As any cigar smoker knows, and as the makers of the La Gloria Cubana Medio Tiempo cigar certainly know, all tobacco leaves are not created equal. Even within a particular farm, there can be variety among the different plants. But not everyone understands that even on a single tobacco plant, there’s variety in the leaves harvested from top to bottom. In fact, this has led to different classifications or grades of tobacco.
At the bottom is volado, which helps produce smoke quantity. In the middle are seco and viso, which add flavor. And at the top is Ligero, which brings strength and potency.
However, in about 10% of tobacco plants, something special happens: a couple of additional leaves happen to sprout near the corona (“crown”) of the plant. These special leaves are called Medio Tiempo, and they’re prized for their concentrated strength and complexity. By soaking in the direct rays of the sun, unlike their partially-shaded brethren lower down on the stalk of the plant, they become the most potent in the blend when transformed into smokable tobacco.
La Gloria Cubana Medio Tiempo cigars pull you in with a delicious Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. Beneath that, you’ll find a flavorful and earthy Connecticut broadleaf binder. Inside, the filler blend is jam-packed with a tasty leaf from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. It’s there that you’ll find a little bit more Connecticut – this time, a Habano-seed Medio Tiempo that adds something quite special to the blend. You can’t get this just anywhere, and it took some time and thought to get enough for this run of cigars, so enjoy it while it lasts.
This cigar is for the leaf aficionados who love to encounter something interesting in their blends. Medio Tiempo leaf is like a rare spice that you find in a dish cooked by a talented chef – surprising flavor, intriguing aroma, and all the reason you need to take your next puff.
La Gloria Cubana is a longstanding Cuban brand undergoing a modern revival by none other than two-time Cigar Aficionado Cigar of the Year winner Ernesto Perez-Carillo. Ignore blends like this and you’ll miss some of the most undeniably special smokes on the market today.
Please browse our selection of La Gloria Cubana Medio Tiempo cigars at your leisure.
