Vintage Review: La Escepcion Coronas Extra Largas (1974/75) Revisited.

[Puros Y Vino]

Review: La Escepcion Coronas Extra Largas

Release: 1974/75 Release

Vitola: Lonsdale 44RG by 7.7inch

Production: Regular. Discontinued 1970’s

Box Code: UNK. Stamped 9/75 by tobacconist on underside.

Paired with: ice water

 

Date: Sunday June 14, 2024

Start Time: 2:40PM EST

Reviewers Notes:

My style of cigar reviewing is “open”.  I try to jot down what I’m experiencing with every draw.  When you see a “/” consider that a break in between puffs.  When you see a “W” I’ve taken a sip of water. When reviewing vintage cigars, I prefer to focus on the cigar and don’t pair it with anything that water.  What I leave out in fancy prose is made up with observation.  Consider each segment a play by play.  This style works for me. I hope you enjoy it.

 

Some History

I bought two of these back in Montreal around 2011.  They weren't the greatest looking cigars, one had two beetle holes, both seemed a bit crispy and possibly were bereft of all their oils.  But at $15CAD per stick, that included the box , I couldn't resist. If even as an heirloom/showpiece.  I doubted I'd ever see one of these again, let alone actually smoke one. 

 

Pre-light notes

 

Visual: Spongy foot. Light, mottled wrapper with repair patches of RACF wrapper.  Aroma on the wrapper is a pleasant, sweet tobacco.  The foot has a slight “must” to it. To me that’s a hallmark of a vintage cigar.

 

1st Third

Hickory / Cedar with faint cocoa. Chalky mouthfeel / earthy / toast / W / earthy / cedar with tannin finish / W / powdery cocoa / toast / roasted nuts / metallic finish on tongue (flinty) / same as previous draw / W / dry, nuttiness / smokey , oily draw / ash fell on it’s own / W / roasted nuttiness / good draw so far / dusty tobacco / hints of strong tobacco on this draw. Possible remnant of what this tasted like fresh?  La Escepcion as a marca tended to be on the stronger side and some claim that was part of its’ demise / cocoa / W / bready / dry tannin tobacco hit / ash fell again / cocoa / grilled mushroom / salty hit / cedar / woody cigar mostly / strong cedar hit, like if you bit into a cedar sheet / chalky mouthfeel a constant

2nd Third

Cedar with cocoa finish / chalky tobacco / ash very flaky / cocoa / W / undercurrent of cedar continues / W / cocoa / strong tobacco hit / cocoa / cocoa / powdery, musty tobacco draw / cedar / W / softer cocoa sweetness / cedar / did a retro burn to see if the tannin aspect of the cigar would soften. It kinda did / two nice clean tobacco draws followed / cedar / cedar / cedar / cedar / anise / anise again (I get this from several cigars. I like it) / cedar / cocoa

Final Third

Anise , cocoa finish / chalky tobacco / cocoa / nutty / strong tobacco / anise / big, flavorful and smokey draw around the point it hit the RACF patch / tap ash before it falls / strong cedar / hickory / cedar, sharp on the tongue / strong puff of tobacco followed by a cedar finish that lingers / W / strong anise hits (2x) / lots of smoke coming out from the cigar / flaky ash / anise followed by cedar finish / W / flavors calming down a bit, slowing down to not overheat the cigar as well / earthy / cedar / hint of licorice / cedar for about 5 draws / W / a half dozen cedary draws to finish the cigar / W

 

FIN 4:35PM EST

Thoughts and Conclusion

I’m wearing a Panama style hat as I smoked this.  This cigar left a nice peanut oil aroma on to the hat!  I wish some of that had transferred into what I tasted.  I sometimes get that flavor note from various Punch cigars.

So. This is the last of my two La Escepcion Coronas Largas.  I smoked the first one back in July 2016.  These were purchased from a decrepit B&M in Montreal that was closing back in 2012.  My first review of this cigar has some more background on it.  1st review link.  In short, these were very dry and crispy but after about four years of “revival” they got spongy and shiny again.  IMO, the process was worth it. 

The band on this one was in bad shape. I had to fix it up by gluing it to a strip of yellow post it note (you’ll probably see that in a photo or two).  This also marks the first time I've ever done a follow up review.  I've been meaning to ever since I started posting my reviews years ago, but just never got around to it. Most times, I just want to enjoy the cigar.  For this particular cigar, I made an effort to do so as they are so unique and hard to find.

Having gone back to the original review, this one did somewhat under-perform. But not drastically. It was still an enjoyable and certainly memorable smoke. The first one has a wider variety of tasting notes in comparison to this one.  For an investment of $30CAD and four years of patience, I got two memorable cigars and a cool vintage box. 

Thanks for reading.

[JohnS]

Thank you for posting a review of this rare cigar, Frank! 👍

[Chucko8]

Thank you for sharing.