La Palina KB 2022 TAA Exclusive

For its contribution to the Tobacconists’ Association of America’s Exclusive Series in 2022, La Palina created a new vitola for its KB line, which the company just refreshed in 2021, giving it a drastically different look from the line that debuted in 2012.

The La Palina KB 2022 TAA Exclusive is a 6 x 52 diadema, with a tapered foot that is reminiscent of an inverted belicoso. The blend remains the same as the other sizes in the line, meaning a Honduran corojo wrapper over a double binder of Honduran criollo leaves. The filler comes from Nicaragua and is a mix of corojo and criollo varietals. While the blend is the same on paper across all vitolas, two of them—Parts Three and Four—have a tweaked blend that uses higher primings of ligero to give the cigar some added punch.

The La Palina KB 2022 TAA Exclusive is priced at $12.50 per cigar, with 750 boxes of 30 cigars produced by Fabríca de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L. in Danlí, Honduras.

It is the fifth size to join the La Palina KB Series, the other four being regular production offerings with sequentially numbered names from Part One through Part Four.

The TAA is a fairly small group of some of the country’s top tobacconists, about 80 retailers, as well as 40 or so manufacturers. The association gathers annually to discuss issues facing the industry and retailers, as well as to have its annual trade show, a unique event that works on a group buying format in order to secure exclusive deals for these generally high-volume merchants.

During the event—which occurred in late March in Cabo San Lucas—the organization holds two selling events, one known as the Dream Machine, where the retailers collectively order to secure larger discounts, while the other is a more traditional trade show. Typically, around a dozen manufacturers release new exclusive cigars for the retail members of the organization under the TAA Exclusive Series Program banner. Those manufacturers agree to give a portion of the proceeds to the organization, a minimum of 50 cents per cigar.

Asylum, E.P. Carrillo, Ferio Tego, Forged Cigar Co., Gurkha, Illusione, Joya de Nicaragua, La Flor Dominicana, La Palina, Rocky Patel, Tatuaje and Villiger also created cigars for as part of the TAA 2022 series.

• Cigar Reviewed: La Palina KB 2022 TAA Exclusive
• Country of Origin: Honduras
• Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L.
• Wrapper: Honduras (Corojo)
• Binder: Honduras (Double Criollo)
• Filler: Nicaragua (Corojo & Criollo)
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Diadema
• MSRP: $12.50 (Box of 30, $375)
• Release Date: October 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: 750 Boxes of 30 Cigars (22,500 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

As soon as I slide the La Palina KB 2022 TAA Exclusive out of its cellophane and get a good look at the vitola, I’m immediately reminded of Viaje’s Honey & Hand Grenades line, which also happened to be produced at Raíces Cubanas in Honduras, though not in the same size as the KB 2022 TAA. The wrapper is a dark brown hue with some mottling and what looks like some reds, though that might just be the blood red of the band playing tricks on my mind. Between the blood red and black colors on the band, as my eyes move back and forth both elements seem to keep getting darker, but suffice to say, this cigar has a dark theme to it. The wrapper has a bit of oiliness on the fingers as well as some tactile texture, though no significant veins. The cigar is rolled well, ranging from very firm to firm with a bit of give but no overly soft spots. Beyond that, the head and feet of the cigars are also constructed well. The wrapper has a light and medium intensity, with an aroma that reminds me of leather and a bit of dried mango or similar fruit flavors at times. The foot is a bit more intense but only adds a touch of pepper, and the small opening of the foot only gives me so much exposure to the tobacco so I have no doubt that I’m not getting the complete experience. The cold draw is a bit firm in terms of airflow, while the flavor is both soft and somewhat dense, with very light flavors of shaved wood, salami, sweet cream, popcorn and a touch more fruit leather.

Almost as soon as I take my first draw on the La Palina KB 2022 TAA Exclusive, I can notice a difference in the airflow; while the cold draw was firm, the now-lit draw is much more ideal. Flavor-wise, it is a medium-bodied and slightly dry start that seems be driven by the Honduran tobaccos in the blend given the earth and touches of spice. There’s a softer, slightly oily flavor in the profile as well, re-upping the thought of salami that I had before the cigar was lit. A bit of creaminess is next to enter the profile, though the dryness of the rest of the profile makes it take more like powdered creamer than liquid. Retrohales have a bit more of the dry earth and pepper combination, and as the first inch progresses, I get more aromas reminiscent of  Honduran tobacco. The retrohales on one cigar are particularly impressive, backed by a slightly sharp wheat bread but are by far the most vibrant of the bunch. There seems to be a bit of a trade-off in the first inch, as the more vibrant the flavors are, the more of a irritating note I find in the background of the flavor and the finish. Towards the end of this section, it tastes like I’m getting a bit of nuttiness joining the profile, yet the terroir quickly overtakes that sensation and dominates the finish. The profile starts medium-plus, builds and layers quickly, and then settles in at just over medium. Body is medium to medium-plus, and strength is mild thus far. Construction is very good and problem-free.

The second third holds onto the nuttiness, and the flavor now hangs around as the earth has backed off just a bit, which allows the flavor to ride out the finish atop a wave of creaminess. A retrohale gets my attention back on the earthy terroir and pepper, which thus far has been very enjoyable and an absolutely necessary part of the smoking experience. There are some flirtations with toastiness but each venture the profile takes ends up coming back to the core terroir flavor. That said, when the La Palina KB 2022 TAA Exclusive really leans into creaminess, the results are noticeably better, as the smoke coats my tongue with both the creaminess and a touch of sweetness, while providing a bit of a respite from dry earth flavor. Additionally, without taking a retrohale, the intensity of the cigar seems to back down a tick or two in this section. It’s a change that results in creaminess leading the way and the terroir moving to the finish and now gets a bit funky as it dissipates on the taste buds. That said, with retrohales, the cigar keeps more of its dry earth and pepper. Once the burn line is past the midway point and regardless of how many retrohales I take, the creaminess begins to fade a bit, with dry wood sliding into the lead role for a few puffs. The finish is now much drier, with clay-rich earth coating my taste buds and just a bit of pepper for some added tingle. Construction remains very good on the whole, though two cigars see the burn line begin to shovel a bit. Flavor is medium-plus, body is medium-full, and strength has inched up into medium territory.

The final third of the La Palina KB 2022 TAA Exclusive carries on what was developing at the end of the second third, though there is a bit of creaminess returning to the profile, and as I noted earlier, when there is creaminess in the profile the end result is all that much better. Retrohales are still at the ready with more earth and pepper for whenever I feel like amping up the profile a few notches and shifting it back to the more robust side of the spectrum. The further I get into the final third, the more it becomes clear that the transitions seem to be done, as the Honduran terroir has firmly planted itself in the driver’s seat, with creaminess seemingly left back in the second third. The burn line has a tendency to get a bit uneven in this section, nothing that a quick touch-up can’t fix but it’s not the best look prior to that touch-up. The final inch of the cigar has a tendency to get hot and sharp on the taste buds, though thankfully it’s not an experience I get with all of the cigars. Flavor finishes up at the medium mark, body is medium-plus, and strength is medium-plus. Construction remains very good with plenty of smoke and an easy draw, though there are sporadic issues with the burn line not always being even.

Final Notes

• La Palina originally announced the name of the cigar as the “Kill Bill TXX,” but changed it to TAA. The company declined to discuss why the name has changed.
• The subtle layering of colors on the band’s upper portion is quite nice, especially the shiny and matte versions of blood droplets.

• The above is one of my favorite things to find on the back of a cigar band.
• To keep talking about the band, the phrase Kill Bill is printed in Japanese Kanji characters, at least according to Google Lens. The software also translated La Palina as the post from Spanish, even though Google Translate didn’t provide any translation for that phrase.
• La Palina was named for Goldie Drell Paley, wife of Samuel Paley, who founded the original Congress Cigar Co. in 1896, and who produced La Palina as the factory’s first cigar range.
• While I didn’t find much nicotine strength in the cigar while smoking, once I put it down I could feel some hitting my system.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 35 minutes on average.
• Site sponsor Corona Cigar Co. carries the La Palina KB 2022 TAA Exclusive.