Lane Limited La Gloria Cubana

I have been smoking La Gloria since it's arrival a few months ago. It quickly became one of my favorite blends. I will give you the reasons for this. Most importantly English blends are my preference followed by Virginia blends, but English by a large margin. Next is the flavor. This is tasty in the truest English sense. It is not going to bowl you over, but come on as a mellow blend that can be smoked any time of day for as many bowls as you choose. Next are the little things like it packs easily. It stays lit. It's smooth even to the bottom of the bowl. My experience with La Gloria differs a bit from the reviews already posted. I think it is helpful to know that I have not experienced any bite from La Gloria. Just the opposite in fact. I have smoked the blend several times in succession without any mishaps what so ever. On the issue of nicotine I am very sensitive. I am a nic wimp! La Gloria does not speak nicotine to me at all. For me the essential reason to smoke any particular tobacco blend is it's taste. If it doesn't taste good I will not smoke it. Just like with food. If I have a choice between something that tastes good and something that does not have a taste that appeals to me the choice is clear. The same with tobacco. La Gloria is full with flavor. Not only is it typical English but there are abundant high notes that makes it sparkle. I like to use music as a metaphor when describing tobacco tastes. The blend is a musical score. The orchestration needs to have balance and depth. The tobacco needs high notes or it will taste dull, even boring. The mid range is the body of the flavor. The low notes give strength, the driving force of the blend. La Gloria is orchestrated to near perfection. It is a beautiful sound, a beautiful flavor. Enough said.

I really, really like this one. It was offered up at a pipe club meeting, and i nearly passed on it as i presumed it was a cigar leaf blend. Not so. This is a lane offering, and i can't say what is the connection with LGC. Probably a simple licensing of name. Regardless, this is a tart, deliciously bright and fragrant English mixture. The oriental/perique/latakia are melded well into a tangy (almost tart) effervescent bright flavor. The va here bring some subtle sweetness and depth. It hints at orange zest while retaining the incense and wood. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a very mild light topping, but it greatly improves the smoke and is in no way distracting. Nicotine seems mild to medium and it smokes coolly without bite. Easy to recommend and well worth a try. A truly tasty, soothing blend.

I happened upon the very familiar La Gloria Cubana label whilst surfing the tinned tobacco section at SPC. As a former cigar fiend-turned-pipe-enthusiast, it was a jarringly disorienting image, completely incongruous with my neoteric understanding of, and appreciation for, pipe tobacco. Curious, I kept an open mind, did some research, read the reviews, and ultimately decided to try – and I’ve been pleasantly knocked for six as a result.

After noting comments about being a quick and easy burning blend, I loaded one of my larger Jeppeson briars with what must have been 4+ grams of product. I was surprised how it did indeed consume so quickly (and cleanly), as it was all over in only 45-minutes (even using a left-of-center, Goldilocks cadence). There was an immediate and noticeable tongue-tingle, which I guessed at being a petite pepper-pop from the perique. This was a late-evening event, and I had just taken a small chunk of 92% dark chocolate directly prior to, so I wondered if the (abnormally sweet), velvety cacao concoction had unduly influenced my tongue’s sensitivities. Thus I awoke this morning and christened my ridiculously (clownishly) large Jeppeson bent brandy (a big, handsome hunk of briar, so much larger in life than what it appeared to be on my computer screen that it sat for months, as I had no idea what I could possibly employ to fill the vast void of its seemingly bottomless chamber). I must have packed 5+ grams of vegetation into the bowl, and it too was swiftly and easily consumed in less than an hour, even with a dawdling cadence (and only a single re-light). It all burned cleanly, with very little moisture towards the end (amazingly, given the sheer volume of material burned).

The tongue-tingle was all-enveloping and very real, and I could see how it might be misinterpreted as tongue-bite, but if there is a “nip,” it’s a spice-bite from the perique and/or orientals, and not a thermal bite (nor is it a chemical tongue-bite). I do concur with SteveB -- this is indeed a "spicy little number.” I also found the “sparkle”, “pizazz” and “effervescent bright flavor” descriptions to be spot-on as well. Distinctively tangy, sweet, spicy and tasty – I will be stocking more of this. 4-stars