Saga Enters the Golden Age with Its New Launch

Corporation Cigar Export (CCE) used the 2014 IPCPR to launch its new Saga series of blends. CCE is operated by the Reyes family where the current fifth and sixth generations maintain their tradition of making high quality cigars. The new blend I was offered to review is called the Golden Age – a Dominican puro designed to be a full bodied cigar “much like the ones they used to smoke in the times of Hemingway”. The sample provided was the Toro vitola, 6 X 52, and was delivered in a well-sealed, re-usable aluminum foil lined pouch – a nice touch far above the see through plastic bags provided by other suppliers.

The Golden Age uses a Dominican binder around Cuban seed Dominican fillers wrapped in a Corojo 2006 tobacco. The cap was finished with a pigtail and the cigar has 2 bands in gold and brown which were easily removed. The Golden Age was firm with no hard spots and well-constructed. The initial tastes were fairly mild including cedar and leather. The after taste was also mild but as the smoking progressed, the strength increased proportionally to the medium but not quite full bodied level. The smoke volume was exceptional and the ash was well formed and colored. The cigar burned evenly for the full 1 hour and 5 minutes it took to smoke and never needed a relight. The final 20 minutes tuned nutty in taste.

While personally did not feel this cigar is truly full bodied, it was a very pleasant cigar and up to the standards I have enjoyed in other CCE cigars. The SRP is $9.99, in the range for high quality cigars. I rate the Golden Age a 4 out 5.