Brand: La Finca
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 4.50 Inches
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
County of Origin: Nicaragua

Up for review this week we have yet another bargain priced cigar to continue the trend, the La Finca Robusto. The La Finca is a Nicaraguan Puro which came into production in 1972 and is produced by Nicaraguan-American Tobacco S.A. (Sociedad Anonima). The NATSA company doesn’t appear to have much in terms of available information but it appears they also make cigars such as Flor de Farach, Jose Marti, and Remideos.

Pre Light Inspection:
At a glance through the cellophane sleeve my thought was that this was a pretty decent looking cigar. After I pulled it from its sleeve and handled it a bit my first impression was reassured. The wrapper was the color of worn leather and consistent from head to foot. I found a single patch at the half way point which was consistent with the wrapper color and difficult to see without looking for it. Its slight wrinkled look gave it away.

During handling I found that the wrapper leaf had a sandy sort of texture to it. When pinched the cigar was firm and felt as if it were well packed with tobacco. The leaf which made up the cap appeared to be neatly applied and was firmly in place. Even after a quick snip with my scissors it remained firmly seated without loosening up. After a couple quick test puffs I found the draw to be a little on the loose side. It produced a mild nutty flavor that was an interesting way to start things off.

First Third:

After a quick toast and light I had my La Finca evenly lit and producing clouds of dense smoke. Throughout the initial part of the cigar the first word to come to mind is FAST. This cigar seems to have a fast burm which doesn’t seem to be getting unpleasant and hot but definitely got my attention. After just fifteen minutes of smoking I had an ash that was about an inch long.

The burn line itself was thin and even producing a firm, light colored ash. The body was in the medium range and left me with a slightly dry sensation on my palate. There was a quick and sharp spice to the smoke that I was enjoying while letting the smoke drift from my mouth. When passed through my sinuses it was a little much for my liking but not too over the top. The base flavor was nutty with a pepper flavor as an aftertaste.

Second Third:

As I puffed away on my La Finca I quickly found myself well into the second third. The burn rate was still fast but remained cool and even. The burn line was thin and produced a nice volume of dense smoke that filled the room with a medium aroma that I did not find offensive. The draw seemed to pick up little resistance along the way. This was probably due to a little expansion of the filler from the lit foot of the cigar.

The body picked up slightly but remained in the medium range. The finish continued to be a touch dry and provided a quick spicy zing that ticked the back of my throat. The base flavor remained nutty and peppery while picking up a mild leather flavor that stood out after a sip of cool water.

Final Third:

After about 90 minutes of smoking (I know it seems like a long time, but I am a s-l-o-w smoker) my La Finca was coming to a close. As the stick got shorter and shorter it was easily becoming hot and unpleasant. The burn rate still seemed fast even after reducing my smoking speed by about half to try and manage the overheating. The burn line remained thin and even while still producing a good volume of dense smoke. The ash remained firm and compacted but began to turn dark while the draw was beginning to loosen up once again.

The body remained in the medium range and continued to produce a dry feeling on my palate. The base flavor changed up a bit and became woody with a spicy and peppery background. The flavors were tough to keep consistent due to the cigar heating up easily at this point. After one puff the flavors were nice, then a second puff at too short an interval made the flavors turn rough and slightly harsh. This made the cigar a little harder to enjoy towards the nub.

Overall Impression:
In the end I was happy with this cigar. The burn was surprisingly fast but for the most part remained cool and enjoyable. The flavors weren’t interesting enough to grasp my attention and keep me focused on solely the cigar, but they were certainly nice enough to sit down and enjoy while typing up this review. I don’t know if I would run out and buy a box of La Fincas tomorrow but I would definitely pick them up if I found a little extra cash and wanted to pick up decent, yet inexpensive box of smokes.