Over the past couple of months, I’ve been making an effort to use Social Media a little more than I have been. This has meant branching out beyond Facebook and knocking the dust off of both my Twitter and Instagram Accounts.
The cool thing about Instagram is that several of the Gilbertsville Cigar Factory Regulars are also using it – which gives me a little insight into what is becoming popular in the shop. One of the many hot new brands in the shop is Patina Cigars.
I was a bit surprised at how often the guys were smoking a Patina Connecticut with a cup of coffee. Being that I love Connecticuts and Coffee (especially in the morning) – I was compelled to give the pairing a try for myself.
The Patina Connecticut is available in four sizes and features an Ecuadorian Connecticut Wrapper and Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania Binder and Fillers. Cigars are produced by Mombacho Cigars SA and are the first from this manufacturer to use tobacco from outside of Nicaragua.
The Patina Connecticut Robusto (which I’m smoking as I type this) set me back about $9.00 in my local shop. Based solely on memory – I think the larger sizes go for upwards of $12.00 per stick.
Construction on this cigar is wonderful. The wrapper has beautiful coloring with no unsightly veins or green-ish patches that sometimes crop up on Connecticut wrappers. The pre-light draw was smooth with nutty notes.
Once lit, the Patina Connecticut produces an abundant supply of dense smoke. The finish is creamy and the dominant flavors are nuts and wood. The really interesting aspect of this cigar comes in the retrohale. It produces a flavor / aroma that reminds me of pecans – in that is has just a slight bitterness that serves to accent the cigar rather than detract from it.
The Patina website claims that this blend has “A little front end spice helps give this cigar a little more kick than what is commonly expected with other Connecticut wrapped cigars.” I’m not sure that I agree with that statement – not entirely anyway.
In terms of a spicy kick, this blend definitely has it. However, I think it is along the lines of what you’ll find in the Oliva Connecticut Reserve and EP Carillo New Wave (both of which are fantastic smokes).
When it comes down to it, the Patina Connecticut is an excellent cigar. The price point is a touch high for my personal taste, however, I see more of them in my future.
Glad to see you are back on the Social Media wagon, I have been thinking Twitter has been stale the last year or so with cigar talk, Maybe the legendary Walt White can bring that back!
I’m always on the look out for a good conny. I will def. give this a shot!
An excellent cigar. A nice easy cigar to smoke. Not too strong not too bitter, just right. No veins and no stems. The cigar never got too hot as well.