Por Larrañaga Montecarlo + HC7 = Heaven!

[Black Plague]

Por Larrañaga

Montecarlo

6 1/4 x 35 Delicioso-mano (FJN OCT05)

Prelight: Long and elegant with a golden brown colorado claro wrapper. Being hand-finished, it was a bit veiny, but well-formed with a nice cap and a slight box press. Cutting and drawing cold revealed no prelight flavors.

Beverage: Ron Havana Club 7 Años

Flavor: The immediate impression was one of very, very rich toasted tobacco dipped in the hallmark of the Por Larrañaga marque...rich, creamy caramel! Sweet woods, cardamom and nutmeg spies, with an earthy finish. The aroma was sweet and woody. Tastings with the rum were unbelieveably decadent! The rum just seemed to intensify that sweet caramel flavor and lended some of its oaky nature to the smoke. One-third in, the smoke smacked of peppery, charred-oak rum barrels, milky sweet caramel and honey, wonderful sweet ginger spice on the tip of the tongue, rich toastiness, and a hint of Canadian maple syrup fresh from the tap. Incredibly aromatic, the room note being as pleasant as an aromatic pipe tobacco. Halfway in, the rum and cigar combination evoked tastes of French vanilla, orange zest, mown hay, and American oak. The aroma seemed to just get even sweeter and more caramel-laced with every sniff. Rich and decadent to the end with a pleasant medium body.

Construction: The medium gray ash was a little flakey, but still good and solid. The burn stayed straight as an arrow the whole time and the draw was just right for appreciating all the nuances.

Summary: As if the Flavor section didn't say it enough...DELICIOUS! I had to post this review, the absolute best rum and cigar pairing I've experienced so far. I couldn't have picked a better rum than HC7 for this evening and I'd imagine it would probably go very well with any other of Por Larrañaga's offerings. I'll have to try pairing it with a PLPC next! The Montecarlo itself was the first of this marque I ever tried and still one of my favorites, as I'm a big fan of panetelas. I'm with Min Ron Nee 100% in saying that this line produces THE best machine-made and hand-finished cigars of another Cuban brand.

Thanks for reading

[josie67]

» Por Larrañaga

» Montecarlo

» 6 1/4 x 35 Delicioso-mano (FJN OCT05)

»

» Prelight: Long and elegant with a golden brown colorado claro

» wrapper. Being hand-finished, it was a bit veiny, but well-formed with a

» nice cap and a slight box press. Cutting and drawing cold revealed no

» prelight flavors.

»

» Beverage: Ron Havana Club 7 Años

»

» Flavor: The immediate impression was one of very, very rich toasted

» tobacco dipped in the hallmark of the Por Larrañaga marque...rich, creamy

» caramel! Sweet woods, cardamom and nutmeg spies, with an earthy finish.

» The aroma was sweet and woody. Tastings with the rum were unbelieveably

» decadent! The rum just seemed to intensify that sweet caramel flavor and

» lended some of its oaky nature to the smoke. One-third in, the smoke

» smacked of peppery, charred-oak rum barrels, milky sweet caramel and

» honey, wonderful sweet ginger spice on the tip of the tongue, rich

» toastiness, and a hint of Canadian maple syrup fresh from the tap.

» Incredibly aromatic, the room note being as pleasant as an aromatic pipe

» tobacco. Halfway in, the rum and cigar combination evoked tastes of

» French vanilla, orange zest, mown hay, and American oak. The aroma seemed

» to just get even sweeter and more caramel-laced with every sniff. Rich and

» decadent to the end with a pleasant medium body.

»

» Construction: The medium gray ash was a little flakey, but still

» good and solid. The burn stayed straight as an arrow the whole time and

» the draw was just right for appreciating all the nuances.

»

» Summary: As if the Flavor section didn't say it enough...DELICIOUS!

» I had to post this review, the absolute best rum and cigar pairing I've

» experienced so far. I couldn't have picked a better rum than HC7 for this

» evening and I'd imagine it would probably go very well with any other of

» Por Larrañaga's offerings. I'll have to try pairing it with a PLPC next!

» The Montecarlo itself was the first of this marque I ever tried and still

» one of my favorites, as I'm a big fan of panetelas. I'm with Min Ron Nee

» 100% in saying that this line produces THE best machine-made and

» hand-finished cigars of another Cuban brand.

»

» Thanks for reading

SWEET review, Black Plague. I bought 10 of these from Rob, and after reading your review, I am SO ready to break one out and try it!

[El Presidente]

While in Havana in February I went through two boxes of these in 10days. There is no better Machine bunched hand finished cigar onthe market.

With your permission, I will send Ken to you for review classes.

[genevapics]

Very nice review. Sounds delicious.

[stever]

Very tasty review. Felt like I was there enjoying the aroma! Do the Montecarlos require less age as compared to the PLPCs because of their size?

[Sir Diggamus]

Great review!! The best rum/cigar pairing that I have experienced was with Ron Zacapa 23 Anos and a PLPC. Just like they were made for each other. Maybe there just something about this line that makes it go great with rum.

[Black Plague]

» Great review!! The best rum/cigar pairing that I have experienced was with

» Ron Zacapa 23 Anos and a PLPC. Just like they were made for each other.

» Maybe there just something about this line that makes it go great with

» rum.

It's that unique caramel flavor...blends perfectly with the caramelized sugar and vanilla taste so many good, barrel-aged rums possessed, IMHO :-)