Nomad Connecticut Fuerte | Cigar Review

By The Katman on May 1, 2015 • ( 1 )

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Size: 5 x 50 “Robusto”
Body: Mild/Medium
Price: $7.90
Number of Cigars Smoked Prior to Review: 0
Accompanying Libation: Hot Herbal Tea (South African Rooibos & Honeybush)

Today we take a look at the Nomad Connecticut Fuerte.
Many thanks to Fred Rewey for the samples.

BACKGROUND:
As usual, I’m the last guy on the block to review this blend. I might never have reviewed if not for the kindness and generosity of Fred Rewey: Or the “Godfadr.”

Also, I’m not a big fan of mild bodied cigars. If you read me with any regularity, you know that. And, in fact, you may not either.
On the whole, mild cigars are missing real flavor. One exception that comes to mind is the My Father Connecticut. A superb cigar.

From the Nomad Cigar web site:
“Earlier in the year Fred Rewey, founder of Nomad Cigar Company, outlined his plans for the year, which included the release of a Connecticut cigar.
“The goal was to give traditional Connecticut smokers something a ‘bit more’ but not bury them in spice or strength. The other consideration was that I really wanted to create a cigar that Nicaraguan fans would enjoy for their first smoke of the day. It was a very challenging endeavor. So far, the response has been very positive and I am pleased that so many people are taking to it” Said Rewey.”

This is a regular production cigar that was released in March of 2014. The Nomad Connecticut Fuerte is the fourth out of five blends to be released.
Nomad has made it a point to convey that the Nomad Connecticut is “…”Not your father’s Connecticut Cigar”.”

I like that Fred has his own journal if you will on his web site. You can sign up to receive it. Fred is just a tad insane. But in a good way. I like crazy fuckers.

DESCRIPTION:
Nice looking cigar. The light Bambi-like colored wrapper allows for every flaw and vein to stand out. But I don’t see any flaws and the veins are minimal. Seams are tight. The triple cap is flawless. Do you remember the days when triple caps were out of the norm and the craftsmanship wasn’t so hot?
The cigar if very light in the hand. This is not a densely packed cigar but it is uniform without any soft spots.
There is an oily sheen which the sunlight should show off in spades. The wrapper is very smooth to the touch.
For me, it is a bitch telling the blends apart. The cigar bands are very similar and none display the blend’s name. I have now reviewed them all: S-307, Classic, C-276, and the new Esteli Lot 8613. All dynamite cigars. The S-307 and the C-276 are box pressed. The Classic and Esteli Lot 8613 are not.

SIZES & PRICING:
Boxes are 20 count.
Corona: 5.5 x 44 $7.90
Toro: 6 x 52 $8.50
Gran Robusto : 5.5 x 54 $8.50
Robusto: 5 × 50 $7.90
Lancero: 7 x 38 $8.50

AROMA AND COLD DRAW NOTES:
There are some sweet barnyard notes on the shaft. Also a walnut creaminess.
On the cold draw, I taste nutmeg, spice, cream, and earthiness.

FIRST THIRD:
The first puffs are redolent with hot cinnamon, spiciness, sweetness, cream and honey, and cedar.
Rounding that off, some roasted nuts appear.
The draw is perfect. Nice and billowy filling the room til it makes my eyes tear up.

The strength is very much on the mild side. Not a lot of oomph. Loads of flavor will be its cure.
Caramel shows itself next. Meanwhile, the spiciness keeps building and building. Black pepper.
The wrapper is so light that it looks like sunshine itself. A glorious yellow/brown.

The cigar is very light in the hand. It doesn’t feel dense or packed tightly. There are a few soft spots and it seems to burn quickly. It doesn’t have the pizazz of the recently reviewed Esteli Lot 8613. That was a masterpiece.

But then I didn’t go into this review expecting miracles. I’m not a mild body cigar kind of man. And I know most of you are not either.
A little over an inch in, I’m walloped. Flavors just fucking explode all over me.

This was a shock. Here they are: Black pepper, creaminess, sweetness, nuts, caramel, vanilla, dried fruit, molasses, honey, and making its debut: A deep, rich earthiness.
The roasted nuts are very potent. Almost as strong as the creaminess and spice.
The char line, while not perfect, is doing just fine thank you.

SECOND THIRD:
As un-dense as the Nomad Connecticut Fuerte is, the ash has stayed in place.
Strength is still mild bodied.

Leather enters. And the flavor of the tobacco increases exponentially. The Nomad Connecticut Fuerte has hit its sweet spot. The cigar now has the “It” factor. A stunningly good cigar blend.
Damn. I didn’t expect this. It has all the flavors one could want but stuffed into a mild bodied cigar like a bratwurst.

And the ash hasn’t fallen into my lap or on top of my camera yet. I’m impressed.
No change in flavors except for their intensity. Especially the spiciness. It literally has my eyes watering and my sinuses draining. I get the “Fuerte” part of the name now.

And here is the trick: The cinnamon. It is just like one of those little hot cinnamon tooth picks we bought as kids. They were almost too spicy to handle. So in conjunction with the black pepper, the cinnamon kicks it up a couple notches.
The ash is nearly half as long as the Nomad Connecticut Fuerte.

There is a nice warmth to the blend. It is rich and complex. A very nice balance of flavors with a long finish.
The strength makes its move to mild/medium.
The 1-3/4” ash disembarks on to my lap. Missed my pee pee by feet. Since I sit in a T shirt, boxers, and a light robe while I write my reviews in the morning, I do the Buffalo Bill thing. You know…tuck it so it disappears in case the molten ash decides to hit ground zero. It’s uncomfortable but worth it.

HALFWAY POINT:
Let’s start with the list of flavors: Creaminess, black pepper, roasted nuts, black licorice, sweetness, caramel, warm bread, cedar, vanilla, dried fruit, molasses, and a rich earthiness.
The Nomad Connecticut Fuerte smokes more quickly than the Esteli Lot 8613.

Which is a little frustrating because the flavor profile is so good, I would have preferred a Toro to smoke. The robusto is just going to end too soon.
There is a new flavor. Oak. It’s very strong but pulls the other flavors together. It works well with the roasted nuts and licorice.

Construction has been doing well except for a piece of loose cap that is flapping in the breeze.
The Nomad Connecticut Fuerte is an excellent cigar by any means. But I miss the oomph that a stronger blend would have given it. But since there are a total of 5 blends, Rewey has it all covered.
The Nomad Connecticut Fuerte hits cruise control with 2” to go.
I’m impressed with the ash. It lasted 1-3/4” the first time around. And now it is hanging tough at 1-1/4” with no sign of falling off.

LAST THIRD:
Smoke time has been 40 minutes. It seems to have slowed down since the start of the second half.
Today is social security day so I took my tiny cigar budget and hit the clearance rack at CI. I got some really good cigars for a fraction of their original prices. You should check it out. The best deal I got was the Man O’ War Ltd. Edition Orange County Chopper. A 10 count box of big Toros for only $40. I also got some AJ Fallen Angels. A 10 count pack of Toros for $25.00. And some Tatuaje Tattoo sticks for $24.00.
I also got a 10 count E.P. Carrillo Short Run ’13 Robustos for $30. That’s just crazy. And lastly, I got a 10 count pack of G.A.R. Opium Black Gran Robusto for $27.00. And that my dears, went my budget…$146.00 with $4.00 left to spare. All excellent cigars at killer prices.
Unfortunately, I’ve reviewed them all but I was more concerned with having sticks in my humidor than spending $12 each on Caldwell or Crowned Head blends.

I tip the 1-1/2” of ash off so I don’t burn my wiener.
The Nomad Connecticut Fuerte is a good cigar. Too mild for my tastes but it makes a worth effort by overloading the boat with flavors.
The nub doesn’t get hot or harsh.

PRICE POINT:
After my score of the clearance items at CI, $7.90 seems like a lot. But then that’s why I am going out of business. This price is cheap compared to the other new stuff being debuted as of late. This is the low end. Based on that comparison, this is a fair price. But to be honest, there are cigars just as good. See either “The Katman’s Best 166 Boutique Brands/Blends in the $6-$9.50+ Range” or “The Katman’s List of 133 Great Cigars in the $5.00-$6.50 Range.”
In fact, my point is proven with the review I did yesterday of the Rolling Thunder .50 Cal Connecticut Shade for only $6.00. It was a startling good cigar and every bit as good as the Nomad.

SUMMATION:
Fred is a young man. Of course, at my age anyone under 55 is a young man. But Fred is in his 30’s and has already become a master blender. I am very impressed with his skills and passion for the product he puts out at his own discretion.
I admire the fact that he is not a cigar machine pumping out 3 cigars per year. Like anyone with that true passion, he only releases blends when they have been, in his own mind, perfected. And the consumer discovers that this attitude is a win/win.
I enjoyed the Nomad Connecticut Fuerte immensely. Would I buy it again? Probably not. Fred has other blends that are much stronger which align more with my tastes.
But still, there is a huge population of smokers who prefer mild bodied smokes. And for those folks, this is a perfect choice.

RATING: 88

And now for something completely different:

It was 1983. I had a good friend that was a radio DJ on CBS radio in L.A. It was a classic rock station but I don’t remember the call letters. Maybe KLOS.
His name is Marshall Thomas. We became friends during my band, The Attitude, heyday in 1980. He came to all of our gigs and always played our single: “Hound Dog.” Click on Hound Dog to see our low budget, pre-MTV video. Yes, that is me on bass weighing in at 135lbs with a full head of hair. And a very long tongue.

Marshall went from station to station. Being a DJ can be the life of a gypsy.

But the CBS gig was a union gig and he made some serious dough. For a change, he shared his blow with me instead of the other way around.
The reason he went from station to station was because they kept changing music formats. I swear Marshall was able to become a chameleon. It didn’t matter the style of music, Marshall found his place in the universe. Reminds me of the movie, “Private Parts” when Howard Stern kept changing radio stations and formats.

I was in the midst of my Eddie Munster (Butch Patrick) project called “Whatever Happened to Eddie?”
Well, Marshall got the word one day; after a year at CBS, that they were changing format and he was given two weeks’ notice.
He invited me up to the station on his last night of being on air. He did the 6pm to midnight shift.
Now this station had a booming 50,000 watts and a massive audience.
Around 10pm, he figured what the hell and began playing my 45 single of “Whatever…” over and over again on a constant loop. In between, he played “Hound Dog.”

For two hours, that’s all listeners heard. Strangely, no one called and complained.
In between songs, he and I would kibbitz and tell jokes.
And then he put on “Stairway to Heaven” and said: “Follow me, Phil.”
First we went on the roof to smoke a doob.

Then we took the elevator down two floors to the local CBS TV station. They were doing the news. We stood outside the door, which had big windows in the top half of the doors, and we made faces and did crazy shit so the newscasters could see us. We tried to make them crack up on air.
We could see them and we know they saw us. But they could do nothing about it until commercial.

Security was called but before they arrived, we skedaddled.
We got back to the radio booth with about 30 seconds to spare.

Marshall put on some tune that was almost 15 minutes long and we headed to the roof. We lit up another joint and stared out at the L.A. skyline at midnight. It was a beautiful sight. We could even see the Hollywood sign, the lit Capitol Records building, and the Sunset Strip. And the infamous billboard of Angelyne. The blonde bombshell had a gazillionaire husband that paid for this billboard for years and years. The woman never got a single job because of that billboard but it was a mainstay on the Strip.

After that gig, Marshall spent a few months doing nothing and handing out resumes. He finally got a gig playing country music in Palmdale. Way out in the sticks. It was there that we lost touch. He was in the boonies and we moved to Phoenix.
The record company told me they had a spike in sales of the record the next day. That would have been great if they weren’t shut down a couple weeks later by the FBI.