La Gloria Cubana Corojo de Oro

The La Gloria Cubana (LGC) Corojo de Oro is a limited release by Forged Cigar Company that debuted in 2023. La Gloria Cubana is a brand that has always been known for its innovation. In the case of the La Gloria Cubana Corojo de Oro, the blend incorporates a proprietary hybrid leaf called Corojo de Oro. This hybrid combines Dominican-grown Corojo and Pelo de Oro. This is the second hybrid leaf project released under La Gloria Cubana. In 2021, a hybrid release known as La Gloria Cubana Criollo de Oro was released. That release combined Criollo and Pelo de Oro. While the La Gloria Cubana Criollo de Oro used the hybrid leaf as a wrapper, the LGC Corojo de Oro uses the Corojo de Oro leaf as the binder.

The La Gloria Cubana brand has a long history. Its roots come from Cuba, and following the Cuban Revolution, the Cifuentes family, who owned the brand in Cuba, sold the non-Cuban rights to Ernesto Perez-Carrillo and his El Credito company. Eventually, El Credito was bought by General Cigar Company and absorbed into General’s premium cigar portfolio. In 2021, parent company Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) split the brands of General and spun off a series of brands into a new subsidiary, Forged Cigar Company. The La Gloria Cubana brand is still a part of STG but is now distributed by Forged.

La Gloria Cubana Corojo de Oro Toro Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

As mentioned, the Dominican Corojo de Oro hybrid leaf is used on the binder of the LGC Corojo de Oro blend. This was cultivated in the Mao region of the Dominican Republic. The binder envelops a combination of Brazilian Mata Fina, Dominican Piloto Cubano, and Nicaraguan Ometepe tobaccos. The cigar itself is finished with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Production comes from the El Credito Cigar Factory, a factory within a factory located at General Cigar Dominicana in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Dominican Corojo de Oro
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina, Dominican Piloto Cubano, and Nicaraguan Ometepe
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana (El Credito)

Vitolas Offered

The LGC Corojo de Oro is offered in a single size – a 6 x 50 Toro. The cigars are presented in 20-count boxes.

Appearance

A dark cinnamon color highlighted the hybrid wrapper of the LGC Corojo de Oro Toro. Upon closer examination, there was toothiness visible. The surface of the wrapper had some oil on it. There were also some visible veins and wrapper seams.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Before lighting up the LGC Corojo de Oro Toro, a straight cut was used to remove the cigar cap. Once the cap was removed, it was on to the pre-light draw stage. The cold draw delivered notes of classic wood, cedar, and earth. Very simply, this was not an enjoyable pre-light draw. Since the pre-light draw is not factored into the score or assessment rating, there was no loss of points here. At this point, it was time to toast up the LGC Corojo de Oro Toro and see what the smoking experience would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The LGC Corojo de Oro Toro opened up with a mix of wood, earth, natural tobacco, and black pepper notes. It didn’t take long for the natural tobacco and wood notes to move into the forefront. In the case of this cigar, the bitter component (as opposed to sweetness) of the natural tobacco was the one that was coming through. The natural tobacco and wood notes alternated over which note was in the forefront. Meanwhile, the earth and black pepper notes settled into the background. As for the retro-hale, it delivered an extra layer of black pepper.

The second third of the LGC Corojo de Oro Toro didn’t see much change. The natural tobacco and wood notes still alternated as to which was the dominant one. The natural tobacco notes were still bitter. Some harshness was now emerging, and it had a lingering effect on the finish. Meanwhile, pepper and earth remained in the background, as well as black pepper on the retro-hale.

Things stayed constant during the final third. More notes of natural tobacco and wood continued to alternate. There was bitterness and harshness present – especially from the natural tobacco notes. The black pepper notes increased slightly in intensity. As the LGC Corojo de Oro Toro came to a close, it finished with a soft nub and was cool in temperature.

Burn

The burn of the LGC Corojo de Oro Toro performed quite well. The cigar maintained a straight burn path and had a straight burn line. It required minimal touch-ups along the way. The resulting ash was firm and had a salt and pepper color skewed toward a charcoal gray color. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Burn of the Corojo de Oro Toro

Draw

The draw to the LGC Corojo de Oro was on the snug side. I usually like a touch of resistance on the draw. In this case, the resistance was more than I preferred. Despite the snugness, the cigar did not require re-lights. I just had to work the draw harder for flavor.

Strength and Body

Both strength and body started out at a mild to medium level. By midway, both had just crossed the threshold to remain in the medium range. In terms of strength versus body, both attributes balanced each other out – with neither overshadowing the other.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

When I reviewed the La Gloria Cubana Society Cigar, I noted I wasn’t a fan of the use of blue with that logo. In the case of the LGC Corojo de Oro Toro, I found it worked great. I really liked the band. While it’s not pictured in this assessment, I also like the wooden boxes in which this cigar is packaged.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

I have always had an affinity for La Gloria Cubana because of its history of doing innovative things. I enjoyed the previous hybrid release, the La Gloria Cubana Criollo de Oro. The LGC Corojo de Oro did not deliver an analogous experience. The flavors were uninteresting and went harsh in the second half. While the cigar had flavor nuances, this was still a one-dimensional experience from start to finish. Simply put, I do not see myself coming back to this cigar. However, I still love La Gloria Cubana’s penchant for innovation, which will keep my affinity for the band.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Classic Wood, Earth, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Low to Medium
Strength: Mild to Medium (1st Half), Medium (2nd Half)
Body: Mild to Medium (1st Half), Medium (2nd Half)
Finish: Poor