Valentia Fires a Torpedo!

Cigar making traditionally passed within families from generation to generation, often until the business is acquired by a large corporation. Less traditional entry comes from retailers or cigar lovers plunging into cigar making by having an established manufacturer produce a blend for the new operator to market. Valentia has an unusual pedigree – it was created by a weapons accessories manufacturer as a handout to customers. The cigars became popular enough for the parent company to market the cigars to the public under the Valentia brand name. At the 2014 IPCPR Valentia supplied me with their variety pack of popular cigars. This is a review of their Torpedo Connecticut, a 6 X 52 cigar with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, an Indonesian binder, all covered by an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. The cigars are made in the Dominican Republic.

The Torpedo was firm within 1 ½ inches from the cap, suggesting a construction issue. The draw as a little tough but the ash was excellent in shape and color. The smoke volume was average, as was the appearance. The flavor included a hint of spice with leather and oak. The aftertaste was cedar which turned nutty halfway through the cigar. It took 50 minutes to smoke this average, mild to medium bodied cigar and with an SRP of $10.20 is overpriced. I rate it a 2.5 out of 5.