Today, we review the Lure Habano in the Tally Allie (Parejo Toro) size. Lure Habano is the second line released by Lure Cigars. Lure Cigars was created by Lou Cross III to honor the memory of his late father, Lou Cross Jr. Cross Jr. was a lifelong outdoorsman, avid fisherman, and cigar enthusiast. Shortly after celebrating his 90th birthday, Lou Jr. passed away in June of 2023, surrounded by family and friends. One of the last and fondest memories shared with him was enjoying a cigar and telling stories. The brand combines the worlds of fishing and cigars. Though this Lure cigar has established a couple of themes: 1) bringing enthusiasts together through ‘Tackle & Tobacco’ and encourages cigar enthusiasts to “Smoke Great Cigars & Tell Tall Tales.”

Lure Cigars has been quite interesting in terms of the names of the vitolas. The cigars are named for people, fish, and even a food product (Fish Stix). In the case of the Tally Allie, the cigar is named in honor of one of Cross’ daughters.

Now, let’s turn our attention to The Big Lou and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Lure Habano Tally Allie – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Tally Allie is a Nicaraguan puro. At the time these cigars were procured, production was coming from Tabacalera Pages S.A.. Since then, production has moved to La Tabacaria.

Wrapper; Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan (Estelí)
Filler: Nicaraguan (Estelí, Jalapa, Condega)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera Pages S.A.

Vitolas Offered

The following are offerings in the Lure Habano line. The blends for each of these sizes differ. We will be focusing on the blend used with the Tally Allie. Each of the sizes is packaged in a ten-count sealed wax pack wrapper in heavyweight craft stock paper and includes a Boveda pack.

Holy Colie: 5 x 50
Tally Allie: 6 x 52
Mean Jean: 6 x 52 (Box Pressed)

As mentioned, the Tally Allie is named for Cross’s daughter, Allie. As for the Tally, it most likely represents Tallahassee, Florida, where Cross is based. The Holy Colie is also named in honor of one of the Cross’ daughters. The Mean Jean is named for Cross’s wife.

Appearance (*)

The Nicaraguan Habano wrapper of the Tally Allie had a wood-looking color to it. The surface of this wrapper had some oils on it. There were also some prominent veins visible. Any visible wrapper seams were minimal.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

Before lighting up the Tally Allie, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. Once the cap was removed, it was time to commence the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered a mix of wood, fruit, and earth notes. Overall, this was slightly sweeter than I prefer in a pre-light draw, but it was still satisfactory. With the pre-light draw completed, it was time to toast up the Tally Allie and begin the smoking business.

Tasting Notes

The Tally Allie opened up with notes of fruit, earth, natural tobacco, wood, and mixed pepper notes. As the Tally Allie moved through the first third, the fruit notes emerged as the primary note. The earth, natural tobacco, wood, and mixed pepper notes settled in the background. Meanwhile, the retro-hale delivered another layer of (not too sharp) black pepper and some natural tobacco sweetness.

As the Tally Allie moved into the second third, the fruit notes diminished and the natural tobacco increased enough to take over as the primary note. The fruit joined the earth, wood, and mixed pepper notes in the background. The wood notes also increased, and just past the midway point, they joined the natural tobacco in the forefront.

There weren’t many changes in the final third. The natural tobacco and wood remained primary. There was a slight increase in the pepper notes, but they remained secondary. Meanwhile, there were still earth and fruit notes present. This was the way the Tally Allie came to close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

The Tally Allie performed exceptionally well in terms of burn. It maintained a straight burn line and straight burn path while not requiring excessive touchups. The resulting ash was on the firm side with a silver-gray color. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.

Draw

The draw of the Tally Allie was open, but not loose. Usually, I like a little more in the way of resistance on my draw. In the end, there were no adverse effects of the draw, and it was low maintenance to derive flavors from this cigar.

Strength and Body

The Tally Allie opened with medium strength and medium-bodied flavors. Both attributes increased in intensity, and by the second half, the strength increased to medium to full territory. The body increased as well, and by the final third, it moved into medium to full territory.

In terms of strength versus body, the strength maintained a slight edge over the body throughout the smoking experience.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

My comments on the packaging of the Lure Habano are very similar to what I wrote for the Lure Corojo Oscuro Big Lou:

As many people know, I am not a fan of craft paper bundles. In the case of Lure Cigars, particularly the craft paper obscures what is actually a very attractive cigar. On the positive side, I do appreciate the labels that Lure uses on the bundles; they provide a clear overview of the cigar’s characteristics in an easy-to-read format. However, I would still prefer to see these cigars in boxes. There are certainly creative alternatives, such as worm cans and tackle box packaging, that could be explored.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The Lure Corojo Oscuro Big Lou was one of the most impressive debut cigars I’ve experienced in the past year. The flavors are bold and robust, featuring a noticeable amount of spiciness. I could definitely taste the Ometepe tobacco in this blend, and I am impressed with how well the overall construction complements it. Make no mistake, this is a strong smoke. I would recommend it for experienced cigar enthusiasts who enjoy bolder flavors. Personally, I found this cigar enjoyable and would be inclined to buy it again. I would also be interested in trying it in different sizes.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Fruit, Wood, Earth, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half)
Body: Medium (1st 2/3) Medium to Full (Remainder)
Finish: Very Good