Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Ligero
Binder: Indonesian Besuki
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Size: 5 x 56 Bradford
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $8.00 MSRP ($8.99 for a single, $7.40 in a 5 pack, $7.21 in a box of 24 from Famous Smoke)
Humidor Aging Time: 6 Weeks
Number of cigars smoked prior to review: 1

Today we take a look at the RoMa Craft Tobac Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794.
Thanks to an anonymous reader that sent me a sampler pack of all 5 sizes.

BACKGROUND:
A co-production between Skip Martin and Cigar Dojo. The first 500 robustos sold out in an hour after release. The cigars, two days later, became an exclusive to Famous Smoke.
Released July, 2016.
According to Halfwheel.com:
“Named Whiskey Rebellion 1794, it pays tribute to a protest in the 1790s at a new tax on spirits introduced by George Washington. Eventually, 170 protesters were arrested and more than a dozen people were killed in western Pennsylvania as the U.S. military tried to put down the uprising.”

SIZES AND PRICING (All prices are MSRP):
5 X 56 “Bradford” $8.00
4 x 46 “Hamilton” $6.15
4.5 x 50 “Jefferson” $7.10
5 x 50 “McFarlane” $7.35
5.5 x 54 “Washington” $7.85

DESCRIPTION:
This is a beautifully mottled oily stick. Differing varieties of brown hues.
Tight seams. Wonky ripples, bumps and lumps and a lot of veins permeate the wrapper.
Triple cap and an unfinished foot.

AROMAS AND COLD DRAW NOTES:
From the shaft, I smell dark cocoa, spiciness, floral notes, sweet candy, coffee, malts, cedar, raisins, cream, and black licorice.
From the clipped cap and the foot, I smell…See Above
The cold draw presents flavors of minty dark chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks, sweet floral notes, honey, spice, coffee, malt, dried fruit, cream, and cedar.

FIRST THIRD:
Takes a while to toast a 56 ring gauge, but I get ‘er done.
Wow. Big, nose hair burning, throat on fire spice attack of the red pepper persuasion with a touch of jalapeno thrown in.
Other flavors fall in line: Malted milk balls, chocolate, espresso, luscious cream, Brazil nuts, raisins, sweet pear, and black tea.
Wow.

I smoked one a couple weeks after I got them….tasted nothing like this. Houston, we have launch.
I’ve been dying to try the other sticks but I felt I should wait and I have been rewarded for being such a good boy.
Famous Smoke has that 5 count sampler pack on sale for only $27.98 right now. That’s $5.60 per stick. And even better, free shipping is included. Good deal, huh? But move your asses quickly as the deal ends on October 10. Tell Famous that the Katman sent you.

Strength is a tad higher than medium body.
Flavors are terrific. Complexity has killed the chicken with only 1” burned. Transitions are fast and furious.

The stick is jam packed but smokes like a dream…nice and slow. Time to savor.

The gargantuan ash is hanging tough. So do I try and get a great photo at the start of the second third…or do I knock that kitty cat off sparing my naughty bits the indignity of being scorched with 3rd degree burns? I just thought of something….Adult diapers!! If I wear those over my boxers, the most I can expect is that the diapers catch fire and I run through the apartment screeching like a cat.

Sonovabitch. I live on a dead end street about halfway down. Both sides are all apartment buildings. There is this super-heated asshole whose little Toyota something or other drives down the street at 60mph with no muffler. It sounds like the Concorde landing. And he does this at 6:10am every morning. Back in the day, that sound came from glass packs. I really want to wait for him with my Glock or Mossberg shotgun. Our apartment faces the street from the second floor. It would be like the Book Depository in Dealey Plaza where JFK got offed. Perfect vantage point for a kill.

OK. I got lost in my anger. Back to the RoMa Craft Tobac Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794…man oh man…that is one long name for a cigar. Try saying that three times fast.
Here they are once again: Chocolate, nuts, malts, creaminess, spice, cedar, espresso, smoky charred meat, raisins, fruit, black licorice, and black tea. Yum.

Even at the MSRP price, this blend is worth it. Even at the 5 pack price, no cigar is more than $6-$7 a pop. Even less by the box price.
Unfortunately, Famous has you by the balls as they are the only authorized seller. But at least they haven’t taken advantage of us poor souls so props to Famous.

SECOND THIRD:
Smoke time is 35 minutes.
Quantum leap in flavor profile. Great flavors. Everything doubles down.

I have been so lucky lately in being able to review some really good cigars. I rag on this all the time but there is no bigger waste of my time than to review a real stinker and have to choose to either dump the review or take it to the limit. My apologies to The Eagles.

Back in 1973, I briefly played with a cool band that had this gorgeous blonde chick singer. She left us to be The Eagles’ Glenn Frey’s girlfriend and then a year later made it to the Playboy centerfold. At rehearsals, I never drooled that much in my entire life. But oh God, she was stupid. Must have given great head for Frey to take her on as a gal pal.

The RoMa Craft Tobac Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 is screaming laughter.

Now I love all the RoMa Craft blends. They are all reasonably priced and Skip Martin is a journeyman blender. But this baby takes the cake. It makes an exponential leap to the next level of blends from Martin.

Once again, I must piss on those boutique brands/blends that charge ridiculous double digit pricing for some cigar that has 43 different tobaccos in them. And still taste like a $7 cigar.
The blend is the real deal. You must try them if you haven’t already. And definitely take advantage of the Sampler Pack. Buy two.

Of you buy 5 sampler packs (total of 25 cigars) it comes to $140. Still cheaper, by $20-$30, than buying a 24 count box.
There is a richness and horn of plenty smoking this blend.
It just might make my top 25 cigars of 2016 depending on how the second half goes.

Warning Will Robinson: Do not smoke one ROTT. Do not smoke one 2 weeks in. Give the cigar the respect it deserves and wait 6 weeks like I did. You, my kinder, shall be rewarded in kind.
The halfway point is here. And while I’ve spent 50 minutes smoking it, it has flown by.

Chocolate, nuts, malts, creaminess, spice, cedar, espresso, smoky charred meat, raisins, fruit, black licorice, and black tea are all pushing tin. Each and every flavor is highly discernible, exquisite, flamboyant, and sumptuous. No shit.
Construction is top notch. No requirements to fix the char line.

I have my first burn issue.

Back in 1975, we were recording at Island Studios in London. We were booked for 5 weeks. So was Brian Eno. He had the block just before us.
The studio had a grand piano. Eno used it. And so did we. But Eno apparently didn’t know how to really play the thing as he used green tape on all the keys he played. So every start of our session, we had to spend half an hour removing the sticky shit and clean the keys before we could begin. This really pissed us off that the S.O.B. never respected the next band and left it to us to remove all the cheat tape he used. We finally got to confront him one day as we got there early and ripped him a new asshole. We made Eno cry. Boo Hoo.

Strength hits medium/full.
The RoMa Craft Tobac Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 is the best cheesecake you’ve ever eaten. The flavors are dripping down my leg while the cat licks them up.
The blend definitely has the “It” factor. Big time. It will be on my 2016 list.
I would love to buy a couple of sampler packs or better yet, a couple of boxes.
“If I were a rich man,
Daidle deedle daidle
Daidle daidle deedle daidle dumb
“All day long I’d biddy-biddy-bum
If I were a wealthy man
I wouldn’t have to work hard,
Daidle deedle daidle
Daidle daidle deedle daidle dumb”
Call me Tevya. That’s my code name within the Jewish Defense League.

LAST THIRD:
Smoke time is one hour 15 minutes.
Strength is very full bodied.
This has been the most fun scoring right up there with a bottle of Lubriderm, a box of Kleenex and Cinemax.

Nicotine has arisen from the dead. I have a swirl going.
The RoMa Craft Tobac Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 is a cigar blend with an adult portion of huge gratification.

With 1-1/2” to go, the blend is smooth and uber flavorful. Complex and awash with delicious, bold, taste bud sophistication.
How Skip Martin was able to produce a blend of this magnitude for such a low price point is beyond me.
The spiciness returns with a colossal vengeance. My eyes are watering.

By now, I’m sure you’ve gotten the gist of this review. The RoMa Craft Tobac Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 is a winner on all fronts.
Do not hesitate. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. Score some.
Final smoke time is one hour 35 minutes.

RATING: 95

ADDENDUM 10-17-2016
I lit up a Hamilton (4 x 46) and was just blown away how even better this size is compared to the one I reviewed. The aroma of floral notes is so strong that I thought I was hallucinating and somehow was smelling my wife’s perfume. Flavors are incredible. As the least expensive size, this stick is definitely worth a purchase of a box.

And now for something completely different:
1983

We traveled to NYC to do the “Today Show.” Along with my client, Butch Patrick, scheduled to be on the same segment was Billy Mumy (of “Lost In Space” fame) They were scheduled to sit and talk to Jane Pauley. We were promoting the release of the single, “Whatever Happened to Eddie.” We took the theme from the Munsters and put our own lyrics to it.
Getting a license to use the Munster’s theme was a real bitch. They call the big building in Hollywood that houses Universal, the BLACK TOWER. And for good reasons. That place has been known to eat artists alive.

At first, we thought Jane Pauley would do the interview but they seemed to be in the middle of a cluster fuck and both Pauley and Gumbel kept getting up and down until Gumbel slammed his fist on the table and said, “Goddam good thing we don’t make dynamite here!”

The director, up in the booth above our heads, couldn’t make up his mind who would interview the duo and this was happening during a commercial break. Live!

I met both Gumbel and Pauley. Gumbel was an arrogant prick but Pauley was gracious and generous. I stood and talked to her for 5 minutes about nothing. Very down to earth lady. I was somewhat startled at how petite she is. I don’t care what her publicity says; this woman is no taller than 5’-2. Her PR says she is 5’-4 but I’m 5’-11 and I towered above her and she was wearing heels. So she might be even shorter than 5’-2.

I stood in the tiny studio next to a camera man and watched the interview. Within a couple minutes, I started wishing that I was managing Mumy, not Butch.

I was amazed at how small the studio was. Two small sets. One was the anchor desk and the other had some sort of cheesy backdrop with two comfy chairs.

After the interview, we all headed out together and hit a bar next to 30 Rock; at 9am. Everyone had breakfast except Butch. He drank his. Butch was the first person I ever knew that did not like to eat food. He just didn’t like it. I had to force him when I was on the road with him. And it wasn’t the coke. He just didn’t like to put food in his mouth.

It was fun talking to Mumy especially about his days on his TV show, “Lost in Space.” The evil doctor stranded with them was really, really gay and used to put the moves on Mumy. No one did anything about it.
I grew up watching “Lost in Space” so it was a big deal meeting him.
I slipped Mumy my business card and asked that he call me. Naturally, he didn’t.

We met some cute girls at the bar and they invited us to a party on Long Island that night. Butch agreed without asking me. We had a big radio interview the next morning and I told Butch we were to be picked up in a car, at 8am, at our Manhattan hotel and I didn’t think a trip to Long Island would be in our best interest.
So of course, we went to the party.

Butch closed the bar at 4am. I had gone back to our Long Island hotel long before and I was awakened by him, and about 8 drunken people whom he dragged back to the hotel. They continued to drink until they passed out on the floor.
At 6am, I got up and saw Butch lying on the floor next to his bed, snoring.
I shook him and he was as drunk as a skunk. I couldn’t get him to wake up so I threw water in his face which elicited a lot of cursing.

He then begged me to call the radio station and ask them to postpone the interview until tomorrow.
I was livid. This was the NBC affiliate that was syndicated all across America. I think it was the Don Imus show.

He was in no shape to be interviewed so I called the radio station and told them Butch was sick. They were enraged. But they gave in, reluctantly, and allowed us to postpone the interview until the next day, and while I was thanking them, they hung up on me mid-sentence.

The moment I hung up, Butch said to me in a slurred voice, “OK. I’m good. Let’s go do the interview.”
I leaped on him while he was still on his back on the floor. I put my hands around his neck and choked him like a chicken. His face turned beet red. He was flailing his arms but he was weak from being so drunk.
He couldn’t talk but I could see in his eyes that he was pleading for me to stop…so I did.

I got up, grabbed my bags, took out a $20 bill, threw it on his chest, along with his plane ticket home…and told him he better be at that interview tomorrow. And then I left and grabbed a plane home.
Two days later, I got a call from my publicist who went on a tear and ripped me a new asshole for leaving Butch alone.
All I said was, “Fuck you, you motherfucker!!” And hung up.
Butch did the interview the next morning…drunk.

More on Butch (Eddie Munster) Patrick….
Our press agent had finagled us into an anniversary party for Alan Hale, Jr’s restaurant that was on the L.A. famous Restaurant Row on La Cienega Blvd. The Skipper (Gilligan’s Island) had a very successful restaurant called: The Lobster Barrel. (The restaurant was sold after Hale’s death and the name changed to The Shark Bar)

Did you know that The Skipper’s name was really Jonas Gumby? Yep.
Butch and I arrived at the packed Lobster Barrel and it was crawling with strange celebs.
Star of the silver screen, in the 1930’s and 1940’s, Rudy Vallee was there. The guy that sang through a megaphone. I watched his movies in the 1950’s on TV. He must have been 200 years old.

Max Baer, from The Beverly Hillbillies, was there. He was doing his best Elvis impression. No kidding. He had an expensive suit with a cape, shirt unbuttoned to his navel, loads of yellow gold necklaces, lots of gold bracelets, and his hair was dyed jet black with Elvis side burns. He also had three good looking chicks hanging all over him.

We hung out and ate and drank on the Skipper. We also met some up and coming bands, who I can’t remember. Lots of photos were taken by newspaper and magazine reporters. Butch was in all of them.
Now here is where it went south on me….

We wandered towards the exit of the restaurant saying our good byes to everyone.
Hale stood at the exit saying good bye to everyone and thanking them for coming. Now I thought this was his birthday party and as I shook his hand, I said, “Happy Birthday, Mr. Hale.”
Hale didn’t flinch or blink when I said that. He thanked me profusely for coming, gave me a gentle slap on the back, and we were back on La Cienega. Then Butch turned to me and said, “You schmuck. It isn’t his birthday; it’s the anniversary of the restaurant.”
Du-oh!
What a nice man Mr. Hale was not to correct me and embarrass me. I met a lot of celebrities while doing the Eddie Munster project back in the early 1980’s. And no one was as down to earth as The Skipper.

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