Wrapper: 5 Year Aged Criollo Ligero
Binder: 4 Year Aged ’59 Seed Corojo from the Eiroa Family
Filler: 4 and 5 Year Aged Dominican and Honduran from the Eiroa and Kelner Families
Size: 5.5 x 50 “Hooah”
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $8.50
From the AKA web site:
“The AKA RESPECT Line Is A Tribute To All Branches Of Our United States Military. They Are All True American Heroes And They Are All American KickAss. We Understand That While Each Branch Has Their Own Unique Individual Identity, They All Serve Our Country And Defend Our Freedom With Honor, Courage, And Integrity. AKA Salutes All The Men And Women Of The Past, Present, And Future Of Our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, And National Guard.”
I’ve allowed the stick to marinate for about a month in my humidor and it took that long for the cigar to come to fruition. I tried one at the two week mark and it wasn’t ready.
The first AKA Respect came out in 2011. The AKA is an acronym for American KickAss.
The blend comes in six sizes: Taps 4.5 x 42, Hooah 5.5 x 50, Guard 6 x 44, Anchors Aweigh 6.5 x 54, 3-Volley Salute 7 x 38, Aim High 7 1/4 x 50, and Devil Dog 6 x 60.
The cigar company hooked up with Christian Eiroa, of Camacho, before he left that manufacturer only to allow Davidoff to take over.
The stick is solid. A nice roasted coffee bean color with a bit of oil and toothy/sandy to the touch. A few veins but nothing obtrusive or scary. The triple cap is magnificently executed.
I clip the cap to find aromas of dark, sweet chocolate, coffee, cedar, spice, a fruity preserve and earthiness.
Time to light up.
The first puffs bring about black pepper. Great draw and loads of smoke. The fruitiness becomes a flavor in the form of black cherry. Sweetness abounds. The strength hits classic medium body in must the first couple of minutes.
The blend is very earthy. Plus the addition of cedar, leather, and oak rounds things out.
And Lawdy, Lawdy, Miss Clawdy…the burn line is spot on. I can’t count the number of cigars I’ve reviewed lately that the simple issue of a nice even char line can be so important to the outcome of the review. The Respect alleviates me of that concern.
An inch in, the flavor profile spreads out. Just like Moe said to Curly and Larry. The char line is behaving like a champ.
The coffee element is very strong. The spiciness is more of a third tier flavor at this point. But the black cherry and the sweetness of the cigar are very much in the forefront, along with the coffee.
This is a very nice blend. I am very impressed with the construction. As of late, so many cigars reviewed lost sight of how important consistency of construction is.
The second third begins and it is very close to flavor bomb status. But honestly, if the cigar did not expand any further than the flavor profile it possesses now, I would still have no criticisms. A good, solid cigar blend.
The price point. Yes, ladies and germs, we are in that beloved $9.00 ball park once more. As I’ve said before, the $9 stick is the new $7 stick of two years ago. It is what it is. The important factor? Is it worth it? We will know by the time I finish the stick.
I get a minor citrus note that is brought out by the black cherry. Lemon. And tangy.
The flavor profile is now doing the 40 in 4.2 seconds. It expands exponentially. Sort of a big bang effect.
Here are the flavors, in order: Earthiness, sweetness, coffee, black cherry, spice, citrus, cedar, leather, and a just beginning creaminess.
I lifted the leaf stats directly from the AKA web site. Except for the filler, no mention of country for the wrapper or binder. I am not going to hazard a guess because I will probably be wrong. I took a gander at the reviewers I really respect and they had no clue either.
The 2011 used an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Could this be an Ecuadorian Criollo? The binder is from the “Eiroa Family” which could mean it is Honduran.
The halfway point is upon me and flavors are soaring and yes, it is a flavor bomb.
This is one of the strongest black cherry influenced flavors I’ve smoked. Without any Nicaraguan leaves in the cigar, it is noticeably devoid of any cocoa flavor. Yet, in the pre-light sniff, it was the strongest aroma.
I find that very often that, even when the leaf stats are complicated and exotic, there is no guarantee that the cigar will taste good. Seen a lot of those. But here, that is not the case.
The cigar is very complex now. Balance is excellent with a long finish.
The char line impresses me greatly as does the cap. I am surprised at how many triple caps just disintegrate while I chomp on them. Here, the cap can hold up to my chomping very nicely indeed.
I like it when the manufacture attends to every detail about the construction. As we all know, the devil is in the details. It can make or break a cigar. And with the higher price of boutique brands, it is a vitally important.
The last third begins and I can tell you now that I highly recommend this cigar. The cigar is available in many online stores but I purchased my five pack from the Cigar Federation Store.
AKA has five blends: Respect 2011, Respect 2013, Solace, Nth Degree, and Hybrid. And all run in the same price range as the cigar I am reviewing today.
The strength moves up just a tad touching the hem of medium/full. No nicotine yet.
With less than a couple inches to go, the flavors are potent. I really like this cigar. I would love to try the other blends.
The modicum of creaminess that showed up earlier is now surging to the front of the line. It puts a whole new twist on the flavor profile making it smooth and buttery.
In many of my last reviews, I’ve pleaded innocence to the fact that cigars were in bad shape construction wise. This is proof that it ain’t me. The cigar has been in the same humidors as the others and is magnificent in construction.
As the cigar finishes it makes a bold move to medium/full bodied. There is a bit of nicotine but not very much.
Not a hint of harshness or heat.
Flavors are all intact and all in all, a very good cigar. And yes, it is worth the dough.
Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
Cigar Reviews by the Katman 
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