Great Wall x Amante Lancero (FRCMay25)

[David88]

I bought a box of these lanceros in Hong Kong over Christmas. Great Wall cigars seem an interesting brand. Considering they produce a significant number of cigars (purportedly over 5 million sticks a year), it is actually relatively difficult to find out much meaningful information about them. I know they are typically produced for the Chinese market but they do seem to be making an effort to break into the international market. 

These cigars came in a 10 count mini-humidor in collaboration with Amante stores in Hong Kong and were quite reasonably priced, so I thought why not? My expectations were low before lighting up but my hopes were high.

The cigar is well constructed. The wrapper is a bit dull and the aroma at cold is unremarkable. The draw is good. It isn’t tight but there is a good amount of resistance. 
 

1st third:

Good flavour from the off. Just under medium body. Clean tobacco, some wood/cedar notes and a pleasant mix of sweet and savoury. The burn line is tidy throughout and it’s easy on the retrohale. 
 

2nd third:

More of the same with no significant change from the opening. The savoury notes are most prominent on the retrohale. I’m drinking a Coke Zero while smoking. But I think it would pair quite well with a coastal whisky like Old Pulteney or Bunnahabhain. 

Final third:

The sweetness in the cigar has dropped off and the body has upped to medium. There are no real distinguishable flavours (to my palate) but it’s not unpleasant. The cigar never became hot or harsh while smoking.

Final thoughts:

I think it’s good to go into a cigar with no, or low, expectations. While this cigar lacked the complexity of others, it was an enjoyable experience. I wouldn’t go out of my way to get more Great Wall cigars at the moment, but I’m happy with my purchase and will slowly make my way through the rest of the box. It will be interesting to see how much headway Great Wall make in the international market - they seem to be pricing a number of their lines in the premium category. Based on this experience, I can’t see there being much clamour to pay top dollar for their sticks. 
 

Final score: 6/10 (average) 

[Montezüma]

Curious about them. Are they Chinese puros? Anyway, nice review. 

[David88]

From what I remember, they are a mix of Dominican, Honduran and Chinese tobaccos. Looking at their range of cigars, there doesn’t seem to be any Chinese puros in their lineup. It would be interesting to give one a try though. 

[LaoFan]

Super fair review. I've smoked many Great Walls (pushed by my local friends). Nobody is delusional, everybody gets exactly what they are... national pride! But they're not as bad as people make them out to be. Massive strides since the first one I smoked.

[David88]

These aren’t bad cigars by any means. At the right price, I would buy more but I feel like they are aiming for the premium end of the market at the moment with their international ambitions. The cigars were well presented and very popular well constructed. It would be interesting to see what they could do with some quality tobacco and where they go next. 

[Ruggerpgh99]

Can we talk about the serial number emblazoned on the wrapper leaf? That seams super odd. 

[David88]

It seems like a good idea - similar to the theory of checking box codes on the Habanos website. However, I can’t see what relevance the serial number has. All of the cigars in the box have the same code on them. But there isn’t a box code or serial number on the box and I can’t find any type of verification for this code online. Finding out any actual information about this cigar online seems difficult.