HVC Hotcake Laguito no.4 review by Don José
Hey team, Don José here back with another review.
Today we have the
Hotcake
by HVC.
If this is your first time here, my reviews rate each cigar on 10 factors and each factor gets a rating out of 10 giving me an overall out of 100. The 10 factors are: Construction, Draw, Burn, Flavour, 1/3 overall, 2/3 overall, 3/3 overall, Journey (how well it flows), Complexity & Value for money.
"HVC Cigars was founded in 2011 by Reinier Lorenzo. The name HVC stands for Havana City. It pays homage to Havana, Cuba where Lorenzo grew up in post-revolution Cuba. The company works exclusively with Aganorsa Leaf’s Tabacos de Valle Jalapa S.A. (TABSA) in Estelí, Nicaragua. Many brands have leveraged TABSA, but over the past couple of years, Lorenzo has been striving to do some innovative things with his blends. In 2018, the HVC First Selection Broadleaf was released – becoming TABSA’s only major Connecticut Broadleaf release. With Hot Cake, Lorenzo is incorporating a what is described as a newer tobacco known as Corojo 2006 Maduro."
Details:
Brand: HVC
Size: Robusto
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A. (TABSA)
let's get into the review.
First thoughts
This is a good looking stick. The dark and oily San Andres looks very appealing. I have opted for a straight cut and the cold draw is offering cocao and some natural tobacco with a hint of sweetness.
Construction
Exceptional construction, as is expected from Valle de Jalapa. Wrapper leaf clear of any blemishes and the roll appears nice and even.
Burn & Draw Again, an exceptional burn and draw. The draw is on the tighter side of perfect for me so has a little resistance, not in a bad way but not in a way that it smokes itself either.
Flavour & Complexity Some great flavours, namely; Cocoa, Earth, tobacco, Licorice & fruit but the complexity is fairly bland, by far its weakest point.
Strength Mid strength and body approx. 60%
Enjoyment / Journey A delicious little stick and an exciting new line for NZ, the lack of complexity made it a little bit of 'what you see is what you get' as it progressed so some points loss here for that but still a very enjoyable cigar.
Overall Awesome to see a seeming endless flow of high caliber sticks hitting NZ shores and this is very much a brand I look forward to trying many more sticks from.
I rate this cigar 90 points.
A look at the numbers.
Construction -- 10/10
Burn -- 10/10
Draw -- 9/10
Flavour -- 9/10
Complexity -- 7/10
First 1/3 -- 9/10
Second 1/3 -- 9/10
Third 1/3 -- 9/10
Journey -- 8/10
Value -- 10/10
About the author
Joe Murdie aka Don José has been reviewing cigars in New Zealand for over 10 years now, originally as a writer for NZBlokes, a mens magazine.
Outside of Cigars Joe is an international award winning film-maker based in Wānaka, OTA.
