Curivari El Gran Rey Review

Curivari El Gran Rey
Manufacturer: Curivari
Brand: El Gran Rey
Size: Prominentes 6.5x50
Cost: $8.55
Rest Time: 3-months
Burn Time: 2:05

Prelight: The El Gran Rey has a slightly squishy uneven pack and is wrapped in a milk chocolate blanket. The cigar is very light in weight, for a stick this size I would expect a little more heft. Prelight aroma is cedar and honey with a touch of spice. I use my largest punch to pierce the cap and off we go. Prelight draw is very loose and tastes of straight tobacco.

1st 3rd:

On first light I get a strong coffee flavor accompanied by black tea and some spice. The foot smoke is potent and plentiful. Once the cigar settles down the coffee remains with a bit of black pepper and spice. The finish is almost non-existent. The smoke is extremely mild, unlike previous Curivaris I've tried.


2nd 3rd:

The ash holds on for 1.5" before dumping right on my Ipad, damn! The smoke from the El Rey has moved up to a medium body, but has slowed from the foot. The coffee flavors have become more dark with the addition of toast, leather and vegetal flavors. There is pepper sitting mid-palate with some additional spice, nutmeg maybe. All of the Curivaris I have tried have this consistent charred dry finish which seems to be inherent to the brand regardless of the line.

Final 3rd:

The final third sees flavors of leather and pine nuts on the retrohale, with the pepper more pronounced in the back of throat. The finish now is a strong cedar with hints of clove.

Summary:

The burn on the El Rey required a touch up to get back on track each time I dropped the ash. Curivari lists this stick as being full bodied, but to me it never really got past medium bodied with a tiny bit of strength coming in the final third. This was not my favorite offering from Curivari as I prefer the BV line and the RL 2000 which also have a significantly lower acquisition cost.

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