Earlier I posted a review for the Puerto Rico '965' manufactured by JFC Tobacco Corp. Today I bring you a review of another JFC cigar, the Hoja Boricua.
Cigar: Hoja Boricua
Wrapper: Indonesian
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Puerto Rican
Vitola: Toro, 6x50
Appearance: Pretty rustic looking with quite a few medium sized veins. This stick was filled well and doesn't have any soft spots. There was a slight rip in the wrapper half way down.
(Disclaimer) This cigar was put in my new humidor when I got it two months ago. I had an initially had a problem with too much humidity. This led to a bunch of swollen feet and even some cracked wrappers. So this stick had a tumultuous upbringing.
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Pre-light: Fresh, 'green' flavor
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First 1/3: Clipped the single cap clean. Took a flame immediately and glowed solid orange completely. Draw starts out pretty tight, and produced a thin smoke. The flavor is fresh, green, and minty. Other strong notes were: hoppy pale ale, and even 7-up. The burn line is straight and sharp with the ash hanging on just over 1". Near the end of the first 1/3 I tried to open up the draw a little. I squeezed too hard and heard that too familiar, 'craaaaack'! Half way down the cigar where the wrapper had been mildly ripped had fractured into an inch long split.
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Second 1/3: Draw really starts to open up, making it easier to pick out the tastes. There is an acidic nature to the smoke, tasting of green wood and tannin. The bitter acid that was happening was awesome. It coated and lingered on the palate and tongue, without being acrid. I was very careful with the cigar and burned through the wrapper rip without a hitch.
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Final 1/3: The aroma in the room is light and pleasant. I even kid myself into thinking my wife would enjoy it. To my surprise the flavors in the cigar have continued to develop and change. The bitter wood is becoming salty, and I'm getting some toasted almond notes. The aftertaste is minty and pleasantly bitter.
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Synopsis: This cigar was mild bodied, yet medium flavored. It has a very distinct limey effervescence to it. I'm not very experienced in the cigar world, but I haven't smoked anything else quite like a Hoja Boricua. The construction was definitely compromised by my humidity glitch, however the burn was excellent. This cigar was the last of 8 Hoja Boricua I had, but I'm gonna get more. Also, this cigar benefited a great deal after one month+ of storage time.
Bonus Pic: My low tech coffee maker. The acidic black coffee I was drinking nicely complemented the acidic nature of the cigar.
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