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Initial Thoughts
The Luchador! What an interesting name for a cigar. I think I can safely say when most of us hear the word Luchador we think of Rey Mysterio Jr. flying through the air on WWE’s Monday Night RAW. Am I wrong? Maybe I’m the only one that watched that show, who knows. Anywho, this is a different kind of Luchador. This is Sam Leccia’s 3rd line, released in 2014 on May 5th, or as some of you may know it, Cinco de Mayo.
The product development team must have been really inspired by Mexico. There are quite a few Mexican orientated themes going on with this cigar. The band is filled with colors of the Mexican flag. The wrapper is from the San Andres region of Mexico. Lest we forget it was released on Cinco de Mayo. I think my personal favorite Mexican theme are the names of vitolas that the Luchador is available in:
El Hombre – 5×54
El Castigo – 6×60
El Guapo – 6×50
Loco Perfecto – 6 x 58.
How can you not love a vitola named Loco Perfecto? Well today we’re reviewing the El Hombre. So I think it’s about time we dive right in!
Looks
I’ve already alluded to the fact that the band is full of Mexico’s colors: red, white & green. The band is actually a Luchador mask. The detail in the mask is phenomenal. My favorite part of the band is the black L and small T that stands for Leccia Tobacco. The curly ends of the L extend and act as eyes in the Luchador mask. A little creepy, but mainly awesome. Also, the flaps of the mask that usually cover the wrestler’s cheeks look to be tobacco leaves. Like I said, quite a bit of detail that you might not normally find in other bands.
The San Andres wrapper on this Sam Leccia Luchador is gorgeous. A nice dark and oily wrapper. Fairly toothy and rustic looking. It looks like it’s been weathering out in the sun and then someone sprayed some Armor-All on it to get it shined up. Sounds appetizing right?
The cap on the cigar looks similar to flag cap, but I’ve seen it described as a nipple cap as well. So I guess it’s really just whatever you want to call it. I like flag caps better, so that’s what I’m going to call it. It gives the cigar a nice bit of flair on top of what the band already offers.
Function
Taking a look up and down the barrel of the Sam Leccia Luchador I notice one rather large seam towards the foot of the cigar. Other than that the construction looks perfect. It’s interesting looking at the wrapper you can see how thick the actual leaf is. It appears to be thicker than most wrappers that I’ve seen.
I clip the flag cap off and test the dry draw. Fantastic amount of air coming through the barrel. Not too loose, and not too stiff either. The rest of the cigar passes the pre-game inspection so it’s time to put some fire to it.
Smoking
I break out the handy Xikar Stratosphere torch and set the foot aflame. The smoke just starts pouring off this cigar. I honestly wasn’t expecting that much smoke. I had to go and open the garage door to let some of it escape. This Sam Leccia Luchador starts off great and is burning nice and even all the way through the first third.
The second third continues the trend. I end holding the ash for just over an inch before I knock it off. It’s a nice solid ash. I love the burn lines in the ash they appear to be an 1/8″ in length and fairly even throughout. To me, that’s a sign of great construction. Every time I see an ash like that I’ve never had an issue with the construction or smoking experience with the cigar. I think it’s time we jump into the flavors and see what we get.
Flavor
The pre light nosing of this Sam Leccia Luchador brings out a nice barnyard and hay like note. I don’t get any spice on the foot which is surprising considering all the ligero leaf used in the filler. Once I get the cigar lit, it’s a whole different story. That spice hits you right in the face, and man is it awesome. There’s a thick dose of black pepper followed with a nice savory note of char. I likened it to laying a slab of meat on a piece of hickory and slow smoking it. Those two notes battle back and forth all the way through the first third.
During the 2nd third the spice dissipates and lets the savory note take over. There is a bit of sweetness during the 2nd third which allows my palate to reset and calm down after that initial blast of spice. It’s just prepping you ready for the final third.
The final third is what separates this cigar. I get hit again with the spice, the savory and the sweetness all rolling together. There are just waves of flavors hitting all throughout this last section of the cigar. Very entertaining and easy to enjoy. It’s a great way to end the cigar.
Would I Buy It Again?
Without a doubt.Is It an Every Day Smoke?
Possibly.Would I Buy a Box?
Yes, for the right price.Frequently Asked Questions
How strong is the Sam Leccia Luchador?
It’s got some muscle to it. The Luchador opens with a strong blast of black pepper and spice that Eric specifically wasn’t expecting — he mentioned the amount of ligero in the filler, which tends to push strength up. It mellows in the middle third but comes back with authority in the final third.
What are the flavor notes of the Sam Leccia Luchador?
The Luchador leads with black pepper and a savory, smoky char Eric compared to slow-smoking meat over hickory wood. The middle third brings some sweetness to let your palate breathe, and the final third brings all three — spice, savory, and sweet — rolling together in waves.
Where can I buy the Sam Leccia Luchador?
Eric suggests checking your local brick-and-mortar cigar shop — he specifically says to grab a couple if you spot them at your hometown store. Beyond that, most online cigar retailers that carry Sam Leccia’s lines should have them.
How much does the Sam Leccia Luchador cost?
The Sam Leccia Luchador runs around $8 a stick, which Eric found compelling enough to say yes to buying a whole box at the right price.
What bourbon pairs well with the Sam Leccia Luchador?
Eric didn’t pair this one with a specific bourbon in his review, but check the pairing section below — given the big spice and smoky savory profile, there are some solid options worth considering.
Where to Buy Sam Leccia Luchador
Average retail: ~$8 per stick. Prices vary by retailer.
| Retailer | Price | Availability | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Famous Smoke Shop | ~$8/stick | ✅ In Stock | Shop Now → |
| Cigars International | ~$8/stick | ⚠️ Check Stock | Shop Now → |
| Amazon (samplers) | Varies | ✅ Available | Search Amazon → |
Stogies on the Rocks may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Best Bourbon Pairings for the Sam Leccia Luchador
As a full-bodied, high-strength Nicaraguan torpedo, the Cojonu 2006 demands a bourbon with presence. Here are our top three pairings based on complementary flavor profiles.
#1 — Russell’s Reserve
Russell’s Reserve’s soft caramel and vanilla backbone gives your palate somewhere to land between the Luchador’s waves of black pepper and smoky char — it smooths out the ride without stepping on the cigar’s punch.
Buy on ReserveBar → Read Our Review →#2 — Knob Creek 9 Year
Knob Creek 9 Year brings its own bold, slightly oaky character that can go toe-to-toe with the Luchador’s spice-forward opening and hold up through that savory, char-heavy first third.
Buy on ReserveBar → Read Our Review →#3 — Buffalo Trace
Buffalo Trace’s lighter sweetness and subtle spice complement the Luchador’s middle-third sweetness nicely, giving you a moment to enjoy the softer side of this cigar before the final third fires back up.
Buy on ReserveBar → Read Our Review →Pairing suggestions based on the Stogies on the Rocks flavor profile scoring system. Browse all bourbon reviews →
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Conclusion
I wasn’t sure what I would think of this cigar, but it turns out I really enjoyed it. The flavor really sets it apart, of course the branding helps that as well. I love how the flavors shifted gears between the different sections. It makes it seem like 3 unique smoking experiences which was fun to wade through. So if you see these Sam Leccia Luchadors running around your hometown store make sure and grab a couple! I have a feeling you won’t be disappointed.
