Originally published at Tiki Bar Online
Double Robusto, 5” x 54 ring gauge / MSRP $6.50
There was a time not too long ago when I could count the number of cigar companies based in Tennessee on one finger. Actually, when I moved back to the state of my birth four and a half years ago, CAO made it’s home in Nashville. Two years out from that, they had packed up and moved into the larger General fold in Virginia, but soon after Crowned Heads took their place as the “only cigar company based in the Volunteer State.” In the past year, though, two additional companies have come to my attention; interestingly, both have come to my attention through mutual friends…friends that I have that also happened to be friends with the brand owners. The first company I heard about was through my friend, Patrick Landrum (follow him on Twitter @SlowSmoked and read his writings at www.keepingyourmancard.com). Bryan Jackson started Jaxin Cigar Company and build it “around our love of cigars, cigar lounges and Irish heritage. We feel that cigars should be paired with the many other great joys in life: friends, golf and fine ales.” His initial blend is called the Tavern Residence; it is available in a Gordo vitola (6 x 60, SRP $7.00) as well as the Double Robusto I smoked for this review. It is composed of Nicaraguan filler and binder along with a Sun Grown Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Bryan sent me one of each vitola to sample (Thank you, Bryan). This review is based on my second cigar of this blend, but the first of this vitola.
Cigar bands are a tricky business and much harder to design for than most people realize. You can’t just throw the same artwork at it you would use for something the size of a business card, much less something that would be well-suited for a flyer. The band for the Jaxin Tavern Residence has just “Jaxsin Cigar Co.” for type on the front, along with a shield and four-leaf clover, and it all represents an Irish heritage well…however, the overall execution struck me as not quite right for a band…bordering on something you might see on a bundle stick, although not quite there. Overall, it does distinguish itself from other stuff on the shelves (which is a good thing), but I”m not sure it does so in the best way. So I “like,” but don’t “love” the band…but let’s move on to the more important part. The wrapper does look great…it was a nice milk chocolate color with some veins showing and a glossy oiliness. It had a slightly astringent aroma to it, a lot of cedar along with some earth. The foot had a stronger, more pungent earthiness. I clipped the head and gave the draw a try; it was fine and I tasted earth and dried fruit sweetness.
Lighting up the Tavern Residence was fairly easy with a single flame torch. I immediately got notes of cedar, earth and cocoa powder on the palate along with a sharp pepper spice on the nose. After a few puffs, I got a little stronger sweet flavor coming through. So far this Jaxsin initial offering was turning out to be very good in flavor and quite well balanced. The body at this point was medium. Midway through the first third, I noted that the spice had mellowed a bit on the retrohale, but was more present on the palate. I also noticed a raisin sweetness coming through more distinctly.
During the second third, the sweetness ebbed a bit and the flavor of cedar moved up to be the primary note on the palate. There was still a bit of pepper on the palate, but it had all but gone away completely on the nose. Construction was very good. I saw a fairly even burn line that needed just a couple minor touch-ups. The draw was uniformly fantastic. The ash was solid and never flaky.
As I smoked through the final third of the Jaxsin Tavern Residence, the flavor became more earthy with notes of cocoa powder and black coffee. The sweetness from the first third was still a minor note in the background as well. Body was medium to full. In the end, I have to conclude that this is a very fine example of a Nicaraguan cigar, with lots of flavor and good amount of complexity. The 6 x 60 vitola that I smoked had some of the same flavor present, but it was all a bit muted and the body did not increase as much. I was informed by Bryan that the 6 x 60 outsells the Double Robusto by about three to one in most shops, but I see that as just a manifestation of the “bigger is better” attitude. So I’ll encourage people again, try the smaller ring gauge vitola…in almost all cigars, including this one, the flavors are more distinct and just flat-out better.
Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 7/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 1.5/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
