Por Larranaga Petit Corona - LGR OCT 18 (VVRW#2)

[justince]

I've been guilty of sampling these a bit earlier than I should have, and to be honest, I wasn't rewarded for doing so 😐

Mild to medium with not a whole lot going on. Very generic on the palate...earthy with a bit of spice. A bit twangy, but not impressively so. No significant transitions. Back into the cab they go...maybe next year they'll start to come to their own? 

This wasn't an unpleasant smoke -- just unremarkable. I guess it was too much to hope they would have start to come into their age, but not yet.

7.5/10

[rcarlson]

Hope these round the corner for you.  I am nearly done with a cab (LGR MAR18) that have been pure sugar cane.  I've tucked away a 2017 cab in hopes that the magical caramel at the 5 yr. point is not just a myth.   

[Bijan]

14 minutes ago, rcarlson said:

Hope these round the corner for you.  I am nearly done with a cab (LGR MAR18) that have been pure sugar cane.  I've tucked away a 2017 cab in hopes that the magical caramel at the 5 yr. point is not just a myth.   

Man I'd kill for sugar cane. I'm smoking an LGR NOV 18 at the moment that's pencil shavings and gasoline 😂

[justince]

23 hours ago, rcarlson said:

Hope these round the corner for you.  I am nearly done with a cab (LGR MAR18) that have been pure sugar cane.  I've tucked away a 2017 cab in hopes that the magical caramel at the 5 yr. point is not just a myth.   

I hope so too! I'm gonna give it a few more months before i take another one out.

[Enduin]

23 hours ago, Bijan said:

Man I'd kill for sugar cane. I'm smoking an LGR NOV 18 at the moment that's pencil shavings and gasoline 😂

 

I have to be honest, with the latest few PLPC reviews, I think I'm moving the PLPC a bit lower on my acquisitions priority list 😔

[Silverstix]

1 hour ago, Enduin said:

 

I have to be honest, with the latest few PLPC reviews, I think I'm moving the PLPC a bit lower on my acquisitions priority list 😔

Eh, for $5-$6 they can be a great value.  However, they aren't gonna smoke like a CoRo or a HUSW.  I believe it's still a lower quality leaf than the higher priced marcas use

[Bijan]

59 minutes ago, Silverstix said:

Eh, for $5-$6 they can be a great value.  However, they aren't gonna smoke like a CoRo or a HUSW.  I believe it's still a lower quality leaf than the higher priced marcas use

Yeah but RGPC and BPC are roughly the same price and have that premium leaf, and I think you could justify the slight premium for Monte 4 too, if you like that one.

To me so far this competes not so well with the lower priced petit coronas like Mille Fleurs, etc. which you can sometimes get for $4 a stick (construction is better on the PLPC though).

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'll agree that recent PLPCs aren't very consistent but I am still getting some spectacular smokes. I believe it to be a total fluke but the last one I smoked tasted like 100% butter...a slightly strange but enjoyable sharp buttery note and tasted almost nothing like a typical PLPC...and it stayed that way until the last 1/3 when a bit of cream joined the primary buttery note.

I highly doubt the rest in that cab will be like that one but just getting that one incredible smoking experience helps to counter balance (but of course, not totally alleviate) the frustration with current PLPCs.

[Silverstix]

Yeah but RGPC and BPC are roughly the same price and have that premium leaf, and I think you could justify the slight premium for Monte 4 too, if you like that one.
To me so far this competes not so well with the lower priced petit coronas like Mille Fleurs, etc. which you can sometimes get for $4 a stick (construction is better on the PLPC though).

I definitely don’t put Rafael Gonzalez in the same class with Bolivar. My opinion only of course, but I do think I have some company. All fine cigars and I enjoy them all, but I put RGPC and PLPC in the same class together. You’re right they are maybe $1 or $2 cheaper per stick than the BPC - which doesn’t make the PLPC that great of a value pick honestly. I think BPC is a much more flavorful and higher quality cigar for my tastes.


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[Bijan]

1 minute ago, Silverstix said:

I definitely don’t put Rafael Gonzalez in the same class with Bolivar. My opinion only of course, but I do think I have some company. All fine cigars and I enjoy them all, but I put RGPC and PLPC in the same class together. You’re right they are maybe $1 or $2 cheaper per stick than the BPC - which doesn’t make the PLPC that great of a value pick honestly. I think BPC is a much more flavorful and higher quality cigar for my tastes.


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Yeah hard to say as only RGPC, RGP and RGPE left now, so the Marca is pretty decimated. I'd say maybe bolivar then Rafael Gonzalez then por Larranaga. But I rarely have a bad Rafael Gonzalez and definitely less than 50% of my por Larranagas have been good.

I've had one or two vintage/discontinued Rafael Gonzalez and they were very good. Meanwhile I had 3 2008 PLPC that were so so.

Limited experience for sure but that's what I have to go on.

[Scubasteve20]

That's sad to hear about the PLPC. I've never had one but have a PSP 50 cab on the way, bought in hopes of the 5 yr caramel. I may redirect my purchasing towards something else until the verdict is in on those. Party shorts and BPC are nailing it for me right now. 

[Enduin]

It would be cool if there was some kind of indicator or which PLPC will develop the caramel, like the rosado wrappers on RyJ, the wrappers on Montes, etc...

[Edicion]

I tried one in a lounge, very dark wrappers and earthy sweet smell to them, flavorful and beautiful in taste. After smoking it I bought a whole new box (50 cab) to split with a pal. The last one I had 6 months ago was sweet and aromatic. I have since left them as they seem to get better and better. For some reason I heard the 50 cabs seem to develop better too.

I tried a 2018 and bought an unopened/new 2018 box.

[Lycosa]

I have a cab "cooking" (RAT FEB 20). Hoping to have a nice ride with the box over the years and to be impressed eventually. Seems like great value, a value buy. I've sampled from the box twice (48 left). They've been quite decent! Nothing amazing and a bit muddled but not bad considering the age and price.

 

Edit: At least you still have quite a bit... Looks like you have a lot of them left.

[Hoepssa]

 

Good value? PLPC is not bad but you just don't have 'rewards' from them, and you keep buying cabs.

 

[Wailbait]

I like PLPC but I find them very “year dependent” more than anything else.  2016 and 18 didn’t seem to do it for me.  13 and 14 were great.  My hunch is that 20 will be superb.