Bariay 1492 introduces themselves to the world like this on their website: “Bariay 1492 revives the lost art of Cuban cigar making through all natural chemical-free blends, our trade secret third fermentation aging, and full process control—from seed to box.” The brand and blends were developed be César Ramírez and they currently have two blends available, both of which they kindly sent to me for review…thank you!
The Bariay 1492 Red is a medium-bodied cigar using all Nicaraguan leaves for filler and binder (Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa) along with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. On the site, Ramírez is quoted as saying “Many have told me this is the best cigar they’ve ever had.”
The wrapper leaf was a medium brown with a tinge or red in it. It had a decent amount of oiliness under my fingertips and a clean cedar aroma to it. The cold draw had just a little bit of snugness but a pretty great flavor, with a touch of sweetness and baking spice. True to the online notes, it does begin with a solidly medium-body, notes of baking spice, cedar, light honey, and black pepper all rolling around. As I puffed, it occurred to me that this smoked very reminiscent of Cuban cigars…not exactly in flavor, but in balance, strength, and body it is definitely Cubanesque. Personally, I would not say this is the best cigar I’ve ever had…but it is excellent and I would enjoy smoking it on a regular basis and I would love to taste how it works in a smaller ring gauge like a Corona or Corona Gorda.
