Jamais Vu by Ezra Zion | Cigar Review

By Cigar Reviews by the Katman on November 24, 2014

Wrapper: Nicaraguan (1999 Cuban Seed, 2007 Crop, Corojo)
Binder #1: Nicaraguan (1999 Cuban Seed, 2007 Crop, Corojo)
Binder #2: Nicaraguan (1998 Cuban Seed, 2006 Crop, Criollo)
Filler: Nicaraguan (1999 Cuban Seed, 2007 Crop, Medio Tiempo, Viso, and Ligero)
Size: 5.25 x 50 “Gran Robusto”
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $8.95

Today we take a look at the Ezra Zion Jamais Vu. It is made up of Grade “A” Nicaraguan Tobaccos Aged 5 to 6 Years.

Ezra Zion Jamais Vu made its debut at the 2012 IPCPR trade show.
The Jamais Vu was Ezra Zion’s first blend. And it made quite the splash.

It was originally named the Inception but the folks at Ezra Zion decided a name change was in order.
“In psychology, jamais vu (from French, meaning “never seen”) is the phenomenon of experiencing a situation that one recognizes in some fashion, but that nonetheless seems very unfamiliar.”

The Ezra Zion Jamais Vu comes in 5 sizes:
Seis Cero Seis Box Press 60 x 6
Corona Gorda Box Press 54 x 6.50
Exquisito Box Press 52 x 6.25
Gran Robusto 50 x 5.25
Corona 46 x 6

And the price range is $8.95-$9.95.

There are four other blends from Ezra Zion: Eminence, Tantrum, FHK, and Honor Series.

I’ve reviewed the Eminence and The Collective which is a house brand made exclusively for Cigar Federation. The Collective is my #4 cigar in my Top 25 list.

The Jamais Vu is a nice looking cigar. Seams are invisible. A minimal amount of veins. A nicely applied triple cap. Very solid but with the perfect give. The wrapper is a medium chocolate brown with some oil and very toothy.

I clip the cap and find aromas of strong black pepper, fruity sweetness, and a lovely honeysuckle aroma. A lot of chocolate and coffee at the foot.
Time to light up.

First puffs are deliciously redolent with milk chocolate, espresso, toastiness, nutty, a big splash of black pepper, something very fruity (Like Charlie H.), very leathery, a rich decadent tobacco flavor, and a canoe’s worth of wood.

This is exactly what I like. The Ezra Zion Jamais Vu starts off with a bang. A big bang. It has some similarities to The Collective in that it has a deep, rich, exotic flavor profile. Full of tropical fruit, the finest epicurean chocolate, Kona coffee, and so toasty that all it needs is some fruit preserves to top it off.

The richness is very filling. Like after a big fancy meal. Flavors coat my teeth and my lips and my palate is screaming laughter.

And all I’ve smoked is ¼”.

Leather is strong. It is an added dimension that pushes the rich tobacco flavor along its path of creating a sated experience.

This is the first time I’ve smoked the Ezra Zion Jamais Vu. I know, I know…it has been out for a couple of years and I’m just getting around to it. But the Ezra Zion line is not cheap. In my opinion, worth every dime, but I’m not rich like Logan Lawler or Bill Paley.

And cigars in the double digit framework make me think twice before buying. And most EZ cigars hover in the $9-$10 range.

The char line is a bit lazy at first but steers the rocky shoals nicely after a few minutes.

It is a flavor bomb. It has been one almost from the start.

I am not ashamed or embarrassed about this statement; but the Ezra Zion line is my desert island cigar. Actually, it is a tie with Paul Stulac Cigars. Since it is my fantasy, I choose both.

I’ve had a couple of Ezra Zion Jamais Vu for a month or so now. A reader who doesn’t want to see his name in print sent me some EZ cigars and I bought a couple at the start of this month. I am reviewing my reader’s as his has an extra month on it.

This is a meaty, manly cigar. The experienced palate need only apply. Mostly due to the strength which at this point (1-1/4” burned) is a tick above medium bodied. But also due to incredible nuance and character of this blend.

The Ezra Zion Jamais Vu is to be savored. Not to be smoked in a group while kibitzing. Or at a BBQ at a friend’s house. You want to be alone with the Jamais Vu. You want every iota of character to be all yours and no one else.

I love The Collective but the Ezra Zion Jamais Vu is giving it a good run for its money. EZ has its sound. The great rock bands have a sound. So do blends coming from EZ. If you put your ear up to the burning stick, you can hear the sounds of brilliant blending and perfect pitch.

I have a Corona Gorda Box Press 6.5 x 54 simmering in my humidor but I am glad that I chose to review the Gran Robusto 5.25 x 50 instead. This size has the perfect wrapper vs. tobacco ratio. But methinks that it really doesn’t matter what size the Ezra Zion Jamais Vu comes in, it will shine.

With all the horrors of cold weather affecting my stash, it hasn’t made a dent in any of my Ezra Zion sticks. That’s impressive.

The second third begins.

Here are the flavors: Rich tobacco, chocolate, mocha java, creaminess, spice, toastiness, nutty, tropical fruit, a touch of honeysuckle that brings the floral note aroma to the flavor profile, wood, and very leathery.
This about as close to perfect a flavor profile as they come.

My wife is not very creative about gift giving around Christmas, Chanukkah, Anniversary, and birthdays. She usually tells me how much I can spend and I buy cigars. I do believe for this Christmas, it will be an Ezra Zion avalanche.

The solidly packed stick makes the cigar smoke very slowly. With one third burned, I’ve invested almost 40 minutes.

The second third doesn’t make any substantial changes except that the flavors gain a broader spectrum. The complexity digs in deep; the balance is now perfect and of course, not forgetting, the wonderful long chewy finish.

The coffee elements start to usurp the chocolate component. Neck and neck. But on the rise.
The spiciness has dissipated and gone to the back of the line.

The DE line of Java cigars are all infused. For me, it is more chocolate than coffee. And is too treacly sweet for me. The Ezra Zion Jamais Vu has those chocolate and coffee flavors zeroed in without infusion.

The price point. Who cares? Now that IPCPR Fever is in full swing and all the big manufacturers are greedy as hell selling their wares for double digits, the Ezra Zion line becomes much more affordable compared to the new stuff hitting the shelves.

There isn’t a single EZ blend that isn’t worth the dough. And there isn’t a single new blend coming out of IPCPR that I would buy before loading up on Ezra Zion blends first.

Cigar Federation Store has three samplers that can give you your gateway to this wonderful brand. The Ezra Zion Sampler is made up of 6 cigars and is $60. Over the last 6 months, I’ve bought a couple. They include:
One Jamis Vu
One Eminence
One Tantrum
One Honor Series
One Honor Series FHK
One Cigar Federation The Collective

The strength is a solid medium/full.

The entire line needs a good 4 weeks of humidor time. It is so frustrating waiting.

The Ezra Zion Jamais Vu is now on cruise control.

We have lousy weather here in Milwaukee. Just like most of the country. Poor Buffalo, NY.
If it wasn’t for the new lighting setup sent to me by a reader, I wouldn’t be able to take a single decent photo. It is 8:30 am and it looks like dusk.

Our line of rain is heading towards the east coast and is going to wreak havoc with all that snow.
Milwaukee is going to be snowing like gangbusters around Thanksgiving.

I’m sure you know this, but snow and rain at least keep the temperature higher. Once it stops, the temps drop into single digits. We just gotta get out of this state. Move to Florida or California? Sounds good.

My spinal stimulator implant in my back is performing miracles. I am spending a lot of time drooling at photos of space age electric stand up basses. The phoenix shall rise again.

Back to the Ezra Zion Jamais Vu.

I am at the halfway point. One hour of pure bliss.

I am duly impressed by the construction. Smoking an Ezra Zion as your first cigar of the day pretty much ruins the rest of my smoking day. Nothing compares.

The chocolate is now bursting with flavor…leaving everything else in the dust. I’ve never gotten a really good explanation of how blenders get gorgeous flavors. Why are they so bold and brilliant? Sure, the leaf stat pedigree is impressive but look how many other cigars have a laundry list of tobacco and they are pure shit.
Same goes with the extensive aging.

I just sit back and enjoy. Will be back when the Ezra Zion Jamais Vu hits the last third.

The last third begins.

Flavors explode. I’ve now invested 90 minutes of smoke time.

I don’t mind spending $9 on a cigar when you get every nickel’s worth like you do with the Ezra Zion Jamais Vu.
A bit of nicotine creeps in but is manageable.

The last third is all about the coalescing of flavors, balance and complexity.
Clearly, I highly recommend the Ezra Zion Jamais Vu. Smoking time was 2 hours.
If you are new to Ezra Zion, the Ezra Zion Cigar Sampler is the way to go.