La Riqueza No. 5

This stick was sent to me recently by a generous BOTL, and I have been looking forward to lighting it up. I've had the No. 2 (belicoso) before and loved it, but am yet to smoke any of the other sizes. The La Riqueza line by Pete Johnson is designed to be "An Old World medium bodied Cuban style cigar" according to the website, and is made with Nicaraguan tobaccos in a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. This cute little size reminds me of a Party Short or RASCC, which are great for a quick smoke!

Lighting up this morning (couldn't sleep!) with a cup of coffee. Cut with my Xikar and lit with matches.

Lighting up, I'm smacked in the face with strong wood, coffee, and nutty flavors. The smoke is quite thick for such a small cigar, and has a toasty aftertaste. D/A/B are all perfect, the latter with a Cubanesque tug. I am quite surprised at how much depth and clarity there are to the flavors, this cigar is really a treat. As I get to the half way point, the complexity settles down a bit (though adding some spice and molasses to the mix of flavors), while all construction aspects remain flawless. I would give this an 89 rating, and with some age to mellow the slight harshness I tasted towards the end, this will easily be in the 90s. Overall, a great cigar that is going on my 'box purchase when I have money' list!