Cigar Review: George A. Rico (G.A.R.)

[goyankees]

A few weeks ago I was at a herf with some acquaintances at the Montecristo Room in Harrison, NY and to be honest I can’t remember if I bought this cigar there or if it was gifted to me from a brother of the leaf. Over on Cigar Live there is a cult following of George A. Rico products and to be honest with you before becoming a member there back in the summer I never heard of him.

The Skinny:

Cigar: G.A.R. by George A. Rico
Origin: Honduras
Size: 6 x 54 (Torpedo)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo
Binder: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Filler: Honduras

Pre-Smoke: This box pressed cigar borrows a page from Rocky Patel’s Edge line by placing the band at the foot of the cigar, however the G.A.R. version is much classier and vibrant. The bright white band pulls your eyes to the cigar and it helps offset the beautiful wrapper.

The cigar had plenty of veins but the one thing that struck me as being odd is how much darker one side of the cigar was then the other. It makes me wonder if it was shipped in a box with a cedar sheet separator or perhaps how it was store prior to my possession. The cigar has some veins that were much more noticeable at the cap of the cigar which was not rolled that great. If you look at the picture you can see a slight gap on the wrapper as it nears the cap.

The foot of the cigar had a sweetness to it combined with woody notes, while on the wrapper I picked up a very faint note of caramel. I had to sniff the wrapper numerous times before I was able to identify it as it was that faint. On the pre-light draw there were notes of wood and earth.

Smoke: Despite toasting my cigar I had a hard time getting this one started, but one I did the ash was a very clean white color similar to the band on the foot. This full bodied smoke started off very bitter with notes of earth and pepper, but very quickly made the transition into a creamy, buttery note joined by wood and earth. The cigar once the transition was complete remained consistent all the way through and was very enjoyable to the finish.

Overall: Due to the start of the cigar, I plan to keep my remaining G.A.R. cigars aging for a while before I smoke them. I feel some of the tobacco needs to age a little and meld better to avoid the start my previous G.A.R. cigars have had. The start and the imperfection at the cap are just enough to prevent this cigar from breaking the 90 rating barrier.

Rating: 89
Price: $9.00

[Doogie]

as always Barry nice review. i enjoyed the one i had. no burn issues

[jitzy]

very cool Barry I just noticed this review. Oh and I gave it to you:teacher:

[g8trbone]

Thanks for the bump Joe. I think I have my smoke for tonight!