Vitola: Sparkplug- 4.5” x 50 ring gauge
- MSRP $6.75
- Purchased at Burns Tobacconist
Background
I’ve made it no secret that I really like the Flathead blend from CAO. In fact, I think it’s the best new blend from CAO since they were absorbed into the General Cigar catalog. And I enjoy the Steelhorse spin-off of the Flathead, too. A couple months back I was given the task of putting together the shop’s “show order” for General Cigars for the TAA meeting. I looked through the lists and made choices based on conversations the owner and I have had…we ended up pulling in several lines that had not been seen at Burns for quite some time…CAO MX2, La Gloria Serie R Esteli…and I expanded lines we were already carrying with some extra facings…including this Flathead “Sparkplug.”
The Sparkplug is a short Robusto vitola in the typical extreme box-press used with the Flathead cigars. To go a couple steps further in the theme, it uses a box that looks like an old-time spark plug display box you might have seen at service stations back in the day, and each individual cigar comes in a little cardboard box that is highly reminiscent of the boxes that the spark plugs came in. Basically, lots of stuff to evoke nostalgia going on here.
Like the other cigars in the Flathead line, this cigar contains Nicaraguan fillers, an Ecuadorian Connecticut binder, and Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. I’ve smoked many, many samples of the Flathead blend; this is about my third samples of this vitola. I bought this review sample at Burns Tobacconist.
Prelight
If you didn’t get the gist before…I really like the packaging of these cigars. The other Flathead vitolas use boxes that are meant to resemble engine blocks and they do the job while being slightly impractical in terms of keeping the lid with the box. But this vitola takes the “Sparkplug” name and runs with it, taking me back to my youth and seeing boxes of Champion spark plugs sitting on the shelf at service stations…before every gas station became a convenience store.
Out of the box, the Sparkplug continued the overall look of the line, with the beautifully dark and oily Broadleaf wrapper, as well as the slightly off-putting color of the band. Each vitola has a specifically “color-coding”…I just can’t figure out why they chose monkey-puke green for this one…although that was kind of a popular color for cars in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. The one thing I hadn’t noticed on the other vitolas, but is present here, is a coiled pigtail on the foot of the cigar. Perhaps evocative of the shape of the sparking part of the plug, or of the threads where the plug screws into the engine. Whatever…they did a great job of paying attention to detail on this.
The wrapper was a dark chocolate brown and it had an aroma of earth and leather. Due to the closed foot, there was no different aroma from that location. My long-standing M.O. for Flathead cigars has been to use a punch instead of a regular cutter. I did so here and got a very good draw that tasted of dark chocolate and earth.
Flavor
The initial light-up of the Flathead Sparkplug featured more wrapper than normal with other Flathead vitolas because of the coiled pigtail. Because of that, it hit some big dark notes of baker’s cocoa, earth and espresso right off the bat. The tobacco that formed the closed foot fell off in pretty quick order…on the side of my laptop computer as I tried to write this review…not a ding against the cigar, but something to be aware of. Once the closed foot had burned through, I got a stronger earthy presence, with diminished cocoa notes, some dried fruit and cedar, and a fairly solid peppery note, especially on the retrohale.
The second third had a strong earth and coffee flavor with cocoa powder coming in as a secondary note and red pepper hanging around on the palate and nose.
The last third saw a resurgence of the cocoa powder and dark chocolate notes, with the earth, coffee and pepper fading a bit.
Construction
I had to touch up the burn line a couple times, but nothing unusual for a Broadleaf wrapper. The draw was great and the ash held on for up to an inch at a time.
Value
The price point is very good and the cigar is probably the best Flathead that I’ve had, so I say “Great value!”
Conclusions
I’ve had plenty of the 554 Flatheads and still enjoy them. This Sparkplug 450 is definitely a step up, though, with a stronger cocoa and chocolate note, plus a good helping of earth and espresso flavors that keep the proceedings interesting. I definitely recommend this one for any fans of more full-bodied Nicaraguan smokes, especially if you like Broadleaf.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
I have not smoked near enough of these to really comment one way or the other. I have Stayed away from all things CAO for my own selfish reasons, but I have read nothing but good things about this stick. So I will pick up a few and give them a shot.
Thanks, David. Rick and I both go to this one all the time in the Flathead line. It’s our favorite vitola in the line – don’t tell anyone.
Guess you like this one. I have smoked the 554 and even the 770 (was a long day at the pool in Vegas) and have enjoyed each in their own right. I need to pick up some of these and some more of the others and also try the new Steel Horse.