In the beach town of Granada, Nicaragua there is a cigar factory. It’s one of only a handful outside of the northern town of Estelí and certainly the most recognizable: Casa Favilli.

The bright yellow brick building is home to Mombacho Cigars S.A. and now, another brand, Patina.

Patina Cigars is a second cousin of sorts to Mombacho, as the brand is owned by Mo Maali, who serves as the Mombacho’s national sales manager.

It’s offered in two different lines, Connecticut and Habano, both of which use wrappers from Ecuador that sit on top of Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania fillers. That marks the first time Casa Favilli is making a cigar that use something other than just Nicaraguan tobacco.

While both lines are offered in four sizes, they aren’t the exact same four sizes. Three sizes are identical, though the Copper size is exclusive to the Habano, while the Connecticut has Artifact (7 x 49, $12.95).

  • Patina Habano Rustic (5 X 52) — $8.95 (Boxes of 16, $143.20)
  • Patina Habano Copper (6 X 46) — $9.95 (Boxes of 16, $159.20)
  • Patina Habano Bronze (6 X 52) — $11.95 (Boxes of 16, $191.20)
  • Patina Habano Oxidation (6 X 56) — $12.95 (Boxes of 16, $207.20)

  • Cigar Reviewed: Patina Habano Copper
  • Country of Origin: Nicaragua
  • Factory: Casa Favilli
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua & Pennsylvania
  • Length: 6 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 46
  • Vitola: Corona Extra
  • MSRP: $9.95 (Boxes of 16, $159.20)
  • Release Date: May 2017
  • Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
  • Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

It’s a nice-looking Ecuadorian habano wrapper with one prominent vein running down the front. Aroma off the wrapper is medium-full with chocolate over leather and something that reminds me of a burnt apple pie. From the foot, it smells like hard shell tacos, some plums and raisins. The cold draw is quite different: orange soda, leather, wet sunflower seeds, and bit of earthiness.

It starts with an anemic level of smoke. That’s solved after a few quick puffs, but it makes it a bit challenging to pick up the initial flavors. There’s certainly some pistachio; it renders itself as a flavor in the mouth on two cigars and more in the nose via the aroma on another. Beside that is some earthiness, peanut shells, and hay. The pistachio sticks around for the remainder of the first third of the Patina Habano Copper. It’s joined by a wasabi-like pepper on and around the tongue, while the retrohale has orange peel, lemon, and some earthiness. A touch-up is needed on two cigars just to keep the smoke production going, which is something that certainly is problematic on all three samples. Flavor is medium-full and building, body is similar, and strength is medium.

Pistachio remains at the forefront of the Patina Habano Copper in the second third, though the profile is much spicier thanks to a dominating cayenne pepper. It’s much more at the forefront of the portfolio as opposed to the wasabi-like pepper that was an accent in the first third. Beyond that there’s an earthy core with burnt sourdough bread, lavender, and hay. The cigar is still complex if I go looking for it, but it’s desperately missing the sweetness of the citrus from the first third. The profile is full with the lone exception being the strength, which is medium-full. While the draw remains fine, I still struggle to keep the cigar lit.

Creaminess emerges as the final third starts and then a barrage of peanut. It’s incredibly layered and detailed—and entirely surprising. Behind that’s there’s some toastiness, a stale cola sweetness, and slight hints of white pepper. The profile is still full and now really seems to have come in its own. As for the bad news, I am having to puff a lot more frequently than normal, which keeps the cigar burning, albeit, not particularly quickly.

Final Notes

  • If I had to guess what this was based ff the bands, I would say an Emilio product circa 2013 as it reminds me of their color palette and style.
  • Speaking of the bands, while this product is made at Mombacho Cigars S.A.’s Casa Favilli factory, the inside of the bands aren’t stamped with the date when the cigar was made. Mombacho does this on its cigars, which is something that I think is absolutely awesome and hope Patina starts doing in the future, along with every other brand.
  • And on the note of Mombacho, this is quite different from any Mombacho I can recall and certainly stronger.
  • I got interrupted when smoking the cigar I intended on photographing. As such, the first third picture is from one cigar the second third and final third pictures are from a different cigar. Given that I only got an inch of the way through that cigar, I just tossed out the notes and started over.
  • Cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
  • Final smoking time was a lengthy two hours and 15 minutes.
  • Site sponsor Atlantic Cigar Co. carries the Patina Habano Copper.
88 Overall Score

While it took some assistance from my lighter, the final third of the Patina Habano Copper delivers a vibrancy that is rarely found, particularly in its final section. The layers of flavors delivered there justify the price of admission, though I’ll certainly be looking to some of the other vitolas to see if I can find better construction.

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Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.