Joya de Nicaragua Fuerte Corona Gorda

I have smoked and reviewed this cigar before, but after six months of humidor time I thought I would give it another pass, and I was not disappointed. The cigar has darkened perceptibly in the six months of hibernation and has taken on a reddish hue that I do not recall it having when I placed them gently in a tray some months back. There are prominent veins, but the cigar appears to be more robust and oily than on my last review. The construction appears to be acceptable and there are no areas of concern for me. The pre light aroma has nutty essences and compliments of dark wood and soft spice. The pre light draw tantalizes with some brushes of pepper, tobacco and dark fruit.

The cigar opens with an unexpected array of complexity. The profile shows notes of dark wood, tobacco, roasted nuts and dark fruit that take turns bouncing off various areas of the palate. The flavors are deep and resonant providing an early bonanza of taste experience. At the back of the palate there is a clean, earthy texture that emerges with some hints of spice and pepper. The draw is slightly above average, but I prefer it to be just a bit more open that what I am being shown here. The burn is sharp and the ash is a crisp, white cylinder.

The first half of the cigar continues to impress. I must digress for a moment about this size. The Corona Gorda is rapidly becoming my favorite vitola. Not quite a robusto, not quite a corona, it may be the perfect dimension for imparting depth of flavor and complexity without being too thin or overwhelming. Back to the smoke, the profile has settled into a very nice presentation of dark wood and lightly sweet essence of dark fruit. At the back of the palate there are waves of robust tobacco flavors and an underlying earthy tone that is quite pleasing against the rest of the profile. The draw continues to perform acceptably and the burn continues to be superior.

The final half of the cigar is a down the stretch thoroughbred. There are notes of tobacco, wood and roasted nut character set in a backdrop of spice that is very interesting and deep. At the back of the palate the earthy core starts to really show through and bursts of pepper keep it very engaging. The strength of the cigar is there, but it is not overwhelming. The draw maintains consistency and the burn stays strong all the way through.

The finish is a touch short, but shows some lingering pepper flavors.

Appearance- 86 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 94 a fabulous profile that is improving with humidor time
Construction- 91 the draw was a bit tight for me, but there were no major issues
Strength- 92 a very enjoyable full bodied smoke that compliments the profile in a virtuoso performance
Overall- 91.25 a very profound experience, and at a bundle price of about two bucks per smoke you should not miss this one

Joya de Nicaragua Fuerte Corona Gorda

This is a cigar that I had not smoked before. It presents with a dark, toothy wrapper that has prominent veins. The overall appearance is ruddy, the cigar is lopsided and has a sloppy cap. The construction appears to be a bit firm in spots, but I do not think there will be an issue. The pre light aroma has strong notes of anise and spice. The pre light draw shows a character of dark wood and spice.

The cigar opens with rich notes of dark wood and some light spice. The draw is excellent, producing thick smoke. The burn is a bit lopsided, but the ash is sturdy and has a light gray hue. There are some notes of coffee at the back of the palate as well.

At the halfway point the profile picks up some steam. There are notes of dark wood, anise, spice and coffee. The draw is still performing admirably and the burn has evened out a bit.

The final half of the cigar continues to show notes of wood, spice and coffee. The are some hints of toasted nuts at the back of the palate. The draw and burn have stayed consistent.

The finish is a bit short and a bitter note surfaces, but there are notes of wood and spice.

Appearance- 80 if you were judging this based on looks you would pass
Taste- 90 a surprisingly complex and deep profile
Construction- 88 a well made smoke
Strength- 87 a nice full smoke that could have been more complimentary to the profile
Overall- 86.25 hurt by appearance, but don't judge a book by it's cover...this is worth smoking