Redux: La Caridad del Cobre Javelin Maduro

Last year, after the conclusion of Lancero50, I reviewed a prerelease version of the newest La Caridad del Cobre, the Javelin Maduro. The Javelin was unlike the fifty Lanceros that I had reviewed from April to May, most notably in shape.

Here’s how I described the cigar last year:

A few months ago I made a half-hearted request for a La Caridad del Cobre Lancero, too bad Frank Herrera already had an idea. Frank’s father, who passed away twelve years ago, was a javelin thrower on the Cuban National Team. The cigar is called Jabalina, the Spanish word for javelin, and it looks like one. Frank had the rollers at Luis Sanchez’s La Tradicion Cubana make a double torpedoed free-rolled Lancero. This means no molds and two pointy caps for those that were a bit confused by the jargon. To put it lightly, the cigar is a pain in the ass to roll, very time-consuming and very difficult. The Javelin, like Frank’s core lines, will be offered in two wrapper choices, Pennsylvania Broadleaf and Ecuador. (The Broadleaf is a change from the Brazilian Arapiraca that I prefer that makes up the La Charada line.)

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And the particulars.

• Cigar Reviewed: La Caridad del Cobre Javelin Maduro
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera LTC
• Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
• Binder: Criollo 98
• Filler: Dominican & Nicaraguan
• Size: 7 1/4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 38
• Vitola: Lancero Perfecto
• Est. Price: $7.00 (Boxes of 10, $70.00)
• Date Released: July 2011
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Redux: 1

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In the sun, the Pennsylvania Broadleaf glows with great reds. The veins are thick, the wrapper is full of oils and the shape is great. Aroma off the Javelin is medium with a good amount of hearty big leather and dark grass. It’s a great smell. Cold draw is predictably tight with bits of earth, hickory and a orange peel; smooth and medium. After what is to this day the most awkward of lighting experiences, the Javelin gets going with a sweet Dominican cocoa over a core of cedar before a plethora of black pepper engulfs the back of the palate. It’s medium-full and still quite potent.

The Javeln features heavy notes of cedar, cocoa, pepper, leather and hints of orange peel, fruits, wine and creaminess. It’s big and bold. Draw still remains one of the more unique experiences in the cigar world and is consistent throughout. Strength is medium-plus, a bit edgy and in my opinion the strongest of Frank Herrera’s offerings. The only construction concern is the smoke production, which requires a bit of attention.

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The Bottom Line: Back in July, I thought the cigar, which was scheduled to be released in October of that year, needed more time. Time has been quite the blessing and the cigar is now right in line with the rest of the La Caridad del Cobre line: medium-plus in strength, medium-full in body and rich in flavor. La Caridad del Cobre continues to be one of my favorite brands because of the ease in which the complexity comes through. For me, Javelin isn’t the easiest to enjoy, but it’s unlike anything else on the market in many ways. Unfortunately, it’s also near impossible to find.

Final Score: 90