La Sirena Prince Robusto

La Sirena is the winner of the Hugh Jass Cigar Band award for Most Ridiculously Large Cigar Band. Hands down. Gurkha comes in a distant second. That's not to say that there isn't a load of gorgeous and thought-provoking details in this beautiful 3" tall strap. But, it's entirely too large, especially on this 5.25" robusto.

I won't go into cowboy belt buckles and overcompensation issues..

La Sirena is a Nicaraguan gem, rolled by Pepin Garcia for Miami Cigar. The blend of Corojo and Criollo tobaccos bound with Habano and wrapped in Connecticut broadleaf is a recipe for delight.

La Sirena Prince Robusto

The wrapper, who's cap and foot can be glimpsed around the edges of the obscenely oversized cigar band, is toothy and gnarled with some serious veins. Despite any aesthetic challenge, the wrapper reeks of earth and spice. No faint whiff of this or that, just an unmistakeable warning of powerful, spicy delight ahead.

The wrapper is no lie, as soon as I get this lit; BANG.. peppery spice and heady wood notes. Welcome to Pepin-Pepperland. Watch out for your sinuses, gang, the retrohale is a stunner.

 After the first half-inch, the spice subsides to allow earthy wood and coffee notes to take over La Sirena's song. The spice re-enters as a harmony towards the end of this medium-bodied cigar.

Tasty cigar, beautiful, if not slightly overdone, band. By the way, once I take off the super-duper large band, there's a skinny, cheesey-looking band underneath. Talk about overcompensation. The cigar needs neither extreme to be deemed a great smoke. Nice work, Miami Cigar and Pepin.