The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2011 with the Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper was included in the Limited Edition 2011 box of which, only 3700 boxes were made. Each box contained 15 Toros with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and the 16th having this wrapper. The biggest differences between the Limited Edition box and a normal Reserva Especial release is that the wrapper is of a high priming and the binder and filler is Pelo de Oro and cuban seed Nicaraguan. I am reviewing this cigar so I can do a comparison between this and the exclusive release for the New England region which also has the same wrapper which you can read more about here.
3/28/2012
Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2011 (Connecticut Shade) Review
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder/Filler: Pelo de Oro / cuban seed Nicaraguan
Size: 6 1/2 x 52
Vitola: Toro
MSRP: $15-$16
Smoke Time: 1hr 45min
Drink: Water
Location: Blowin Smoke
Construction/Appearance:
The beautiful Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper is pleasing to the eye because of the golden color and seems to be of excellent construction. It is not very toothy and the veins can barely be felt when running my hand over them. The triple cap is almost seamless and I don’t notice any tears or quality issues on the wrapper itself. The cigar passes the squeeze test easily, feels well rolled and has medium weight for the toro size.
The limited edition cigar has a double band with the usual “Reserva Especial” label above and the “limited edition” band below. While smoking the cigar, the bands came off with ease which can be a concern. Overall, I feel the cigar has a consistent appearance and is very well constructed from the head to the foot.
Burn/Draw:
Using my Xikar cutter, I took just a bit off from the head. The cold draw felt effortless and I was certainly anxious to see if the cigar would open up the draw once lit. The cigar accepted flame from the My Father soft flame with “open arms” and the foot lit up brilliantly if only for a few seconds. The initial burn was slightly wavy but corrected itself within the first half inch which I expected. The draw felt loose at some points but never affected the performance of the cigar. Also, at times I thought the cigar was burning fast, but in the end still lasted a while. One thing that I did notice was that the air felt cool on the draws.
The smoke was fairly steady and had a creamy texture which I could feel when swirling the smoke around before exhaling. Unlike the ash on the My Father Limited Edition 2010 which held firmly, this one fell around an inch most of the time. To me, it seemed flaky but does have a nice mixture of grey and white.
Flavor/Aroma:
The wrapper has a nice aroma reminding me of honey, cedar and tobacco while the foot essentially accentuated the smells. On the initial draw, I’m picking up a unique sweetness, wood and plenty of spice mixed in together. Certainly starting out like a cigar from the Garcia Family. The smoke has a wonderful aroma almost similar to the flavors of the cigar that I pick up in the first third. In that part, I get leather, nuts and a flavor most similar to graham crackers or honey. The finish is spicy and lingers into the next draw. The Jaime Garcia Limited Edition Connecticut Shade wrapped cigar has a nice alternating flavor profile with spice and sweetness.
As I approach the end of the first, the spice plays more of a background role. At this point, the cigar still feels medium bodied to me. You can pick out the similarities of the wrapper to the My Father Le Bijou 1922 91st Anniversary Release for Federal Cigar as it had the same Connecticut Shade wrapper even though the binder/filler are not the same.
The second third starts off wonderfully with flavors of cream, honey and subtle spice to balance it out. Midway through the section, I’m tasting leathery notes with spice on double draws. The cigar still feels medium bodied and above average complexity. The cedar and wood notes start to come through in the final third and the honey/graham cracker sweetness is all but gone. With an inch to go, leather, wood and spice dominate the flavor profile. I can’t say if they were playing in tune with each other, but I could easily pick out each note.
Final Thoughts:
- The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2011 Connecticut Shade wrapped cigar felt medium bodied with a certain amount of complexity that kept my attention throughout the review
- The best moments for this cigar were in the first and second third when the sweeter flavors come out mixing with the spice in a harmonious way
- At $15-$16 a stick, I certainly feel this release has a lot of competition with other premium lines. It would be a hard sell for me to grab this cigar over some of my favorite cigars at $3 to $4 dollars less
- I like what Jaime Garcia has been producing over the past few years and think there is tremendous potential for the Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade Wrapper.
- While the flavor profile of this cigar was enjoyable, I would absolutely love it in a smaller ring gauge which would put more of the spotlight on the wrapper itself
- I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase any release from Jaime Garcia that uses this wrapper – A release has recently been made for the New England Region which you can read more about here.
Rating: 91
The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2011 is available for purchase at Blowin Smoke.
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