Buy the Espinosa Laranaja at Famous Smoke Shop
- Size: 5.6″ x 46 (Corona Gorda)
- MSRP: $198.00 (box of 20); $9.90 for a single
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Wrapper: Brazilian Laranja
- Binder: Nicaraguan
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Body: Medium
- Strength: Medium
- Humidor Time Prior to Review: 5.5 months
- Cigars Smoked Prior to Review: 2
- Source: Purchased with personal funds
- Date Smoked: February 17, 2019
Today we are smoking the Espinosa Laranja. I like unique cigars, and the Laranja is a unique blend. Larajana is Portugese for “Orange” and this cigar is known for it’s orange tinted Brazilian wrapper, and citrus laden flavor profile. While citrus is a flavor you occasionally find in cigars (a close cousin to aromatic cedar), this cigar is especially citrus forward. That makes it unique, and also a good choice for cigar smokers that want to develop their palates and gain a reference point. Plus, it’s just a good cigar. But I don’t want to spoil the review.
And before we get to the review I’d like to offer you a link to the manufacturer’s product page for the Laranja. And of course I got these cigars on sale, paying $5.00 a stick for a 5-pack back in August of 2018. They have been resting comfortably for the better part of 6 months now and I’ve had a couple in anticipation of this review. Let’s get into it.
Appearance and Pre-Light Aromas
It may be the orange band and footband, but it does bring out the orange hue to the tawny brown wrapper. Construction is good, with tight seams and a triple cap. The cigar feels about average for its size. Perhaps a little on the light side. The wrapper is oily to the touch and has a soft toothiness to it, not unlike a brown paper bag.
The presentation side of the cigar is almost free from veins, but there are a few veins running up the back side of the stick. It is a tobacco leaf, after all. All in all an attractive cigar.
From the wrapper I get vanilla, cedar, sweetness, hay, barnyard, and a touch of citrus. From the foot I get sweet tobacco, hay, light barnyard, and a touch of citrus. This is a pungent stick with great pre-light aromas.
I clip the cap and take a test draw. The draw is free and easy and I get flavors of cedar and graham cracker. I gently remove the fabric footband, start toasting, and light up. Start time is 11:25 A.M.
The First Third
The citrus flavor is immediate on the very first puff. It mingles with light cedar, cream, graham cracker, a touch of sweetness, and a peppery finish. At first I can’t tell what kind of citrus it is, but after a few puffs it settles into a deep orange flavor. It’s remarkable.
The retrohale is a strong cedar / citrus combo laced with black pepper. The finish is citrus, wood, and pepper and it lingers. The amount of citrus flavor coming off of this cigar is incredible. It’s like no other cigar I’ve smoked.
It’s a beautiful day in S.W. Florida. I get the feeling I’ll be writing either “It’s hot” or “It’s beautiful” – but in a way that’s Florida. We don’t have much seasonality. Either it’s helaciously hot, or for about 5 months or so its a beautiful range from balmy to deliciously cool. A couple days it might even be “cold” (ie, less than 50 degrees). Today it’s balmy. 80 degrees with a light breeze. Hard to tell it’s winter, except our ficus tree is almost completely nude, dumping leaves by the truckload on a daily basis, and I’m not bathed in sweat.
Back to our Laranja. We are about 10 minutes in, and the complexity of this cigar has increased. First there is that combination of orange citrus and aromatic cedar. Then you get a little cream. Then toasty notes: graham cracker, toasted nuts, toasted bread. Finally it ends with a peppery finish. The pepper lingers on my tongue and on the retrohale.
At the 10 minute mark we have produced an inch of flaky gray ash. The burn line has been even and the cigar has been smoking great. Plenty of smoke with each puff, and the resting cigar puts off a wonderful citrusy aroma. Body is at a solid medium.
What do you think of the new bamboo background? You can thank my friend Andrew for that. He as a much better eye for photography and design than me. I’d say it’s a big upgrade over a mildew covered glass table. He suggested I buy some new ash trays as well. What, you mean I can’t use the free Montecristo ashtray I won in a cigar bar raffle for every review? I should probably follow his advice on that as well. Baby steps.
The ash fell off at the 15 minute mark. Thankfully it fell into my ash tray. You probably won’t win any long ash contests with this cigar, but it is a Corona Gorda after all. I like the Corona Gorda vitola a lot. It’s an elegant size that tends to burn well and showcase flavor.
As I cruise through the first third I don’t note a ton of transitions. And that’s OK with me. I wouldn’t mind if the cigar maintained this profile through the entire stick. There are slight variations on the theme. One puff may deliver slightly more cedar, the next more citrus. The toasty notes ebb and flow as well. But no hard turns so far.
The Second Third
Smoke time is around 25 minutes. We are moving fast, but the cigar is smoking cool and even.
I didn’t think it was possible, but the orange flavor is building even further. It’s borderline orange marmalade at the moment. A sweet unctuous flavor that you have to try yourself to truly appreciate.
Pepper is still present on the finish and retrohale, but it has softened over the past few minutes. The cigar is growing smoother. There are some sharp edges to the profile with all the citrus, but it’s smoothing out and congealing. I sip at the cigar like a snifter of fine brandy. There is a certain decadence to this cigar that needs to be savored.
I’m reading Ron Chernow’s biography of Mark Twain. I’ve read a few biographies by Chernow (most notably his bio of John D. Rockefeller). They are always monster tomes, and I think this one clocks in at just 900 pages, but he always does a great job. I’m still in the beginning of Mark Twain’s biography, but it’s excellent with Chernow’s measured prose and deep dive into his subject.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but Mark Twain lead an interesting life, even as a young man. For example, I didn’t know Mark was the captain of a Mississippi River steamboat for a few years in his early 20s. How cool is that? I went to college in New Orleans and remember whiling way a number of afternoons on the bank of the Mississippi, either riding my bicycle along the levy or sitting on a park bench smoking a pipe and watching the gigantic ships roll by. Imagine a time where thousands of steam boats rolled up and down the Mississippi. Incredible.
Our Laranja continues to behave itself. We are at the half way point and I’m still getting those core flavors of citrus and cedar. The rest of the profile has darkened slightly. The graham crackers and cream are disappearing. In it’s place I’m getting more toast, wood, and black coffee. The smoke has taken on an oily texture.
Nicotine is appearing as well. Not super strong, but palpable and relaxing. I’m sitting in the sun and sweat is beading on my upper lip. The sun has moved in between the tree branches. Shade should return in a few minutes.
A little light leather has joined the fold. It’s a minor flavor, and I get it on the finish of some of my puffs accompanying some of those darker toast and coffee notes. The retrohale offers a deep orange flavor with plenty of black pepper. It puts me in that awkward position of wanting to sneeze, but not quite getting there.
We are fast approaching the band, and are at the final third.
The Final Third
Smoke time is around 50 minutes.
I decide that now is about as good a time as any to peel off the ornate band. The band is on there good, and I need to use my pocket knife to cut it away without tearing it. Here is your band shot:
The flavors continue to morph. At the moment I’m getting some brown sugar, a great surprise and welcome addition. It’s subtle but it’s there. The orange is still present, but it’s now more of a caramelized orange peel. The finish is slightly bitter. Maybe I’m smoking too fast.
A murder of crows appears from the horizon. There must be a hundred of them. They are cawing loudly, circling and swooping overhead. I don’t know where they are going, but they are moving fast, riding the thermals and fluttering about wildly. We had lunch at a waterfront restaurant yesterday and saw a magnificent bald eagle perched on a dock with a fish. It flew right by us. I guess that passes for excitement these days. What can I say, I like birds.
So far our cigar hasn’t needed a single touch up, but after the last chunk of ash fell off I noticed a high spot. I hit it gently with the torch and that seems to have sent it back to even.
The flavors are still darker. My mother likes to take thin slices of orange, candy them in a pan, and then dip part of them in dark chocolate. Right now the cigar reminds me of that a little. You get that orange aroma, and then some bitterness from the peel and dark chocolate. I’m also getting some coffee, leather, and pepper. Frankly it’s not as good as the first half, but it’s different and enjoyable in its own way. Still you have that trademark orange note. It is still bold and prominent even now with an inch and a half to go.
Tomorrow is President’s day. I plan on taking at least half the day off. I have a lot going on with work, but I’ve worked every Sunday for the past 3 or 4 weeks. I need a little break. Time to sharpen the saw. Litigation is a full contact sport, and the pressures of running your own business are constant. Gotta take some time when you can.
Orange, dark toast, espresso, leather and pepper. Those are the major flavors. The nicotine has continued to build. I feel glued to my chair. The body has built to medium full.
At the hour and 10 minute mark the orange is slowly fading. Leather and coffee are starring the show now, but citrus still teases at the edge of the palate and on the retrohale. I’ll keep smoking a little longer as I work on my final thoughts.
The nub has grown hot and squishy at the hour and 15 minute mark. I am going to end both the cigar and the review here.
Espinosa Laranja Review – Final Thoughts
The Laranja delivers on it’s promise. Tons of citrus flavor. This is a unique and memorable cigar. I have to say I much prefer the lighter and brighter first 2 thirds of this cigar. The final third got dark, which is a typical progression on a Nicaraguan blend, but still the orange flavor remained a constant. The thread that bound this cigar together.
Body started off at medium and ended at medium full. Strength was a strong medium. There were transitions but more of a slow progression rather than a color changing chameleon. Smoking characteristics were excellent and I only needed to perform one minor touch up on this stick.
All in all I really enjoyed this cigar. I think it’s a must try. It was enjoyable and different, in many ways showcasing what’s possible with natural tobacco.
Final Score: 4.25 / 5 or a strong 1 on my 0-2 scale. I’d buy it again, and would consider a box if I smoked more frequently. Certainly for some it will be boxworthy.
Final Smoke time: 1 hour 20 minutes.
I recommend purchasing the Espinosa Laranja at Famous Smoke Shop. Please consider that purchasing things through any of the links on this website, including Amazon.com, helps support the website and keeps it going. Any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.
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