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| Cubanacan Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda |
The Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda is one of five vitolas that are a part of Cubanacan Cigars’ Soneros line. Soneros made its debut at the 2013 IPCPR Trade show. The Soneros line is blended by Cubanacan’s Master Blender Omar Gonzalez-Aleman. Prior to coming to Cubanacan, Gonzalez managed the La Corona factory in Cuba. Soneros is positioned as Gonzalez’s blend that that captures the “flavors, aromas and blends of the past” from his time at La Corona. The Soneros line is available in two blends: the Soneros Habano Claro and the Soneros Maduro. In 2014, Cubanacan added the Corona Gorda to both lines. Today, we take a closer look at the Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda. Overall, I found this to be a unique vitola and one that showcases some of the great work coming out of Cubanacan.
Cubanacan Cigars is owned by the Mederos family. The Mederos family has Cuban roots and actually has been involved with rolling cigars since the early 19th century. This is a vertically integrated company. Not only does the company own its own factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, but they are also involved with the growing of tobacco. In regards to the company name, Cubanacan’s web-site says, “The name Cubanacan was chosen for it’s vibrant history and the story behind it’s meaning. Cubanacan means ‘where fertile land is abundant’ and is derived from tobacco traditions that predate Cuba itself. The story of Cubanacan is not just one of our past, but one that is still being written.”
Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the Cubanacan Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda and see what this cigar brings to the table.
Blend Profile
The Soneros Maduro blend consists of a mix of Ecuadorian and Nicaraguan tobaccos.
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador Maduro
Binder: Ecuadorian
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Tabacalera Cubanacan)
Vitolas Available
The Soneros is available in five vitolas. Each vitola is available in 20 count boxes.
Corona Gorda: 5 5/8 x 46
Toro: 6 x 52
Petite Sublime: 5 3/4 x 54
Gran Robusto: 5 1/2 x 60
Campana: 5 1/2 x 60 (Belicoso)
Appearance
The Habano Ecuador Maduro wrapper of the Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda has a medium brown color to it. There is some oil on the surface of the wrapper. Overall the wrapper is smooth. There are some thin visible veins and most of the wrapper seams are well hidden.
The band is mostly red with gold font. On the red background is the Soneros logo which features the text “SONEROS” and a string instrument just above the text. The text sits over a musical stanza that is also gold in color. There are black stripes above and below the red background. The upper black stripe features the text “HECHO A MANO HAND MADE CIGARS” in a ticker-tape like pattern. The lower black stripe features the text “ESTELI NICARAGUA” – also in a ticker tape like pattern. There is gold trim on the upper and lower portion of the band.
Preparation for the Cigar Experience
As I normally do, I went with my usual choice of a straight cut to remove the cap of the Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda. Once the cap was removed, I proceeded with the pre-light draw. The dry draw provided a nice mix of cedar spice, light floral notes and some cherry sweetness. Overall I considered the pre-light draw of the Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda to be satisfying. At this point I was ready to light up the Soneros Maduro and see what the smoking phase would have in store.
Flavor Profile
The start to the Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda provided a mix of cedar, generic wood, cherry, and black pepper. The cedar notes delivered a mix of sweetness and spice, yet I could still pick them apart from the generic wood notes. The cherry notes also provided some additional sweetness. As the cigar moved through the first third, the cedar and wood notes became primary while the cherry and black pepper went into the background. At times there was a little bit of sharpness to the black pepper notes. Meanwhile, the cedar and pepper were prominent on the retro-hale.
During the second third, some cocoa notes emerged and went into the forefront. The cocoa joined the generic wood notes in the forefront. The cedar sweet-spice receded into the background joining the cherry and pepper notes. Throughout the second third, the wood and cocoa notes alternated in intensity. There were a few times the cedar popped into the forefront. I found in particular the sweetness of the cherry and both the sweetness and spice of the cedar complemented the primary flavors very nicely
The last third saw a similar pattern with the flavors, but the wood notes were much more prominent. This is the way the cigar experience of the Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.
Burn and Draw
Overall I found the Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda to be a well-constructed cigar and this was reflected nicely in the burn and draw. For the most part I found the burn path of the Soneros Maduro to be straight. There was a slight curvature to the burn line, but overall this was a low maintenance burn that did not require an abnormal amount of touch-ups. The resulting ash had a salt and pepper color. It was a firm ash that came off the cigar in nice clean chunks. There was some minor flaking, but this did not prove to be problem-some. The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.
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| Burn of the Cubanacan Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda |
Overall I found the draw to be solid on this cigar. It wasn’t too loose, nor was it too tight. I found the Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda to produce a decent amount of smoke along the way.
Strength and Body
From a strength perspective, I found the Soneros Maduro to not be an overpowering smoke. It is one of those cigars that has “just the right amount of strength”. Overall I assessed the Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda to be a medium strength cigar. As for the body, I found the Soneros Maduro to be a medium-bodied cigar – just a little bit short of the medium to full-bodied area of the spectrum. In terms of strength versus body, I found the Soneros Maduro to balance both attributes nicely.
Final Thoughts
In terms of maduros, the Cubanancan Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda is going to be different than most maduros of the Broadleaf and San Andres variety. It is going to offer a more woody profile as opposed to gritty and syrupy notes. This is a cigar that has a lot of subtle complexities and each time I smoke it, I seem to pick up something different. This is going to be one of those cigars you are going to want to pay attention to as you smoke as you will pick up a lot of the subtleties. This is also a cigar that I feel will continue to get better over time. This is a cigar I would recommend to either the novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I’d smoke again – and it’s one worthy of picking up a fiver of.
Summary
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: High
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Excellent
Assessment: 3.0 – The Fiver
Score: 90
References
News: Cubanacan Cigars Adds Line Extensions to Soneros and Cubanacan Lines
Price: $7.75
Source: Cigars Provided by Manufacturer
Stogie Geeks Podcast: Episode 125
Stogie Feed: Cubanacan Soneros Maduro Corona Gorda
