I have never had this particular cigar before, so I had no expectations before lighting and smoking the La Gloria Cubana Serie RF No. 13. Now, a La Gloria Cubana, yes, I have had before, and they are always a good, consistently enjoyable experience.

For me, a cigar review is hard to write. Simply because I am much more concerned with the experience surrounding the cigar that I am enjoying at that particular moment. And with that experience it is critical that the cigar add to and enhance my experience instead of taking away from or distracting from my experience. Really, the cigar needs to effortlessly fit into what I am doing at that very moment.

And one final disclaimer: I will not pretend to have a precise pallet. I rarely smoke a cigar and pick up the “finer” notes some gentlemen taste, and will never participate in a conversation of sharing what I taste in a cigar. I either like it, or I don’t 🙂

Details of the La Gloria Cubana Serie RF No. 13

• Strength: Medium
• Shape: Robusto
• Size: 5 1/2 x 54
• Country: Dominican Republic
• Wrapper Color: Natural
• Wrapper Origin: Ecuadorian
• Wrapper Leaf: Habano

My experience smoking the La Gloria Cubana Serie RF No. 13 cigar

I lit my first La Gloria Cubana Serie RF No. 13 last Friday evening. It had been a long day, as I’m sure some of you can relate to, and a cigar at the end of the day was just what I needed. My wife and I went down to our local Legion to enjoy drinks priced right with a friendly low-key atmosphere. We settled into our regular spot in the back and I pulled out my cigar.

I always examine the construction of any cigar I have selected to light. How is the wrapper? On this one, good. Cap? Also good. No thick veins or soft spots in the cigar (which meant the trip from Famous Smoke Shop and time resting in my humidor was successful). So far so good.

Cutting, Lighting, and the First Third

Lighting the La Gloria Cubana Serie RF No. 13

I cut the head using my Xikar MTX Multi-Tool and brushed off the opening to remove any lose tobacco. Examining the foot also passed by visual test. Everything seemed good to go to, so I began to light the cigar.

Easy draw. I’ll say that much. Not too much, and not too little. It was an easy light which gave off a pleasing aroma. No issues or annoying complications lighting the cigar.

While I don’t get into the finer flavors of a cigar, I do notice spice. And the first third of the La Gloria Cubana Serie RF No. 13 had notable spice. That said, it wasn’t overbearing. It was just enough.

I took a sip of MacAllan. The two paired well together. But, I’ve never had a scotch not pair well with a cigar either. This was good though.

First third was easy. Consistent draw. No issues with tunneling or canoeing. No splits in the wrapper, and the taste was consistent.

Second and Final Thirds. And More Scotch.

The ash from the first third held until the beginning of the second third. I do not let my ash remain on the cigar any longer than necessary, and usually feel the need to tap off a few times in the first third. The La Gloria Cubana Serie RF No. 13 held strong though. After tapping the ash I examined the foot to see if there were any issues, but found none.

A few minutes or so into the second third I did begin to taste a hint of bitterness on my tongue. And it tasted familiar: tar. A lot of it. I wiped it off, used a tool on my cutter to push a few holes into the head, and noticed the taste go away. But it did return again with a vengeance, so I did a few careful recuts to give the head more room to breath. This seemed to help.

To keep it simple, the second and final thirds were easy. With the tar issue handled (as best as I could), I finished the cigar satisfied. Would I smoke it again? Absolutely. Did I enjoy it? Yes!

How did the cigar do with my experience? It did well. It wasn’t too distracting (with the exception of the tar) and it remained lit the entire time I sipped scotch and enjoyed being with my wife. The smoke production was good. Not too light, and not too much. It was just enough. The aroma was pleasing (i.e. not distracting) and the flavor remained consistent to the end (again, with the exception of the tar).

The Tar Situation

Since I had tar appear during my first experience with the cigar I took advantage of having a second cigar just this evening (from the same 5-pack provided by Famous). And since our weather as finally gotten to the point of remaining sunny and warm after a day at the office, I enjoyed it outside on my deck. Same qualities as above, but without the tar. Absolutely zero issues with my second smoke and no tar made this an enjoyable smoke that I will definitely keep in my humidor!

Conclusion

If you are looking for a well constructed medium bodied cigar the La Gloria Cubana Serie RF No. 13 is definitely for you. They come in all shapes and sizes so I’m sure you’ll find the one that is your standard. Click here to pick up a few from Famous Smoke Shop (HBG Cigar Club Members: don’t forget to use your member only discount code), or your local cigar store, and enjoy the positive experience of a La Gloria Cubana Serie RF No. 13!

After you have had a La Gloria Cubana Serie RF No. 13 make sure you come back to this post to leave a comment below. I’d love to hear what you think and how it fit into your cigar smoking experience!

Cigars provided for review by Famous Smoke Shop.