Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: 5 x 52 Robusto
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $16.00
I’ve had my cigars in my humidor, without cellos, for two months.
I have both the 2021 version and the 2022 version. Makes sense to start with the older 2021 stick. But since the 2021 stick is a 5 x 52 Robusto and the 2022 is a 6 x 52 Toro with the exact same leaf stats, not sure there will be any difference…EXCEPT that the 2022 version claims that the sticks were aged 3 years prior to release. Could be a substantial difference. Or not. I’m so confused.
BACKGROUND:
From Lampert Cigars:
“LAMPERT CIGARS will be unveiling its newest limited release – Family Reserve 2021, at PCA 2022 in Las Vegas that will be held on July 9-13, 2022.
“The Family Reserve 2021 is a medium-bodied, full flavor cigar blended by non-other than Hendrik Kelner Jr., KELNER BOUTIQUE FACTORY (KBF).
“The limited release uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and underneath a Dominican binder and filler which were grown, fermented then aged by the Kelner family in the Dominican Republic. Cigars will be available in Robusto shape (5 x 52) in boxes of ten and have an MSRP of $16.
“This KELNER BOUTIQUE FACTORY production is a limited release of only 6000 cigars which were rolled in 2021. 500 boxes of the Family Reserve 2021 will be released in the USA through LAMPERT CIGARS distributor Vlada Stojanov.”
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
Guys who know how to properly use Kelner, make fantastic cigars.
And Vlad has been a buddy for years due to his association with Casdagli. This guy is a real mensch. I hope I don’t eviscerate this cigar. But da’ truth is da’ truth. He’ll understand.
I love the golden sun draped wrapper. This must be a special Ecuadorian Connie because I don’t usually see such brightness and hue.
The little cigar is pretty hefty. As full of innards as a homemade Wisconsin bratwurst. It has serious weight going for it.
I must be having a Passover flashback because I smell unsalted sweet buttered matzoh. Oh lord, not another stroke.
Creaminess and gooey caramel join the party followed by subtle notes of sunflower seeds, malt of course, floral notes, cedar, black pepper, and Jewish rye bread. Yep, another acid flashback from the 60’s.
I put Amazon Music on “Classic Hits,” First up is Tears for Fears. I never moved so fast in my life to change the channel. Whew. I choose something safe like the Santana Channel. Can never go wrong with that choice.
The draw is completely plugged. Yes, my dears, another shameless plug for the cigar smoker’s best friend, my PerfecDraw draw adjustment tool. Man, this one is a battle as I screw the tool into the cigar pretending I’m Jeffrey Dahmer. Plunge after plunge until the cigar is free of the detritus preventing an airway. Side note, I don’t have sex with the cigar afterwards.
Light ‘er up time…
The draw remains a bit tight, but it should loosen up once I get past a quarter of an inch.
A lovely E.C. sweetness from the wrapper. Cinnamon creaminess pounces on my palate like it has been waiting to do this for two years. The blend wastes no time in showing some rich depth. The aging of tobacco over the last couple of years is clearly apparent.
Café au lait, black pepper, aged cedar, and butterscotch slam into my amygdala.
Damn. This is becoming a very tasty cigar so early on. Fingers crossed that it traverses the River Jordan with real panache.
Strength is a spot on medium.
Very slow roll thanks to this cigar being built like a tank.
The char line is a thing of beauty. (I don’t get out much).
Bananas. I swear it. I always smoke and write a review on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. I even have a ritual. I rinse my mouth with hydrogen peroxide to rid the bacteria in my mouth. Don’t freak. This stuff is a recommended mouthwash…I don’t swallow. (If I had a dime for every time a woman told me this when I was single…). I then wait a couple minutes and take a few sips of water and my palate is good. I find that with food in my gut, it hinders what I taste in my reviews. This is the reason I can taste so many subtle notes in a cigar…the same notes that social media clowns rip me a new ass over. “I can’t taste that! He is a moron.” Well, they are partially correct. And none of these Bozos have smoked premium cigars for over half a century. I’m lucid and have a very refined palate. Again, that is partially correct.
¾” in and the blend jumps from 13,000 feet. Like me when I almost got killed in 2001. It is a beautiful sight from that height as you plummet like a rock towards mother earth. But that last foot is a doozie.
Creaminess rules the day. The black pepper accompanies the creaminess like eating Fettuccine Alfredo.
The Animals. “House of the Rising Sun.” I quickly change to the Ronnie Earl station as it never lets me down. My kind of music.
The richness of the tobaccy is delightful. Full of intense nuances that feel nuclear.
The ash is the monolith from “2001: A Space Odyssey.” I know, as I sit here in my boxers, that it is waiting to crash and burn on my crotch. I move my chair closer to the desk.
No stories about friends horribly murdered will be in this cigar review.
Strength hits medium/full at 1” burned…which takes 20 minutes to reach this point.
I stare at the ash and it stares right back taunting me. We shall see who has the last laugh.
Tart lemon rind moves into place. Martini anyone? It changes the profile. Complexity is building. The rich depth is spreading out like a swan on acid.
Sips of water and the flavor profile swims the length of the pool.
Hey men…this is a gorgeous blend. It forces me into taking my time because it has built in DNA that sends signals to my brain explaining this is the way to enjoy the cigar. It must be A.I. I will take all I can get as once I hit my 70’s, my brain has become smooshy.
A very sophisticated cigar. I cannot wait to review the 2022 version tomorrow.
Once again, like any cigar worth its salt, the origin of the tobacco does the heavy lifting. Not a flavor bomb. All flavor points are subtle. I know I overuse the term “richness” but this blend is seeped in it. Yeah, even at only 1-1/2” burned, this cigar price point is fair. A standout cigar blend at its best. It would need a major disaster further up the road to change my mind.
This Robusto will be a 90-minute excursion.
Man, I’ve smoked and reviewed some great cigars lately. What are the odds?
Time to shut the fuck up, kick back, listen to the blues, and puff away. Back in a few minutes.
Dr. Rod and I were talking yesterday and he made his excuses for liking The Eagles. It was pathetic. Such a brilliant man with terrible taste in music.
Halfway point at 45 minutes.
The flavor profile seems canonized. But the depth of the complexity keeps on keeping on until blood runs from my ears.
Damn. I remove the cigar band and it rips the wrapper. 50 points taken away.
Speaking of Dr. Rod, I grab my PerfecRepair glue and it is good as new. This stuff is like liquid cocaine. I tried drinking it and I got diarrhea.
The iconic keyboardist, Reese Wynans, is now on the Ronnie Earl station. He played with SRV. He is a regular with the Joe Bonamassa band. I saw them here in Milwaukee a couple years ago and Reese wasn’t there. Joe said Reese was doing a gig with The Fabulous Thunderbirds in Miami. Joe did not sound pleased. Must have made the replacement keys guy feel like shit.
This fucking cigar is a fucking masterpiece. No shit, my friends. Just fucking wow!
The tobacco is so multifaceted that it defies a dignified description.
If you enjoy manly erudite cigar blends, boy do I have a cigar for you.
The char line is dead nuts.
The second half is one giant sweet spot. What sort of satanic tobacco was blended into this snausage?
Medium/full becomes full tilt. My head is turning 360 degrees. Hold the guacamole.
Once again, a $16 cigar tastes every bit as good as a $50 stick. Plus, with my sponsors, you’ll only pay around $14. An insane deal. I’m going to buy some more. No shit. I’ll be back shortly. BTW-This is an extremely limited edition.
Creamy, chocolaty, spicy, lemon citrus notes, malt, caramel, bananas, cedar, cinnamon, cappuccino, hickory, and graham cracker.
The buzz disappears just like that. Still full tilt but smooth as a baby’s ass.
Andrew at SBC is pregnant again with child #2. Welcome to always having a cold virus for the next 10 years.
90 minutes it is. Just such a marvelous blend. My new favorite Lampert blend.
You can snag these cigars from sponsors Small Batch Cigar (10% off with promo code ‘katman’) and Luxury Cigar Club (15% off with promo code ‘katman’).
RATING: 96
Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
Cigar Reviews by the Katman 
You must be logged in to post a comment.