GROUP A - EVERYDAY PREMIUMS
Winner: La Gloria Cubana Classic Wavell
Match M5 was the Group A championship match. La Gloria Cubana Classic Wavell entered 2-0 after defeating Factory Smokes Maduro and Villiger Selecto Connecticut. Alec Bradley Project 40 Gordo Natural also entered 2-0 after wins over Villiger and Factory Smokes. The winner would take the group; both cigars had already proven they belonged in the Value 16.
The Wavell is a medium-bodied 5 x 50 Dominican-made cigar with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Dominican-Nicaraguan filler. Project 40 is a medium-bodied 6 x 60 Nicaraguan cigar with a Nicaraguan wrapper and filler around a Brazilian Habano binder. The matchup placed compact traditional richness against polished large-format balance.
La Gloria won the official head-to-head matchup 28.5 to 28.0. The approved tournament record identified richer flavor development and a more complete smoking experience as the separation. Project 40 remained the stronger construction performer, but the Wavell created the more memorable progression and finish.
Matchup at a Glance
| Category | La Gloria Cubana Classic Wavell | Alec Bradley Project 40 Gordo Natural |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | La Gloria Cubana / Forged Cigar Company | Alec Bradley |
| Origin | Dominican Republic | Nicaragua |
| Wrapper | Ecuadorian Sumatra | Nicaraguan |
| Binder | Nicaraguan | Brazilian Habano |
| Filler | Dominican and Nicaraguan | Nicaraguan |
| Factory | El Credito Cigar Factory | J. Fuego Cigar Co. de Nicaragua, Esteli |
| Vitola | Wavell, 5 x 50 | 06.60 Gordo, 6 x 60 |
| Strength | Medium | Medium |
| Qualifying price | Approximately $8.79 per cigar | Approximately $7.10 per cigar |
| Profile score | 28.0/30 - Outstanding | 27.5/30 - Excellent |
Official M5 score
28.5/30 - Winner
28.0/30 - Loss
Traditional Depth vs. Modern Large-Format Polish
The Wavell began with cocoa, cedar, dried earth, and faint raisin-like sweetness. Espresso, toasted cedar, black pepper, leather, and dark earth established the opening. Dark chocolate, roasted coffee, natural sweetness, and a subtle nutty note developed through the center before seasoned oak, espresso, earth, and pepper carried the final third.
Project 40 opened with cedar, roasted almonds, cocoa powder, and mild coffee. Toasted cedar, soft black pepper, cocoa, and creamy roasted nuts shaped the first third. Coffee, earth, hazelnut, and molasses-like sweetness added depth before oak, espresso, pepper, and roasted nuts closed the Gordo.
Both cigars produced cocoa, coffee, cedar, earth, pepper, nuts, and measured sweetness. Project 40 was smooth, abundant, and mechanically polished. The Wavell moved more decisively between leather, dark chocolate, roasted coffee, seasoned wood, and a longer coffee-driven aftertaste, giving the smaller cigar the richer overall arc.
Where Match M5 Was Decided
Their standing Ashology profile cards show the competitive structure. Project 40 held a 5.0 to 4.5 construction advantage. The Wavell answered with 5.0 to 4.5 advantages in flavor complexity and finish. Draw, burn, and balance were even at 4.5, leaving La Gloria with a net half-point advantage.
Official M5 score: La Gloria Cubana Classic Wavell 28.5, Alec Bradley Project 40 Gordo Natural 28.0.
Project 40's perfect construction score reflected controlled airflow, dense smoke, and an even pace from a demanding 6 x 60 format. That mechanical advantage kept the contest close and confirmed why Project 40 had already earned a place in the elimination bracket.
La Gloria separated itself in the sensory categories that defined the group. Its transitions were more distinct, its dark coffee-cocoa core carried more weight, and its finish lingered longer with earth, cedar, espresso, and measured pepper. The official head-to-head totals rose above the standing profile scores, but the decisive margin remained one half point.
Official Result: La Gloria Cubana Classic Wavell Wins M5 and Group A
La Gloria Cubana Classic Wavell defeated Alec Bradley Project 40 Gordo Natural 28.5 to 28.0, completed Group A at 3-0, and advanced as the division winner. Greater richness, clearer progression, and the stronger finish overcame Project 40's half-point construction advantage.
Project 40 finished group play at 2-1 and advanced as the Group A runner-up. Its only loss came by half a point against the eventual group winner. The result preserved its status as one of the tournament's strongest modern everyday values while giving the Wavell the top position.
Final Ashology Verdict
Alec Bradley Project 40 Gordo Natural delivered the cleaner mechanical performance. Its perfect construction, steady draw, balanced spice, cocoa, roasted nuts, and sweetness made it a credible Group A finalist and Value 16 qualifier.
La Gloria Cubana Classic Wavell delivered the more complete smoking experience. Its richer transitions and longer finish created the narrow separation, secured the undefeated Group A record, and established it as the division's official winner.
Tasting notes reflect the exact cigars and vitolas evaluated for the 2026 Value Cigar Championship. Flavor, strength, draw, and burn may vary with storage, age, production variation, and individual palate. Tobacco products are intended only for adults of legal smoking age.
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