Fernando Léon Family Reserve Belicoso has now been tested. You can read about what the cigar offers and what you should look out for in this article (see conclusion). I tested three specimens (different days and times).

The cigar is part of La Aurora's portfolio. It is the first and oldest cigar manufacturer in the Dom. Republic. La Aurora was founded in 1903. The Léon family is the founder and still family owned. The family also owns a bank in the Dom. Republic.

A cigar test is subjective

Note: How a cigar tastes is influenced by personal taste preferences, taste memories, the form of the day, what you have eaten or drunk beforehand. Even the lighting in the room has an influence on the flavour you experience. The notes described here therefore do not necessarily correspond to your own impressions.

Fact Sheet Fernando Léon Family Reserve Belicoso Test

Format: Belicoso (length: 158 mm / ring size: 52)
Tobacco:
- Wrapper: Dom. Republic
- Leaf: Dom. Republic
- Filler: Brazil / Dom. Republic
Price: Status March
- CHF 8.80 / box of 20 CHF 176.00 / set of 5 CHF 44.00
- EUR: Apparently not available in DE and A
Buy a cigar:
- Switzerland: Buy from Davidoff >
- Google Search >

Personal impressions of enjoying this Belicoso from Fernando Léon Family Reserve

First half

Tongue, palate: sweetish / grassy / a little pepper / cocoa / cedar / slightly acidic / lots of earth
Retronasal: grassy / slightly peppery / cocoa
R+ ZiZo vacuum technology: slightly peppery / cocoa / glue (?) in all three specimens
Umami: Slightly astringent / bittersweet-flavoured
Strength 3/5

Second half

The strength remains at 3/5
The flavour nuances intensify considerably, wonderful! A little more astringent.

What is „retronasal“?

Retronasal cigar enjoyment enhances the flavour. What it is, why it works and how to do it please read here. Take a look at the ZiZo vacuum technology in particular. Incredible enhancement of cigar enjoyment!

What is the „R+ ZiZo vacuum technology“?

This is the consummate pleasure of a cigar. Hard to describe. I'll try. Here's an example: a baby sucking on a dummy. Try this technique with a cigar. Very little smoke gets into the mouth. But it passes over the tongue and goes straight through the nose. I tried it with about 10 cigars before I mastered it. Please be very careful with this technique when practising: the smoke hit the back of my larynx several times. That was really bad. But now that I can do it, it's a perfect technique for enjoying a cigar.

What is umami?

This means „savouriness“, „spicy“, „essence“, „meaty“. This mixture of taste sensations is perceived on the centre of the tongue. You can find a good article about this on Wikipedia.

Non Cuba cigars and the important acclimatisation process

Acclimatisation recommendation: 2 weeks in the humidor with cellophane.

The fact is: you don't know when the cigar was imported and how long it rested with the importer. You also don't know how long the resting phase was at the retailer. Cigars are in shock after being transported from the tropics to Europe. They have to acclimatise first. The industry is sales-orientated. The cigars have to be sold quickly. Therefore, they may not taste as they should.

If you buy single copies

Place the cigar with the cellophane in the humidor. If your cigar does not have cellophane: Put them in tubos and then in the humidor. Or you can put the individual cigars in a Zippo bag and put a small Boveda inside. You then seal it and place it in the humidor. Cigars that are stored open without cellophane or a box lose their flavour very quickly. This is demonstrated in this article with experiments.

Conclusion Fernando Léon Family Reserve Belicoso

If it wasn't astringent, it would taste even better to me. Of course, I don't know whether it is also astringent for you. Try this cigar, because the flavour nuances are varied and offer great enjoyment.

The cigar has a tapered cigar head. Cut it only a few millimetres at first. Test the draw resistance when the cigar is smouldering. If it is too strong, cut it a little more until you like the draw resistance.

Fernando Léon Family Reserve Belicoso Test