Fernando Léon Family Reserve Belicoso Test

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

Notice: How a cigar tastes is influenced by personal taste preferences, taste memories, the shape of the day, what you have eaten or drunk before. Even the lighting mood in the room has an influence on the experienced taste. The notes described here therefore do not have to match your own impressions.

Fact Sheet Fernando Léon Family Reserve Belicoso Test

• Format: Belicoso (length: 158 mm / ring size: 52)
• Tobacco:
  • Wrapper: Dom. Republic
  • Binder: 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 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-fleshy
• Strength 3/5

Second half

• The strength remains at 3/5
• The flavor nuances intensify significantly, wonderful! A little more astringent.

What is "retronasal"?

Retronasal cigar enjoyment enhances the taste. What it is and, why it works and how to do it please read here. Especially look at the ZiZo vacuum technology. Incredible increase in the enjoyment of the cigar!

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 pacifier. Try this technique with a cigar. Very little smoke enters the mouth. But this passes over the tongue and goes right through the nose. I tried it on about 10 cigars before I mastered it. Please be very careful with this technique when practicing: the smoke got to the back of my larynx several times when I did this. It was really bad. But now that I can do it, it's an accomplished technique for enjoying a cigar.

What is umami?

This means "savory", "spicy", "essence", "meaty". This blending of taste sensations is perceived in the middle of the tongue. You can find a good article about it on Wikipedia. 

Non Cuba cigars and the important acclimatization

Acclimatization recommendation: 2 weeks in the humidor with cellophane.

The fact is: You don't know when the cigar was imported and how long its resting period was at the importer. You also do not know how long the resting phase was at the dealer. The cigars have a shock after their transport from the tropics to us in Europe. They have to acclimatize first. The industry is sales-oriented. The cigars have to get to the retail market quickly. Therefore, it can happen that they do 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 single cigar in a Zippo bag and put a small Boveda in it. Then you put it closed in the humidor. Cigars that are stored open without cellophane or a box lose their flavor very quickly. This is proven 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 flavor nuances are varied and offer great enjoyment.

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