or miss when it came to CC. Albeit a limited number of lanceros remain in production.

In terms of NCs : Oliva V Lancero has been faultless - having smoked through a number of boxes.

[VeguerosMAN]

You have to have a jaw of a steel to handle tight/plugged draw of a lancero. Mostly miss, imo.

[Puros Y Vino]

I've had great luck with CoLa. Only one broke my heart. A 1997 single from a Petaca that was unsmokeable. Monrtecristo Esp have always been good for me as well. Worst long and skinny so far was a 2000 Cazadores. I could get it lit but not a molecule of air passed through.

[MrFolgers]

I've heard so much hype over the La Reina over the past few years. I've aquired a few singles from a few trades and lit one up over the holidays. It was just... flat. Was looking for an excuse to put it out. Maybe the others will be better but with the recent Sancho and Diplo regional lanceros its insane that these boxes end up going for $3-4k. 

[BigGuns]

I love a great Lancero. Had a fantastic 2021 Nudie the other day. I’m compelled to track down this sampler box on the name alone!

[clickbangdoh]

15 hours ago, targa88 said:

Definitely hit or miss when it came to CC. Albeit a limited number of lanceros remain in production.

In terms of NCs : Oliva V Lancero has been faultless - having smoked through a number of boxes.

I'd say any lanceros from Oliva or My Father (including Tatuajes) are almost universally going to be well rolled. I mean, if Oliva can produce the Cain F lancero at the price point they do and not have issues, maybe Saka's issues are in his own production processes?

[Ford2112]

Padron should try it. Their cigars are wind tunnels.

[MagicalBikeRide]

I love em. Cuban or otherwise. 

[Li Bai]

I love lanceros too. I understand why a cigar maker would say that as they must be a pain in the ass to roll (how many toros could be rolled within the time it takes to roll one lancero? Not to mention the scarcity of gifted enough rollers... It must cost more to produce than any other cigar) but the way these long and slim vitolas concentrate the smoke is unique.

[VeguerosMAN]

15 hours ago, clickbangdoh said:

I'd say any lanceros from Oliva or My Father (including Tatuajes) are almost universally going to be well rolled. I mean, if Oliva can produce the Cain F lancero at the price point they do and not have issues, maybe Saka's issues are in his own production processes?

Most likely, it's Saka's production processes.  He tends to like his cigars on the tighter draws, thus his lanceros can be even tighter.

[Cigar Surgeon]

Steve's cigars come out of the Joya de Nicaragua factory and the factory has an excellent track record for construction. 

I love lanceros, but for new world the vitola is known as "the best size that never sells". 

[MrBirdman]

I love lanceros. I can maybe see what he’s saying, but only to a limited degree and only when you compare NC lanceros to most other NC. Still much higher than any CC I know of.

Lanceros are a tough shape to roll. My biggest consistency issues in NC cigars come from perfectos, which are also harder to roll than a regular straight sided stick. So compared to your run of the mill NC beer can there might be a tad more inconsistency, but I don’t think that’s what drives their sales (or rather lack thereof). 

[ChanceSchmerr]

I love Lanceros as well. My own personal test for trying out NC producers is to try their Lancero and see if it's worth the punt. If it impresses, I try a few other cigars in line.  The results have been mixed...

Absolutely brillant: Casa Fuente, Fuente Don Carlos, Cain F, Oliva Serie V, Tatuaje Fausto, La Flor Dominicana
Very good: Nudie Lanceros (average score - some brilliant, some decent), Tatuaje Skinny Monster (average score), Illusione Holy Lance (Natural wrapper)
I Love Them but I think I'm the only one out there: Joya de Nicaragua Antano 1970
Meh: Liga Privada L40, Illusione Holy Lance (Maduro Wrapper), Don Pepin Blue Label, Crowned Heads Four Kicks, My Father Regular/Promesa, Tatuaje El Triunfador, Drew Estate Herrera Esteli
Terrible (tossed before finishing): Illusione Holy Lance (Candela), Alec Bradley Tempus

Yet to try: Opus X (haha good luck), Leaf by Oscar

Now most of these I rate based on the taste of them, but a few got their rating from production/other issues, such as the Alec Bradley (wrapper had been painted with sticky oil which leached on my fingers from the first puff) and the Liga Privada (just didn't want to burn for some reason).

More interesting is the subsequent tasting of other cigar sizes in a line where the Lancero is awesome.  Other Don Carlos Fuente, Oliva and Cain F sizes have been only decent for me, while Casa Fuente and Tatuaje Fausto/Avion cigars have been lights out incredible (seriously - if you want a cigar that I think approximates the only "La Escepcion" Cuban cigars, that full power earthy smoke - get yourself some Tatuaje Avions). 

 

This Saka Lancero Sampler looks freakin' awesome, and I'd be all over it, but I don't know if I can get one through my NC supplier in the US. I'll cross my fingers and see.

[loose_axle]

I had the Casdagli Grand Cafe lancero the other day and it blew me out of the water. Would rate it over a lot of things in the Cuban stable. The Foundation Tabernacle Havana Seed lancero (though I'm pretty sure its a bit thicker than the standard 39 ring gauge) was also very good. 

[KCCubano]

29 minutes ago, loose_axle said:

I had the Casdagli Grand Cafe lancero the other day and it blew me out of the water. Would rate it over a lot of things in the Cuban stable. The Foundation Tabernacle Havana Seed lancero (though I'm pretty sure its a bit thicker than the standard 39 ring gauge) was also very good. 

Have had several from the Casdagli lines and all very good. The Grand Cafe has been on my radar

[5thStarChicago]

On 4/2/2024 at 2:47 PM, Ford2112 said:

Padron should try it. Their cigars are wind tunnels.

Core line Panatela is 6 7/8 x 36, core Ambassador is 6 7/8 x 42, 1964 Superior is 6 1/2 x 42. They have not been in production recently but do show up once in a while.

[Ford2112]

7 minutes ago, 5thStarChicago said:

Core line Panatela is 6 7/8 x 36, core Ambassador is 6 7/8 x 42, 1964 Superior is 6 1/2 x 42.  They have not been in production recently but do show up once in a while.

I was being cheeky as usual.

[loose_axle]

6 hours ago, KCCubano said:

Have had several from the Casdagli lines and all very good. The Grand Cafe has been on my radar

Yeah also been working my way through Casdagli’s offerings, they’re fast becoming a fave.