IPCPR Cigar Gran Apertura Tradicionales Belicoso

[TommyBB]

Happy Wednesday, good people.
Tonight my pleasure is to bring you thoughts on the Global Marketing Distributors' Gran Apertura Tradicionales Belicoso.

The Gran Apertura brand is billed as a "Boutique line by GMD Group." Trey Harris, live2fish of Cigar Weekly, gave me this cigar. It's made in the Dominican Republic at Tabacalera el Artista (TEA) founded in 1956 by Ramón Rodriguez in the Cibao Valley. TEA is involved in the process of cigarmaking from seed to finished product and makes cigars for any number of brands; it's one of three tabacaleras making cigars for GMD.

Gran Apertura comes in two lines: Gran Apertura Habano R which has Dominican binder and filler blend wrapped by an Ecuadoran Habano wrapper, and available in five sizes.

Gran Apertura Tradicionales which I smoke tonight. This line has a filler blend of Olor Dominicano and Criollo 98, with a Olor Dominicano binder leaf and an Ecuadoran Connecticut shade wrapper. The promotional literature indicates that this is a bright cigar, with sweetness, pepper, and "woody notes and the flavor of freshly baked bread, fruit and spicy nuances." Their by-word is balance.

As I draw on the cut end of the belicoso, which measures at 5½ inches by 52, I get the sweetness immediately. The wrapper is comely enough, but with a couple veins; it lights quite nicely with two matches, one to toast and one to light. There is an immediate sensation of pepper spice on the lips, within the first two puffs. Right at the outset it looks like it MAY want to tunnel up one side, but it's early doors, yet.

While not yet caught up, the entire foot is now burning properly, and yet again, putting out a great deal of smoke which smells a little of cedar, again, as the manufacturer promised.

Edit 1.
One inch in, and the tunneling issue is COMPLETELY corrected, all on its own. This thing is burning beautifully sharp and straight. Despite the Dominican tobacco comprising most of this cigar, there is a lump in my throat, this thing is bold! The finish, to this point, is just enough to remind me I'm smoking a cigar. The smoke is still generous and full.
Yet the flavor is subtle and not overpowering.

Edit 2.
I'm noticing some lightheadedness. Many here, would enjoy this cigar, immensely. Joel Vazquez-Marrero, of Marrero Cigars indicated that a lot of folks would be surprised by some of these cigars with the Ecuadoran Connecticut shade wrapper leaf around a more stout blend. He's right on the mark, even if he wasn't talking about this cigar in particular! The cedar flavor is becoming more pronounced and this is, to me, a pleasant development, and a changing complexity as I smoke farther down the cigar.

Edit 3.
Cedar notes are receding a little, in favor of a more woody flavor. I may have to stand up slowly once I finish. I've just reached the first, small "Tradicionales" band.

Edit 4
Probably my last update. Yes, this thing has some strength, the sweetness is back in a big way as I begin to approach the "belicoso taper" and the ash is the longest it's been on the cigar. I've had it resting on the edge of the table, so the ash has fallen regularly, but not too often. As it nears the end, I have to smoke it more gently to keep it from being hotter than it should be.


This is a solid

Thank you Trey, live2fish.