Cigar Extra: Dunhill Heritage

• Vitola: Robusto
• 5” x 50 ring gauge
• MSRP $10.15
• Provided by General Cigar

Background

There are a couple things that will make me give a hearty “Meh!” when it comes to trying out new cigars. First is “Honduras” plastered all over a stick. Don’t get me wrong: there are some great blends that are Honduran-heavy and there are some fantastic blends that use Honduras as part of the mix. But I still find more dull and uninteresting cigars that rely heavily on Honduran leaf than anything else. Second is the word “Dunhill.” Again, don’t get me wrong: I know Dunhill is recognized as a purveyor of fine smokable and implements of tobacco destruction, but the few cigars I’ve had by the brand have been forgettable to say the least. Such was the case when I was told about the Dunhill Heritage, new at this year’s IPCPR. But I love a surprise.

The purpose of this year’s releases from Dunhill were to make ties to the past. they did this with the Heritage by using specific vintage filler tobaccos and by using packaging that mirror past efforts. The fillers include 2007 Jamastran Honduran, 2005 Nicaraguan Ometepe and 2012 Nicaraguan Estelí leaf. The binder is a Nicaraguan Jalapa leaf and the wrapper is Ecuadorian Habano.

It’s also the first Dunhill rolled in Honduras since 1998. Notably, while it uses “Honduras” plastered prominently on the band, the use of Honduran leaf in the cigar is minimal and the tie to the country is more in that it was made there.

I got this sample from the IPCPR show in July. I did feature it in a “preview” article last month, but liked it well enough that I decided to give it some more air time.

Notes

The dark chocolate colored wrapper leaf had a sweet molasses and hay aroma to it. The foot had a stronger barnyard note. The prelight draw had notes that made me think of strong coffee and dried apricots.

Lighting up, the Dunhill Heritage was rich with notes of dark fruit, coffee, and earth. The retrohale had more fruit along with some black pepper heat.

Here is what’s unexpected in a Dunhill: strength, full-body, full-flavor. This stick just continues to deliver earth, coffee and dried fruit notes as I puff through the cigar.

I paired this with some Maker’s Mark Bourbon…the stuff with my name on the bottle. Whether it’s really just from a single barrel or not, this whiskey is dynamite and goes well with this cigar.

To really make up your own mind, you’re going to need to look for these. While Dunhill is made and distributed by General Cigar now, it is still one of those brands that only a relatively small number of tobacconists carry. And, as a tobacconist, I’ve never heard a single person come in and say, “Do you carry Dunhill cigars?” While they may be a great-selling brand in Europe, it’s not a good sign for the U.S. market. This could be a stick that helps change that, but it’s going to take time…and more great cigars like this one.