I picked this cigar up on a whim from a great B&M in downtown Chicago, Jack Schwarz Importers. I liked the size of the cigar, Im a big corona fan. I had also heard of Buena Vista cigars although they arent that common... More info is available here:
www.buenavistacigar.com . Price was around 7 bucks.
Their take on their cigars is: For several years we have searched the Western Hemisphere to find the one location that most resembles and replicates the famous Pinar del Rio tobacco-growing region of Cuba. Our research resulted in a small valley located in Ecuador, where the soil content, the daily temperatures, and the atmospheric conditions all combine to deliver a tobacco leaf that we feel mirrors identically, the world’s most desired tobacco — CUBAN.
My take on their cigars: A beautifully wrapped and triple-capped corona, this cigar certainly looked the part, even down to a slight rust color in the wrapper. The cigar had some barnyard/hay smells, and pre-light draw had musty undertones. Off the light there was a massive dark chocolate smack - not sour or bitter, just chocolatey... kind of like the 85% dark chocolate you find in the gourmet aisle. Undertones of cedar and pepper also accompanied the dark chocolate. The flavors were very chewy and lingered nicely after each puff. The smoke was fairly linear until the 1/2 mark, where some bitter/sour notes crept in. A purge addressed them for a little bit, but by the 2/3 mark it was a chore to power through. Id classify this cigar as medium bodied.
I liked it enough to recommend it, its not identical to a Cuban as its missing the sweet earthiness of a Havana, but it certainly tasted good. I can still taste the chocolate and wood notes an hour after extinguishing! Just smoke one to make sure you like it before you buy a box!