La Finca

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La Finca

La Finca - 1Brand: La Finca
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 4.50 Inches
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
County of Origin: Nicaragua

Up for review this week we have yet another bargain priced cigar to continue the trend, the La Finca Robusto. The La Finca is a Nicaraguan Puro which came into production in 1972 and is produced by Nicaraguan-American Tobacco S.A. (Sociedad Anonima). The NATSA company doesn’t appear to have much in terms of available information but it appears they also make cigars such as Flor de Farach, Jose Marti, and Remideos.

Pre Light Inspection:
At a glance through the cellophane sleeve my thought was that this was a pretty decent looking cigar. After I pulled it from its sleeve and handled it a bit my first impression was reassured. The wrapper was the color of worn leather and consistent from head to foot. I found a single patch at the half way point which was consistent with the wrapper color and difficult to see without looking for it. Its slight wrinkled look gave it away.

During handling I found that the wrapper leaf had a sandy sort of texture to it. When pinched the cigar was firm and felt as if it were well packed with tobacco. The leaf which made up the cap appeared to be neatly applied and was firmly in place. Even after a quick snip with my scissors it remained firmly seated without loosening up. After a couple quick test puffs I found the draw to be a little on the loose side. It produced a mild nutty flavor that was an interesting way to start things off.

First Third:
La Finca - 4
After a quick toast and light I had my La Finca evenly lit and producing clouds of dense smoke. Throughout the initial part of the cigar the first word to come to mind is FAST. This cigar seems to have a fast burm which doesn’t seem to be getting unpleasant and hot but definitely got my attention. After just fifteen minutes of smoking I had an ash that was about an inch long.

The burn line itself was thin and even producing a firm, light colored ash. The body was in the medium range and left me with a slightly dry sensation on my palate. There was a quick and sharp spice to the smoke that I was enjoying while letting the smoke drift from my mouth. When passed through my sinuses it was a little much for my liking but not too over the top. The base flavor was nutty with a pepper flavor as an aftertaste.

Second Third:
La Finca - 5
As I puffed away on my La Finca I quickly found myself well into the second third. The burn rate was still fast but remained cool and even. The burn line was thin and produced a nice volume of dense smoke that filled the room with a medium aroma that I did not find offensive. The draw seemed to pick up little resistance along the way. This was probably due to a little expansion of the filler from the lit foot of the cigar.

The body picked up slightly but remained in the medium range. The finish continued to be a touch dry and provided a quick spicy zing that ticked the back of my throat. The base flavor remained nutty and peppery while picking up a mild leather flavor that stood out after a sip of cool water.

Final Third:
La Finca - 6
After about 90 minutes of smoking (I know it seems like a long time, but I am a s-l-o-w smoker) my La Finca was coming to a close. As the stick got shorter and shorter it was easily becoming hot and unpleasant. The burn rate still seemed fast even after reducing my smoking speed by about half to try and manage the overheating. The burn line remained thin and even while still producing a good volume of dense smoke. The ash remained firm and compacted but began to turn dark while the draw was beginning to loosen up once again.

The body remained in the medium range and continued to produce a dry feeling on my palate. The base flavor changed up a bit and became woody with a spicy and peppery background. The flavors were tough to keep consistent due to the cigar heating up easily at this point. After one puff the flavors were nice, then a second puff at too short an interval made the flavors turn rough and slightly harsh. This made the cigar a little harder to enjoy towards the nub.

Overall Impression:
In the end I was happy with this cigar. The burn was surprisingly fast but for the most part remained cool and enjoyable. The flavors weren’t interesting enough to grasp my attention and keep me focused on solely the cigar, but they were certainly nice enough to sit down and enjoy while typing up this review. I don’t know if I would run out and buy a box of La Fincas tomorrow but I would definitely pick them up if I found a little extra cash and wanted to pick up decent, yet inexpensive box of smokes.





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17 thoughts on “La Finca

  1. Thanks for the review Walt. I’m sure it’s going to be a little more difficult without Jerry, financially and time wise, to maintain the site. You guys do a great job with the site and the video reviews really do separate you from the pack.

  2. I bought a bundle of these from JR and did not really like them that much. Cigar Jack, if you want a stick or 5, let me know, I can send you some.

  3. Hey Walt, why don’t you check out some of the reviews on the SR Fan Forum. May be you can even have prizes for people that submit nice serious reviews. Just some food for thought.As always, another nice review.

  4. Call me crazy, but this is my all-time favorite cigar for the price. I have been smoking these for years and they never have disappointed. I gave them a GoldenMonkey Award for the quality, burn and taste. You can find them on my site for $1.80 a stick. If you mention this review, I will thrown in a free cutter.

    1. Dan, I to have smoked alot of these cigars. I buy them in
      the 50 Cal. ammo boxes thru JR. This week i was playing golf and
      smoking a La fica, when i noticed a stem sticking up thru the
      cigar, so i pulled on it and out comes a bent up nail??? Just a
      little smaller than a 6 penny nail. Like a box nail. I’m thinking
      what the F— is this. What are they sweeping the floor and rolling
      the remnants up or what. I show my buddies in the group and they
      couldn’t believe it either. So i think i need to find another
      bargan brand.

  5. I bought a box of La Fincas around ten years ago. Easily
    the worst cigar I have ever smoked. From the first puff to the
    last–when I could soldier through to the end–a harsh and
    graceless smoke. I celebrated my 50th year of cigar-smoking in
    2012. Trust me. I know a bad stick when I light one

  6. Dennis, I once found a three-inch wire in a cigar. Let’s face it, the nail probably made that La Finca taste better than the others.

  7. I know this is an older review and am not sure if anyone will read it but I feel compelled to throw my experience into the fray. I have been smoking cigars for about 16 years now. I have quite a large humidor stocked with high end brands, Opus X, Rocky Patels etc. which I enjoy immensely.

    La Fincas were one of the first ones that I tried. I was new at it and found them to be ok but not wonderful. I had forgotten about 2 that I left in my humidor and a little over a year later was looking for a quick smoke to have with a friend. I saw the La Fincas and grabbed them thinking that they were one of the larger sizes but we could snuff them out when we got sick of them. Well, they were actually very good! We ended up smoking them for almost 2 hours. What came to me was that I let them sit and age a bit. S

    So, make along story even longer. Ever since then I have bought a box or two and cycle them through for a year. It takes patience which is hard for me but the reward is a cheap puro that is a perfect utility cigar. They become a decent mid range cigar.

    They are not for everyone but I like the peppery flavor that is mellowed after the aging. The draw is good although fast as noted above. I have other utility cigars around but La Finca is one that I like.

    Not questioning anyone’s integrity but having watched rollers many time and find it hard to believe that a nail could “sneak” in.

    If can find properly aged ones, or care to wait a year. They are worth it.

    just my two cents.

  8. One of my favorite go to cigars when money is tight. Good smoke for the money. Have smoked 500 to 600 of these and 95% of them were good and decent

  9. La Fincas definitely get better with age….been smoking these for 20+ years. Great cigar for washing the car, yard work and the golf course.

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