Reserva Liga Texas Cigar Review

Brand: Stogius Maximus
Vitola: Robusto
Filler: Nicaraguan
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Smoking time: 57 minutes
Body: Medium
Flavor: Medium to Medium Full
Price: $9.50

What Makes It Special

Only a little information is available on this new release. Created by Scott “Stogius Maximus” Lewis, a ubiquitous broker in the Texas boutique cigar world (and silvery-voiced quartet member), this cigar is currently only listed for sale at the Underground Cigar Shop as far as I can tell via web search.

Manufactured at the venerable AJ Fernandez facilities in Nicaragua, it promises great quality, with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, undisclosed binder, and fillers from Nicaragua. Intrigued at such a non-descript release, I was left only to try it and pass my gavel solely on its merits. So let’s go!

Visual / Pre-light Draw

I purchased two robustos of this cigar, and they are as dark and oily as one would expect from a Connecticut Broadleaf. Precut aromas were of coffee and earth with a grassy sweetness at the foot. After cutting, a cold draw brought a pleasant medium resistance and a creamy coffee flavor. There was a strong roasting coffee aroma while toasting. Lighting went well, if not perfectly straight, though nothing required a touchup.

First Third

First draws feature a robust and creamy coffee flavor, with a hint of spice on the retro. There is also a slight metallic tinge to the aftertaste, but nothing untoward. Smoke production is excellent, with a competent medium draw. Towards the end of the first third, the burn has corrected itself, and we enter a first kind of “break” in the flavor transitions where the creaminess is front and center, and all other flavors take a back seat.

Second Third

Lots of creaminess still with a more prominent spice, coffee remains in the back seat approaching the halfway point. It is easy to hold as much ash as you wish with this cigar, giving confidence that it would not end up on your shirt or anywhere you don’t wish it to. At the halfway point, the robusto is starting to heat up, bringing the spice forward and adding a slight steel note to the retro. The spice here is hinting this will end up as more than medium in flavor. Nicotine strength is a solid medium.

Final Third

I am sipping sparkling artisanal water with the cigar, but I must remember to do so; this cigar doesn’t force you to drink, which will lend it well to pairing. The ash is still holding strong; there’s another break here where the spice and coffee move to the back, allowing a new stone fruit to shine along with a light creaminess. Approaching the final inch of this cigar, the creaminess of coffee and spice are all back in a very balanced presentation, with stone fruit additionally on the retro. This is now a medium-full flavor experience, and I’m enjoying it to the nub until the heat forces me to put it down.

Score

This cigar has excellent construction and value. It provides precisely what you’d expect from a Connecticut Broadleaf. While it might seem simple in number of flavors overall, its transitions and presentations of each flavor were better than expected. Combined with the construction and value, this is a cigar you should try if its profile is in your wheelhouse.