La Corona Regios Tubos

📌 Brand: La Corona

📌 Line: Regius Tubos

📌 Size: Corona(5 ½ × 42)

📌 Weight: 6.5g

📌 Age: Pre-1960

📌 Origin: Cuba

‍ ‍Tasting Notes

• Aged Cedar – Delicate, dry woodiness with the unmistakable character of mature Cuban tobacco

• Leather – Soft, earthy richness with a slightly dusty finish

• Toasted Almonds – Gentle nuttiness bringing warmth to the profile

• Black Tea – Subtle tannic notes with a dry, slightly woody aftertaste

‍ ‍First Impressions

Smoking a Cuban cigar from before 1960 is always a special occasion, and the La Corona Regius Tubos certainly carries plenty of history. This is a cigar from an entirely different era, produced long before the modern Cuban cigar industry became what we know today. There is something fascinating about holding a cigar that has survived for more than six decades, knowing how much the world has changed since it was originally rolled. The presentation is wonderfully old-fashioned, with the traditional aluminium tube giving it that classic vintage Cuban character. The wrapper has the delicate, slightly faded appearance you would expect from tobacco of this age, and the overall impression is one of history rather than modern perfection. Pre-light aromas are subtle, offering aged cedar, old leather, dried tobacco, and a faint nuttiness. Nothing particularly powerful, but that is hardly surprising after so many years. The real question is whether the cigar still has enough life left in it to deliver an enjoyable smoking experience.

Smoking Experience

- First Third – Opens gently with aged cedar, dry leather, and a delicate toasted almond character. The flavours are noticeably softer than those of a modern Cuban cigar, with very little pepper or aggressive spice. There is a pleasant old-tobacco character that makes the experience interesting, although the overall intensity is quite restrained. Unfortunately, the burn is not particularly cooperative from the beginning, requiring some attention to keep things moving properly.

- Second Third – Black tea and slightly earthy notes begin to emerge, bringing a little more depth to the cedar and leather foundation. The flavours remain subtle, with occasional hints of natural sweetness, but there is not a great deal of development. The biggest frustration is the combustion. An uneven burn and the need for a relight interrupt the experience, making it difficult to settle into what should have been a relaxed vintage smoke. With tobacco this old, I can appreciate that perfect performance is never guaranteed, but it still affects the enjoyment.

- Final Third – The profile becomes slightly drier, with cedar, leather, black tea, and toasted nuts dominating. There is still something enjoyable about the mature tobacco character, but the flavours begin to feel a little tired rather than gaining intensity. The burn continues to demand attention, and the inconsistent combustion takes away from the finish. It remains an interesting cigar to experience, but not one that delivers the level of satisfaction its age and history might suggest.

Pairings

- Alcohol – Darroze Les Grands Assemblages 30 Year Old Bas-Armagnac - Mature oak, dried fruit, soft spice, and gentle sweetness make this a particularly suitable companion for such an old Cuban cigar. Its complexity complements the aged cedar and leather without overwhelming the delicate tobacco flavours.

- Tea – Aged Fuding Gong Mei White Tea (China) - Soft woody notes, dried fruit sweetness, and a mellow earthy character work beautifully alongside the cigar's restrained profile. An aged white tea feels especially appropriate for a cigar where maturity and subtlety are central to the experience.

Music Pairing

“Cry to Me” – Solomon Burke Warm - expressive, and beautifully understated, making it a fitting companion for the final third of a cigar where the experience is as much about appreciating the past as enjoying the flavours.

Final Thoughts

La Corona Regius Tubos is one of those cigars where the historical significance is almost as important as the smoking experience itself. Having the opportunity to smoke a Cuban cigar from before 1960 is something I genuinely appreciate, and there is a certain pleasure in experiencing tobacco that has survived for more than six decades. The flavours are delicate and mature, with aged cedar, leather, toasted almonds, and black tea creating a restrained but interesting profile. It is certainly not a powerful cigar, nor does it offer the kind of pronounced transitions I would expect from a well-performing modern blend. Instead, the appeal comes from its subtlety and the unmistakable character of very old tobacco. Unfortunately, the relight and persistent burn issues take away from the experience. I understand that a cigar of this age may not behave like a freshly produced one, particularly when its storage history is uncertain, but I still have to judge what actually happened during the smoke rather than what I hoped it would deliver. A fascinating piece of Cuban cigar history and an experience I am pleased to have had, but ultimately more memorable for its age and heritage than for its overall smoking performance.

Final Score: 6/10

Why not a 10? The cigar suffered from a relight and inconsistent burning, interrupting the experience and preventing the delicate aged flavours from being enjoyed properly. Its historical significance is undeniable, but the smoking performance did not justify a higher score.

Only cigars that deliver flawless draw, balance, flavour evolution, construction and satisfaction get a 10.