Vitola: Figurado
Size: 5″ x 60 ring gauge
Price $19.95 ($15 in free states)
Purchased at Maxamar’s Cigars
Background
When Skip Martin posted some teaser photos of this cigar I was definitely interesting in trying this latest in this line. It has been a few years since they released the last released the Witchcraft, which was the follow up to the CRAFT 2013 La Campaña de Panamá Soberana. You can check out my reviews here and here and Dave’s review here. This current release is based on the Neanderthal blend with the filler tobaccos being the same with an Ecudorian Habano binder and a double wrapper of Ecuadorian Connecticut Candela and Pennsylvania Broadleaf maduro. Their production was limited to 2,000 10-count boxes. Speaking of the boxes, they are quite heavy as there is a sheet metal band that goes around the box with the company logo die cut in the center of it. I don’t know if it serves a purpose other than decoration though. This was my second experience with this cigar.
Prelight
The shape seems to be the same as the previous releases, which if I remember correctly didn’t use a mold for the bunching. I don’t know if that has changed or not. You definitely know there is candela involved as it covers the entire foot and there is a small band hear the head of the cigar. The broadleaf wrapper exhibited lots of tooth and veins with some oils showing as well. The wrapper was a medium-dark brown in color with a golden-red tint to it. Giving it a squeeze it was fairly firm (which was different than the 2013 release) without any soft spots. The wrapper gave off the aroma of leather with a hint of barnyard from the closed foot. After clipping it and taking a cold draw I noted some saltiness and wood with a tight draw, probably due to the closed foot.
Flavor
You definitely taste the candela tobacco once you light this cigar up. After it burns through the foot some wood and leather flavors start coming through with some spice on the tongue and retrohale. The cigar starts off medium strength. Towards the end of the first third I also tasted some cinnamon and a sweet creamy finish. When I moved into the second third the spice died down to something that was only barely there. The flavors were similar to the first third: wood, leather, cinnamon and cream. The cigar stayed medium strength as well. As I moved into the final third the spice and strength built up and I also noted some coffee flavors coming through as well.
Construction
It took a little bit to get this cigar lit but once it was it burned pretty well and the draw was only slightly tighter than I’d like.
Value
The free state pricing on this limited cigar seems pretty fair.
Conclusions
It seemed to me that the candela wrapper kind of muted the spice and kick from the other tobaccos in this cigar. That wasn’t what I was expecting from a CRAFT release as the other ones were pretty powerful. I don’t know if that was the intention of the blend or just a byproduct. I did purchase a box so I am curious to see what some age will do to these cigars. Unfortunately these seem to be sold out so if you want to give it a try you’ll have to find someone with some and work out a deal.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
