The Particulars

The Review

This review for the LA Cigar Collective Gris Gris - Lonsdale (6.5 x 43) is based on the journal entry dated 2026-03-18

Appearance & Construction (0-3):  Good (3)

It looks like a slightly longer and thinner version of the Gris Gris with the same bands and wrapper. It’s a lighter, milk chocolate brown with a light yellowish-tan hue to it. The leaf has a light sheen and super mild tooth in spots, but no real mottling or color variation yet. There are a couple of very thin veins present, and you can see some light ridges poking through from the binder layer, but the seams are tight and the triple cap is neat and even. It’s a slightly unassuming but good-looking cigar that has a good density and feel.

But even though the bands are identical, the presentation is so much nicer if you buy a bundle. Where the original Toro came in red paper bundles of 10, the Lonsdales come in heavy-stock cardboard tubes that are a light matte beige with the Gris Gris logo and NOLA-themed graphics screen-printed with a gloss finish. Once you open the tube, you’ll find 15 Lonsdales individually wrapped in cellophane, a Louisiana riverboat greeting you on the base, and a Boveda humidifying pack adorned with the LACC logo on it. It’s simple, elegant, and nicely done. Well, except for that Nicaraguan “Jalpa” typo that 4 people missed during the design review. That just means the first batch of tubes will be collector’s items! 😅

Draw (0-3) & Burn (0-4):  Good (3) / Great (4)

The draw is just a hair tight to start, but loosens up quickly with heat to an ideal resistance. The burn starts cleanly and evenly—almost dead-even out the gate. The ash is a very light gray, nearly white, with small and tight striations. The burn line is super crisp and stays very flat. The ash holds well into the second third before I need to step away for a moment, requiring a relight. It looks like it could’ve held even further given the chance. Really, the only thing I notice is that if you ignore the cigar for more than a couple of minutes, you might need a relight. It’s just demanding your attention.

Right at the start of the final third, I got a very light bit of tar out the head, so I clipped it off past the head, which caused the wrapper to crack and unravel. Ciglue saved the wrapper and the smoke. I’m going to attribute that to the fact that I was smoking it more quickly to avoid relights, and this one had a slightly tighter draw to it. But it never affected the flavor or burn. Having smoked a couple already before the review example, this is the first time I’ve run into this, so I don’t expect it to be a recurring issue.

Flavor Profile (0-5):  Excellent (5)

Immediately, cinnamon, baking spice, and pepper hit. It’s a mix of black and white pepper, hitting both the back of the palate and nasal cavities. There’s a light nuttiness, strong cedar flavors, and mild earth and coffee notes. Sweetness is a light, citrusy note of mild lemon. This is reminiscent of the Toro when it first launched last year, but with more pepper and bite.

The second third is where the blend really starts to come alive. Buttery creaminess and a slightly salty sourdough bread note appear that bring the pretzel flavor I loved about the Toro, which has only gotten stronger with age. Pepper has pulled back to a healthy medium-plus, leaving mostly white pepper, while cinnamon and baking spice remain strong. Cedar is still dominant, while coffee and earth remain mild. There is some light hay-like grassiness and leather that I got with the Toro early on, but reduced over time as the pretzel flavors got stronger. While it’s smooth and has a nice creaminess, it’s not as heavy on the sweetness at this point, giving it a slightly drier profile, but not as dry as the Toro.

As I mentioned in the burn section, I ran into a very slight amount of tar building up at the head. It was a very light brown and slightly transparent color and didn’t affect the flavor profile. No ammonia or bitterness appeared, but the pepper notes really woke up with the fully open foot and relight. Oof, this blend is just pure fire in the Lonsdale vitola. 🔥

Overall Experience (0-5):  Great (4)

I did knock the experience down on this review because of the tar that appeared, but it was an inconvenience more than something that affected the flavor or ruined the experience. Overall, what a fantastic expression of the Gris Gris blend. If you have smoked the Toro, especially when it first launched last year, you’ll find a very familiar profile with the flavor intensity and spice ramped up. I’m super excited to see how the blend evolves with age because it’s already a banger now, but the Toro is flat-out fantastic a year later. If you’ve read up on what Gris Gris means, then know for sure this is the best good luck charm a smoker could have!

PS – You don’t need to be local to experience these, as you can purchase them from LACC through their website.

Review Base Rating (0-5):

4.75

Would I Buy It Again?

Without a doubt (box worthy)

Review Final Score (0-10):

9.67

Postscript

Revisiting the tar issue in the review, I had the chance to smoke the Lonsdale a couple of times pre-launch, burned one at the lounge on launch day, and two on the day I reviewed it. None of the others developed tar and I used the punch on each one, most of them getting punched with the smallest 8mm blade on the PerfecPunch. So again, I’ll chalk that up to a slightly tighter draw and my accelerated smoking.

I have always said good, bad, or indifferent, I’ll be 100% honest with my reviews, no matter whose cigar it is. I could’ve rewritten it based on the second example, but that seemed disingenuous to everybody. Bottom line is don’t let that turn you off a great cigar, but remember that tight draws, high heat, and accelerated smoking speed can result in tar!

Overall Score and Individual Journal Entries

While the review is based off one instance of journaling this cigar; there’s a number of reasons you can have different experiences smoking the same cigar multiple times. A blend can evolve with age (for better or worse), palates evolves, preferences change, and sometimes you just get a bad example!  This section captures the ratings from each journal entry and the related journal photo.  Below you’ll find an aggregate score based on every time the cigar has been journaled. Unless it was a gift or on-off smoke, this section will be updated every time I journal this cigar!

The Flavor Wheel

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.