Black Label Trading Co La Madonna Negra Rothschild Box Pressed

Today, we review the Black Label Trading Company (BLTC) Madonna Negra in the Rothschild Box Press size. Black Label Trading Company was founded in 2013. The brand’s vision is “less is more,” and since its inception, the company has prided itself on that mantra. Over the years, the company has founded its own factory (Fabrica Oveja Negra) and started its own distribution arm (Oveja Negra Brands).

Along with those efforts, other brands like Black Works Studio, Emilio, and Dissident have become part of the mix. However, it was Black Label Trading Company that started it all. 2023 marked ten years of Black Label Trading Company, and La Madonna Negra was released as its 10th-anniversary cigar.

At the time that La Madonna Negra was announced, James Brown, the creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra, explained the story of this cigar:

“La Madonna Negra is a culmination of things I’ve learned over the last decade of cigar making. It’s a cigar that not only represents Black Label but also represents who I am today as a cigar maker. It’s bold, as a BLTC cigar should be, but it’s also very refined and elegant. It has layers of complexity and a very unique profile. A mixture of different spice elements combines with aromatic floral notes to create something unexpected. I’m very proud of the result.”

Without further ado, let’s review the BLTC La Madonna Negra Rothschild Box Press Cigar and see what this cigar brings to the table.

BLTC La Madonna Negra Rothschild Box Press – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

La Madonna Negra has blends from four countries. The tobaccos used in these blends are probably familiar to Black Label Trading Co fans, as they have been seen in many releases. As with all production, the cigars are produced at Fabrica Oveja Negra under the watchful eye of James Brown.

Wrapper: Connecticut (USA) Broadleaf
Binder: Ecuador Habano
Filler: Nicaragua / Pennsylvania
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Fabrica Oveja Negra

Vitolas Offered

La Madonna Negra is a limited edition line of cigars that will be available in three box-pressed sizes and packaged in 20-count boxes. In addition, Oveja Negra Bands allocated a 32-count limited collection mixed box to select retailers chosen via an online lottery.

Rothschild Box Press: 4 1/2 x 48
Corona Gorda Box Press: 5 1/2 x 50
Robusto Box Press: 5 x 54

Appearance (*)

The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper of the La Madonna Negra Rothschild was medium-roast coffee bean color. This is a box-press on the firmer side, meaning it has sharper edges compared to some of the Cuban soft-press cigars, which have a small amount of rounding. There wasn’t much oil on the surface, but there was a slight amount of toothiness. The surface of the wrapper had some thin veins, and several visible wrapper seams were visible.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

A straight cut was used to remove the La Madonna Negra Rothschild cap. Once the cap was removed, it was on to the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered a mix of earth and floral notes. Overall, this wasn’t the most exciting pre-light draw. Because the pre-light draw is not factored into the numerical merit score and value rating, there was no loss of points here. At this point, it was time to remove the footer band of the La Madonna Negra Rothschild, toast up the footer, and head into the smoking stage.

Tasting Notes

The La Madonna Negra Rothschild opened with earth, cocoa, and floral notes. There were no dominant notes early on, but midway through the first third, the cocoa notes moved into the forefront. The earth settled in the background and was joined by some cedar notes. As for the floral notes, they floated between the forefront and background. Meanwhile, the retro-hale delivered another layer of cedar.

The second third of the La Madonna Negra Rothschild saw the floral notes join the cedar in the forefront. For the most part, both notes were on equal footing. Meanwhile, notes of cedar and earth rounded things out in the background.

There wasn’t much change in the final third. The cocoa and floral notes remained primary. The cedar in the background slightly increased, while the earth notes also remained in the background. This is how the La Madonna Negra Rothschild came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

While the burn line had a slight waviness, the La Madonna Negra Rothschild maintained a straight burn path. This cigar did not require an excessive number of touch-ups. The resulting ash was silver-gray. The ash wasn’t overly firm, but it wasn’t loose. There was a minor amount of flaking. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Burn of the La Madonna Negra Rothschild Box Press

Draw

The draw of the La Madonna Negra Rothschild scored nicely. This cigar had a touch of resistance—something that I like. At the same time, it was a low-maintenance cigar from which to derive flavor.

Strength and Body

La Madonna Negra opened with medium-strong flavors and medium body. There was a slight uptick in the intensity of both strength and body along the way, but in the end, the strength and body stayed in the medium range of the spectrum. Regarding strength versus body, the body had a slight edge over the strength.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

La Madonna Negra translates to “Black Madonna” or “Black Virgin.” Some Medieval artwork in both Catholic and Orthodox countries depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary with dark skin. James Brown uses that concept for the packaging and bands of La Madonna Negra. Black-and-white bands are tough to pull off, but Brown does an excellent job here.

Packaging of Black Label Trading Company La Madonna Negra

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

James Brown built a reputation early on for bold blends with cocoa, coffee, and peppery notes. One reason why Brown is one of the best in the business is how he expanded his horizons. La Madonna Negra is a great example of his growth as a blender. Some of the floral notes in this blend are a good example of this.

The one issue with La Madonna Negra is the floral component. I’m not a fan of it, but many people are. With La Madonna Negra, there were times when the floral component was secondary – and I liked that. Other times, it took over and wasn’t my cup of tea. If you like any degree of floral in this cigar, I recommend you try a sample and see what you think. If not, this is not the cigar for you.