
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 5.75 x 52 Double Torpedo Box Pressed
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $12.00
Released: December 2024
Quantity Released: Undisclosed
Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L.
My cigars received 3 months of naked humidor time.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
The cigar is beautifully constructed. Flawless symmetry. The pointy cap and foot are a marvel if you appreciate that kind of thing. We do. The oil glistens like the sun-drenched backs of migrating baby seals.
A myriad of aromas engorge my schnoz: floral, toasted and buttered brioche, fresh hay, cedar, gentle barnyard, peppered steak, dark chocolate, and cinnamon.
Rather than clip the foot, I tried the method of the experts who light the cigar in the old-fashioned virgin setting. As the foot dissolves from the heat, the draw opens up beautifully. The starting lineup of my PerfecSmoke accessories skulk back to their fortress of solitude.
I love the participle dangle. Heavy cigars make it challenging. If not for extreme wrapper oiliness, this would be the king of the droop.
Speedy rush of good flavors: fresh sourdough bread, creamy milk chocolate, potent cedar, café au lait, black pepper, and creamed corn.
A sudden richness kicks it. Complexity is nigh.
I only found a couple written reviews. If I want info to make a dent in my crispy psyche, I need to see it. OCD, I guess. Both were very consistent in their appraisal. And now, with a few months of rest, my review cigar falls into line with their critique.
I can taste the rich soil of Nicaragua. I have a friend mail it to me. I write it off as a business purchase. On the customs tag, he writes: ‘Uncle Schmekel’s ashes.’ No one touches it.
The burn began wonky as most pointy foots do. Moments later, it is regimental. Like Charlotte screaming that it is time for me to rise from the crypt.
I agree with others when I declare that I taste peanut shells. Smokers read reviews for one of two reasons: 1) It is good or is it ain’t? 2) If possible, follow along. This is the advantage of the written review. In the beginning of time, a video reviewer would subject you to the entire 90-minute smoke without editing. Now the average review is 10-15 minutes. The art of audiovisual Ambien has since been removed. There are guys that still do the long haul, but the amount of dead air is deafening.
An inch in and I concur that there is licorice afoot. Despite this being a Nic puro, carrying a standard stating medium/full strength, the blend’s initial offering is very gentle and relaxing. The smoke does not dry my mouth as I realize I haven’t taken a sip of water.
You ever go into a public bathroom only to discover you can’t find the fly in your underwear…so you undo your belt buckle, and your pistol falls on to the urine-soaked floor? Me neither.
With a total of an inch removed from cap cutting and foot burn, this cigar is less than 5” long yet the burn is slower than molasses with constant pile ups of complex refinement that you don’t see in many Nicaraguan abstracts. Padron and Stulac are exempt.
I did the Let’s See cigar a week after I got my fiver. It was less than impressive. This review cigar got its booster seat from a few months of rest and equalized humidity. It is sailing.
Shortly after I returned from England, I got a phone call from a friend who was associated with the band Super Tramp. I was asked if I’d like to visit them in their Beverly Hills hideaway while they were in L.A. When I arrived, the band was sunning themselves by the pool. It was a good time smoking doobs and drinking us some beers. The living room had been converted into a home studio. The band suggested we jam a bit. I grabbed the bassist’s Fender P and swung it over my shoulder. But as I did so, I rammed its head into the very low ceiling. I cracked the neck. I thought my tortured and brutalized body would never be found. The guys did the polite thing in my presence by laughing it off saying they could run down to the Guitar Center and get another one. A grand time was ruined by my stupidity. It’s like a skydiving accident. A brilliant experience until that last foot.

I would never guess this was all Nicaraguan tobacco. I would misguidedly guess it is full of Ecuadorian and Dominican leaves. I near the halfway point and the rich beast is displaying a tender medium strength.
Peanut shells become creamy salted peanut butter. The brioche stands its ground with smaller elements of cinnamon sugar and earthy goodness. The spiciness of the black pepper is very mild. Coffee with cream is the backstop. Cedar has maintained an even keel. Certainly, this is not a flavor bomb. Rather, it is a well-constructed bunch of leaves that present a flawless and relaxing cigar experience.
I was working in San Francisco. I was involved in a hit and run when an undocumented woman slammed into me on the off ramp. She took off. My Glock 30 flew out of my briefcase on to the floor of the passenger side. I did not notice it because I was pretty shaken up. The cops assessed the scene. I had a permit in Arizona, but this wasn’t Arizona. A cop motioned me over and pointed at it. I showed him my permit and he allowed me to skate. It was the first and only time I consciously took advantage of white privilege.
The first half bites the dust at one hour. What a pleasant ride it’s been.
The blend becomes perfumy with notes of geraniums. Was it like this earlier or am I just having a neurological event. The cigar remains lighter than air.
And then my swoon is on. The proverbial light switch. One second, it’s my momma’s pudding and the next my vision blurs. This baby is screaming laughter like a sea of swarming simbas.
The sharp burn line is stunning. Due to the glut of newly released cigars every minute of the day, we no longer take for granted when we come upon a skillfully fabricated cigar. Most are OK but those that are better than OK are no longer in the affordable $12 region.
Flavors have coexisted peacefully without sudden moves. Mildly complex, very rich, sublimely refined, transitional nods, and a depth that was totally unsuspected.
The second half shines. Progressional moments has made it a fun cigar. You get every penny’s worth of your sawbuck.
I have no idea where you can still purchase them, so if you do, give your brethren a leg up and comment below.
RATING: 95
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Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
I just ordered a fiver from Tinderbox (www.tinderbox.com). I have not ordered from them before, so I can’t vouch for them, but they appear to be legit.
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Hi Jeff,
In the 1960’s, my dad sent me to Tinder Box to buy his cigars. The company began in 1928 in Santa Monica and branched out nationwide.
Thanks for the tip.
Phil
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Tinder Box is legit. I ordered from them last year. Good prices and processed the order quickly. My Dad used to get cigars from a local Tinder Box in the 70s.
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