Today's Cigar

Has anyone ever heard of this brand? I’ve tried searching high and low for information, and the best I’ve come up with is a 1995 Cigar Aficionado interview with Dan Blumenthal that briefly mentions the brand. That, and a bunch of UK-based websites that all seem to want serious money for a box of 25. I’ve been completely unable to find reviews, histories, manufacturer’s website, etc.
What I do know: they’re Honduran, they came in a nice all-wood box, they came without cello, there’s a handwritten “04/95” on the bottom of the box, underneath the outer plastic wrapping. They’re Churchills. And, based on those UK prices translated into US$, they were a steal. But…I have no idea for certain.
So, has anyone heard of these? Will I need to get an alarm system installed on my humi, or did I just get some counterfeits? I’ll be trying one tonight, so I don’t know yet if they taste like the butt of a dog, or the lips of an angel yet…

OK, so I still have no idea if this was a killer deal or not, but my initial impression is… I like it.
Considering that I lit it half-assed with a normal lighter, and didn’t go through my usual full rotation-and-puff, it burnt fairly consistently. I touched it up a few times, but that was it. I let the ash grow as I was walking along the balcony, and it would consistently drop off at just over 2 inches in length, with the 2 drops maintaining their shape. To me, the taste was somewhat mild, with a little bit of pepper.
A little bit of the wrapper or cap came off while I was smoking, but I noticed it had gotten bumped around a bit in my travel case, so that could’ve just been transportation damage. I still smoked it down to the point where it was starting to get difficult to hold, maybe an inch or so left.
All in all, I think it’s a decent, light-tasting stick. I’d still be interested in any details/history of the brand if anyone knows them, but for the price I paid, I’m extremely happy. I usually aim for the stronger-tasting cigars, but this made a nice change of pace. I figure it took maybe 50 minutes or so to get through as much as I did, puffing away with a few brief periods of just contemplating life.
I guess while I was enjoying it, I realized the one truism of enjoying a cigar…it doesn’t matter what it is, so long as you enjoy it…

I have also had a couple of those that were freebies from the business owner next door to mine. What a show-off! This guy has a 12’x12’ walk-in humidor that connects to his office. This bad boy is set up right, too! You walk in to this thing and you just want to sit down and smell the cedar and cigars. I honestly can see myself doing that instead of smoking one…..sweet. Back to the Invicta…we enjoyed one a few months back around January I think. I did enjoy it as you did. Nice consistent burn with no relights needed to burn it down to a nub. Gary had recieved his box from a client of his, so he didn’t know where these were purchased. I don’t recall any sort of history on that smoke, but it did make me want more of them. There is only a couple of places that I have found them online and they seem to be priced right.
Thanks for sharing your experience!

you gotta get back to me within the next 30 hours, and i will tell you where you can get some coronas CHEAP!!!
i do not want to screw 42, so you gotta email me.
riemylove at hotmail dot com

La Invicta is a mild to medium-bodied handmade from Honduras that combines aged Honduran long-fillers and dark, natural wrappers. The result is a straightforward smoke with a balanced flavor. A heavy spice is noticed up front, followed by an earthy sweetness.

Mmmm… I’d love a 12×12 humidor. If the garage @ the new house were a little more insulated and larger…
Apparently the search continues for any information on the brand, the back-story, and why cbid seems to be the only US-based site that seems to have these, in sporadic fashion.
Incidentally, I was leafing through one of my stepdad’s wooodworking catalogs this weekend (it was left open to something and caskets…it was a really weird juxtaposition), and stumbled upon their “specialty woods” section. Not really paying attention by that point, I was shocked to see that they offer Spanish cedar in random 1-3 inch widths. So so so so so tempted, it’d be great for turning one of those unused rooms (solely because we haven’t moved in yet) into a large humi…
Addition: it appears that wtf? has figured out where I found those La Invictas, having cut-and-pasted the same description they have there, and the timeframe for responding happens to match the nominal ending of bidding on the lot. I’m so glad that we have such helpful contributors around here…

are you winning them for $13…closes today…just did not want to mention the competition here, out of respect for 42…i think at under $1 each, you should go for it…an incredible price if you like them!

Haven’t bid on them, since I still have 24 of the Churchills and haven’t really decided if I like them that much. Not to mention that I need to, shall we say, eliminate some stock before I’ll allow myself to buy so many cigars of any kind at once again.

well…i will keep looking for ya (hopefully a 5er)...not a churchill guy, myself…but i am not a corona guy either.

I’m not sure what type of guy I am yet when it comes to shape. I think I’m still in the experimenting phase, willing to try just about anything.

I would be more than glad to help releave you of some of your cigars so you can make room for more….hahaha…seriously I’m only trying to help you out…..