The new design of the La Gloria Cubana band looks terrific. It has more of a Lady La Gloria vibe, but still keeps the brand’s tradition in mind. The gold, yellow, and red colors of the band look good against the golden brown wrapper. A few medium-sized veins are present, and feeling the cigar reveals a bit of lumpiness in terms of texture. There are no true soft spots, however. The wrapper also has a slight sheen of oil. I’m always partial to wrappers with a golden color, so the Artesanos Retro Especiale certainly has me enticed. Before lighting, the cigar has a cold taste that is earthy and a sweet scent.

The Artesanos de Retro Especiale Club is easy to light and has a draw that is on the loose side of the spectrum. The cigar burns slowly, with an overall smoking time of a little over an hour. The gray ash is flaky. The burn does get uneven at times, but it’s nothing that I cannot manage with my lighter.

Moving into the flavor department, the first third offers earth and spice. Some creaminess appears for good measure as well. The creaminess transitions to a nice buttery flavor and nuts in the second third. The final third caps things off with more spice and earth, plus wood.

Is the Artesanos Retro Especiale Club one of the best La Gloria Cubana has to offer? No. It is different, and that may through some La Gloria fans off track. It is a quality smoke, however, and is worth a try if you are a follower of the brand or are looking for something with decent complexity. A single sells for $7, and you can find it in packs of five or boxes of 25 as well for much cheaper.

The La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale Club earns a rating of 3.5 out of four stars.