La Gloria Cubana Liga MG-08

Product innovation and quality develop new trends in the cigar industry, often after innovation in marketing and sales attracts our attention. La Gloria Cubana achieves this in their Trunk Release concept at the 2013 IPCPR.

On the marketing front La Gloria employs 3 interesting approaches.  First, they use innovative “trunk shaped boxes” as cigar boxes holding 26 sticks, an eye catching attention getter. Next is exclusivity – only 500 boxes of each of the 2013 releases will be made. Finally La Gloria provides a smokeable band made from tobacco.  The bands are the opposite of flash and are attractive in their own right.  Lastly the 2013 releases follow the general market trend towards larger sticks.

All of this caught my eye at the IPCPR and La Gloria Cubana gave me one of their 2013 Trunk Release cigars, the LIGA MG-08, to test.  I’m told that the LIGA uses a blend of proprietary (i.e. not publicized) tobaccos that were aged from 3 to 9 years and the intention was to combine leaves with above average natural oils to enhance the flavor. This is all hand rolled into a 7X60 handful! The preferred sales channel will be exclusively bricks and mortar.

The LIGA light easily and had an ash that remained even in size, shape and color.  The beginning flavor was pepper that shifted slowly to favor nutmeg, with the final third adding a background of coffee.  The flavors were fairly strong, growing in intensity as the stick burned down and taking an hour and 15 minutes to complete.

I enjoyed the cigar very much and considering the cigar’s presentation  (trunk box, limited production, smokeable band) and size/flavor combination, I rate this as a buy at $9.25.  This is a cigar to enjoy by itself after a meal or with company – to have the unique box and band attract their attention.