Lou Rod, A Great Rod

Without intending to do so, I hit a home run right after the recent IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas.  It was a spectacular show with lots of great cigars and fun times with friends.  Rather than thinking about which cigar form the show I would review first, it just happened.  I have smoked a few different sticks and this was the first one where the photos were completed and all of the research done.  Having said that, I am really pleased that the stick reviewed gets a very high score.  And, that it’s from a small producer.  Lou Rodriguez is a man with a past.  His father left Cuba over 50 years ago bringing with him a knowledge of the cigar business and little else.  Lou, successful in many areas pays tribute to his father with a small production run of cigars that are well made and reflect an older time.

Our stick today is the new Lou Rod.  It is a blend that was just released at the show and only done in one size, 6 x 60.  This is a colossal size that has recently been dwarfed by others in the industry but it’s new to Lou.  He usually specializes in smaller ring sizes but chose to bring this to market as a result of talking to friends and customers over the last period of time.  And we are very happy that he did.

When you first look at the stick it looks very traditional.  It has a simple red band.  The color is light brown and the cigar feels firm but not hard.  Many cigars today have band art that overwhelm the cigar itself so its refreshing to see a traditional band on a nice cigar.  The cigar punched and lit without any problem and produced nice smoke.

This is a well constructed cigar.  The draw was open but burned cool.  It held an nice tight edge and burned evenly.  The ash held for over two inches and was a nice light grey.

The flavors of the cigar are mostly mild with a little hint of spice as the cigar burns.  It first started with a straw or grassy profile and then quickly mellowed into a nice creamy flavor.  This cream continued through most of the second third of the cigar and was paired with a nutmeg or perhaps tinge of cinnamon taste as it wound down.  Throughout it was a nice pleasant mild or ‘breakfast’ cigar.

At around $5. per stick there is lots of value in this mild large format cigar.  I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t like at he right time of day.  For me, I would smoke this in the morning, but I would definitely offer this to some who liked mild cigars after dinner.  I think the large shape tends to put people off thinking that the stick will be strong, harsh, and cheap.  That is not the case.  Without a doubt this is a winner and should have aplace in every humidor.