Rodrigo La Fortaleza Forte

This evening we have the Rodrigo La Fortaleza Forte.  This cigar has a medium brown wrapper.  It has a few veins running all the way down the cigar.  It comes in at 5 1/2 X 50.  After lighting, the draw flavors are a interesting smoked apple wood note.  Its sweet and smooth, and very tasty. The finish is the smoked apple wood and a slight coffee.  The flavors leave the palate fairly quickly and and do not last until the next draw.  The body is a mild to medium at this point.  The draw is a little firm.  It takes one good puff to get it going and another to get good smoke output.  The burn is a little wavy but not an issue.  So far there are some pretty interesting flavors to start it out and I am enjoying it very much.

About two inches down and some flavor changes are starting to happen.  The smoked apple wood has left completely(never to return again).  On the draw there is a sweet cinnamon/nutmeg flavor followed by some sweet cedar.  The finish is a smooth cinnamon/nutmeg and a citrus note.  The flavors are starting to last longer and linger till the next draw.  The body is up to a medium.  After a few more puffs some coffee comes in on the finish along with a nice vanilla note.  The cigar is starting to change on the finish every few puffs.  Its mixing between the cinnamon/nutmeg, the vanilla, the citrus and the coffee.  Something interesting to note is that their is no spice or pepper "zing" or flavor to speak of. There is some present through the nose on the retro-hale but absolutely none on the draw or the finish.  The draw has become better.  It now only requires one draw.  The burn has become razor sharp. The cigar has a two inch ash holding firm.  As far as the flavor and construction go, I could not ask for more.

Three inches in and the cigar starts to calm down as far as the flavors are concerned.  The draw is the cinnamon/nutmeg note.  The finish is the vanilla and coffee.  Every now and then a coco powder note comes in on the finish but fades quickly. The body is settling in at a medium.  Some strength is coming in.  Its also at a medium. The draw is still good and the burn is razor sharp.  The cigar is still holding on to its ash.  It has a three inch ash holding on solid! This cigar is definitely impressing me.

With two inches to go the cigar has gone warm and the tasty flavors are starting to be washed out by a warm leather and citrus flavor.  I sat the cigar down for the last time at the one hour and 12 minute mark.  This cigar was excellent and I will be tracking down some more for sure.

This completes the cigars that were sent in by Gary Griffith from The House of Emilio.  I would like to thank him for these excellent cigars.  Every cigar he sent me I would recommend to anyone.  They were all excellent and opened my eyes to a lot of new brands and excellent smokes I had little knowledge of.  Check out the House of Emilio.com for more information on some phenomenal cigars and some great cigar brands!

Price: $8.25
Appearance: 92
Draw: 93
Burn: 95
Flavor: 95
Complexity: 94
Burn Time: 94

Overall Score: 94