Cigar Reveal #148

Tabacalera La Isla
FACTORY REVEAL

If you've been with us long enough you know by now the huge difference between smoking blind and smoking a cigar from a brand you already know. Blind tasting's are an essential piece of learning the craft and discovering the cigars you truly love, not the one's they tell you to love. This month we wanted to experiment with taking your blind tasting experience a bit further. Smoking one brand's cigars can be a bit misleading, because if they aren't producing their own cigars (most aren't), then often they are using multiple factories for their cigars, resulting in a totally different experience from one of their lines to another. So we thought, what if instead of smoking one cigar from the company's porfolio, we blind smoked a cigar from the factory themselves? This would give us a much better representation of 

It's our pleasure to introduce you to Hostos Fernandez of Tabacalera La Isla. Hostos is only 38 years old, and has only owned his factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic, for a couple years, but coming from a cigar family he has over 25 years of cigar producing experience. This includes over twenty years working with his uncle, legendary cigar man Manolo Quesada of Quesada Cigars, whose tobacco lineage goes back to the 1800s. 

He launched his factory in 2020, saying, "I just thought it was time to take a swing. I don't want to turn 60 without having done this. It's now or never."

Of the cigar he blended for Standard & Twain (#148), he said, "We believe it's a very tasty cigar. We were very intersted when we came up with the blend because it has a lot of sweetness to it but at the same time has some strength that will not overpower it too much so you can taste the nuance of flavors." 

Along with being an expert cigar maker, Hostos (as you'll no doubt see in his video) is a great guy and very enjoyable to work with. If you enjoy this smoke, you'll want to seek out the other brands coming from Tabacalera La Isla, which include highly acclaimed smokes like Matilde (Limited Exposure Series), Warped (Chinchalle + Companion de Warped), and La Sirena (Mexican Mermaid). 

Let us know what you think about the Factory Reveal - it was our pleasure to introduce  you to Hostos and his team at Tabacalera La Isla! 


Loved this cigar and looking for more? Find more here and take advantage of our members-only pricing!

Tabacalera La Isla
Anatomy

  • Nicaragua +
    Dominican Republic
  • Criollo '98

  • Corojo

Tabacalera La Isla
Flavor Notes

First Third

Bread

Espresso

Cedar

Bread

Espresso

Cedar

Second Third

Mixed Nuts

Cedar

Molasses

Mixed Nuts

Cedar

Molasses

Final Third

Black Coffee

Floral

Black Pepper

Black Coffee

Floral

Black Pepper

Reviews + Notes

The Styled Stogie

Great looking cigar. Seems to be well constructed. Pigtail cap. Musty and earthy scent on the body with a hint of vinegar. Earth and dried cherries on the foot. White pepper and dried apricot is what I’m getting from the cold draw. After lighting, very rich smoke with a creamy palate texture. Getting some spice and Italian herbs. Everything changes after about 10 minutes. Getting a little darker with coffee bean now. It really lingers on the palate. Rich espresso. Molasses. Very full. Before the 1st ends it starts to brighten up more with some cedar. The cedar remains going into the second third. It now has a vegetal sweetness with a mineral aspect. Palate texture has changed. Reminds me of a mineral water without the carbonation. A little more viscous but not quite creamy. The mineral taste quickly fades and becomes floral. Now the espresso is coming back as well. After getting a quick glimpse of maple and lychee, the mineral is back with the precious cedar note. As I get into the final third, the cedar quickly becomes oak and the mineral is now gone completely. The coffee been is back as well. Immediately after that I get chocolate mouse and amaretto. It finishes off with high percentage dark chocolate. Wonderful last third. Probably the best final third I’ve had in awhile. 


This one scored a well-deserved 92 for me. It smoked incredibly well, especially since I smoked it outside in 85% humidity. The ash held on until the direct middle of the cigar. High dynamic level with great complexity and medium in strength. 


This would pair well with a dark chocolate latte with a side of medjool dates.