Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Corona is medium tan and has a network of lightly raised veins present. The seams are raised in some areas and pretty easily visible while the head is finished with a very well applied triple cap. The band is the same as the original release in the purple, black and gold with 70’s style design. The aroma from the wrapper is dry wood while the foot brings wood and slightly sweet hay. The pre-light draw brings dry oak and light baking spice.

Pre-light Experience

Well constructed, the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Corona is firm throughout and finished with a fantastic cap. The wrapper has a lovely Natural coloring and there are veins small to medium in size present throughout. The wrapper is silky in texture and and I am getting a faint aroma of ginger, Christmas spice cookies, tobacco and cream.

Pre-light Experience

The Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Corona has a striking metallic purple band. The wrapper is a smooth Claro wrapper with aromas of musty baking spices and old wood. From the foot there is light hay. My initial impressions are that with a band as shiny as the Super Fly Connecticut, there’s no way you can miss this cigar on a shelf.

Pre-light Experience

The Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Corona has a light caramel shade to the wrapper. Veins well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head with a multi-layered cap. Aromas from the wrapper tell rich cedar and baking spices. Aromas from the foot tell the same as the wrapper but giving a greater depth. Cold draw gives light cedar and hay.

First Third

The cigar begins with creamy hay, black pepper and light cinnamon. At a half inch in, the black pepper lightens while the cinnamon has increased slightly. At three quarters of an inch in, the creaminess is very faint. The retrohale is musty oak with a slight black pepper zing. At an inch and a half, the creaminess has increased and is still paired with the hay while the black pepper is now right behind and the cinnamon is no longer detectable. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The first third starts out lovely and I am getting some stone fruit and cream qualities. There are some faint spice notes as well and the finish is that of soft leather, cedar, hay and black pepper. I would classify the cigar as having a medium strength and body level.

First Third

The first third begins with a pleasant cocoa, wood and baking spice combination. The wood almost immediately starts to stretch into the post draw. Graham cracker and a vegetal flavor both come through on the retrohale minutes later. The baking spices move up to medium-full on the retrohale shortly after, roughly the 10 minute mark. By the end of the first third, cedar joins the post draw and brings with it some light tannins.

First Third

This is a Connecticut Shade cigar that is geared towards the more traditional side of flavors. Semi-sweet bread, baking spices and grass are the main flavors. Retrohaling brings out some intensified baking spices. The finish is a mixture of cedar and hay. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the creaminess lightens up quite a bit and the hay is a bit dry. The black pepper is a bit dull now and in the background. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper is now light baking spice. At three quarters of an inch in, some oak joins the profile. The retrohale remains musty oak with a light black pepper zing. At an inch and a quarter, the creaminess has transitioned to mustiness. As the third comes to a close, the profile is hay, oak and mustiness along with some light baking spice. The profile is a bit dry and strength remains at medium.

Second Third

The second third shows some transitioning and I am getting a flavor profile that is delivering some salt, wood, pepper and lemon peel. There are some cream notes as well on the finish and there is a lot going on in this third. In terms of body and strength, I would classify the cigar as medium.

Second Third

Medium cocoa, graham cracker and wood to finish into the post draw kick off the second third. Some tannins accent the post draw wood a few puffs in. Later, as the second third settles in, those tannins have moved up to medium strength.

Second Third

The second third quickly shifts focus to a profile that had some sweetness (bread), into one that is baking spice, cedar and mineral focused. This in turn reduces the complexity and enjoyment of the cigar. The change is present through retrohaling and the finish. Strength and body remains medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the oak gains some char as it remains paired with the hay and mustiness. The baking spice is still light in the background and the overall profile remains fairly dry. At three quarters of an inch in, the cigar begins to heat up and a vegetal note joins the profile. The retrohale is musty oak with a light vegetal note and a bit of black pepper zing. As the cigar wraps up, the char increases a fair amount as the charred oak, hay, mustiness and vegetal note are all even and the baking spice is no longer detectable. The strength remained at medium.

Final Third

The final third shows some additional transitioning from the second third and I am left with a flavor profile that is delivering pepper notes, toasted wood, cedar, cream, earth and some smokiness on the finish. Like before, the cigar is medium in strength and body.

Final Third

The last third begins with medium-full strength baking spices, along with some cedar. The baking spices are so intense that they bleed into the post draw, lingering on the tip of my tongue. As the last third settles, cedar and some tannins join. Citrus joins the retrohale some time later.

Final Third

The final third creates a distasteful note of bitter herbal qualities. That note mixed with baking spices, cedar and minerals does not work and is off-putting. Strength and body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn was just slightly wavy at times, but never needed any attention. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Burn

Burn was very good from start to finish. Even burn line with a lovely charcoal ash on the finish.

Burn

The burn started out straight with the ash holding at times from 1-1/2 to 2 inches. The cigar spontaneously went out at the end of the first third, requiring a re-light. It is very possible that I was smoking too slowly.

Burn

Burn performance was top notch. Even burn, solid ashes, cool burning temperature and good smoke production.

Draw

The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar began with creamy hay, black pepper and light cinnamon. The second third saw the pepper transition to baking spice and the creaminess transitioned to mustiness while some oak joined the profile. The final third saw the oak gain some char and a vegetal note joined as the cigar heated up. Construction was very good and strength was medium the whole way. The Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Corona had a nice start with an interesting combination of flavors. As the flavors transitioned in the second third, the profile became average and the final third dropped down a bit more as char and a vegetal note joined in. The way the cigar finished was a bit unfortunate as before that, things were looking fairly promising. The price point has me teetering on whether I’d come back to this, but all in all, it was an interesting smoking experience.

Draw

Draw was simply amazing throughout. It smoked cool from beginning to end.

Overall

I liked the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Corona. This is a great Honduran Connecticut wrapper. I thought the cigar was released in a great size and it delivered a solid flavor profile with transitioning taking place throughout. I think the cigar will age really well and perform even better at the end of the year. It had a nice body and strength level, construction was great, and priced really well. I would definitely come back to these and recommend them to many.

Draw

The draw has a fair amount of resistance to it, roughly 3 to 3-1/2 notches. On sub-50 ring gauge cigars, I tend to prefer the draw a bit resistant, but this was much more than I would expect.

Overall

I enjoyed the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Corona. It had complex and interesting flavors, while still maintaining some of the cedar and bitter tannic quality that is typically associated with a classic Connecticut Shade. Additionally, the flavors were present all the way into the last third, which kept me engaged. The draw was tighter than I prefer, and one re-light was necessary. I could definitely see myself smoking the Super Fly Connecticut on a regular basis. Total smoking time was a generous 1 hour and 57 minutes.

Draw

The draw was also top notch. The ideal air flow and resistance.

Overall

The Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Corona is a great example of a cigar that started out respectable but ended up as a major crash. The first third went pretty well with traditional Connecticut Shade notes of semi-sweet bread, baking spices and grass. But as the cigar progressed, the loss of sweetness and interplay of bitter herbal qualities made for an off-putting experience. This is not something I plan on returning to.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$1.59

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.72

Cost/Point

$1.34

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.52

Cost/Point

$1.38

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.57

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Corona