Initial Thoughts
I hadn’t heard of GPC before getting this stick. I believe Siz got this from Gary (Emilio Cigars) at a local event here and then gave to me to review. Naturally, I was excited to try this (new to me) stick and see what was behind this wrapper!
On GPC’s website they describe the idea of creating this cigar as ‘Fina Fuerte,’ which translates to ‘Fine Strength.’ By now, you know I love a full flavor, especially from Nicaragua, so this cigar sounds like it’ll be right up my alley.
Looks
After reading a bit more about this 1502 Emerald, it sounds like it was meant to be box pressed. With this particular stick, however, the foot half was a soft box press while the head half remained rounded. It was interesting and it could just have happened while being transported.
The Corojo Habano wrapper was a light brown color with a reddish tint to it. No veins, no soft spots and no seams were found upon first gaze. There was a subtle double cap on the head and the foot was left unfinished with the wrapper draping itself over the exposed filler.
Given the ‘Emerald’ name, the band on this cigar was green in color and bore a gold, center emblem with a Columbus-era cross (like what would be flying on a mast of the Santa Maria). On top of the emblem were old looking numbers, ‘1502’ and below the emblem in a fancy font was ‘Emerald.’The bottom left of the emblem read ‘HANDMADE’ and on the bottom left, ‘NICARAGUA.’ I also noticed a nice gold pinstripe on the top and bottom of the band and on the backside there was a small gold seal, which simply stated ‘GPC.’
Function
I didn’t pick up much scent at all from the wrapper. If anything, maybe a little hay. On the foot, not much scent either…just a little spice.
I clipped the double cap with my Palio cutter and took in the cold draw, which was a perfect medium. The taste was mainly floral with some cedar and a dry leaves taste.
I couldn’t wait to light this 1502 Emerald up!
Smoking
I toasted the unfinished foot and the extra wrapper took the flame and fairly immediately burned off. For the first couple minutes or so after the cigar got going, the burn was a little uneven, which I thought was probably due to the extra wrapper on the foot. Soon after, the burn evened out perfectly and continued on that way.
As for the ash on the 1502 Emerald, it was as if there was a timer on it. It held on for the entire 1st third and then dropped. Same thing with the 2nd third. A little over an inch and a half of ash on each third and it was tight and a white/charcoal color.
The aroma from the actual smoke came off as a burnt leaves smell, like a campfire in the fall. There was a medium amount of white smoke.
Out of the final third and into the nub the ash held on for quite a while. The burn was cool and even as well.
Flavor
After lighting and taking the few initial puffs, there was an explosion of flavor, almost all floral. Wow. It was like a dozen roses had suddenly bloomed inside my mouth! Not only did the floral taste come out strong in the draw, it left a very strong aftertaste for days on the back of my throat (that’s what she said). There was also a really nice spice in the retrohale of this 1502 Emerald.
Halfway through the first third some nuttiness showed up. I was surprised at how much flavor this 1502 Emerald was putting off and I loved it.
The 2nd third introduced a sweetness that went along amazingly with the already present floral, nut and spiciness. Each draw was very creamy too. The spice in the retrohale was awesome!
There wasn’t too much change in flavor, it just stayed consistent the entire way through the cigar and there was more and more of it as the stick burned down. I caught myself shaking my head every time I drew the smoke in because the flavor was just that damn good!
The foundation of the flavor was definitely the floral and then with the nuttiness, spice and cream, it was a perfect balance. The flavor remained amazing down through the nub and it was never too hot. I burned my finger on the nub (first time I’ve ever done that) because I didn’t want to put this cigar down – it was that good.
Is It An Every Day Smoke?
Abso-freakin-lutely.
Would I Buy A Box?
Hell yes I would.
Conclusion
I was literally blown away by the amazing flavor of this 1502 Emerald! It was full flavored with a medium strength and the flavor kept getting better and better. With all this raving about the flavor, keep in mind I love a full-flavored cigar and this may be too much for some people. I thought it was perfect.
To the folks at GPC: thank you for making such an enjoyable cigar! I can’t wait to try the two other 1502 lines after having this savory experience with the Emerald.
