Por Larranaga Cuban Grade

Por Larranaga Cuban Grade
6.00 X 50 Toro
This cigar is from Honduras, sporting a medium brown Ecuadorian grown Connecticut shade wrapper, Mexican binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Honduras.

The PLCC is an absolute pleasure to smoke, as it is medium in body with plenty of complex flavors to keep you interested past the band without punching you in the stomach. You normally won’t find this level of complexity unless it is in a much more full bodied cigar.

The construction is spot on with a perfect draw, volumes of smoke, and a razor sharp burn. This is a cigar I will definitely buy again and again.

Brothers of the leaf.

Don’t you just love surprise packages? Yesterday I was gifted a nice package of what I suspect will be excellent smokes, by a friend at work. And it’s not even the same friend that gave me the Padron Anniversary for my birthday a couple of weeks ago either. As we all know, a guy can never have too many cigar gifting friends. Seems we are always giving cigars back and forth, although I think I may have fallen a little behind. I have found Pipe and Cigar smokers to be a very generous breed. What is it about a great cigar or bowl of pipe tobacco that makes us want to share? I have met many fine BOTL (brothers of the leaf) on line and in person and find them to be quite the give happy group. I witness this all the time at a couple of internet forums that I hang out in. At Cigar Weekly there is some type of contest going on all the time where one member or another is giving away smokes to the winner, and at Smokers Forums members are always talking about receiving pipe tobacco samples from other members for no other reason than they think you may like them. Good on you all. Keep up the sharing as it is contagious. As for my latest received gift package, check back later for some reviews as I work my way through them.
Scott

McClelland’s Royal Cajun Special

Tin Description: Two dark stoved Virginias and one wide-cut lemon Virginia expertly blended with Cajun Black. This blend is one of a kind, ethereally smoky, deeply rich and incredibly complex. Virginia’s natural sweetness cooled by Cajun Black’s fire-curing and Perique-style fermentation.

My take on RCS:
This is the first of McClellands Royal Cajun trio that I have tried, and I will just say right off that I was not disappointed. This is an excellent change of pace smoke that is quite unique.
When I opened the thin I was greeted by a woodsy aroma reminiscent of the smell of damp leaf and twig covered earth. If you spent any time in the woods like I did when I was a kid, I think when you pop the top on your own tin you will recall the aroma.
The tobacco is course cut, with a spot on moisture level right out of the tin. I find the packing qualities to be easier than some of the more difficult flakes but not as convenient as a fine ribbon, due to the “chunky” nature of part of the cut.
I found Royal Cajun to be a bit hard to fire up and it does command attention to stay lit, but is so worth the effort. One of my favorite things about this tobacco is the flavor that greets you at the match. You are immediately introduced to the sweetness of fine Virginias followed by a nice dose of spice that is a little different that any of my regular smokes. This flavor stays consistent throughout the bowl and never gets overly spicy or hot and doesn’t bite. The spice is unique, almost Perique like, but minus the pepper “edge” of Perique. I would recommend RCS to Va/Perique smokers as a change of pace. It may also appeal to those that have not been fans of, or are adversely affected by Perique, because this is definitely different.
Royal Cajun Special would probably be a good tobacco for the daytime when you are busy with other things, as there is an abundance of flavor to keep you interested, but in my opinion it lacks the depth or complexity for that late evening contemplative smoke.
I would rate it 83 on the 100 point Scottymeter.