Patina Limited Edition 2024 was an impulse purchase for me earlier this year while looking at the what’s new section of Small Batch Cigar.
To be honest there are a lot of people who never heard of Patina Cigars, especially when you leave the online community. Like many of us. brand owner Mo Maali started smoking in a social setting where cigars were a barrier breaker. Sitting in a lounge talking to new people, or escaping on a two hour vacation or being alone with your thoughts in a cost-effective psychiatric session led to the creation of Patina. I think this reasoning is something the majority of cigar smokes can relate to.
The name Patina stems from an oxidation process that, over time, produces a green film over bronze or copper and the cigars are made at Nicaraguan American Cigars S.A. (NACSA) factory. The limited edition is limited to just 500 boxes of 10 cigars and is available in one size only.
Cigar Review: Patina Limited Edition 2024
Size: (5 x 54) (Robusto)
Wrapper: U.S.A. Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Mexican San Andres
Fillers: Nicaragua, U.S.A.
Factory: Nicaragua American Cigars S.A. (NACSA)
Release Date: November 2024
Production: Limited (500 Boxes)
Box Count: 10
The Cigar: I always advocate that you can’t smoke the band but there is something about the regular production Patina bands that I find attractive. Thus when I received my Patina Limited Edition 2024 I was a little surprised by the band with its green and turquoise appearance with white text denoting Patina 2024. Without the copper foil the band has a bit of a bundle look to it. As far as the cigar goes, the wrapper is a near perfect representation of Connecticut Broadleaf with its dark gritty appearance and some subtle oils with a subtle brindling. Under the fingers its like fine sandpaper with no voids of tobacco though the foot looks like it is underfilled and more spongy than I would like.
The Taste: The cold draw has a mineral like component to it with bits of earth and espresso while the aroma from the foot has more minerals and charcoal to it. Once the cigar is toasted and lit which felt like it took forever there is an abundance of marshmallow fluff which quickly fades away.
As we settle into the first third there is an abundance of espresso notes with nuances of marshmallow fluff that linger just enough for me to hope they make a return. As the first third comes to a close the cigar has a creme component to it with continued espresso and a touch of leather. The retrohale enhances the espresso with a hint of dark chocolate.
Moving into the second third a touch of vanilla and honey appears every now and then but the cigar continues to remain heavy on espresso with dark chocolate making its way to the palate. Crossing over the halfway point leather begins to emerge on the palate which lingers but is still relatively short but growing. As the second third comes to close notes of leather start to intensify while the retrohale adds some additional honey notes with red pepper.
As we move into the final third some bread notes begin to emerge with mocha becoming the focal point with nuances of rye. The flavor change in the final third is quite iconic and it makes me sad to know this experience is soon about to come to a close. As we remove the band I have to slow down my smoking cadence to enjoy the subtleties of the cigar as a slight increase made the cigar a bit leathery. When this happened I sat the cigar down for a minute and picked it back up with the mocha returning. The last couple of puffs saw the addition of cinnamon. As far the retrohale the final third saw increased pepper.
Conclusion: I wish more people knew about Patina cigars. I am tired of telling some Patina and they say they loved the Goldie only for me to tell them, no, not La Palina… Patina. The brand is made at NACSA which also makes cigars for Crowned Heads and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust so if those cigars are in your wheelhouse you owe it to yourself to try Patina.
Founded in 2017, Patina released their 5th Anniversary cigar in 2023 (go ahead, do the math). Now that you did the math and you are scratching your head, this is consider on-time in the latin culture that exists at least in my head. That cigar utilized the same tobaccos as this LE though it was a different size.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record I have a problem with the price tag, but I can’t fault Patina for this as it the new normal. Thankfully for you box buyers Patina Limited Edition 2024 being a 10 count box makes it an absolute no brainer.
Score: 95
Price: $19.00 (Before any local or state taxes)
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