Vitola: Robusto- 5” x 52 ring gauge
- ~$10
- Received as part of 2017 SNS Club Membership
Background
Hard to believe I’ve already come to the end of this series. So far it’s been a real progression, with me enjoying each consecutive cigar from the 2017 SnS Club kit more than the last. That may not be entirely surprising since the fourth one was a Connecticut Broadleaf, but considering that I liked the Sumatra (usually not my favorite) more than one of the Habanos…well, it surprised me.
For #5, we have another Connecticut Broadleaf, this time with an ever-so-slightly increased ring gauge, but also a with a very mild and easy box press. So mild was the box press that it almost looks like an oval…but that’s a cigar from a different Nicaraguan factory. As with pretty much every other product Tatuaje (and L’atelier) I presume this was made in the My Father factory and that the filler and binder leaves are Nicaraguan (there are some exceptions to those rules, but not many).
Notes
The wrapper of the SnS #5 was a dark roast coffee bean brown with a shiny oiliness. It almost looked like glitter in the light, really, but that was likely just a slight bit of oil crystallization on the wrapper leaf. I got a rich earth and mild leather aroma from the wrapper leaf. Because of the closed foot, I didn’t get anything other than that at the end of the stick.
I also didn’t get much in the way of a draw. Seriously…I clipped the head and tried to test the cold draw, but the closed foot was closed so tightly that there was no draw…either that or this cigar was seriously plugged.
Initially, I was going to go against type for the pairing with this cigar. I know what works well and I thought I’d do something that I wasn’t so sure about…specifically a double-IPA style beer with lots of hops and bitterness. Something that I occasionally like, but more often have trouble finishing. I came to my senses and cracked open a Founders Porter…no sense risking ruining the experience of a cigar that is so limited.
Once I fired up the foot, the tightness of the draw went away immediately. Fantastic draw! And a flavor profile that mixed dark chocolate, espresso bean, red pepper, and earth. The beer was malty and rich, full of notes of coffee, unsweetened cocoa and wood.
In the end, it’s hard to say whether the #4 or the #5 was the better cigar. I enjoyed both of them bigly and would have to have much more experimentation to figure out which one made the top of the heap. Sadly, I have one of each left and am in no hurry to burn them…once they are gone, that’s it…well, except for #4, which I thought might be a Pork Tenderloin…I have about 5 more of those stashed away.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed my look at the Saints and Sinners Club exclusive cigars for 2017. If you are a member, you know how great these cigars are; if not, you might consider joining this year…if you can…the process is a little convoluted and I think you might have to know a member to get in. For myself, I had to work in a shop and know the guy who runs the club.
