Today, we look at Maya Selva Cigars’ Flor de Selva No. 15 from a 2012 vintage. In 2023, Maya Selva Cigars released a special vintage set of its Flor De Selva No. 15 release. The release contains two sets of ten cigars. Ten of the cigars were rolled in 2022 and then aged. The set also includes ten cigars rolled in 2012 and then aged. The concept is for the consumer to smoke these cigars close together in time and decide how the cigar has held up over time. Last month, we looked at the Flor De Selva No. 15 that was rolled in 2022. Today, we look at the Flor de Selva No. 15 rolled in 2012.

SPECIFICATIONS

From what I understand, the two vintages of the Flor de Selva No. 15 utilize identical blends. The cigars are both Honduran puros highlighted by a Honduran-grown Connecticut Shade wrapper. The No. 15 is a 5 1/2 x 54 belicoso. Production comes out of Honduras. This size was created across several lines in the Maya Selva portfolio to commemorate 15 years in business. The 2012-2022 vintage set is available in 20-count boxes (consisting of ten cigars from 2012 and ten from 2022, or two-count packs (one cigar from 2012 and one from 2022).

• Wrapper: Honduran Connecticut
• Binder: Honduran
• Filler: Honduran
• Country of Origin: Honduras
• Factory: San Judas Tadeo
• No. 15: 5 1/2 x 54

 

PERFORMANCE

The Flor de Selva No. 15 2012 vintage opened up with notes of cream, wood, cedar, and black pepper. Early on, the wood and cedar notes moved to the front, with the wood eventually taking the edge. The cream and cedar moved to the back, and the black pepper went away for a short time. The wood was also prominent on the retro-hale. The second third saw the wood primary and the cream as the most prominent secondary note. Some natural tobacco notes surfaced, and the black pepper returned. The black pepper was also prominent on the retro-hale. The final third saw the wood as the most prominent note, and natural tobacco and black pepper were the more prominent secondary notes. There still were some residual cedar and cream notes. As the No. 15 2012 Vintage came to a close, the resulting nub was lukewarm in temperature and soft to the touch.

The 2012 vintage of the No. 15 was dialed back. The strength remained mild from start to finish. The flavors were mild-bodied to start before progressing to mild to medium in the second half. The draw had a touch of resistance, which I like. The burn required frequent touch-ups to keep a straight burn line and path.

 

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

As I said when I assessed the 2022 Vintage, I like the vintage concept that Maya Selva Cigars has introduced for the Flor de Selva No. 15. Aging cigars is a fun exercise, but it sometimes can be a wildcard. Aging can certainly enhance a blend, but sometimes, a cigar can be aged too much. The 2012 Vintage of the Flor de Selva No. 15 was a fun cigar to smoke, but this cigar simply was aged too much for my liking. There is still some fun comparing the cigars, and I’ll talk about that in a subsequent write-up.

The two-pack sampler carries an MSRP of $39.95. Personally, I wouldn’t go for the 2012 cigar, and I’d stick to the current production of the Flor de Selva No. 15 as it will deliver a better smoking experience.

Summary

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

Rating

Value: Not Recommended
Score: 86

REFERENCES

Previous Assessment: Flor de Selva No. 15 by Maya Selva Cigars (2022)
News: Maya Selva Cigars Releases Flor de Selva No. 15 2012-2022 Set
Price: $39.50 (2 Pack for the vintage sampler); $13.15 for a regular No. 15
Source: Maya Selva Cigars
Brand Reference: Maya Selva Cigars

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted

Note: Agile Cigar Reviews are cigar assessments where we use a lightweight, shorter format. These will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are re-scoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we are looking at in a different size.