La Palina El Diario Robusto

Written by Dale Palileo Image Provided

On the spur of the moment, I decided to start my weekend on Wednesday last week where a few friends and I rented a house in Seaside, Oregon. The weather wasn’t exactly perfect due to the intermittent rainfall, but at least it was comfortable especially considering the cozy comfort of the rented beach house and the covered hot tub that was just itching to be used.

Naturally, I gravitated towards the enjoyable warmth of the tub’s water and proceeded to get the jets going, but not without a nice beverage and a cigar in hand, which was a cold glass of unsweetened iced tea and a La Palina El Diario Robusto respectively.

La Palina is one of the few mainstay brands that I like to stock up on mainly because it appeals to both seasoned and beginning cigar lovers alike. Most of their lines—including the El Diario—are somewhere around the upper medium in terms of body. Because of this, beginners can easily appreciate its flavors without dealing with the full-body queasiness that follows most cigars of the same flavor intensity. Experienced cigar aficionados also tend to enjoy this upper medium flavor power as it doesn’t come across as too bland.

More of the same complex flavors come through during the remaining half of the cigar. However, a pleasant sweetness also comes through followed by a nuanced element of nutmeg which stands as a testament that this cigar doesn’t just provide a consistent balance of flavors, but a showcase of flavor shifts as well.

A quick glance-through of the El Diario’s profile easily gives anyone the impression that this is quite a well-made cigar with a very luxurious look brought about by its cream and gold-colored band, and rightly so. It’s made at the Fabrica de Tobacos Raices Cubanas in Honduras, known for producing some of the best cigars available today such as the famed Tempus line of cigars from Alec Bradley. The wrapper on the El Diario is near flawless, and scents of earth, hay and slight floral aromas abound to seduce the olfactory senses of an upcoming pleasurable experience.

Resurrected by his grandson Bill Paley Jr., La Palina was the brainchild of Samuel Paley, who started the Congress Cigar Company in 1896 with La Palina as its flagship brand. Unfortunately, the brand was discontinued upon Sam’s retirement in 1926. The brand was then revived by Bill Jr., who wanted to introduce a signature luxury cigar emblematic of his grandfather’s original La Palina.

While I can’t say much about the original La Palina line of cigars, I can say however that the El Diario successfully captures that luxurious impression that Bill Jr. envisioned. A complex and unique mixture of pepper, leather and floral aromas are delivered in a smooth and sophisticated fashion that’s never too much or too little; just the right balance of flavors where all elements are given an equal degree of expression.

As the cigar’s straight burn line reaches the halfway mark of the cigar, I decide to slowly ease my way out of the comfort of the hot tub, but not before an unexpected slip jolts the cigar’s long and firm ash off its ember. Thankfully, it fell just a few inches shy of the tub’s water—a cautionary experience to those attempting to enjoy a cigar and a dip in a hot tub in the future.

More of the same complex flavors come through during the remaining half of the cigar. However, a pleasant sweetness also comes through followed by a nuanced element of nutmeg which stands as a testament that this cigar doesn’t just provide a consistent balance of flavors, but a showcase of flavor shifts as well.

Priced just below ten dollars, the La Palina El Diario robusto is a steal given its delicious flavor offerings and quality smoke. While it’s suitable to be enjoyed on your own, it’s also a cigar that demands to be enjoyed among the company of friends, and it certainly won’t leave you embarrassed or cash-strapped if you pass a few sticks to well-deserving ladies and gentlemen.