La Fortaleza ‘s Cinco 5 Exceeds the Limit.

Rodrigo Cigars is a relatively new boutique cigar maker.  I previously reviewed a lancero from Rodrigo Cigars Habano Classico line. Rodrigo has an additional line called La Fortaleza (i.e. “the fortress”).  The La Fortaleza line uses a Sumatra Ecuador wrapper and Dominican binder and fillers. Rodrigos’ target for this line is to provide quality, handmade full bodied cigars that also exhibit complex flavors. There are 4 sizes of Fortalezas – Absoluto (5.12 X 43), Forte (5.5 X 50), Elegante (6.75 by 48) and the Cinco 5 (6 X 55).

I was given the Cinco 5 (i.e “55”) for testing at the 2013 IPCPR. I prefer the larger cigars and the Cinco 5, at 6 X 55 fits the bill. The construction was firm without any hard spots. The appearance included a few veiny spots but nothing unusual.  In fact it had an old fashioned look to it, including the pigtail cap. The color was moderately dark and a little oily but there was no oily feel. The draw was very good as was the volume of smoke. The initial flavors included cedar, leather and spice with a sweet aftertaste.  The strength was on the mild end of full bodied.  The ash was very well formed and remained that way throughout.

The initial flavor was strongly earthy without any sweetness but this changed  quickly to leather and spice. As the cigar grew shorter, the flavors intensified and included some creaminess.  Final result is a cigar at the mild end of full bodied. The nutty aftertaste was also stronger at the end of the 1 hour and 10 minutes I took to smoke it.

An interesting marketing twist is that the Cinco 5 comes in a box of 55. The SRP is $8.5 but I found a box of 55 on the internet for about $4 each – a veritable bargain for this cigar at that price! I found this cigar to rate above average in every category and give it a 4.0 out of 5. If you can get it by the box at the internet price I found it rates a 4.5.