Vitola: Toro- 6” x 50 ring gauge
- MSRP $12
- Purchased at Islands Cigar Lounge
Background
In these days of mass international travel and instantaneous communication worldwide, sometimes it’s easy to forget that crossing boundaries used to be a really big deal and cause for celebration. For hundreds of years, sailors have used sometimes-elaborate ceremonies to initiate those crew members who made major achievements, including crossing the equator…which nets sailors the nickname of “Shellback.”
In 2015 Camacho introduced the Brotherhood Line, a series of cigars that seems to focus on military references: “a collection of cigars as bold as the men who inspired them, intended for those who value integrity above all else. Built to honor the boldest personalities in the Camacho community. Our Brotherhood Series is unshakably rooted in the elemental right to live free. Free from limits. Free from compromise. Free to follow your own path, on your own terms. Each cigar is a celebration of the bond between men who take action and never sit idly by.”
The first Brotherhood cigar is the Shellback, about which they said: “Like those bold individuals who put their lives on the line to defend a nation, Camacho Shellback is built with integrity, backed by an impenetrable quality of character. Legendary strength from deep in the heart of Nicaragua, bound by a Habano wrapper grown at Lat 0° Ecuador.”
It’s not specifically stated above, but filler and binder are all Nicaraguan and the wrapper is Ecuadorian Habano. We never got Shellback at my home store, but I found them when I was out in California in October, so I picked one up for review purposes.
Prelight
The Camacho Shellback has a version of the corporate design, with the large sideways band and bright coloration. In this case the band really isn’t that large, although they did add a foot-band. The band uses a bright neon green on black background with some gray detail work featuring the Camacho scorpion, as well as maritime-themed tridents. Shellback features the slogan “Crossing the Line Since 1962” which references both the equator-crossing aspect, as well as the year Camacho was founded. It’s a different take on the “new” Camacho look…at the same time different enough to be special, but recognizable enough to be seen quickly.
The wrapper of the cigar was a toasted caramel color with just a bit of darker mottling. It had a moderate amount of oiliness under my fingers and smelled of earth and hay. The foot had more earth mostly, with touches of leather and pepper.
After clipping, the cold draw was good and tasted mostly of wet earth with some cedar and bell pepper.
Flavor
I lit up the Shellback and got immediate flavors of cedar and hay on a creamy smoke that was a little unexpected for a Nicaraguan-heavy blend. There was an undercurrent of earthiness and touches of pepper spice and unsweetened cocoa powder, but they were all minor notes which was a little unusual for having so much Nicaraguan tobacco in the blend. The retrohale had a more typical red pepper burn. When taken altogether the start of this cigar was rich and nuanced more than a simple reading of the countries of origin would indicate.
As I got into the second third, I got more creaminess in the smoke, but with an equal increase in pepper spice. There was a light caramel sweetness and wet earthiness coming in behind that. After starting as a medium-bodied cigar, the Shellback climbed into the full range by the end of the second third.
The final third is where the boldness really started to come to the fore. Earth and pepper increased, while the creaminess decreased a bit becoming the supporting flavor in the profile. Notes of hay and cedar came in slightly below that.
Construction
The Shellback I smoked had a great draw and solid ash that grew to over an inch at one point. It needed just a couple minor touch-ups.
Value
I felt this was a solid smoking experience and the price is not out of sight for a limited edition. Certainly, it’s cheaper than the annual Liberty release from Camacho, so based on that alone, I would call this a good, though not great, value.
Conclusions
The Camacho Shellback was a very good cigar that really demonstrates the corporate decree of “bold” cigars. It had a full flavor, full body and full strength by the end, ratcheting up the intensity all along the way. It makes me think of what a LFD might be if they used Nicaraguan leaf instead of Dominican. If you like Camacho’s other bolder offerings or if you’re just a fan of full-bodied smokes, you should give this one a try.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
