Experiencia La Crema | CigarCraig's Blog

I smoked a bunch of cigars so far this week. I jumped in on a question on a large Facebook group asking about the difference between the Liga Privada T52 and No. 9 after seeing a bunch of non-answers. The question included which one was better, and after answering that the difference was that the T52 has a Connecticut stalk cut Habano wrapper and the No. 9 has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper (and later noting that all Connecticut tobacco is stalk cut, because I can’t help myself), I noted that one being better than the other was a matter of preference. Of course, I’ve talked about this before, and it can be like arguing religion or politics, but taste is subjective. I can say that Lima beans suck because I don’t like them, but some people love them and that means that they don’t suck and I’m wrong, I just don’t like them. I love black licorice, other people think it sucks. That makes them wrong. I’m kidding, of course, it means there’s more for me and I can have a stash in the house that nobody is going to touch! It all goes back to what I always say, tastes are personal, just because you don’t like something, doesn’t mean someone else doesn’t! I smoked a T52 Belicoso that Jonathan Drew handed me at TPE because I was thinking about it and I hadn’t smoked one in a while and it was pretty darned good.

Among the cigars I smoked this week, the new-to-me cigar I smoked was the Micallef Experienia La Crema toro. This was a cigar that came back with me from the TPE show, and was one which I was unfamiliar. The “La Crema” part of the name made me think it was a Connecticut shade, but it certainly didn’t look like it, it had the look of a Sumatra, so I looked it up and it is listed as 4 year old an Andrés Sumatra, which I assume is Sumatra grown in Mexico. Interesting! The binder is 4 year old Ecuadorian Habano and the fillers are 4 year old Nicaraguan, Dominican, and Panamanian. I noticed the website lists smoking times for the four vitolas in which this blend is offered, Robusto – 45 minutes, Toro – 60 minutes, Churchill – 60 to 90 minutes and Gordo – 60 to 90 minutes. I suppose I’m a slow smoker, because these look like power smoking times to me! The 6″ x 52 toro smoked for two hours for me, which is about my average for a toro. I’m a fan of Sumatra wrappers. This one had the sweetness that I like in that wrapper. It had a good balance of strength and flavor, there was some spice and earth as well as the sweetness. It burned well, although it was a little more resistant than I would have liked. Perhaps it could have been a little drier, although it measured within my acceptable range with the Humidimeter (64%). I suppose one day I’ll try to find another one and try again, it was an enjoyable cigar, perhaps on of my favorites in the Micallef line. While I was on the site I signed up for their ambassador program, I figured what the heck. I was told to do it a year or so ago by my local rep, Paul, and forgot about it. I kept hearing about it on the CigarTalk Podcast too, so I finally got around to it.