Wrapper: Nicaraguan (Corojo Rosado)
Binder: Nicaraguan (Corojo ‘99)
Filler: Nicaraguan (Corojo ‘99 & Criollo ‘98)
Size: 4.5 x 48
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $7.08 by the box. $8.00 per stick in a fiver. Katman promo code saves you 10% and brings the fiver down to $36.00.

I bought a fiver from Small Batch Cigar almost 3 months ago and the cigar is rarin’ to go.

As a rule, I like Warped Cigars. There have been some inconsistencies in the past, but it is clearly a very popular brand. A new blend comes out and whoosh…they’re gone. I believe that Andrew Considine of SBC working with Warped found a good partner in attaining his desired results.

It is a small cigar. Some smokers love them, and others can’t be bothered. I like all sizes. I’ve even gotten used to big cannons; but they take extra humidor time before they are ready…depending on the aging. The price is very reasonable. At $7 a stick, with a pedigree, it is hard to go wrong for a cigar you can smoke in 35 minutes.

And never forget to use the promo code Katman when you purchase anything from SBC. Thank you, my children.

I forgot to mention that this is an extremely limited cigar. Only 200 boxes were produced in 2019. The reason they are still around is not that the quality is subpar, which it is certainly not, but because Andrew did not rave about the cigar with a big fancy press release.

And it didn’t call the cigar the best thing since Adam figured out what his schmekel was for. Once the lightbulb went on over his head, he never used his weenie for fishing ever again. Although, Eve did complain about the barnacles. They kept getting caught in her braces.

BACKGROUND:
Released March 2019
Production: 200 Boxes of 25
Factory: Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A.

From Small Batch Cigar (12-19-2019):
“Earlier this year, Guardian of the Farm Claude Le Chien was first introduced to the public. Named after Head Cigar Smoker Andrew’s very own French Bulldog, Claude Le Chien is a box-pressed 4 ½ x 48 Nicaraguan puro adorned with a closed foot.

“The same bold, spirited Corojo Rosado wrapper was included, and only minor adjustments were made with the filler ratios to accommodate the five-year-old leaf. Claude Le Chien’s size also remains the same iconic box-pressed 4 1/2 x 48. 200 boxes of 25 cigars (5,000 cigars total) were produced with an MSRP of $7.99.

“Fans of the previous Claude Le Chien will be happy to know that they will be able to distinguish the two releases from each other by the bands, even though the artwork has remained the same. The original Claude Le Chien bands were folded over the artwork, while these bands display the whole intent of the band all the way around.”

APPEARANCE:
OK. I’m a sucker for a mottled color wrapper. I believe it is Freudian in that it reminds me of two beloved Boxers I owned that were brindle in color. I have no other semi-sane explanation.

The Le Chien has that speckled look that arouses my attention. A beautiful speckle of dark bits overwhelmed by the Ochre hued Rosado.

To be honest, in the hand, I can’t see any of the detail that I see in my photos. A very nice triple cap. A soft box press. A closed foot…I stopped taking an extra photo of closed footsies a long time ago. You know what they look like.

It is very solid, with perfect resistance, for such a small stick. It feels perfectly filled. There is a fine grit of tooth that covers the entire cigar.
And the double cigar bands add a nice touch especially with a tiny photo of Le Chien the doggie on the secondary band.

SMELL THE GLOVE:
Sweetness hits my schnoz first: Powdered sugar, caramel, dried fruit, vanilla pudding, sweet orange slices, and cinnamon buns.
The savory puts forward notes of floral, black pepper, beef jerky, mint, sourdough bread, cedar, peat.

The cold draw is on the money. It is exactly how I like to suckle my cigars. I gently put my PerfecDraw draw adjustment tool in my gun safe which contains only guns made before 790 A.D.

The cold draw presents flavors of caramel, black pepper, lemon zest, cinnamon buns, jerky, sourdough bread with butter, cedar, honey, mint, and Liva Snaps.

FIRST HALF:
Nice start. Extremely flavorful. Holy crap! My mouth is abuzz with most of the flavors I described in the aroma section. My cup runneth over.

A very strong complexity kicks in immediately. Smoke pours from the foot because it thinks it is a Gordo. I made that last part up. I don’t know what the cigar thinks.

The cigar hits medium strength toot suite.

New flavors of raisins, caramel over vanilla ice cream, BBQ brisket (Yum), a combo of lime, orange and lemon zing the whole thing upside down, the mintiness keeps the profile Kool.

Waiting 2-1/2+ months is nothing my dudes. This baby is screaming nicely aged before it hits the shelves. But I do not recommend smoking one ROTT. I did that and the cigar was just hay and Ben Wa balls. You must be patient. But still, less than 3 months is nothing. You still hibernating that 1997 OpusX?

The burn is slow.
“Dang me, dang me
They oughta take a rope and hang me
High from the highest tree
Woman, would you weep for me?”

The cigar is extraordinary at only ¾” burned.
The char line bursts my box press curse…it is just fine, thank you.
Transitions waste no time like the hooker you paid only $25. The balance of savory v. sweet is Captain America.

The creaminess shows up along with a big dose of lemon. We have ourselves a pie, boys.

This might become a flavor bomb. A dozen tidbits off the flavor wheel are master of their own domain. Man, this is a perfect cigar if you don’t have time for a big honker. And I love that no greed was involved. I know, a stupid thing to say. But at this quality, a price of a couple bucks more could have been asked for…but they did not.

If I were you, I’d stop reading this and get in on what’s left of the 2019 release of only 200 boxes at SBC. I am going to do the same thing when I finish this review. I put this cigar at the top of my list for inexpensive go-to and in a rush cigars.

Not only is the char line a true gentleman, it sticks to the cigar like a quarter inch mig weld.

I cannot keep up with the cigar. Every puff hits a pinnacle only to come back two minutes later and see this cigar make another quantum leap. This is phenomenal.

Whew. I made a deal with SBC recently and I had planned to review this cigar long before that happened. I was slightly nervous if I had to diss it. Be gone the fears of Satan.

Not kidding. This cigar is as good as it comes. This little $7 prickly pear is a gift from the gods. SBC could have charged $10. Maybe more.

This is a fine premium blend, and the design is impeccable. I have zero criticisms. I love writing a review in which I have a big shit eatin’ smile on my puss the whole time.

I have one stick left. I shall cherish it…until the new ones I am going to buy are ready.

Got my Covid test back this morning and I only have the usual winter head cold. This is a big relief.

Strength hits medium/full. I easily noted this as I can no longer see the laptop keyboard.

The balance remains king of the jungle. But the star of this blend is the subtle sweet notes: creamy vanilla ice cream, caramel, key lime pie, raisins, honey, and cinnamon buns.
The savory presents: Beef jerky, charred oak, sourdough toast slathered with sweet butter, a lovely mintiness, heavy malt influence, cedar, mixed nuts, and cabinet spices.

Complexity is through the roof. Transitions keep moving along with a spring in their step. And the finish is redolent with spicy cinnamon, vanilla, espresso, and creaminess.
The coffee rears its head like Godzilla meeting Rodan for the first time. This new development gives the cigar a nice kick in the arse.

SECOND HALF:
I kept my eye on the clock and this miniature Yogi Bear signs off the first half in exactly 30 minutes. An hour-long massage for such a tiny stick.

Getting a nicely filled cigar makes my day. Nothing I dislike more than an under filled stick. This alone should raise my eventual rating by two points.

The dark chocolate appears in spades. The mixed nuts take a step forward.

What an interesting cigar to smoke. Full of flavor. Complexity to the hilt, Transitions that never stop circulating. And a very pleasant finish. Poifect!

There have been zero construction issues. The char line did not require a single touch up. In one way, I am glad that customers of SBC ignored this baby…now you get a chance to try one that is already aged over 2 years.

I’d love to have a box of these tobacco snausages. But I will use our food money for the week to buy a fiver.

My first sip of water and a flood of flavors erupt on to my palate. Wow.

I sneakily picked up another five pack while writing this review. Katman promo code gets you 10% off.

The second half is better than my Bar Mitzvah.
What a great morning cigar. A great anytime cigar.

The depth is so intriguing that you can enjoy any libation and it won’t have any influence on the taste of this well-rounded blend.
Flavors disappear into a plutonium ball. It is here that the sum is greater than its parts.

Nothing linear at play. A constant forward adventure that will not diminish in any form.
Kudos to SBC and Warped. They done dood it.

The length of time to smoke this gummy cigar went further than my expectations. It is burning at the same speed of a Robusto. Nice and slow.

I grab my PerfecDraw for nubbing this cigar. But I still have 20 minutes to go before that happens.

“Rocky Mountain Way” by Joe Walsh is playing on Pandora. I’ve said this before so I will say it again…Back in 1975, there was a Friday night of live rock n roll. Walsh played this song live. But my focus was on the grooving bassist with a fretless. That was the point in my life that I had to get one. I did, but not for another 7 years. Couldn’t find the right one til I got my Schecter.

Graham cracker, espresso, dark cocoa, citrus, nuts, spices, and caramel lead the charge.

I have the windows open, so I don’t fill the apartment with smoke. It is -3 outside and my naughty bits have retracted like a turtle’s head.
Nicotine kicks in and I swoon. I’m the wussiest reviewer on the planet.
Time to nub.
Strength hits full.

Experienced smokers will love this blend. Newbies should try it as well. The nicotine held off til the last inch.

As I am smoking a two-year-old blend, the aging is impeccable.
And sure enough, I hit the one-hour mark with still some cigar to be enjoyed.
Get some my dears…Small Batch Cigar Guardian of the Farm Claude Le Chien 6th Birthday Edition.

RATING: 95

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS