Saga Golden Age - Corona Gorda review

[Zeede]

5.5" x 46 rg

The wrapper is toothy, and a nice tanned leather shade of brown. The foot is fragrant, with a sweetness to it that I can't pin down.

The cigar is very very firm, and has a pigtail cap. The cap tears a bit when I twist off the pigtail. This is my second pigtail, and I think I'm just going to cut them with a guillotine cutter from now on. It's a very nice idea in theory, but not so great in practice.

Despite the firmness, I can get a decent draw out of it.

I light it up, and instantly a ton of coffee notes, and a medium-strong spice in the retrohale. After a few more puffs I get some creaminess, and the spice starts to be felt lingering in the back of my throat.

I start getting nut notes, and a touch of hay. The spice picks up a bit as I finish the first third. I'm also noticing some blistering of the wrapper just ahead of the burn line. Odd, these have been sitting at 69% in their own separate OXOdor for a couple of weeks, so it shouldn't be over humidified.

Halfway through I start getting buttery-ness, as well as a bit light headed! I had a decent lunch, and am drinking sweet tea, but still a bit of the overdose of the vitamin N!

I ended up calling it quits at 70 minutes with about 40% of the cigar remaining.

Why?

It kept going out on me. After the first time I clipped most of the cap off and massaged it a bit to try to get a more open draw, thinking that was the problem. Nope, it went out again. Re-lit it again and started taking draws more frequently. Nope, still went out. Re-lit it AGAIN and started taking longer, deeper draws at the more frequent rate, and it still went out.

I've never had a cigar (and I've had over a dozen, so I have at least SOME experience keeping a cigar lit) go out so many times. I've had them go out when I had to take a call from my dad, or had to go help my kids with something for too long, and early on my draws were way too short, but this thing just wouldn't stay lit.

I did enjoy it, and I look forward to trying (and reviewing) the other three vitolas of the Golden Age, as well as the three vitolas of the companion line, the Blend No. 7.

[EJGarnut]

Nice review! Too bad about the burn, the makeup of it sounds like it would be a good smoke. maybe they like a lower humidity?

[Zeede]

Maybe! I plan to use 65% Bovedas in my humidor, when it arrives. This way I can eliminate that as a variable.

Other than it being a little too strong in the nicotine department, I enjoyed the taste of the cigar.