Company Overview: Southern Draw Cigars

Near as I can tell (basically, by looking at the copyright date at the bottom of their website) Southern Draw was founded in 2014. A group of veterans (including chief evangelist for the brand, Robert Holt) came together inspired by the southern ethics of honor…not intentionally offending others, treating ladies with respect…basically being a “southern gentleman.” They teamed up with the A.J. Fernandez factory in Nicaragua to produce some new and unique cigar blends with a cap of 5,000 cigars per blend.

I first heard of the brand a year or so ago when a local broker (Glynn Segars, who also handles Caldwell and some other accounts in our area) started talking about them. I would then hear from time to time about other friends smoking them at different shops. Glynn always seemed to be out of samples when he would visit my shop, though…until recently, that is.

Last week he gave me samples of all three of Southern Draw’s blends and I am happy to say I’ve had the opportunity to try them all now. I elected to give a few “sampling” thoughts to you on the individual blends as well as the company that makes them. The above history of the company is a highly abbreviated version of what is on their website…if you want the longer version, follow the link and give it a read.

Kudzu

This is the one that got my attention originally…I learned about kudzu when I moved to Tennessee about seven years ago. It is an ornamental vining plant that was introduced to the American south about a century ago and took to the area quite well. Well enough to completely supplant some native vegetation and engulf houses, power lines, derelict cars…whatever stands still long enough to be overgrown by a vine that can grow 3 feet a day during the summer. It’s pernicious and virtually impossible to eradicate. So a cigar named after that? Cool!

Kudzu employs Nicaraguan fillers and binder leaves along with a beautiful, oily and rich-smelling Habano Rosado wrapper leaf. It is box-pressed and I was bowled over by the amount of sweetness to the aroma from the wrapper, but even more so from the foot. Chocolatey and fruity. When I lit it up, the sweetness of the leaf translated into an aroma that my wife said smelled of weed…yes, that kind of sweet leaf. I could honestly smell the same thing during the first few minutes.

As it burned on, the sweetness modulated downward as more earthy, leathery, and vegetal notes came through. I enjoyed this one end to end. It was a complete surprise and very unique. I’m definitely going to have to revisit this one for a full review.

Firethorn

This second release from Southern Draw was blended to pair with medium-weight craft beers, wines and spirits. Firethorn features Nicaraguan fillers, a Mexican San Andres binder, and a Habano Rosado wrapper leaf. Firethorn is another type of ornamental plant, although not nearly as pernicious as kudzu. It has red berries that are mildly poisonous, and I think I’ve seen them around, although they are said to be more native to Asia and Europe.

Firethorn The Cigar comes in 3 vitolas, but I was given the Gordo…a 6×60. I found it had a fairly smooth and well-balanced flavor, but the size of the cigar worked against the blend really and I wasn’t completely sold on it as a result. I got mostly cedar notes with some earth and a touch of pepper, but I’m not ready to render a verdict on this blend until I can try it again in a Robusto.

Quick Draw

Finally, there’s the Quick Draw, a Petite Corona available in either an Ecuadorian Dark Habano wrapper or Pennsylvania Broadleaf. The name is a play on “Southern Draw” in a “Quick” format, as well as the double-meaning of the Old West gunfighters who specialized in a quick draw of their weapon so they could win in a shootout.

I had the Habano version and found it to be a satisfying short smoke with plenty of earth and pepper notes. Yes, I know…you have come to expect a longer (sometimes much longer) flavor description from me…but I was working while I smoked this one and I don’t recall every bit of it. It does bear a closer examination at some point.

Conclusions

I’d say the praise I’ve heard heaped upon Southern Draw is warranted at this point. While I wasn’t a huge fan of Firethorn, that could be as much a function of the ring gauge as it is the blend…and anyway, I would never expect to love all blends from one company equally. I’m drawn to this brand and think it will be a pretty easy sell, combining clever marketing (especially for my region), strong blends, and reasonable prices.