Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is light brown and has some darker marbling to it. There are a couple of slightly raised veins present along with two water spots towards the foot. The seams are smooth and barely visible while the head is finished off with a well applied triple cap. The band is primarily red with some gold and white and carries the line name and year on the front. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of wood and stone fruit sweetness while the foot brings wood, tobacco sweetness and some white pepper. The pre-light draw brings creamy leather with a very light white pepper.

Pre-light Experience

The HVC Edicion Especial 2018 Corona is nothing spectacular in appearance. It has this light, almost faded Colorado wrapper and it sports some small veins throughout. It is firm in hand and has a nice triple cap. It has an aroma of hay, earth, cream, nuts and leather on the foot and the wrapper has some leather, wood and earth notes.

Pre-light Experience

The HVC Edicion Especial 2018 Corona has a chocolate brown wrapper, with a band that is a striking gold on white and red. The wrapper noses of spicy cedar, with sweet hay in the foot.

Pre-light Experience

The HVC Edicion Especial 2018 Corona has a medium natural leather brown shoes wrapper color. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even but a bit tight and head finished off with a well applied thick cap. Aromas from the wrapper give hay and cedar. Aromas from the foot tell white pepper and cedar. Cold draw gives hay and subtle nuttiness.

First Third

The cigar begins with wood, concentrated cinnamon and a slight creaminess. At a half inch in, the cinnamon has mellowed slightly and now the pairing with the wood and cream is a bit more harmonious. At an inch in, the cinnamon is very faint in the background while the creamy wood is up front. On the retrohale, the cinnamon is the primary component with some creamy wood in the background. As the third comes to a close, the wood has gained some char while the cream is right behind it and the cinnamon is very faint in the background but does have a lingering finish. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The first third begins by delivering some sweet spice and red pepper notes. There is a touch of earth, rich and dry characteristics, and it has some sweet tobacco, leather and oak on top of that. I would classify the cigar as being medium-full to full in body and strength, and it is a great first third that gets your attention from the start.

First Third

The first third opens with a complex medley of baking spices with a post draw leather chaser. The retrohale is quite intense at medium, almost medium plus levels after just a few draws. As the first third settles in, some chocolate develops, and then starts to linger with the leather on the post draw. At approximately the 20 minute mark, the flavor intensity falls back to a light plus level.

First Third

There’s a lot going on with this cigar. The flavor wheel is pretty massive with bread, black pepper spice, barnyard funk, natural tobacco notes, cedar, unsweetened, nuts and minerals. As I retrohale, the spice, bread and cream is accentuated. The finish is fairly long with soft cedar, black pepper on the mid and rear palate, baking spices and cream. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, some nuttiness joins the profile of charred wood, cream and subtle cinnamon. At a half inch in, some mustiness joins the profile as the nuttiness fades away. At three quarters of an inch in, the cream picks up a bit as a slight nuttiness returns to the profile. The cinnamon is no longer detectable. The retrohale is cream forward with some wood and nuttiness. As the third comes to a close, the char increases with the wood and leads the cream and nuttiness. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.

Second Third

When I get into the second third of the cigar, I find an emerging creamy flavor and it is paired with this smokiness as well. There is some red pepper, dry earth and wood, oak like qualities and it is still medium-full to full in strength and body. It is not as complex as the first third, but still enjoyable.

Second Third

The flavor profile is chocolate and cedar carrying into the middle third. The cedar has a long finish, lingering well into the post draw. The leather from the first third has fallen off, and the overall flavor intensity is still at light plus.

Second Third

Moving through the second third, there is a greater sense of boldness in the cigar. The boldness comes from increased black pepper spice and minerals. But luckily, the other notes are still maintained (barnyard funk, cream, bread, cedar, etc). Strength is a little above medium and body stays medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the profile gains a meatiness to go along with the charred wood and cream. The nuttiness has left the profile. At a half inch in, the flavor is quite full with charred wood, cream and meatiness. The retrohale carries some dry wood and mustiness. As the cigar comes to a close, the cream picks up and the cigar is heating up bringing a menthol like mintiness to the profile. The strength in this third remained at slightly above medium.

Final Third

The final third shows some transitioning from the second third, and it is a third that delivers some sweet spice, red pepper, nuts and sweet tobacco qualities. It is medium-full to full in terms of strength and body, and a nice finale to the cigar.

Final Third

The spices on the retrohale intensify back to medium strength here. Cedar carries the majority of the flavor profile for the last third.

Final Third

Although the last third’s profile is still tasty, there’s a youthfulness showing up. The pepper and minerals continue to show more, which sort of takes over the other notes. Strength is still hovering a little above medium, and body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn line was slightly wavy but never needed any attention. The ash held on in one inch increments.

Burn

The burn line on the cigar is good throughout and it is a well made cigar. It is not perfect, and from time to time there is some waviness, but overall there are no problems present. The cigar produces a dark gray ash from start to finish, and the ash holds on fairly firmly as well.

Burn

The Edicion Especial 2018 has a slight wavy burn in the first third, and even burn for the remainder of the cigar. The ash holds on well at two inches or more at many points.

Burn

The burn overall is good. The cons were the ever annoying flaky ashes and a couple quick touch-ups. Other than that, the burn temperature is cool, burn fairly even, ash marks on the shorter end at .5 inches.

Draw

The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.

Overall

The cigar started with wood, cinnamon and cream and later the wood gained some char as some nuttiness and meatiness joined in later. Construction was very good and strength was slightly above medium. This is a nice cigar from HVC, but not one of my favorites. Fans of the brand will find something here they like and the price point provides some nice value. I’d have no problem smoking more of these and can see it being a good performing cigar for the brand.

Draw

The draw was great on this corona and the cigar smoked cool from start to finish. It had the perfect level of resistance on the draw which helped in concentrating the smoke produced. As to be expected, well made cigar.

Overall

This was an enjoyable cigar and a great example of a Nicaraguan puro from TABSA. It had that signature sweet tobacco and sweet spice profile, and I wonder how much tobacco in the blend came from Jalapa. It showed transitioning from start to finish and had a great bit of depth and complexity. It was almost a blend of a corona and corona gorda, and I dig the size and profile delivered with that. I would have loved to see the profile from the first third more pronounced throughout, and I believe if it had, it would have scored much higher. Nice new release from HVC.

Draw

The draw is 2 and a half notches into the tight spectrum. Strangely enough, it doesn’t seem to impact the generous amount of smoke produced on each draw.

Overall

The HVC Edicion Especial 2018 Corona has an enjoyable profile of complex baking spices, chocolate, cedar and leather accents. The cigar was enjoyable all the way to the nub.

Draw

Although the draw was a bit snug, it didn’t cause any real issues.

Overall

This HVC Edicion Especial 2018 Corona is Aganorsa Corojo done right and what I love about a well made Aganorsa cigar. The flavor count was pretty crazy, nearing ten. It’s not just that the number of flavors were many, but the flavors worked very well together. Plus, the addition of ever increasing spice and minerals led to an engaging experience such that by the end of the cigar, I was well pleased. I’d like to revisit the cigar in a few months in the hopes of the last third’s youth being smoothed out. Excellent job by Reinier and the great folks at Aganorsa.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.57

Cost/Point

$1.13

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

7.17

Cost/Point

$1.03

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.87

Cost/Point

$1.08

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.88

Cost/Point

$0.94

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: HVC Edicion Especial 2018 Corona