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Furthering the discussion of RE/LE comparisons to value/enjoyment compared to regular/discontinued in a recent thread, we would like some input from the members as to which they feel were/are a lead runner for the specific marcas and those that were better off staying at the blocks... No right answers just opinion. We would ask that opinion posts be limited to those that have smoked at least 3 of the offending cigars to have insight beyond a single smoke or evaluation just upon size. We’ve not made this a poll on purpose; want descriptions and opinions on where to put money on this marca at 2021. In a sense, would like to throw down on what the members who’ve tried these feel you should target today. Feel free to quote the post and expound on your experience with the specific cigar. Current reg (hen’s teeth) production: Medaille d’Or No.4 ***not really in the discussion for current production until actual supply teases out... LCDH (year of release): Inmensos (2010) 25th Aniversario Pirámides (2017) 25th Aniversario Robustos Extra (2017) RE: Gloriosos Reino Unido (2008) Deliciosos Cuba (2009) Triunfos Suiza (2010) Belux No. 1 (2011) Paraiso Caribe (2015) Revolution Asia Pacifico (2015) Glorias 5ta Avenida (2016) Platinum Países Bajos (2017) Serie D No. 5 España (2018) Orgullosos Suiza (2018) Invictos Italia (2019) Unifree Turquía (2019) Británicas Extra Gran Bretaña (2020) Discontinued (year discontinued): Medaille d’Or No.2 (2014) Tainos (2012) Medaille d’Or No.1 (2010) Medaille d’Or No.3 (2010) Sabrosos (2002) (not going back beyond this point but feel free to include any info you wish on experiences with Cetros and beyond...)

This is my first review in a long time, so bear with me. I got this LGC Tainos back in 2008 as a single from an online retailer. It has been in my wineador all these years. Prelight, this cigar had a nice shiny wrapper with some slight tooth. I dryboxed it for a day in my 3-cigar leather pouch. After a punch cut, the draw was perfect with prelight aromas of tea and floral notes. I lit the cigar with a table lamp. The initial flavors were tea and floral notes which is especially pleasant on a retrohale. These flavors were very light and pleasant for the first half of the cigar. At the halfway point, there were slight tingling on my tongue with some cedar notes coming through. Towards the end, I started double-puffing which led to aromatic woods. Right before I finished the cigar, there were slight mint and roasted chestnut notes. Overall, this was a very elegant cigar. It was not very strong or dynamic, but it was very enjoyable nevertheless. Final smoking time was 1:20, 9/10. I smoked this on my back porch. You can see the oily wrapper. You can see the age of the cigar through the back of the band. Again, the wrapper was a pleasant sight.

Greetings again dear friends! I'd like to take the opportunity to acknowledge @Chef and @Psiman for their enthusiasm and encouragement for this particular Video Review Series. I sincerely hope you enjoy them and they can assist you with your cigar journey. Again, like all my other past Series, I'd like to say that speaking 'on-the-fly' about cigars is certainly a challenge and I will need to acknowledge errors throughout this series (so again bare with me). Also, please feel free to share your thoughts on these cigars in this thread. If you have views or opinions contrary to what has been stated, please feel welcome to express your thoughts and say so, after all, my own views here is intended to serve as a guide. 

Today is my daughter's birthday, which is a good and happy thing, but at the same time troubling. If SHE's 20, that means I'm not 20, and in fact am much older and just getting more old. Sigh. But, it's appropriate for the review this weekend because she ties into this cigar and my entry and journey into Cuban cigars. We took her on a graduation trip last year, and during that trip I went to my first LCDH in Morocco and bought my first batch, and also stopped in Barcelona and picked up a box of these. Note to self, hit Spain on the front end of trips - I kick myself for not buying more boxes for the price I paid there ? So these have been sleeping in a tupperdor since July 4th last year, and I've avoided dipping in until now. My first LGC, and I think my first regional edition that I've smoked. Good construction, although I did tear a bit getting it out of the box. Firm, but not too firm, rolls well, bands not too tight, all looked well. Paired with my typical morning black coffee. Mixing it up and used a guillotine for a different cut. Good draw, a bit of an uneven burn to start, but fixed itself quite quickly. Overall notes are pepper and some leather. Tasty, not harsh at all, and not too overpowering. I smoked it down until my fingers were a bit too hot, and wished for a bit more. A nice contemplative smoke on a Friday morning, and an excellent cigar. I need to get back to Spain and get more, I don't really rate them on a scale, but it certainly would be a highly recommended smoke especially at the price. Now to scheme my cruise to Cuba

This gentle Panetela pronounces the tons of cedary, floral with mild body at the beginning, then the fruity note is added when I started to progress. This wonderful mild bodied combination still continues with just more complexity, stronger floral and fruity notes as I smoke it further to the end. The flavour becomes slightly harsh at the end but remains terrific without being too aggressive. This makes me not want to stop smoking it and because of that, my fingers are almost getting burned! Such a fine and elegant cigar with graceful ending! -Mr. Knight Brand: La Gloria Cubana Size: 32 x 152 (Slim Panetela) Country: Cuba Box Code: Received as a gift from our member, Raskol (ndchow) Price: Received as a gift from our member, Raskol (ndchow) Score: 96

I'm not shy about my passion for skinny cigars, so when our good brother @HarveyBoulevard decided to let go some MdO#1 I was more than happy to partake. Jeff supplied me with a generous number of these long and skinny vitolas, which he had acquired from our gracious host in one of the locker sell offs some years ago. He could not remember the code because these cigars come in a varnished box like the Partagas 8-9-8, with the box code on the outer cardboard box, which was discarded. Jeff only recalled they could be as old 1998 or as young as 2001. This was a lovely evening for smoking, a bit humid, but the temperature was about 73 degrees, and quite comfortable. I selected a New Belgium IPA called Voodoo Ranger for the pairing and headed to the patio to light up. My lovely wife joined me with her iPad to catch up on the daily news. This was really the first peaceful moment to sit quietly after the hustle and bustle of Christmas, and I was looking forward to a long slow smoke. This particular MdO#1 is not the prettiest vitola to come from Cuba, the butterscotch brown wrapper is applied well, no visible seams, but it looks a little rough with some bumps here and there, and the cigar is a little crooked, but the draw is perfect and the cigar feels and looks very elegant. Fire from my torch brings forth rich plumes of blue smoke and a terrific firewood and roasted almond aroma. The first tastes I could detect were somewhat fruity and a little sweet spice like maybe pumpkin spice, and dark cocoa, very pleasing. As the first third drew to a close, I was blissfully enjoying the slightly sweet mild-medium body of this glory from Cuba. As with most cigars I find pleasing, the aroma usually plays a key role in eliciting my sensory appreciation, and this was no exception. On this calm still night the lovely, slightly nutty, rich, smoldering cedar aroma enveloped my covered patio further heightening the therapeutic effect. Smooth, creamy, slightly sweet and super smooth is the way I would describe the ascent into the second third of this elegant cigar. The taste of ripe stone fruits, maybe peach, was faint and well balanced with the sweet brown sugar and tea biscuit, almost like a peach cobbler kind of taste. The terrific aroma continued to provide entertainment for my nasal senses, while the mild-medium bodied taste made me crave more draws, but I had to remind myself not to rush this delicious thin vitola for fear of overheating it. I was enjoying the quite bliss and the nice intermingling of the hoppy, flowery IPA, with the fruity, nutty sweetness of the smoke, a wonderful combination. As the final third approached, the cigar snuffed out, and I relit it without any adverse affect on flavor. Having journeyed from California to SE Florida just a couple of weeks ago I probably could have let them rest a while longer, but I can't keep my hands off them. Body now has heightened slightly to a medium, and the flavor has shifted a bit with more roasted almond, cocoa, cedar and spice evident, and less sweetness. As I was adapting to this this shift in flavor, the cigar snuffed out again, requiring another relight. Again, a harmless relight, and the parade continued. The aroma also shifted somewhat with roasted almonds more evident. Quite a nice evolution. As the cigar reached about 1.5 inches it snuffed out again, and this time I decided to lay it down to rest. Reflecting on this experience I'm quite certain these cigars need no further aging, they may have even slightly eclipsed their prime judging by the mild-medium body, but I'm not sure since I have no frame of reference back to when they were younger. Maybe they were always mild-medium, and hence why they are such an elegant and pleasant smoke. Regardless, this cigar is a really good cigar, and when a cigar is this good I feel obliged to smoke them before the flavor turns, or my tastes change. So this is the second one I've smoked from this trade, and my third MdO#1 in a week. I suspect the remaining sticks will be going down rather quickly as I can't imagine keeping my hands off them for long. I would rate this a 9.3/10 on my personal scale, and may have scored a 9.5 if it wasn't for the last third snuffing out. I truly enjoyed this cigar, and I look forward to spending more time enveloped in the wonderful aroma this vitola imparts. A truly pleasurable smoke. Many thanks to Jeff for the trade and the opportunity to enjoy this elegant cigar.

I was perusing the board today after smoking a La Gloria Cubana Medaille d'Or No.4 (gifted by Steve - thanks, my friend) and I happened to stumble on this topic on the LGC Medaille d'Or No.3. It would be great for these to make a comeback, but alas, they have been discontinued. After finishing the LGC Medaille d'Or No.4, I was thinking how good it would be for the LGC Medaille d'Or No.2 to be available again. The LGC Medaille d'Or No.4 had a nice complexity to it...floral, earthy, fruity and even savoury (with hints of pepper) but I can't help but feel that the LGC Medaille d'Or No.2, being a Dalia (43 ring gauge x 170 mm) would be milder than the No.4 (A Palmita - 32 ring gauge x 152 mm). I certainly enjoyed the No.4 today, but to enjoy its nuances I had to slow right down and not allow the cigar to overheat, it took me 60 minutes (believe it or not!). It's a shame that the LGC Medaille d'Or No.2 has been hard to source for awhile now.