Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona

Just prior to the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show, Oscar Valladares and Company introduced a new line in its portfolio known as Super Fly. The Super Fly had three distinct characteristics to it: 1) It featured eye-catching retro-packaging (something the company is known for); 2) it had what the company says was its strongest blend to date; and 3) it incorporated Dominican filler into the blend. The Super Fly was originally released in a Maduro blend, but fast forward to early 2020 and Oscar Valladares would release a second blend in the line, the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut. Today we take a look at the first size released in the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut line, the Super Corona size.

The Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona was originally launched at TPE 2020 in Las Vegas and would ship to retailers just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Later in 2020, the Super Fly Connecticut Super Toro would make its way to retailers.

Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Company is a company known for incorporating unique portrait and sketch art into its packaging. The Ciserón Edition, Altar Q, and Wild Hunter are examples of this seen over the years. Super Fly is a little different – incorporating a retro graphics arts style theme paying homage to the funk and soul music era of the early 1970s. Superfly also happens to be a name of a song by musician Curtis Mayfield, who was considered to be one of the great funk/soul musicians of that era. The packaging of the Oscar Valladares Super Fly features unorthodox colors from that era – purple for the Maduro and pink for the Connecticut.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut is a Honduran-forward blend highlighted by a Connecticut Shade wrapper grown in Honduras. There is also Honduran tobacco used in the binder and filler. As mentioned above, the filler incorporates Dominican tobacco – something atypical of an Oscar Valladares line. There is also Nicaraguan tobacco blended with the Dominican and Honduran filler. As with all Oscar Valladares cigars, production is handled at Oscar Valladares’ factory in Honduras.

Wrapper: Honduran Connecticut
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican
Country of Origin: Honduras
Factory: Oscar Valladares

Vitolas Offered

The Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut is currently offered in two sizes – a Corona and a Toro. The Corona is presented in 10-count boxes while the Toro is presented in 20-count boxes.

Super Corona: 5 1/4 x 45
Super Toro: 6 x 54

Packaging of the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona (Photo Credit: Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co)

Appearance

The Honduran Connecticut wrapper on the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona had a light brown color to it. There wasn’t much in the way of oil on this wrapper, and the surface had a slight amount of toothiness on it. There were some thin visible veins and some visible wrapper seams.

The band to the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut is mostly metallic pink. The band contains the text “SUPER FLY” in metallic pink with gold and black accents utilizing a retro 1970s theme. Above that text in a smaller gold-colored 1970s retro-font is the text “OSCAR VALLADARES.” There is also black color utilized as shadow effects against the text.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Prior to lighting up the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona, a straight cut was used to commence the cigar experience. Once the cap was cut off the head of the cigar, it was on to the pre-light draw experience. The dry draw delivered notes of cream and classic wood as well as slight cedar and black pepper notes. Overall the pre-light draw was not on the predictable side, but still satisfying. At this point, it was time to light up the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona and await what the smoking experience would deliver.

Tasting Notes

The Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona started out with notes of classic wood, cedar, black pepper, citrus, natural tobacco, and cream. Early on the citrus and natural tobacco became the primary notes. There was a slight acidic quality to the citrus/natural combination in the forefront. Meanwhile, there was a combination of black and red pepper on the retro-hale.

During the second third of the Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona, the wood notes slowly increased in intensity. By the midway point, the wood notes took control. The citrus and natural tobacco notes settled in the background with the cedar notes. In the more distant background were the pepper and cream.

As the cigar experienced entered the final third, wood notes remained primary. There was a slight increase in the pepper notes joining the citrus, natural tobacco, and cedar notes. There were some traces of cream in the distant background. This is the way the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

While there was a slight amount of waviness on the burn line, the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona had little trouble maintaining a straight burn path – and it was a cigar that required minimal touch-ups. The resulting ash was a very light-gray. This was an ash that remained firm in its composition and came off the cigar in clean chunks. The burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

Burn of the Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona

Draw

The draw to the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona had a touch of resistance to it – which is something that I have said many times is a preference on a cigar. At the same time, this was a low maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

While the original Super Fly Maduro is positioned as one of the bolder smokes from Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co, the Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona certainly isn’t a super mild Connecticut Shade. I’d categorize this slightly above average in terms of boldness. It’s a cigar I’d put on the low end of medium strength and medium-body.

For the most part, there isn’t much in the way of variance of the intensity levels of the strength and body. When looking at strength versus body, both attributes balanced each other nicely with neither overshadowing the other.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. Super Fly Connecticut Super Corona isn’t going to deliver anything in terms of a radical flavor profile for a Connecticut Shade. Yes, this is above average in terms of “your grandfather’s Connecticut” Shade, but otherwise this is a relatively straight-forward smoke. The packaging is quite innovative and enticing, but the cigar delivered is one that I would put in the average mark.

This is a cigar that I would still recommend to a novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. At $9.50, it’s a bit pricey for a Corona, but it’s a cigar I would buy again and smoke again from time to time.

Summary

Key Flavors: Wood, Natural Tobacco, Citrus, Cream, Cedar Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Good