La Chaveta Black Perla

The La Chaveta Black Perla is 10.16 centimetres long, exactly the same length as the Minuto, but with a ring gauge of 42 it is significantly fuller. Its diameter of 1.67 centimetres means more tobacco volume and therefore a smoking time of around 30 minutes – roughly twice as long as the slimmest format in the series. Even so, the entirely hand-rolled Nicaragua Puro remains compact and easy to handle. This makes it a middle ground for aficionados who find the Minuto too slim and short, but the Robusto or Toro too substantial.

A Good Middle Ground: La Chaveta Black Perla

The larger ring gauge also changes the balance between the dark Criollo Maduro wrapper and the filler. Compared with the Minuto, the filler tobaccos carry more weight in the La Chaveta Black Perla, allowing the robust components from Estelí, the delicate sweetness from Condega and Jalapa’s variety of flavours to interact in a balanced way. The pigtails at both ends, familiar from all La Chaveta cigars, are also a feature of the Black Perla. At the mouth end, the twisted tip still serves a practical purpose: with a ring gauge of 42, twisting it off usually creates an opening large enough for smoking. Those who prefer a larger cut surface can use a cutter instead.