Today we are going to do a cigar review of the Warped La Colmena No 44 cigar
I don’t recall smoking any Warped cigars, but this was recommended to me by Gabe up at Cigar Pointe a couple weeks ago and today seems like a good day to smoke one.
We were getting ready to leave to go to Michigan for a job, Deb and I both will be working, it’s kinda funny that this will be Debs first Nuclear job and I plan for it to be my last one.
I’m retiring!
The History of Warped Cigars
Kyle Gellis established Warped Cigars in 2007
He became interested in cigars much earlier, when his father, an avid cigar lover, would come home from work and with Kyle by his side, he would have a smoke.
At age 6 his dad would let him pick out the cigar he would smoke, cut it and hold the lighter for him, while he lit up.
Kyle would listen as his father explained what he tasted, what he liked and didn’t like about the cigar.
He smoked his first cigar at age 16, a Montectisto No 2 Habano, that his father gave him.
At age 18, while attending the University of Central Florida, Kyle would make weekly visits to Little Havana in Miami to learn everything he could about blending and manufacturing of cigars.
This sparked the idea for his own cigar business and he visited numerous cigar manufacturers looking for a suitable partner to craft his cigar and he found one in El Titan de Bonze.
They are the only remaining cigar factory in Little Havana and that is where Warped Cigars are produced.
Kyle blends all of Warped’s cigars and Warped reflects Kyle’s vision of the ideal cigar profile
Warped’s Slogan: Be Exclusively Different!
What’s in the La Colmena No 44
This stick is also known as “the beehive” and the cigar that put Warped Cigars on the radar.
This Cigar received a 93 rating from Cigar Aficionado
This is a Cuban style blend featuring entubado bunching, a Cuban triple cap and historic Cuban covered foot.
They are hand rolled at El Titan de Bronze by category 9 master rollers and not more than 100 a day are made.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Deflorada
Binder: Ecuadorian
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
The Experience
Start: 12:10 PM End: 12:52 PM Burn Time: 00:42
Strength: Medium
Size: 5.4×44
Smell: Cedar and Vanilla
Cold Draw: Cedar and Vanilla
Draw: A little tight, but still a lot of smoke
Construction: Smooth light brown wrapper, slightly oily, not the prettiest cigar, not large veins, some blemishes and imperfections.
Flavor:
First Third: Cedar with Black pepper on the retro hale and hint of vanilla. The pepper is keeping me from picking any other nuances.
Second Third: Pepper backed off some and the cedar came to the forefront. Started picking up some floral hints. Black Pepper changing to red pepper on the tongue.
Final Third: Everything kind of leveled out and picked up stength
Long finish throughout.
Notes
This stick had the bold presence that one would associate with a Cuban Cigar. There was not much complexity to this smoke, but it smoked good and with a slightly annoying slightly tight draw.
I made not touch ups an not relights.
Conclusion
I paid $15 for this stick and don’t regret doing so, however, I am not likely to purchase another one. This just wasn’t that interesting of a cigar to me, however, as I said in the video. We all have different taste buds and Cigar Aficionado gave this a 93 rating, so I would say there are many out there that would probably appreciate this cigar.
With that, I would recommend that if you can spare the cash and tend to like Cuban Cigar, do give it a try, just not my cup of tea.
Till next time, Feel free to leave comments and suggestions or questions in the comments section below and you can:
Burn one for me and I will do the same for you!