Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: 7.5 x 49

Body: Medium

Price: $8.00

I managed to get my hands on the Ortega Wild Bunch Sampler #2 which includes 3 cigars that are to be released in April, May and June.

Tony the Boss is the April release.

Information on these cigars is very clandestine at the moment.

Even though the cigar is long, the ring gauge is small at 49. I like that. A smaller ring cigar tends to age quicker than the larger ring gauges.

Construction is solid. It is a medium brown with tight seams and lots of veins. The wrapper has a nice reddish hue. The wrapper is oily. The cap is well made so it is hard to tell how many there are. If I had to guess, I would say a double cap.

I sniff it and detect cinnamon, cocoa, cedar, leather, floral, and a nice sweetness.

I clip it and light up.

The draw is perfect and smoke fills the room. The char line is close to perfect.

The first impression is that it starts at a strong medium body. And has depth and earthiness. The sweetness is nice.

There is some black pepper but it is not overwhelming. There is an unusual flavor I am struggling with. I can taste some musk. Its primary flavor is the earthiness at this point about an inch in.

I close in on the end of the first third. And creaminess shows up. I can taste some cocoa now. There is a fruitiness that seems to be dried plum. That may have been the elusive flavor.

In to the second third, there is a graham cracker component that has a bit of cinnamon. This is not your usual Nicaraguan profile. But just because the binder and filler leaves are Nicaraguan, really doesn’t mean anything as the area the plants were grown can have a massive impact on the taste.

The second third is smoother than the first. The power pulls back a bit to classic medium. Obviously, a few months aging will really show off the blender’s intent. This has only been in my humidor for a week so not really an accurate assessment. I believe I am tasting potential rather than the end point flavors. I’m sure, based on experience, that this cigar will be a flavor bomb in a few months. At the moment, the flavors are subtle. But still a very tasty cigar.

The creaminess is really ramping up now. It brings out the cocoa and graham cracker and plum.

I’m guessing that the last third is where the cigar will expand its flavor profile. I’m getting preludes at the moment.

The key to this cigar is that it is made at the My Father factory in Nicaragua. That, in itself, should be tell tale of the flavors. Did Pepin Garcia have a hand in this? I have no idea. If so, he has blended something not typical of his style. And it is not the style I would associate with an Ortega cigar. Eddie is stretching his blending style with this stick.

I am at the halfway point and the body is moving upwards.

The spiciness has moved to the back. It has become a subtle flavor. So has the cocoa.

I am sticking my neck out and saying that this cigar is more like a back in the day Cuban. Being an old guy, I can remember those cigars and this reminds of that blending style. Now, you buy a Cuban at your own risk. The fake Cuban cigar trade is a billion dollar business. I’ve been nailed several times. And I don’t like it.

I start the last third and the flavors are blooming. The cocoa gets stronger. The sweetness is more prevalent. The creaminess is buttery smooth. And the stick finds its complexity.

The draw has been perfect so far. The char line has been dead nuts spot on. The body remains at medium. It is now a well-balanced stick. It is smooth. I plan to put the rest of the cigars away and let them rest for 3 months and see what that does for maturing the character.

The spiciness is ramping up now. It is turning to red pepper. My box of Kleenex is nearby for my runny nose. It is currently and dark and rainy day in Milwaukee so I’m concerned that my photos might be a bit funky. We have tickets to the Brewers/Giants game tonight at Miller Park. I am wearing a boot cast for my broken foot and even though we have preferred parking, I am dreading the ordeal. I’m old enough to remember when you could smoke in a ball park. I miss those days. There is nothing like lighting up a good cigar and watching the sunlight hit the playing field. Miller Park has a retractable roof so it will be closed. And the only smoking areas are outside the park. Bummer.

Kalamata olives. That’s it! It may be a flavor that exists only because the cigar hasn’t reached its zenith. Or I might be right on. That flavor of slight bitterness and olive oil. I love olives. Maybe I have dementia. I don’t know.

Creaminess leads the flavor pack. The others are right behind.

I have been smoking this cigar for an hour and 15 minutes. And I still have most of the last third to go.

The cigar burns down and everything is in harmony.

I think this is going to be a great cigar in a couple of months. Of the four Wild Bunch cigars I’ve smoked, it is a toss-up between Iron Mike and Tony the Boss that are is my favorite. The Iron Mike started this way. So I have great expectations for Tony.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS