Espinosa Crema No. 4 comes from La Zona Cigar Factory where it was blended by Hector Alfonso & Erik Espinosa. It’s not your typical Connecticut cigar which for me is a good thing. What do I mean by this? I started smoking in 1997/1998 and back in the day Connecticut was as mild as they come. Something changed in early 2000 when cigar companies because venturing outside the box and began blending stronger, more flavorful cigars.
Even today Connecticut cigars carry a stigma about them by many full body cigar smokers complaining that a Connecticut might be too mild. But compared to what cigars were, they aren’t mild. Compared to what they are now, I will give you the argument. But I will also argue til I am blue in the face that you are missing out on some great cigars.
According to the website, “The Espinosa Crema is the first Connecticut offering in the Espinosa Portfolio. The Espinosa Crema is made with Nicaraguan binders and fillers and wrapped in a beautiful Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. While the Crema is creamy and smooth and is often paired with coffee or tea; it is crisp and bold enough to stand up to any pairing. It is hands down, in our opinion, one of the finest Connecticut cigar offerings in the industry.”
Cigar Review: Espinosa Crema
Size: 4.5 x 46 (Rothschild)
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecicut
Binder: Nicaragua
Fillers: Nicaragua
Factory: La Zona
Release Date: August 2016
Production: Regular
Box Size: 20
The Cigar: The Espinosa Crema features a golden Connecticut wrapper grown in Ecuador that is virtually flawless. The band has some shades of yellow, black and gold with an off white ribbon covering the foot. In the hand the cigar is firm with no voids of tobacco and an above average weight and a well packed foot.
The Taste: Once we cut the cap, notes of split top brread with extra butter is effortless pulled from the cigar where it is joined by butterscotch and a subtle raisin sweetness. The foot of the cigar serves up a wonderfully rich aroma of molasses and an abundance of raisins.
After we toast and light the cigar some subtle pepper starts things off where is joined by wood. In the background is a buttery richness that grows in intensity. As the pepper slides into the background cornbread and wood begin to develop with continue buttery smoothness. The retrohale reveals a creaming with some added notes of oak.
The second third sees buttery notes remain with a growing about of honey and wood that becomes more cedar like as the cigar progresses. As we cross over the halfway point some nuttiness and pepper begin to become dominant. Both of which are enhanced on the retrohale which sees the nuts become a well defined cashews. In addition to the pepper, some cornbread remains.
The final third starts heavy on wood notes with elements of charred oak and cedar. There is a subtle sweetness in the background of caramel and some spice in the form of white pepper. The cigar is medium in perceived strength in today’s terms of strength by back in 2002 this might have been described as medium-full at least.
Conclusion: The Espinosa Crema is a cigar that can be enjoyed with coffee at breakfast or in the evening with a nice toasted barrel Bourbon suchs as Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel or Penelope Toasted. It is one of the fullest bodied Connecticut cigars on the market and it offers an incredible bang for the buck. When I lived in Miami, Espinosa who hails from Miami had his cigars everywhere. When I moved to the northeast, they brand was almost impossible to find. Today, the brand is repped by Nick Goss in New England and it is finally showing up in the better cigar shops. Which shows how important having boots on the ground (cigar reps) can be.
Score: 94
Price: $10.80 (Before any local or state taxes)
You can find Espinosa Crema at Small Batch Cigar and if you use the coupon code BARRELBURNER you can save 10%
