Rafael Gonzalez Corona Extra

[cigardawg]

Great review, El Prez. I'm smoking on a box of 01s that are wonderful. Great morning and early afternoon cigar.

[shrink]

Prez: thanks for the excellent review on a cigar I've never tried. Funny, before your review, I was wondering if this was the mystery cigar for June. ;-)

[stever]

Great review. They look very tasty. I've never tried this line, but now I'm intrigued and tempted to do so.

[olotti]

Great review Prez. I've never had any RG before and these sound good, the smokes look awesome in the pics.

[habanohal]

Just smoked 1 yesturday. I never would of even thought once of even trying this cigar.... Until Rob recommended them out of the line.

Tru its a light body, but loaded with flavor

[El Presidente]

Rafael Gonzlez Corona Extra

Boxed: May 05

Corona Gorda 46 Ring Guage 143mm Length

Rating 90 ****

Ken popped over for a meeting re our upcoming Habanos book on Friday afternoon. 45 minutes late (good by Ken's standard) the meeting was a non event as other mates popped on in for a cigar on the deck of CZAR House. While Ken fired up and butchered his June tasting cigar, I reached for a Rafael Gonzalez Corona Extra box which caught my eye a few days earlier.

The wrapper was toasted caramel colorado. Construction perfect with a nice open foot, no hard or soft spots and a perfectly constructed triple cap.

I have not had a RGCE for the best part of 9 months. This is surprising because along withthe Juan Lopez Seleccion No 1 it once was one of my favourite Corona Gorda's. I fell out of love with this cigar as I saw what I perceived as a downing of quality for the brand (along with Sancho Panza) in 2002/2003. There were some very average boxes of both brands during those years and my opinion was that the brands quality was going backwards in contradiction to the improving quality of everything else.

Settled in my white wicker rocking chair with a glass of Shiraz I torched the RG. Perfect draw and met with a grassy, sweet spice sensation. Delightfull. Like being aquainted with a long lost friend.

The opening third continued along the same flavour line. Herbacious undertone overlapped with a sweet profile which became more sweet milk coffee and less sweet spice. The cigar was medium bodied and while developing earthy saddle and peat characteristics into the second third it always remained medium bodied.

The sweetness disappeared into the final third and the RGCE became a straight forward espresso, peat and leather cigar.

I look forward to seeing this cigar with 5 years of age. I can picture a Cohiba like grassy/honey weetness mixed with a Montecristo milk coffee profile.