Boutique Cigars

Balmoral Anejo XO

Balmoral Oscuro Anejo XOBalmoral is one of those cigars that I’ve seen around and will occasionally one while at the shop but they tend to end up sitting in my humidor because I don’t know much about them. I decided that needed to change and smoked a few while learning about the company.

Balmoral is the creation of Royal Agio’s 4th generation CEO Boris Wintermans. His non-hindering philosophy has driven him to freely explore the globe in search of the highest quality, select, exclusive tobaccos that will ultimately combine to deliver a cigar experience unlike any other. All blends are hand rolled in their boutique factory in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic.

For this article I chose the Balmoral Anejo XO. To build these cigars they use sun-grown Brazilian Arapiraca wrappers aged an average of 10 years. The color is a dark toasted coffee bean, there is some light veining with a soft oily sheen and a touch of toothless to it. The seams are nearly invisible and the cigar feels full along the length of the body. The smell reminds me of dried fruit and sweet tobacco. The cap cuts easily and does not damage the construction. The cold draw has a bit of resistance to it and gives flavors of tobacco and a hint of mint.

The first half smokes very smooth, smokes like butter. There is a notable cedar taste and a bit of pepper on the finish. The burn is sharp and the ash holds for about an inch before I decide to knock it free. The smoke is full with a medium weight and provides a sweet aroma.

The second half the flavor becomes more bold but is still very smooth. The pepper comes to the forefront momentarily but quickly fades and the cedar flavor comes back in with notes of black coffee and cocoa. This change of flavor seems to go back and forth for the remainder of the cigar making for an entertaining smoke.

This was a really fun cigar to smoke. Because of its ease to smoke, this cigar could be easy to not pay attention to while smoking it. I don’t mean that in a bad way, if anything it’s a testament to its blend. It’s not the kind of cigar that hits you in the face but one that you could smoke during any occasion and if you choose to focus on it you will be surprised by the complexity of it. This makes it a very accessible cigar to smokers of all kinds.  In the past I have skipped over these but not anymore. My recommendation is when you see these grab them.

Wrapper: Sun-Grown Brazilian Arapiraca
Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican Olor, Nicaragua (Estelí) and Exclusive, Stalk-Cut Brazilian Mata Norte
Price: $8.00 – $9.00
Rating: 4.8 out of 5 pints

 

Hiram and Solomon Master Mason

Hiram and Solomon Master MasonHiram and Solomon is a line that was created by Freemason brothers Fouad Kashouty and Brother George Dakrat. The idea came from there thought that there was no accessible cigar on the market for Freemason smokers that carried the square and compass, nor any other Masonic Emblem. From that point they began working on the possibility of creating not only a Masonic-themed cigar, but a quality cigar that would not just physically represent Freemasons all over the world but contain within it a quality that could match the caliber of excellence that the Brethren themselves contain. From this diligent work the Hiram and Solomon line came to be. Additionally, being one of the most fundamental aspects of Freemason Teachings, a way to incorporate charity into such a meaningful company was a must. In order to have the opportunity to give back to their supporters, Hiram & Solomon Cigars donates part of the sales profits to various Masonic and non-Masonic community charity events.

I’ve had these Master Mason cigars resting for several months, not because I didn’t want to smoke them but because of the size. The Grand Toro weighs in at a hefty 6 x 60 and I knew I was going to need more than my usual 45-60 minutes to smoke. I finally had a day with some extra time and knew exactly which cigar to pick.

The cigar is covered in  a rich dark maduro wrapper, nearly black in color. There is some veining but not excessive or abnormal for this type of wrapper. It has a soft, velvety finish to it. Pressing along the body the cigar feels full with no noticeable dead spots. The smell is sweet, like chocolate or fresh baked cake. The same can be noticed from the foot. The cap cuts easily and does not damage the construction. The cold draw has sweetness to it that matches the odor along with full tobacco.

The first half has flavors of toasted nuts and the sweet smell translates to the flavor as well. It produces a fair amount of smoke that has a good weight to it. The weight of the smoke combined with the flavor makes for an enjoyable first half. The cigar burns easy and sharp while the ash holds for about 1/2 inch at a time.

In the second half the flavor really picks up, it changes from being a medium bodied cigar to very full. The taste of dark black coffee and tobacco take over along with a hint of cinnamon in the finish. Theres also a touch of meatiness to it as well. This flavor continues until the end resulting in a powerhouse of a cigar with one heck of a nicotine punch to it. There was no issue with construction throughout the smoking session, it continued to provide ample smoke that always had a sweet aroma to it.

While this is not my normal go to size for cigars it was definitely worth putting aside the extra time to enjoy. In whole the cigar was great and looking forward to having a few more of these. With a construction of this quality and flavor this rich I would recommend picking up these when you see them in the shop. If your shop doesn’t have them ask them to bring them in. You can also read about the Hiram and Solomon Traveling Man Lancero by clicking here.

Wrapper – Habano Maduro Oscuro

Binder – Indonesian Sumatra

Filler – Habano Jalapa, Habano Ometepe, Ligero Habano Estelí

Price: $8.50

Website: Hiramandsolomoncigars.com

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 pints

 

Diesel Whiskey Row

Diesel Whiskey RowBourbon seems to be the hot thing for the last while here, nearly overtaking the craft beer craze. So of course people started shoving leaves into barrels and aging them (that’s actually been happening for a while but I digress) it can, however, be tough to find one that actually tastes good. In comes AJ Fernandez to take care of that with a partnership between General Cigars and Rabbit Hole Distillery. In 2016 binder leaves were placed by AJ in Rabbit Hole whiskey barrels using a specific aging method and from there Diesel Whiskey Row came to life.

Diving into this thing the odor from the body is floral with lite notes of leather and oak. From the foot the smell is the same. The look of the cigar is attractive with a milk chocolate wrapper covering it. There is a light oily sheen to it and very few noticeable veins. Seams are tight and not remarkable but blend in with the body, the cigar feels full even firm to the touch. The cap is cut with no issues and it lights easily and evenly.

The first half brings flavors of rich tobacco with a slight bitter dark chocolate and spice on the finish. The burn continues to be sharp while the ash holds for about 1/2 inch at a time before falling. It produces plenty of medium weight, pleasant smelling, smoke. As the cigar progresses the spice dissipates.

The second half is more mellow with sweetness and bread flavors. This remains until nearly at the end where the spiciness does return. For the duration the cigar has burned properly and required no touching up of any kind.

While this is a barrel aged cigar it didn’t have that overwhelming flavor of being barrel aged and to me thats a good thing. Usually those flavors can over power the taste of the tobacco which is a disservice to it. The overall intensity is mild to medium which makes this cigar perfect to smoke at any time of the day. It also makes it accessible to all smokers regardless of palette. My recommendation is, if you see these in a shop pick some up

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Mexican San Andrés (Bourbon Barrel-Aged)
Filler: Nicaraguan (Ometepe | Condega | Jalapa)
Price: $8.00 per stick
Website: Diesel.com
Rating: 4.4 out of 5 pints