Review: La Flor de Cano Casanova 2016 Italia RE

[Puros Y Vino]

Review: La Flor de Cano Casanova.
Release: RE Italia 2016
Vitola: Petit Robusto. 50RG by 4.3inch (110mm)
Production: 6000 Ten count boxes made. Box # 560/6000
Box Code: PTR DIC 16

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Date: August 5, 2017
Start Time: 4:04PM
End Time: 5:10PM

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.  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.

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Visual:  
Nice looking wrapper.  Seems firm.  This particular example has a bit of flakey wrapper damage by the foot. Therefore, It will be sacrificed first.  There are also some green spots on the wrapper.

Aroma at cold:
Sourdough.  Baking spice.  Very “fresh”, “clean” aroma.  Almost reminds me of a Hoyo de Monterrey.

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First Third

Loose draw / Vegetal notes / tannic finish / chalky / flakey foot / nutmeg / dry, chalky finish / toasted almonds / tannins / good burn / vegetal, green pepper / same / finish is very tannic (like a red wine) / bitter so far / too young? / nutmeg / lots of smoke / faint cocoa notes / cocoa again / smoother finish on this draw / toasty tobacco / chalky finish / tannic / very loose draw, have to sip the cigar / cocoa / End of 1st Third

Second Third

Full bodied draw with some baking spice / ash still on / green pepper / tannic finish / cocoa, still dry on finish / green pepper & dry finish / green pepper and tannins again / cigar is becoming bitter / green pepper / tangy tobacco / bitter draw / dry finish persists / off white ash / harsh, bitter flavour / too rushed of a release perhaps? This cigar has serious rough edges / makes a lot of smoke like a Drew Estate Liga or Undercrown series cigar / slight cocoa finish / cigar loses wind, for puffs revives it / out anyways! / purge, relight.  Lit purge burns off a lot of gases / better flavour on this draw, similar to an HDM / I remove Italia Regional band / tannins again , but slight nutty after taste / green pepper / sharp, hot pepper taste lingers on the tongue / green pepper / again / toasty tobacco / End of 2nd Third

Third Third

Toasty tobacco / chalky finish / nutmeg tones return / cigar is somewhat strong / tannic tobacco / buzz comin on / bold, toasty tobacco / fizzy feeling on tongue / lots of smoke / I take the main band off / tap off ash / flakey wrapper reveals green spot on the binder / two draws of green pepper (but charry) / tannic / cigar is strong / green pepper and tannins / purge and relight again / fizzy tobacco flavour / weird fizzy tobacco notes two more times / smoke production drops / this fizziness is giving me a bit of a buzz / I curse at the airplanes that fly over every 3 minutes / toasty tobacco / chalky mouthfeel / thin wrapper flaking off here and there / hint of floral notes / nutmeg on finish / minty flavour pops up twice / toasty tobacco / smooth draw / bitter note / toasty tobacco / minty finish / tap off ash / toasty tobacco / minty / END

Conclusions , thoughts, score.

I think this release is just too young.  Green spots on the wrapper and the binder hint at rushed production and/or sub par tobacco supply.  The cigars’ main flavour profile is bitter and tannic.  I've been a big fan of Italian regionals since the La Escepcion Selecto's Finos; which were/are glorious. I passed on the PL Robusto and the RA Short Perfecto.  The La Escepcion Don Jose turned out to be an excellent cigar.  The Flor de Cano Casanova to me, does not deliver.  I did not hate the PL and RA Italian RE's. They just didn't excite me.  They smoked well in that there were no offputting flavours dominating the experience.  The Casanova though does not fit into that mould. It just made me shake my head.  This was a rough cigar to smoke.  It's dominant flavour profile was tannic and bitter.  That is not a good sign.  I get the impression the tobacco used was taken the moment it looked ready and then rolled. 

Cuba has been flooding the market with this vitola which makes one wonder just how hard they were hit the past few years on the crop yields in terms of quantity and quality.  I don't hate this vitola, there are some good cigars that share it.  The packaging, the band is nicely done.  The product inside is not ready for prime time.  There is a small glimmer of hope though. If the tobacco within was not allowed to fully mature, then perhaps over time, this cigar can smoothen its' rough edges and make for a much better smoking experience.  I hope that is the case. I didn't go too deep on these, but I'm not looking forward to smoking 14 more of these if they're going to behave as this one did.   

As for the score. Given the underwhelming performance in "the now" I'm going to have to give it an 82 . 

I can only hope time is kind to these.  I personally won't smoke another for at least two years.

Thanks for reading.

BW.

 

[Guest photorob]

Really great review Frank.

Unfortunately, you know I agree with your sentiment.

This screencap I took from your review pretty much covers how mine smoked as well...

[TheMonk]

Very good review, even though I thoroughly disagree! I have found these extremely approachable when young, and apart from some underfilling in a few boxes, I've found them to be very smooth and flavourful, despite being medium to full bodied (closer to full, really).

[Jose_A_Rodriguez]

Thanks for the tasting note. 

[encephalization]

Great review, I like the format. I've been interested in these because I think that the LFdC Canadian Siboneys have become a real solid smoke over the past year. For now, I might spend the little I have elsewhere though.

Thanks bundwallah!

[JohnnyUtah99]

Interesting. Just bought a box today. Hopefully my experiences ard better.

[Puros Y Vino]

On 8/7/2017 at 7:08 AM, TheMonk said:

Very good review, even though I thoroughly disagree! I have found these extremely approachable when young, and apart from some underfilling in a few boxes, I've found them to be very smooth and flavourful, despite being medium to full bodied (closer to full, really).

Hmmm. Care to share box code and box # out of 6000?  

[JLFIRST]

Told you I was looking forward to reading this review. Thank you my friend. A pleasure as always!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[canadianbeaver]

Hello Frank @bundwallah ! Just acquired two boxes of these. Thank you for this wonderful review. We will put them away for a couple of years and try a pair then.

Cheers!

@canadianbeaver

[Artin]

Great review. I'll be in Rome in about 2 weeks from now. I was thinking of picking up a box of these at the LCDH. If they have them in stock I'll give it a whirl.

[TheMonk]

On 8/8/2017 at 5:30 PM, bundwallah said:

Hmmm. Care to share box code and box # out of 6000?  

I completely missed this one, sorry! Boxcode was OPG DIC 15.

I smoked one a couple months ago, and they're definitely not at their best right now... hopefully they will be back to their initial glory soon enough.

[Puros Y Vino]

1 hour ago, TheMonk said:

I completely missed this one, sorry! Boxcode was OPG DIC 15.

I smoked one a couple months ago, and they're definitely not at their best right now... hopefully they will be back to their initial glory soon enough.

Wow.  A full year older than mine.   A lot can change over a year.  In either direction.