Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican

Size: 6 x 52 Toro

Body: Medium/Full

Price: $9.00

This is the fourth, and last, Atlantic Cigar 15^th Anniversary stick to be reviewed. The E.P. Carrillo Atlantic Cigar 15^th Anniversary is the last of the 4 commemorative cigars I will review. The other three have been reviewed and take a look if you are interested.

This is the only maduro of the four. And the quantity of boxes was kept to a boutique batch of 500.

The wrapper is very dark and oily. The stick is quite toothy. The stick is solid without a single soft spot. And has just the right amount of give. It appears to have a triple cap. The shape of the cigar is closer to an oval than a circle. The look is rustic with mostly tight seams but still there are seams that are a bit sloppy and you have no trouble picking them out. There are some very large veins and some look like surgery scars.

I sniff around and detect milk chocolate, wood, spice, and the smallest amount of anise.

I “V” cut a lot because I bought one of those behemoth, stainless steel, 4 gauge cutters. And it gives an exquisite V or guillotine cut. And I don’t like an off with her head approach…it tends to lead to loose tobacco in your mouth and on your shirt.

I light the cigar and here we go…

I detect wood. And some earthiness. And some milk chocolate. A tiny dot of pepper.

I bought a total of the four Atlantic Cigar 15^th Anniversry packs that include sticks by Viaje, My Father, Oliva, and Carrillo. The nice thing about Atlantic Cigar is that they show you on the cigar description page how many units are left. As of today, there are only 19 two-fer packs left. And they are a great deal. Well here is the conundrum. In a panic, I bought another two-fer pack and mixed the new sticks with the old. Why? Because I’m old. So I have no idea which one I am smoking; the 4 week stick or the one week stick. Dementia sneaks up on you. LOL!

Based on what I taste, I think I hit pay dirt. The flavor of smooth, buttery cream has entered the picture at only the half inch mark. These are both typical Nicaraguan traits but I love them; which is probably why Nicaragua is the flavor of the month at the moment, so to speak.

The first third is basically cocoa, creaminess, a touch of spiciness, and wood. Not complex at all, but some very pleasant flavors at work.

The char line is dead nuts on the mark.

As I start the second third, the cocoa really ramps up and I am smoking a chocolate milk shake. So I grab the obligatory Diet Coke to complete the mission.

The body started as a shy medium but is now much stronger…the high side of medium. There are some dried fruit notes….I smack my lips in an effort to bring the component forward. Dried apricot. It’s tart and sweet. And the closest analogy I can think of. The spiciness which is a combo of black and red peppers begins to make its move as a much stronger flavor component.

At the halfway point, the cigar is very much chocolate based. The other flavors play an ancillary role. The cigar really isn’t getting complex, but based on these flavors, it’s OK with me. I’m sure that some better time spent in my humidor will correct this. And in a couple of months, I will check back and put an addendum on this review. Complexity is fickle. It can show up very early on and it can take what seems like forever. I think most blenders expect you to show their cigar some respect and allow them some reasonable time in your humidor before smoking it.

The ash is not a strong point on this stick. It fell off at the 1” mark and is very delicate. I like to keep my humidors at around 66%-68% humidity. It keeps them a bit drier and also allows them to shrink an iota. As a byproduct, the ash stays on longer.

The last third is all about flavor and the strength coming into its own. I don’t think the cigar will become complex. But the flavors of cocoa, creaminess, spiciness, fruity, and wood make it oh so enjoyable. The cocoa and creaminess keep on getting stronger and stronger.

Because the cigar never reaches a strong full body, it is a great cigar for a novice or a morning smoke. The strength creeps up on you making it an easy ride.

I dropped the cigar into my lap during the first third and caused a small crack in the wrapper. Not only dementia…but klutziness as well.

The cigar finishes like a champ by being cool as a cuke, not a bit of harshness or bitterness. And very smooth in the flavor department. Again, Atlantic Cigar has shown that they worked very closely with the blender of their choice to produce an outstanding house cigar. I can count on a couple of fingers the number of online stores that manufacture an excellent cigar that celebrates an anniversary.

These cigars come in boxes of 10 making it very affordable for the consumer. Their singles are sold out and they don’t have 5 packs. So if you are shy about this, I would recommend buying the Anniversary pack with all 4 dedicated cigars. But with only 19 left, I would move on this quickly.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS