FLOR DE CAÑA 12 & FLOR DE CAÑA TERRA
Teenagers and smoking never officially go together. On one hand, it is forbidden, but on the other hand, hidden smoking brings the first mysterious feeling of doing something forbidden. Don’t worry, we will never promote smoking among teenagers. We are a rum magazine dedicated to the enjoyment of life, combining rum, cigars, and a few other pleasures that can enhance our experiences. Of course, we promote this to adults only.
These two lads have their mission with these cigars. They were maturing in the ex-bourbon barrels for 12-15 years just to develop aromas which they were going to combine with other products from their region. This is 100% Nicaraguan duel, from wrapper and binder to aging that includes Nicaraguan climate and ofc Nicaraguan rums. Interestingly, one of the cigars even has “Flor” in its name.
What is interesting for both cigars is that they are created to pay homage to Cuba. Dias De Gloria celebrates the glory days of Cuba, while Flor de las Antillas pays tribute to their Cuban roots, where their story began. This pairing is steeped in traditional values, reflecting the immense effort put into producing perfect tobacco and rum.
DÍAS DE GLORIA A.J. FERNÁNDEZ ROBUSTO & FLOR DE CAÑA TERRA
On the nose, before lighting, we detect barn and cocoa notes. The first puff is mild, with balanced cacao notes and a hint of pepper. Notably, it doesn’t exhibit the typical burn when sipping Terra. They balance well, highlighting something special in Nicaraguan soil, even when combined with coffee and chocolate. The barn smell slightly disturbs the perfection, but it is a minor issue.
As the AJ Fernandez Días de Gloria burns, the initial peppery notes remain consistent. Unlike many cigars, this one doesn’t intensify in peppery burn. While some reviewers find Terra unremarkable or nothing special, we find it versatile for sipping, pairing, and for cocktails. Flor de Caña’s “natural maturation” creates a unique offering for rum connoisseurs. The creamy flavor of the cigar complements Terra’s creamy notes, as if they grew up together.
As the cigars slowly burn to its end, we have to admit that for a long time we didn’t have such a perfect combination. There is always “a problem” when it comes to the end, cigar burn is hot, spiciness is stronger, alcohol in the mouth burns more… but here we can´t find that at all.
Probably the only minus that we could give, if we could call this minus at all, is constancy. It does not deliver any special aromas as the cigar burns in combination with rum. But we could also say that is the sign of the quality of cigar and rum, and Nicaragua as a country with specific soil.
FLOR DE LAS ANTILLAS TORO & FLOR DE CAÑA CENTENARIO 12 YEARS OLD
On the nose, this cigar reveals light cinnamon and baking spices, with no trace of vegetable or barn notes. The first puff delivers a hint of Davidoff notes and light pepper. After a sip of Centenario 12 Years, something unique happens: a calmness follows the rum, then pepper notes intensify, creating a slight burn, followed by a calm chocolate flavor. This combination is not calm and relaxing as the first combo, but the cigar itself without a rum doesn’t seem to be medium to full body as it describes, it is more medium. Or maybe it is just a feeling that it delivers with this squared size or as professionals say box pressed shape.
It is just impossible to resist not to combine this duo with chocolate. Chocolate actually plays a special role because it balances all the flavors in the mouth with a peppery taste with cocoa. Now we have harmony. But as a previous combination, this also delivers a constant flavor which doesn´t change so much during smoking. Maybe a little bit at the last fourth of the cigar where we can notice that peppery feeling is a bit stronger than before but with this box pressed shape and how the cigar lies in the hand we don’t notice anything.
A PERFECT PAIRING OF TRADITION AND TASTE
Overall, these cigars and rums exemplify tradition and quality.
What can we say, once again our boys become men and they fulfill their mission successfully. It was quite a pleasure playing with all those combinations, discovering all those hidden and unhidden flavors. And that kind of thing is characteristic only with serious rums and these two lads despite their age and price definitely belong to that group.
Next week, we will test their performance in cocktails, exploring how they develop and reveal new aromas.
Stay tuned for more adventures in the world of cigars and rum.
