News: El Titan de Bronze Redemption Corona

Redemption is a powerful word. In today’s society, redemption carries a multifaceted meaning that extends beyond personal recovery; it embodies the collective journey of addressing past mistakes, learning from them, and striving for improvement. In a world that often prioritizes the new and trendy, there is a growing recognition of the importance of authenticity and the value of history. This shift encourages individuals and brands alike to confront their missteps and embrace a path toward renewal.

The Redemption cigar embraces this meaning, and is the result of a unique partnership between Miami’s El Titan de Bronze and General Cigar, blending the hands-on craft of a small factory with the reach of a major industry distributor. El Titan de Bronze, a staple in Little Havana since 1995, is known for its dedication to tradition, with every cigar crafted by experienced torcedores in the classic Cuban style. When they set out to recreate Redemption (a pre-existing line that has long been among the factory’s most beloved releases), it was about more than just a new blend—it was a tribute to resilience and craftsmanship.

General Cigar’s role was pivotal, stepping in to handle the logistics and distribution needed to bring Redemption to a wider audience. While El Titan remained focused on its small-batch, artisan process, General Cigar ensures the cigar would find its way to aficionados across the country. Together, they’ve made Redemption a blend of old-world artistry and modern accessibility, a cigar that celebrates both tradition and the journey of renewal in a changing industry.

ETDB Redemption Corona Breakdown

Appearance

There is no mistaking the Redemption cigar for any other cigar on the market. The banding dominates the cigar. At first glance, I thought it was one extravagant band, but upon closer inspection I find that it is, in fact, one large band and one smaller sub-band, fitting almost seamlessly with the main band. I can’t help but feel like the banding detracts from all of the visual nuance the wrapper provides. This Ecuadorian Habano leaf is heavy in its appearance. Its soft, milk chocolate coloring shows distinct veins and has an almost rough, paper bag-like texture. The roll itself is very even, with neither soft nor hard spots able to be detected as I squeeze the bunch between my fingers.

Deeply inhaling with my nose against the wrapper of the Redemption cigar, I pick up notes of dark chocolate that swirl with distinct barnyard aromas. When I say distinct, I mean that there is a pungent sourness to it. It’s reminiscent of the day after a heavy rain on my family farm in the summer. There is also a leather note that, when combined with the rest of the aromas, takes on a tangy profile. Moving to the foot of the Redemption cigar, I find manure, light baking spices, and a new aroma for me: catfish dough bait. I know it sounds strange, but it’s so familiar to me from my youth that, even though I haven’t used the bait in years, I recognized the smell immediately. I’m not sure what this means for the smoking experience, but it is definitely something new to me.

A straight cut reveals a draw that is a little more snug than I prefer: 6/10. The cold draw gives me roasted peanuts, more of that tangy leather, and a sweet maple wood.

Smoking Experience

I have to take a couple of extra puffs to get a good mouthful of smoke due to the snug roll on this corona. Raw walnuts are the primary flavor I am getting, backed up by bitter coffee and dry cedar / burnt toast. The flavor is medium-full right off the bat, with the body being a solid step behind at a solid medium. The strength is barely noticeable. The smoke is very thick and chewy, coating my palate easily.

I’m now past first light of the Redemption by El Titan de Bronze, and the smoking experience has settled quickly into creamy notes of cinnamon bread and French press coffee. It’s a very breakfasty smoke at this point. The French press coffee is strong and feels almost gritty due to the coating nature of the smoke itself. The retrohale gives me notes of black tea and a mild black pepper. The burn is moving rather quickly, and I wonder if I am going to get an hour out of this corona (which is actually more of a corona gorda, judging by its measurements). The flavor is holding at medium-full, body is still medium, and strength has ticked up slightly to medium-light.

Band popping seems to be a theme of this cigar, as I am barely 20 minutes into the smoke and I have already had to take the bottom band off; by the looks of things, I will soon have to take the main band off as well. The smoke is thick and chewy, with dry cedar and a flat white coffee profile now taking the lead. A nice raw cinnamon stick note is more of a secondary flavor, adding some nice complexity to the smoke. On the retrohale, I pick up more black pepper now; it isn’t overpowering, but it’s clearly making itself known. The burn is very uneven, requiring a full touchup. A snug draw remains a concern; without the thick smoke sustaining the body at a medium level, I’d likely struggle to decipher the medium-full flavors. The strength is just starting to show up, though still hovering around medium-minus.

The burn is incredibly quick for the draw being as snug as it is. I’m now 35 minutes into the smoking experience on this corona, and it is looking like I will be wrapping it up in a half-hour or so. For those of you that are familiar with my reviews, I smoke slowly. In other words, under an hour for a corona gorda is definitely a fast smoke for me. Construction issues continue to be a downside, as removing the second, larger band caused the wrapper to crack from head to foot, leaving me holding it together.

Dry cedar continues, being followed by dark-roast coffee. The cinnamon has fallen off, and has been replaced with a dry cocoa powder. The retrohale has become very interesting, giving me Christmas vibes. Think of all the wonderful smells of the holidays, swirled together in a muddy, enjoyable brew.

I had hoped the final 10 minutes of the Redemption would offer more of the flavors from the last update, but alas, that wasn’t the case. While the cigar has held together—despite a large crack—I cannot say the same about the smoking experience in terms of flavor. The abrupt drop in flavor and body has left me with little more than generic tobacco smoke to experience. It’s a fizzle of a finish, as I place the remains of the Redemption in the ashtray.

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

I would. If for no other reason than to see if the construction issues I had on the cigars I smoked for this review continue, or if I drew the short straw on these sticks. I rather enjoyed the first half of the cigar, but the drastic fall off of flavor and body on the cigars reviewed make it one that won’t be in regular rotation—more of a “once in a while” cigar. If the Redemption would have held the same flavors in the second half as the first, it definitely would have made it a “go to.”

• Currently, the Redemption by El Titan de Bronze ranks on Dojoverse as “100% Smokable,” placing in the top 24 percent of cigars on the all-time leaderboard.
• The box used for photos was customized by General Cigar to feature Cigar Dojo’s logo on the lid. Of course, this is not found on the regular-production shipments.

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