Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo ‘99 Viso & Seco (Jalapa)
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo ‘99 Viso (Esteli), Honduran Criollo ‘98 Seco
Filer: Honduran Criollo ’98, Honduran Ligero, Nicaraguan Criollo ‘98 Ligero (Esteli), Honduran Corojo
Size: 6 x 48 Corona Gorda
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $10.00
Humidor Time: 5 Weeks
Number of cigars smoked prior to review: 0
Addendum 10-11-2016:
Matthew Airey reached out to me feeling that I should give the blend another chance. I agreed to do that. I just may have gotten a dud. It happens.
Matthew recommends you read Halfwheel.com’s review of the cigar.
See comments below to get filled in.
Today we take a look at the Sacra Folium Law of Sines.
Thanks to a reader for the cigar.
BACKGROUND:
Debuted at the 2016 IPCPR trade show. Sacra Folium Cigars debuted 5 different blends: Malus, Law of Sines, Fractal, 4th Density, & Golden Ratio. Prices range from $7-$10 per size. (See photo of all 5 blends below…courtesy of Sacra Folium Cigars…and a list of all blends with wrapper, binder and filler information):
Factory: Fabrica de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L
From Latin, Sacra Folium translates to: “Sacred Leaf”
From the Sacra Folium Cigars web site:
“Sacra Folium Cigar Co. is the brain child of Matthew Airey, John Fable, Gary Podell, and Boris Grossman. Being a multiple store Tobacconist in New York, we have been able to gain critical knowledge related to consumer trends and palate development. We knew that if we were able to make cigar blends that were unique in flavor, and refined in complexity while offering them at reasonable prices, than that’s what it would take for us to become successful in a very competitive industry.
”The journey began with a dream to make a great cigars, then came the execution. We consulted non other than Dion Giolito from Illusione, one of the most knowledgeable and honorable cigar makers in the industry. Dion suggested that we work with his factory in Honduras. He said, and I quote “the Raices Cubanas factory has all the tobacco both from his farms and the Aganorsa farms of Casa Fernandez, to make world class cigars”.
“So Matt and I decided to fly to Honduras to make our blends. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but we were committed. After smoking every bail of tobacco from all Raices Cubanas farms in Honduras and all the Aganorsa farms from Nicaragua, we were able to blend five excellent smokes. Of course it wasn’t as easy as it sounds, so spark your imagination with a Golden Ration, a Law of Sines, a Fractal, the 4th Density, and the Malus….and light these babies up.
“The blend names are mathematical and geometric terms inspired by our theme of certain scholars beliefs that the universe was originally a small geometric object that became bored.”
SIZES AND PRICING:
5 x 50 Robusto $10.00
6.5 x 52 Toro Grande $10.00
6 x 48 Corona Gorda $10.00
DESCRIPTION:
Not the best looking cigar in the world. Seams are exposed. Indentations. Large veins everywhere. But the triple cap is expertly applied. The oily wrapper is a chocolate/hickory color…though very mottled and I see colors change from one spot to another.
The cigar band and the footer band are certainly over the top in terms of design.
The stick is packed solid with only the smallest amount of give when pinched.
AROMAS AND COLD DRAW NOTES:
From the shaft, I smell some mild chocolate, red pepper, and coffee.
From the clipped cap and the foot, I smell cocoa, red pepper, coffee, malt, and some generic sweetness.
The cold draw presents flavors of red pepper, mint chocolate, malt, and hay.
FIRST THIRD:
There is a really hard plug underneath the cigar band area. I need to use my cigar awl to clear the passage.
For a cigar blend with such an inauspicious beginning with few aromas, the Sacra Folium Law of Sines comes out swinging with big flavors: Creaminess, chocolate, espresso, red pepper, malts, raisins and caramel.
The blend hits medium/full from the get go.
Half an inch in, there is a transition as the chocolate becomes hot cocoa with marshmallows.
Another shift in the space time continuum…The bottom half of the cigar goes limp as a sponge on me. While the top half remains hard as a rock.
I do a quick check. Not a single review of this cigar exists on the interwebs.
This is not a good sign and I should have paid better attention before deciding to turn 3-4 hours of my time into a possible black hole.
Flavors diminish. Started off interesting and then did a fish flop.
Hay and grass are now the leading flavors. With a dash of red pepper following the elephant with a shovel.
The Sacra Folium Law of Sines now tastes like a $2 bundled house cigar.
Drat! Look at the 8 different tobaccos used in this blend. This cigar should be like sex with a $5000 call girl; not a $20 hooker.
There are only two reasons that not a single one of the Sacra Folium 5 blends have not been reviewed. The first is that they may require months and months of humidor time. The second reason is that it isn’t a very good cigar. Sometimes the PR gets ahead of the product.
Flavors come and go. There is that wonderful hay and grass duo. Then it transitions to a creamy chocolate malt. It feels like I have a schizophrenic blend.
Back to hay and grass again; only this time some bitterness appears.
The downside to this experience is that despite the bottom half of the cigar being soft, it is a very slow smoke. It is like being water boarded.
And now the cigar becomes flavorless.
I was on a good roll with having the pleasure of reviewing some good cigars lately. I knew that a dud was inevitable. And we now have lift off.
I see two choices. I can shit-can this review and it will never see the light of day. Or I can finish it, despite the torture, and give smokers a heads up before they decide to spend $10 on these blends.
SECOND THIRD:
Smoke time is 35 minutes.
Normally, I take photos every third. Not today. Not worth the trouble.
I only have this stick. Maybe it is a clunker. It is prudent for a reviewer to have 2-3 cigars for review so that a fair and balanced review can be written. With only one stick, you takes your chances. This has happened too many times. And since there isn’t another review of this cigar, I can’t judge from other critics’ opinions just what this cigar is all about. That’s a double whammy.
Strength has dropped back to medium.
Even the small amount of spiciness has disappeared.
As this is the first cigar of the day, my palate is fresh and wide open. I cannot imagine how this DT will taste after a few cigars later in the day.
My fingers are crossed that, just maybe…the last third will be the Sacra Folium Law of Sines’ redemption.
I can’t remember a cigar’s flavor profile making transitions from OK to crap so quickly. Each puff is a question mark.
Halfway through, I don’t think it is an issue of more humidor time. I’d at least be experiencing some good potential. Now I feel bad for the reader that sent me this cigar. I hope he didn’t buy a box of these. As every reader knows, my opinions aren’t personal. I am very appreciative to receive a stogie as a gift that I can review. It proves that the cigar industry is so full of shit when it comes to their PR that we cannot help but sometimes be washed away by its intensity.
Look at the catalogs you get in the mail. Every cigar preaches that it is the best thing since sliced white bread. And let’s face it, most catalog cigars are crap. And the house blends are even worse.
Sacra Folium got their day in the sun with their debut at IPCPR but that was 3 months ago! Why aren’t there reviews of their 5 blends? Du-oh. My bad.
BTW- The char line is terrible.
LAST THIRD:
Smoke time is one hour 5 minutes.
The Sacra Folium Law of Sines is a dog turd. I don’t understand how the blending could be so complex and yet the cigar tastes like doo doo. Did Sacra Folium release green cigars? Did they jump the gun by getting their cigars out at IPCPR before they were ready? Am I smoking a cigar that needed another year of aging? I have no idea.
This is torture sitting and wasting my first cigar of the day wonderful flavors on this thing.
Instead of the last third seeing a flavor jump and finding its sweet spot, it is worse than the first two thirds. You gotta laugh.
And the price point? Yikes! $10?
A touch of spice returns. Alert the media!
A large piece of wrapper disengages at the seam. Time for glue.
Flavors have been reduced to a single element: Hay. Woo Hoo!
This will be my shortest review in ages.
I should add that the statement from Sacra Folium was full of grammar and spelling errors that I fixed so as not to embarrass them any further.
I have 1-1/2” to go. I plan to make a complaint with the Geneva Convention for violating rules of engagement.
Kohn…out.
RATING: 70
Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
Cigar Reviews by Phil 'Katman' Kohn 
OUCH! I thought it would be hard to strike out so bad with an AGANORSA and Raices’ tobacco. I wonder if you were on to something and this wasn’t released too green. Maybe some fears of what the FDA was going to do?
Hopefully you just caught a dud. The tobacco specs on each one alone look like each blend should warrant around a $10 bill.
I’ll wait a few months to see if any more reviewers come out of the woodwork for these.
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with our cigar. This is one of my personal favorite blends. We have been reviewed before and received a 89 for our 4th Density line. The cigars were well rested and not rushed out to green. I hope in the future you can revisit the cigar and have a better smoking experience.
Thank You
Matthew Airey
To be fair, I had only one stick. Since Matthew reached out to me, I am going to give the blend another chance. Expect a review in early December.