Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro is medium tan with a hint of green. The seams are pretty smooth and the caps well applied. The band is various shades of gray on the upper portion where it denotes the line, and the lower portion is silver where it denotes the company. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of hay and barbecue smokiness while the foot brings cedar and graham cracker. The pre-light draw brings cedar, hay and barbecue smokiness along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro is a nice-looking cigar. It is finished with a silky wrapper that has a coloring between Claro and Natural. In the right light it’s pretty. Small veins throughout and it has a nice firmness as well. Cigar gives off an aroma of cedar, sweet spices, earth, stone fruit and coffee. Lovely aroma. I don’t think I have ever smoked a Connecticut with an entirely silver band before. I could be wrong.
John: The La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro came in cellophane, with a UPC sticker that had an integrated tear space to remain intact when opened. The band looked like a double band with a silver strip underneath, but when I removed it I discovered it was a single wide band. The metallic silver strip indicated La Palina with Nicaragua The Connecticut on the upper section. Additionally, the cigar had the artisanal complication of a soft box press. The cigar weighed in at 15.3 grams and the humidity measured by the HumidiMeter Pro was 60.5%. Aromas from the wrapper included bread, sweet wood, honey and mild mustiness. Out of the foot, I could get sweet, barrel aged tobacco and wood.
Jiunn: The La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro has a mustard Colorado Claro wrapper shade. The wrapper is silky brown and has a nice layer of oiliness. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Aromas from the wrapper tell of dehydrated prunes, herbal tea and cedar. Aromas from the foot give the same notes but with added black pepper spice. Cold draws reveal hay and cedar.

Team Cigar Review: La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted oak and light amounts of creaminess and black pepper. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper increase a bit and there is now a smokiness on the finish. At three quarters of an inch in, the smokiness is more integrated into the overall flavor profile. The retrohale is toasted oak, with light earth and creaminess. At an inch and a half in, light earth appears on the mouth draws. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak is up front with the black pepper and earth a bit behind and light creaminess and smokiness in the background. The strength was slightly below medium.
Seth: The first third begins with some cedar, cream and coffee notes. There are some earthy qualities as well with bits of hay on the finish. Not overly complex. Medium in strength and body.
John: The first few puffs brought flavors of sweet hay and wood. Some post draw chili pepper settled in, and then shortly after some sweet wood. The spices calmed down to light-plus as it progressed, several minutes later. Chocolate comes into the retrohale as the cigar moves towards the halfway point. Dry hay is coming into the finish at the halfway mark.
Jiunn: The first third shows a mixture of bitter mixed nuts, spicy cedar, dried red pepper spice and leather. Retrohaling intensifies the dried red pepper and also shows mixed nuts without the bitterness. The finish has a mixture of spicy cedar and bitter mixed nuts. Strength and body is medium.

Team Cigar Review: La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the black pepper mellows slightly as the earth increases slightly. At a third of an inch in, the smokiness picks up a bit. The retrohale is now toasted oak, earth and mild black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the earth is now right behind the toasted oak. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak and earth are now even up front, with black pepper, creaminess and smokiness in the background. The strength remained at slightly below medium.
Seth: The second third is in line with the first third. Bits of cream, cedar and coffee. There are some earth, hay and spice notes on the finish. It is still smoking at that medium level for strength and body.
John: Sweet hay and wood combine to lead off the second third. Dry hay lingers into the post draw as well. Honey sweetness and vegetal join and combine at the end of the draw, with hints of herbal flavors on the post draw. Moving towards the halfway point, mild chocolate settles into the center of the profile. By the halfway point, sweet wood is in the center as well. Musty chocolate is present on the retrohale in the bottom half of the second third.
Jiunn: The second third shows much more of the softer sweeter bready notes of Connecticut shade, but the bitterness is still present (especially on the finish). Strength and body remains medium.

Team Cigar Review: La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro

Final Third

Aaron: The final third begins as a continuation of the second third. At a half inch in, the earth takes a slight lead over the toasted oak. The retrohale is now back to toasted oak, earth and light creaminess. At an inch and a quarter in, the black pepper and smokiness have departed. As the cigar wraps up, the profile is earth a bit ahead of the toasted oak and creaminess in the background. The strength bumped up to medium.
Seth: The final third is right in line with the first and second. Nothing more to say. Nothing really to complain about either. Medium in strength and body.
John: Sweet, herbal wood greets me in the last third as dry, sweet wood makes up the post draw. Dry hay and wood move up to medium, almost medium-full as the last third progresses. Mild tannins and some bitterness come through on the post draw as it continues. Chocolate and spices combine at the halfway point with some bitter cedar on the finish.
Jiunn: The final third shows no changes from the second third. Still a mixture of bitter mixed nuts, leather, spicy cedar, dried red pepper spice and sweet bread. Strength and body finish the same medium.

Team Cigar Review: La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout, and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: Nice burn throughout. Well-constructed cigar.
John: The burn was straight in the first third with a one inch ash that fell off naturally. The burn continued straight through the second and last thirds. Unfortunately, I noted a huge wrapper tear when I removed the band, as additional glue from the band was stuck to the fragile wrapper.
Jiunn: Burn performance was perfect. Even burn, ample smoke production, tight ashes and cool burning temperature.

Team Cigar Review: La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Nice draw from beginning to end.
John: The draw was at most one notch towards the resistant spectrum which still puts it in the ideal range for a perfect draw.
Jiunn: Flawless draw, giving the best balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted oak and light amounts of creaminess and black pepper. A smokiness became present fairly quickly. Some earthiness joined a bit later. The second third saw the earth increase a bit. The final third saw the black pepper and smokiness depart. The construction was absolutely perfect. The La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro had a nice start, with a good combination of flavors. From the second third on, as the earth was increasing and some components dropped out, the profile was average and fairly linear. This is a decent Connecticut shade offering with a good price point, but didn’t really do enough to grab my attention past the first third, Not a cigar I’d see myself coming back to with any real frequency.
Seth: It has been a hot minute since I smoked the original La Palina Nicaragua. I have heard this La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro is superior, but it is not a cigar I was blown away by. I think moving to Joya was probably a good idea, but you are La Palina. Spend the extra money and make this a pricier but great Connecticut out of Joya. You know Joya can make some great Connecticut’s! Average smoke, and nothing to go crazy over. If you want to smoke a Connecticut out of Joya de Nicaragua, smoke one of the many Connecticut offerings Joya de Nicaragua offers.
John: The La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro delivered some enjoyable and engaging flavor combinations through the first and second third, with the final third having discordant combinations that didn’t work for me. The burn and draw were perfect, even though there was some wrapper damage from removing the band. I would smoke this again, the price is reasonable for the market and the smoking time was on point for a Toro at 2 hours and 13 minutes.
Jiunn: A Connecticut shade cigar in which one of the main flavor components is bitterness will never be a pleasurable smoking experience. Regardless of how many other flavors are present, the bitter tones will always overshadow the profile. Given this, it’s an easy pass for me on the La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$1.72

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.25

Cost/Point

$2.00

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$1.54

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.83

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: La Palina Nicaragua Connecticut Toro