Coming at you straight from the smoke-filled conference center and the 2023 PCA Trade Show is a Connecticut Shade cigar that is all-new to the Klaro portfolio.

Produced by one of our favorite brands from the show, the La Palina "White Label" proved to be a pleasure to puff from start to finish. 

Why does it kick so much ass, you might ask? Let me count the ways...

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Unlit Impressions

As with the vast majority of the La Palina line (kick-ass "Kill Bill" Series excluded) labeling features a traditional female bust. And no, not that kind of bust you pervs. It's classy and slightly flashy, but nothing super memorable either.

More intriguing is the Honduran-grown, Connecticut-seed wrapper, which is pretty much flawless in appearance and feel, and comes filled with sweet aromatics. Clover honey, hay, and a tangy, twinge reminiscent of black currants all tickle the nostrils.

The foot is far darker smelling, with more of a buttered toffee undertone backed by touches of cedar.

Initial Smoke  

Mild as can be, and undeniably bright and sunny, the first section of this smoke is traditional Connecticut Shade tobacco at its peak. Slightly acidic, and grassy to an extent, there isn't much else to say save for the fact that the first ten minutes of combustion are ultra clean.

1st Half 

As things start to amp up, tastes of buttered toast, mild baking spices, and a bit of brown sugar start to surface. There's a tingle of white pepper and sweetgrass mixed in there too, along with a lovely aromatic that makes me think of Crape Myrtle mixed with wildflowers. 

2nd Half   

Right in the center of this cigar comes a honeycomb of sticky sweetness. It appears on every pull, and atop those buttered toast notes, pushing the boundary between food and fermented tobacco leaf.

This transcends into a much more round, lingering flavor profile as the cigar hits the second third. At which point it becomes more cedar-forward, and favors darker tobacco aftertastes while remaining devoid of any intensity outside of some nicotine.

Parting Puffs  

Although the floral aromatics and softer tastes from the first half of the cigar are ground out by familiar finishing flavors of charred cedar and resinous tobacco, there is a lot to like at the end of the La Palina "White Label."

Those bright Connecticut Shade tastes are still swinging, as is that honey sweetness. The brown sugar flavor comes back into play as well but with more of a toffee and sweet vanilla taste, which helps smooth over any of those acrid cigar-finishing flavors found in many Connecticut Shade-wrapped cigars.

Nicotine levels spike at this point as well, so be forewarned if you are prone to a stogie buzz.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw 

There's nothing to say outside of: "Wow. What a wonderfully constructed cigar." 

Save for a slightly tight draw toward the start (I did punch the stick instead of cutting it) and running a little hot here and there, this cigar scored top points for its performance.

Final Thoughts

This may be one of the most mouthwatering Connecticut Shade cigars I have ever smoked. I literally found myself reaching for my handkerchief because I was salivating that much while smoking this blend, especially during that juicy, honey-filled center section.

If you want a mild-medium Connecticut Shade-wrapped cigar with exceptional taste and can stomach a splash of nicotine toward the tail end, I strongly suggest you give the La Palina "White Label" a puff.

I get the feeling you're gonna love what you discover...

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