Vitola: Toro- 6” x 50 ring gauge
- MSRP $2.60
- Samples provided by J.C. Newman Cigar Company
Background
I remember way, way back in the early 2000s when I was first getting into the hobby of smoking cigars and hearing about a brand called “Quorum.” They were budget-friendly hand rolled cigars that maybe wouldn’t win any awards, but were definitely affordable and good. I smoked a few of them in those days, but later on when I got used to higher-end sticks, I couldn’t see going back to them. Because of this site’s sponsorship by J.C. Newman Cigar Company, though, I ended up giving them another shot…what could I do? They sent me samples!
I have previously looked at the Quorum Maduro as well as the “Quorum Cousin” Havana Q…today I’m taking a longer look at the Quorum Shade, the mildest of the bunch. A few things to remember about Quorum cigars…they are handmade, they are Nicaraguan in origin (both in build and most of the leaf used), they are bundle cigar so they are definitely easy on the wallet. They are also the number 1 selling Nicaraguan cigar in the world by volume. The Shade uses Nicaraguan fillers, a Sumatra Sungrown binder, and an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut Shade wrapper. They come in a total of eight different sizes these days, most of which come 20 to a bundle.
For this review, this is the second of these I’ve smoked. As mentioned before, J.C. Newman provided the samples.
Prelight
No box on these…as mentioned, they are bundle cigars, which means they come in a bundle. And if you don’t buy them in a bundle, you’ll see them loose in trays or some other way in the shop where you pick them up. It’s a way to cut down on packaging costs. The band is pretty much the same as has adorned the brand for more than two decades. It’s nice enough, but clearly cheaper to produce. No points off for basically living up to “bundle cigar” expectations in terms of packaging.
The wrapper leaf was a dusky golden color with some darker mottling and a bit of oiliness. The aroma from the wrapper leaf was of wet hay and wood. The foot had notes of cocoa powder, earth, and cedar.
I used a straight cutter to lop off the head of the Quorum Shade, although I would recommend a punch to most as this is a “mixed filler” cigar and you’ll get fewer pieces of short tobacco out in your mouth with a punch cut. The prelight draw was good and tasted of cedar, earth, and hay, with touches of sweet citrus and red pepper.
Flavor
When I fired it up, the Quorum Shade started with a natural tobacco note, mixed with tart citrus, earth, and cedar. There was a detectable black pepper on the finish and on the retrohale.
Getting into the second third, the tart citrus turned slightly more sweet, which was a nice change. There was more pepper and earth, while the body was mild to medium.
The last third was more earthy with just a little grassy overtone from the Shade wrapper. There was a touch of sweetness in the mix and a decent amount of black pepper.
Construction
I had a good draw, even enough burn line, and more-solid-than-expected ash.
Value
It’s hard to complain about the price tag. The cigar was good and price was great.
Conclusions
The Quorum Shade started off a little “weird” and wasn’t exactly something I would like to continue under most circumstances, but it gets much better as it goes, ending as a solid smoking experience with plenty of Nicaraguan earthiness and pepper, mellowed out by the smooth Shade wrapper. For the price, it’s hard to argue with…this is a solid smoke for less than $3.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10
