Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo Rosado
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo ‘99
Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo ‘98 (aged 10 years) & Corojo ‘99
Size: 4.5 x 48 (Box Pressed)
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $7.99

My cigars received 3 months of naked humidor time.

BACKGROUND:
From Andrew Considine:
“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. Now, just before the New Year, we’re excited to announce the newest expression of Claude Le Chien to celebrate Claude’s tenth birthday!

“In addition to the previous adjustments of the original Guardian of the Farm, our newest release of Claude Le Chien also includes an adjustment of the filler tobaccos to include a Criollo 98 leaf that is ten years old (like Claude himself)! This bale of tobacco ages as Claude ages, creating a unique expression each and every year.

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

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:

I like the rustic woodsy look of the cigar. All dressed up for two teenage lovers to carve their initials.

Aromas from the wrapper include sweet lemon, floral notes, baking spices, black pepper, cinnamon, cedar, and salty caramel.

I use my new PerfecPunch to open the Hellgate. The punch has three sized weapons…8mmØ, 11mmØ, and 14mmØ. I use the 11mmØ and it removes the cap like a hot knife through ferret butter. (You have to know how to milk a ferret to obtain this special dairy product…it’s best to choose a female).

The cigar is jam up and jelly tight with tobacco. A heavy little bugger. The draw is just fine…

Some nice flavors at the get go…creaminess, spicy red and black pepper, caramel, an earthiness that will soon morph into complexity. A nice richness begins my journey towards inevitable death and then resurrection. A lovely dose of malt, butterscotch splashes in tandem with light caramel overtones, vanilla, and just the right slice of lemony tartness.

Andrew at SBC has worked with Kyle Gellis many times. They make a good pair for creating inexpensive delicious blends. After the promo code, this stick is only $7.19. Remember when that was an expensive cigar? No? Ok.

Cinnabon. I taste decadent caramel nutty buns. Like Charlotte and me when we were young.

First sweet spot…alert…first sweet spot. Complexity slam dunks like Antetokounmpo.

Flavors fan out. The deep richness is standing naked before me, and I don’t have a single condom on me…except the one from my high school days. The infamous wallet ring.

Dried black cherries. The citrus turns from lemonade to sweet orange.

The savory annex is made up of almonds and peanuts. A touch of caramel saltiness accentuates the nuttiness.
The cigar is aiming to become a flavor bomb.

The transitions and finish are a mix of creamy vanilla, caramel, beef jerky, and spiciness.

I can count on one hand the number of $7 sticks that are outstanding. This is one of them. This is absolutely a desirous go-to stick to have in your old kit bag.

If you smoke this blend too soon, you will be disappointed and blame me. Let them rest a few months until they can wear big boy pants. That’s where the gold lies.

This is a stick you can hand to friends without worrying that your drunken idiot pal will punch you in the ‘nads for giving him a cheap tasting cigar.

The cigar is packed so heavily that the burn never seems to move. Small puffs every couple of minutes, a few sips of water, and the result is detonations smothering my palate in testosterone and turkey gravy.

Strength is medium, but it is heading towards something more sinister…like placing plastic wrap over the toilet bowl.

The creamy caramel leads the pack. The citrus adds the kick. The light pepper is damn accurate at obtaining the right amount of oomph.

I have no self-control. I still have a couple more of these sticks. But every time I review a great blend, I want to stop writing and go buy another fiver.

1-1/2” burned. 35 minutes. A nice slow roll. I’m always hesitant to buy a short statured stick. I don’t like paying $10 or more for a smoke that lasts 25 minutes. This baby consistently provides a 90-minute excursion. I never used the 1960’s term ‘groovy’ in my life. It is the stupidest word in the English language…next to colonoscopy.

The Zombies. “Time of the Season.” There is an organ solo, and the guy hits a couple clams. Either they had only a couple tries at the take, or the guy was too high. And the producer said, fuck it. Listen to it…tell me I’m wrong.

“Good Times Bad Times.” Led zeppelin’s first big hit. 1969. I worked part time at the first Licorice Pizza in downtown Long Beach. My friend Skip and I spent our free moments between college classes hanging out, so the owner offered me a gig. Only Hippies were suitable. The boss man had me play a tune from the first Zep album for a customer asking about the quality of this new band. The Man picked the wrong tune so I said, “Nope. Let’s play this one instead.” The customer bought the LP and after he left, the boss lit into me like a monkey on a cupcake for correcting him in front of a customer. Those trusted Hippie employees went on to become very rich as the record store became a huge chain…later bought by Sam Goody. I stupidly left this job for Knott’s Berry Farm to make an extra 20¢ an hour.

Strength is officially medium/full. I feel the body buzz.

The halfway point arrives at 40 minutes. A lot of cigar in a small package.

New flavors show up…honey, raisins, peat, smoked brisket, and the citrus morphs once again and is now creamy lime.

The Le Chien is anything but linear. Improvement is obvious with each new puff. The finish never disappears or dissipates. A mouthful of delicious confetti.

I’ve begun to ramble so I will sit back and smoke in total isolation with my music. Beautiful day outside…cold, but sunny.

A great go-to that you can rely on. This is a fancy little cigar that flew underneath last year’s radar. It is impossible to get a blend this good for only $7 after promo code. Complex, rich, and uber flavorful. Final smoke time is 85 minutes.

Listen to your Uncle Katman when I advise that you let them sleep in the nude for at least 3 months.

I gave last year’s version a 95. I repeat myself under stress. I repeat myself…
Only available from Small Batch Cigar. 10% off with promo code KATMAN.

RATING: 95

Don’t forget to enter the SWAG Daddy Contest! ~ CONTEST ENDS TOMORROW (NOV. 30) 11:59 pm PT!
And check out Katman’s Kartel page at Small Batch Cigar and score deals on cigars from My Top 32 Cigars of 2023 ~ Rated 96 or Higher!

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, Guardian of the Farm Claude Le Chien 2024 | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, katman, phil kohn, small batch cigar