Wrapper: Unknown
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Unknown
Size: 5 x 50
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $6.00

First, I should explain why there are no leaf stats. General Cigar’s Creative Director, Michael Giannini, designed this entire line of cigars. Which contains 12 new brands and within those 12, 18 different blends.

This is not a limited run. It is once they are gone, they’re gone, baby, gone. You will have to use your search engine to see which online stores carry them. And they will be gone soon. Their booth at the 2013 trade show in July was such a hit, that they sold everything they had.

Giannini decided to not disclose any of the leaves used in any of his blends. There are so many brands and blends that not one single store carries the whole line, but rather; they might carry a couple brands. So shop around.

Giannini used his creativity in not only the design and blend of the cigars, but the packaging as well. The most popular packaging is the Plutonium line which has four different blends and is offered in a box that resembles dynamite as seen in old western movies. Pull the release cord and it becomes four different boxes containing each blend of the Plutonium.

All of the cigar lines are based on the Periodic Table. I cannot stress enough that this is a rare grouping of cigars.

Ana Cuenca of Cuenca Cigars gave me the Plutonium White as a gift. I checked and Cuenca does not seem to be carrying any of the line. But maybe a phone call to them might produce some results.

OK. Let’s see what this cigar is about. The damn band and foot band take up 90% of the cigar’s surface so I have to remove them both in order to smoke the cigar. There is way too much glue on the foot band.

The cigar is rock solid. With the perfect amount of give. The wrapper is extremely dark like a Habano. Lots of veins, big and small appear. It appears to be a single cap. There is a nice oily sheen and a lot of tooth.

I clip the cap and find aromas of spice, cocoa, cedar, leather, wood, cinnamon, and bread. A Nicaraguan blend for sure.
Time to light up.

The first puffs are sweet with a large dose of cocoa. Creaminess bounces in immediately. The char line starts out a bit wavy. But the draw is spot on.
Another half inch and this stick will qualify as a flavor bomb. With the line of cigars being so gimmicky, I am sure General Cigar could have charged a lot more than $9; but they didn’t. Could have made a killing by selling these one of a kind sticks for $9-$10 each and they would have sold just as quickly.

Smoke fills the room. Removing the 2-1/2” long body band is a real pain in the ass and I am forced to use a knife. Once removed, the goliath band looks like a wall poster.

The cigar continues to gather flavors as we go. Besides the creaminess, there is the sweetness, cocoa, a newly added red pepper, cedar, leather, and something fruity; like me.

At the one inch mark, the cigar becomes a flavor bomb. The flavors are explosive..pardon the pun: Plutonium. The spiciness ratchets up quite quickly. If this ain’t a Nicaraguan blend, then I will eat a Milk Bone biscuit.

The cigar gets chewy with a long finish. I smack my lips and the flavor continues. I grab my Diet Coke due to the heavy influence of the cocoa and I want my NYC egg cream experience.

The first third comes to an end beautifully. The cigar is well balanced and full of character. Clearly, General Cigar and Giannini knew what they were doing. I can’t imagine the time required to produce this extravaganza.

The body is classic medium. Right on the money. The fruity component is both raisin and citrusy. Coffee enters the program. Flavors boom and ooze and drip and quantify and move exponentially to a bombastic combination of nuance, finesse, and quality.

The second third sees the cigar go complex on me. Flavors do a Conga line together; moving uniformly and in position. They sometimes morph as one and other times, send out explosions of flavor. The pepper seems to have evened itself out and remains snazzy but not overwhelming.

I’ve been using the term, “New Breed” blenders for over a year, and I have noticed other reviewers beginning to use it as well. Basically, we are talking about any of the tattooed ones who push the edge of the envelope with their blends. This cigar has that written all over it.

At the halfway point, flavors settle in for the long haul. Nothing really supersedes the other. Except possibly the cocoa and creaminess. But just barely. We are jammed up and jelly tight now.

The cigar is not a high premium cigar. It is though; an exceptional use of leaves and blending to make a delicious cigar. The price point is right on target. There are a lot of New Breed blends at the same price that deliver the same outcome as this one.

There is a huge trend to use Nicaraguan blends to create flavor bombs like this one.

The last third begins and it is here, that we find the real sweet spot. Flavor and character are one with the Schwartz. What was once flavors seen as subtle on the move, we now see them as bold and exciting. The body remains at medium. The char line has been the tiniest bit wavy but has not required additional touch ups.

Another sweet component shows up in the form of apricot preserves. It is one of my favorite jams in the fridge so the flavor is instanteously noticeable.

I could smoke this cigar all day long. And then the strength makes a move on me. The vision blurs and the typos begin. Mr. President..I have a serious buzz.

The cigar finishes out magnificently. No harsh tones and remains cool as a cuke. The full bodied aspect makes me slow down. My typing becomes laborious.

I wish I could send you to an online store that has all 12 brands with all 18 blends. But you are going to have to do your own homework on this one. Remember the name of the company is Foundry Tobacco Company. Google it or Bing it; or whatever. My best guess is you will have better luck with your local B & M, but you will pay more.
I just discovered that JR Cigars carries some of the brands: Europium, Plutonium Green, Plutonium White, Plutonium Orange, Plutonium Yellow, and Vandadium.
One important note is that BCP sells the cigars for considerably less.
BestCigarPrices.com has 5 of the blends: Argon, Europium, Vanadium, Gold and Xenon.

This was a real treat. I’ve had this cigar in my humidor for over a month and forgot about it. Now I want more.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS