MUWAT Night Crawler | Cigar Review

By The Katman on January 19, 2015 • ( 1 )

Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
Binder: Connecticut Capote
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina, Nicaraguan
Size: 4.5 x 50
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $5.00 MSRP/$4.50 by a Mazo of 10 at Famous Smoke

Today we take a look at the MUWAT Night Crawler.
It is the newest size of the MUWAT line.

From Famous Smoke:
“My UZI Weighs A Ton cigars are the fruit of a collaboration between Drew Estate and Joya de Nicaragua. Brazilian Mata Fina Oscuro, Nicaraguan Esteli Ligero, Nicaraguan Seco Jalapa and Nicaraguan Viso Condega long fillers are framed in CT Broadleaf Maduro binders, and wrapped in San Andreas Negro capas. Their quirky name stems from Drew Estate founder Jonathan Drew’s favorite 6 x 60 vitola, lovingly called it his Uzi. Picking up a wheel of them, he exclaimed, Damn, my UZI weighs a TON!”

From the Drew Estate web site:
“The MUWAT story began on the very first final consumer blending session at the Joya de Nicaragua factory in late 2010 during a Cigar Safari tour. After conducting blending sessions for the previous 3 years at the Drew Estate factory we were amped up to extend the concept to JDN. I worked with the JDN team utilizing DE tobaccos, including a San Andres Negro Wrapper, Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade Binder and hearty Brazilian Mata Fina Filler, coupled with Nicaraguan fillers provided by JDN. The blend proved to be rich and earthy, with a bright, sweet undertone. As months of blending passed, I felt this blend was most noble in the 6×60 format and began calling this cigar “MUWAT”. We all had a good laugh at the name, but when I went back to their factory to pick up the round of 50 sticks, the brand was officially born.”

According to the story, customers wanted a stronger MUWAT; akin to the Bait Fish. The MUWAT Night Crawler is supposed to answer that request.

The packaging is clever. Could have been in shrink wrap but instead in a brown paper bag.

I have a couple sticks. They are very similar as they should be. One has a very mottled burnt umber color full of veins. The other is straight burnt umber without the mottling. I like a mottled cigar. Something about it makes it attractive to my eye.
Seams are invisible. The wrapper is super oily. And the triple cap is expertly applied in both.

I clip the cap and find aromas of dark cocoa, spice, nutmeg, barnyard, cedar, leather and something fruity.
Time to light up.

Damn. Right from the first puffs, a bevy of flavors hit the palate: Spice, chocolate, cream, coffee, roasted nuts, cedar, and leather.
The draw is great.

If you’ve read me, you know I’m not a big fan of the MUWAT line but this baby changed all that. This Rothschild sized cigar has all the intensity of petite corona or corona.

It opens up like a sledge hammer to the head. The spice has rendered me helpless like a mustard gassed WWI soldier. I love how potent the pepper is.

The intensity of the stick is unbelievable. This deserves a positon as a flavor bomb. I know you think I use the term too much, and maybe I do, but the MUWAT Night Crawler qualifies big time.

I’ve found my new favorite cigar. I’ve had the sticks for well over a month. I smoked one two weeks in and it was nothing like this.

The strength hits medium/full immediately. Gonna have to strap my crash helmet on so I don’t hurt the dog when I pass out and fall on her.

The char line is doing a bang up job.

Hints of graham cracker appear. The fruitiness seems to come from a baked apple. My mother made those once a month growing up. I watched as she made them then sat in front of the oven drooling and begging to have one before dinner. She never gave in. The ungodly torture.

The shaft is packed solid. A nice amount of push is present.

The construction is doing its job while I do mine.

Cinnamon begins to supplant the nutmeg. And vanilla icing appears. My palate is on a roll this morning.

And here comes the caramel at 1” burned. Yep, all this happened in only the first inch. Pretty amazing.

I checked around the online retail stores and everyone I found was selling the sticks at $5.00 a pop in the Mazo of 10. Not Famous Smoke. $45.00. There is your 10% savings.

I must have a Mazo when the old social security shows up beginning of February. First thing on my list.

The second third begins.

The strength moves on up to full bodied. But very smoothly. No hint of nicotine yet. (Have the crash helmet at the ready.)

The char line continues on its journey of being razor sharp. No cap issues. No wrapper issues.

The MUWAT Night Crawler is so complex now that you can eat it with a big spoon. JD nailed this one. I wasn’t a fan of the MUWAT until the Bait Fish and now the MUWAT Night Crawler. But I also dig the Nica Rustica, the Nirvana, Herrera Esteli Norteño, and of course the Liga line.

I have two of the Smoking Monk sticks: Triple Belgian and the Imperial Stout cooling their heels in my humidor. Big cigars need lots of humidor time.

I am having such a good time that I am forgetting to take photos. Never happened more than a couple times in a couple thousand reviews.

For me, the other MUWAT sizes were the learning curve to get to the MUWAT Night Crawler.

I don the crash helmet. Nicotine appears.

The flavors become more definitive now: Creaminess, spice, chocolate cupcake, café au lait, black walnuts, cinnamon, cedar, vanilla butter cookies, caramel, apple, very toasty, leather, and a rich earthiness.
Sounds like the menu at Starbucks.

I reach the halfway point. I’ve now invested 40 minutes of smoke time.

JD really outdid himself with this blend. This cigar alone has turned me into a fan.

Which brings me to the price point. Just friggin’ ridiculously wallet friendly. Another nail in the coffin about me bitching about how expensive premium cigars have gotten; especially since the 2014 IPCPR trade show.

JD has managed to blend a magnificent cigar and make it available to everyone. I could name a dozen boutique brands and regular production cigars that are fantastic but cost at least twice or three times as much. And kudos to Famous for making them even more affordable.

The chocolate sprints for the head of the line. Even before the creaminess. Yes, I taste chocolate cupcake but now I taste hot fudge. Growing up, a hot fudge sundae was my favorite ice cream parlor delectable.

The MUWAT Night Crawler continues to be smooth as glass.

The last third begins.

I know I’m fawning over this cigar but when I get to try a blend that knocks my socks off, I do what I do best. I make my nose brown.

I’m going to buy two mazos of 10. This has to be a regular rotation stick.

Cory at Famous Smoke sent me the brand new 7-20-4 Factory 57 to review. I’ve had them about a week but they need at least another week or two before they are ready. I checked their web page and all sizes are on the verge of back order. I submit to you that you snag some before they are gone until restocked. That way you can smoke one while reading my review.

The last third of the MUWAT Night Crawler just explodes. Flavors shoot about like a Pink Floyd laser show. The depth of the character is uncanny.
And just as I write that last sentence, Pink Floyd’s “Money” begins to play on my classic rock station on cable. Always listen to music while I write.

I have a good anecdote about touring and meeting up with Pink Floyd after the review.

The MUWAT Night Crawler is a major flavor bomb in all respects right from the start.

And I love the power of the cigar. This is exactly what I like in my cigars. And the nicotine doesn’t create havoc with my brain. It never gets very strong as the cigar progresses…even at the end.

The MUWAT Night Crawler finishes smooth, without a hint of harshness, heat, or bitterness. Cool as a cuke.
Go get ‘em.

And now for something completely different:

I have absolutely no recollection where Curved Air was that night. Back in the mid 70’s, there was no place to grab a bite after a concert. They had these rest stops with a cafeteria every 25 miles on the freeway. So we stopped to get some food in our gullets.

They had a very limited menu and each rest stop had the exact same food. I always got scrambled eggs with simmering hot tomatoes on them, bacon, and toast. I didn’t like English sausages. So that was it. All of your choices. Oh, I left out the chips. That was what Sonja always got. A plate of French fries.

The place was completely empty as we picked our table. Darryl had excused himself to hit the loo. Meanwhile, limos pulled up with Pink Floyd in them.
They got in line at the cafeteria and then Darryl got in line and his head almost exploded when he realized who was in line with him.

The band picked a table right next to ours. We said our hellos and then scarfed.

Darryl sat down…he didn’t notice that the band was sitting right next to us. He was drunk.

And then he bellowed: “Do you know who is here? PINK FLOYD!!!!”

We all started laughing. So did Pink Floyd. When Darryl assessed the situation, he was so embarrassed; he ran out to our limo and sat it out while we ate.

Nick Mason, their drummer, sat a foot away from me. Everyone in Europe knew who Curved Air was.

Nick was very down to earth and we shot the shit for a good 30 minutes. Very funny guy and he enjoyed my company because I’m a very funny guy. Really.
I always had my cigars with me and this seemed like a good time to bring them out. Mick in our band snagged one. So did Stew. Only Nick of Pink Floyd took one. So we sat there another 30 minutes smoking leaving poor Darryl in the limo by himself.

We said our goodbyes and headed to our cars and the drive home. Darryl was really pissed off that we made him wait. He was the prima donna of the band. We just laughed and paid him no mind.

Sometime later that year, PF played a concert in London. I contacted Nick who had given me his phone number and he got us back stage passes. Only me, Stew, and Sonja went. Let me just say that was a great night.