Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2000
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 6 x 52 Toro
Strength: Medium
Price: $8.00
Today we take a look at Foundry Time Flies.
BACKGROUND:
Release Date: July, 2016
Regular Production
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
From Cigar Aficionado:
“Foundry Tobacco Co. has released Time Flies, a collaborative cigar brand conceived by Foundry’s Michael Giannini and cigarmaker A.J. Fernandez. Made in Nicaragua at A.J. Fernandez’s cigar factory, these smokes are blended to be as bold as the large skulls emblazoned on every box. They should be hitting retailers this week.
“Besides the dark, Ecuadoran Habano 2000 wrapper, the cigar is made up of hearty Nicaraguan tobaccos straight from Fernandez’s farms. Giannini describes the blend as “muscular” and credits the power specifically to tobaccos cultivated from Nicaragua’s Quilalí region.
“According to Giannini, Time Flies is not only a reference to the old cliché (“time flies when you’re having fun”), but is also about enjoying a cigar while enjoying the company of the people around you.
“The cigars come packaged in an eye-catching skull motif that recurs on both the box and also on the large, oversized band.
“The regular-production line comes in four sizes: 550, measuring 5 inches by 50 ring gauge; 526, at 6 by 52; 54725, at 7 1/4 by 54; and 606, measuring 6 by 60. They retail from $7.50 to $9 and come in boxes of 20.
“In addition to Time Flies, Foundry will be releasing a limited-edition series of cigars packaged in skull-shaped boxes. Each box holds 28 Robustos and comes in five different colors: black, silver, gold, bronze and white. Unlike the core line, these limited cigars consist of a Sumatra wrapper and Nicaraguan tobacco. Retailing for $209.72 per box, only 50 boxes of each color were produced, or 250 boxes total. A.J. Fernandez makes these as well.
“Formed in 2012, Foundry Tobacco Co. is a subsidiary of General Cigar Co. dedicated to themed, whimsical and experimental cigar brands such as Time Flies, War of Currents and Compounds, Elements and Musings.”
SIZES AND PRICES:
Robusto: 5 x 50 $7.50
Toro: 6 x 52 $8.00
Churchill: 7.25 x 54 $8.50
Gigante: 6 x 60 $9.00
DESCRIPTION:
Not a bad looking cigar. Construction appears to be consistent. Lots of veins. Rustic due to lumps and bumps…some seams are visible.
The wrapper has a bit of oiliness and is the color of mocha java…with the tiniest amount of tooth. And lastly, the triple cap is applied nicely.
The cigar band is a hologram with a silly face on it. This cracks me up…a cigar band with a number of fortune cookie quotes.
AROMAS AND COLD DRAW NOTES:
From the shaft, I can smell strong dark chocolate, hot pepper, cream, and tangerine zest. There is a touch of sweetness derived from caramel and sugar cane.
From the clipped cap and the foot, I can smell potent orange or tangerine citrus, nose popping red pepper (Here comes 3 quick sneezes in a row), dark chocolate, malts, caramel, marzipan, cedar, and cinnamon.
The cold draw presents flavors of creamy hot chocolate, red pepper, caramel, citrus, black licorice, espresso, and cinnamon.
FIRST THIRD:
Clear sailing as the draw is perfect.
Red pepper singes my eyebrows. I now look like a gay mime.
Flavors fall in line quickly: Creaminess, chocolate, espresso, cinnamon, marzipan, cinnamon, black licorice, tangerine, cedar, and caramel.
Nice. Fingers crossed that this great start is consistent from this point forward.
Strength is a tick above medium. Or it just seems that way because I’m experiencing heart difficulties from the blast of pepper.
Transitions kick in immediately. The protégé of complexity..mini-complexity…makes its move. The finish finds itself easing a protracted depth down the road. (I tried using a quote from the “The Wiz” and I failed miserably.)
It’s a beautiful post-rainy morning with lots of sunshine and temps going up to 68°. It is California in February in Wisconsin. Lawdy, lawdy, Miss Clawdy. I can walk around in my boxers til the neighbors complain and call in the Tactical Team.
Real maltiness makes its first appearance: Chocolate Rye malt, Cara Vienna malt, Coffee malt, and Peated malt. (See Malt Chart).
The spiciness is sidelined and brings the strength back to classic medium.
There are no burn issues. And the Foundry Time Flies appears to be filled properly.
Flavors shift positions like my first wife did on our wedding night…er…wait…she laid there like a flounder. Let me rephrase…Transitions are diametrically opposed to my first wife. That’s better.
I’m drinking coffee with this morning’s stick. It complements the flavors beautifully.
Creaminess coats my palate like rubbing a cow’s teat on my palate. The mocha java is screaming laughter. Spiciness is in the background. (Nicht gut). Licorice, marzipan, and caramel make an interesting trifecta.
SECOND THIRD:
Smoke time is 25 minutes.
The spiciness returns. Flavor elements intensify. The creaminess leads the pack. And then the blend blows up with expressive components of the mocha java, malts, cinnamon, almonds, licorice, citrus, caramel, and cedar.
New flavors: Coconut shavings, molasses, raisins and fig paste, and charred meat.
What an improvement over yesterday’s review of the 601 Gold. And how nice to find an exemplary lesson of fine blending for under $10.
The Foundry Time Flies reminds me of a couple blends. First, there is a touch of DTT Sobremesa and a bit of Alec Bradley Fine & Rare.
The complexity is at its zenith…or so it seems.
At the halfway point, I’ve spent 45 minutes huffing this fine cigar.
The Foundry Time Flies is absolutely delicious. How wonderful. Sweet Spot 1.0.
This blend has gotten some stellar reviews and I will add to that pile. And it didn’t need a list of 13 tobaccos and a $15 price tag to get there.
Foundry Tobacco is pretty consistent. I’ve reviewed 8 Foundry blends and liked them all.
The finish is super long and satisfying. I smack my lips a lot when I review to ignite as many flavors from the finish as possible. Try doing that in a B&M and then watch the stares as other smokers think you are having a stroke.
Unless the last third goes really south on me, I can highly recommend this blend for all you young’uns. Old farts, too.
The black licorice has made a run for the finish line. It is now very intense with a deep anise element along with molasses and salt. Did you know that licorice has an ingredient, “glycyrrhizin,” that is a steroid-like substance that can cause high blood pressure or heart arrhythmias when eaten regularly in large amounts? See…you always learn something in my reviews. (Actually, you rarely learn anything but it seemed to be a good place to show off my massive intelligence while still maintaining an I.Q. of 79.)
I remove the giant billboard of a cigar band and discover the silly face is really a sideways skull. Ever wonder why the skull is used so much on cigar bands? I have no idea…just thought I’d ask the question.
I love the construction…perfectly filled creating a leisurely, long smoke. No hard or soft spots.
I can suck on the Foundry Time Flies all day. And there is no allegory there to the 8 years I spent in San Quentin on D Block.
Sweet Spot 2.0. I should yell out “Fire in the hole!” But I don’t as my wife will have me committed…something she’s tried to do for nearly our entire marriage. Actually, she did achieve this once in 1992 but I escaped dressed as an eel ecologist.
Reviewing a good cigar always puts me in a good mood. Reviewing a crap dog turd makes me wander outside puncturing car tires with my cigar awl.
Foundry Time Flies is a killer blend. The ease at which flavors transposition themselves is damn amazing. Not a single moment of boredom or indifference.
The blend makes a leap to medium/full. Nicotine shows up for the first time.
LAST THIRD:
Smoke time is one hour 10 minutes.
I love this cigar. If it agreed to convert to Judaism, I’d adopt it. And name it Moshe.
The caramel and molasses are flying high…both have moved to the front of the line.
The spiciness comes and goes without declaration.
Foundry Time Flies requires its first minor char line touch up.
This blend is a perfect sample of how things should be done. A great start and then reveals little nuggets of brilliance at the slightest provocation.
Mind you, this is not a flavor bomb by any definition. Rather, it is chock full of nuance and subtlety. Just muscular enough to delight the palate with each puff.
Shit…I’m ruined for the rest of the day. I don’t have anything in my humidor that will match this cigar experience.
I found several online stores that carry this blend. All charge less than the MSRP. I found the Toro for as little as $6.80. Google it.
Michael Giannini and A.J. Fernandez hit one out of the park with this blend.
I’ve been working on my rating since I started and it just keeps adding a point in each section of the cigar.
The use of Ecuadorian Habano, as the wrapper, is one of the best uses of this leaf I’ve smoked. Some blenders can make this leaf sing while others step on their own dicks and futz it up completely.
The cigar is super delicious. It has all the elements one requires to satisfy the most problematic palate. And the price is redonkulous.
Go get some.
Final smoke time is one hour 35 minutes.
RATING: 93
Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
Cigar Reviews by Phil 'Katman' Kohn 
It’s a treat checking back in and seeing new reviews, even if the cigar is a let down. This is where I look first,everyday, to see what you have to say. I always anxiously await new reviews of AJ’s work more than others. His blends are always my go to cigars. Glad this one was a winner. Hopefully you can eventually try the Last Call pair of blends. Curious to hear what you think of them. Here’s hoping you keep it up as long as you can.
Thanks Kris. I’ve had both Last Call blends but haven’t had the chance to review them.
Great Review one of my favorites from last year