The flavors immediately burst out the gate with clarity and enthusiasm. The complexity is real on this one with many notes and nuances throughout. There was some dryness to the texture as the cigar got towards the final third. The burn was near perfect the whole way with a marvelous draw. The texture was warm, fluffy and smooth with moments of buttery sensations, but also felt a bit overly dry in the back half at times. The overall flavor experience was one of finesse, balance and brightness, though it did suffer a little flavor imbalance at certain points which brought the score down some. Even with these deductions the score still maintains an impressive level.
Pairing Recommendations: The citrus and hop notes make me think of a nice IPA for a drink pairing, or something like a Glenmorangie Scotch. Herbal teas would also lend themselves well with this cigar.
Smoke time: 75 minutes
This line features a blend that is based on 5-year-aged tobacco fillers grown in the regions of Jalapa, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. The wrapper is an Ecuadorian Habano Claro leaf, while the binder comes from the Dominican Republic. Pure Aroma Cigars, which produces the Flor de D’Crossier line, describes Lumina as being medium-plus in flavor and highlighted by a sweetened and floral tobacco flavor along with notes of cocoa and cedar.
This blend was created by Isaias Santana Diaz and Andres Leon, with the line produced at Tabacos de Costa Rica. As part of the production process, the cigars undergo a 120-day aging process in the factory’s aging rooms, and then another 120 days in Spanish cedar boxes. In 2023, each of these three sizes will be limited to a production run of only 250 boxes.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Claro Leaf / Binder: Dominican Republic / Filler: Jalapa, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic
Vitola: Hermoso #2 / Size: 6×48
Factory: Tabacos de Costa Rica / Country of Origin: Costa Rica
Hay, florals, honey
Green cedar, canned pears
Fragrant sweet cedar, dates, apricot
Nutmeg, buttery pecan, something that reminds me of buttered toast with apricot jam, tart blood orange, Brazil nut
Retrohale: Toasted pecan, cedar, light caramel, cinnamon, subtle chai spice
Tart mango, musty cedar, toasted almond, honey sweetness, charred hickory, slight orange bitters, honey roasted peanut on the finish
Retrohale: Soft white pepper, honeysuckle florals, hops, musty cedar
Charred cedar, sweet florals, dark almond notes, wheat toast, tamarind, cinnamon spice
Retrohale: roasted mixed nuts, bright white pepper, sharp cedar notes, orange citrus zest
