Wrapper: USA Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan Jalapa
Filler: Honduran Jamastrán, Nicaraguan Jalapa, Estelí, & Ometepe
Size: 5.25 x 52 Robusto
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $14.60
Date Released: June 2025
Quantity Released: 500 Bundles of 10
Factory: Fábrica Centroamericana de Tabaco S.A.

My cigars received 3 months of naked humidor time.

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
The strongest aroma emanating from the wrapper is barnyard, and lots of it. The background is the usual suspects of dark chocolate, espresso, nuts, and spicy peppers.

My PerfecPunch works flawlessly as is the norm. The cold draw is full of dark chocolate, cool mint, baking spices, dried fruit sweetness, black pepper, aged leather, and exotic soil. So far, no surprises. It’s a cigar.

It’s a puff-o-rama. My desk isn’t far from the smoke detector. The massive output of smoke triggers the bloody thing and the piercing siren makes the cat skedaddle at the speed of a ferret on fire. Some cigars will start with a bang. Others limp along. This Cav is the former.

The burn line is sharp. I’m either being fooled into submission or this cigar is going to be a treat. My previous stick was still green a month ago. So, I waited. 3 months of rest seems to have been the ticket.

Half an inch in and a wonderful creaminess bifurcates with toasty hot nuts. I’ll let you fill in the joke. And then nougaty chocolate, golden raisins, black pepper, and charcoal grilled meat. The thing that hits me is the even steven balance. The finish is delightful.

Since the Eiroa family chucked it in and sold their name to Davidoff, Honduran tobacco has rarely been done well. I was a big Camacho fan. Alec Bradley can get the best from those leaves in his Fine & Rare series. But now honestly, I see Honduran and I pass. Cavalier was smart mixing the Honduran with Nic leaves.

My dear friend Charlie Schink and his wife Leona are currently in Marrakech, Morocco. They sent me the following photos. The photo showing how Moroccans handle birh control would have me avoiding the men’s room. Finally, someone found the most dazzling habitat for a katman sticker.

Sourdough bread with sweet butter. No doubt and no mistaken identity. This flavor becomes strong as inch two begins. The first inch was about flavorful diversification, earthiness, a touch of leather, tantalizing depth, and a portent of good things to come.

The draw has the proper resistance, the cigar plumped nicely, and the char line is impressive. Strength is a good morning America medium. It goes down well with my strong cup of coffee.

As part of the pre-production of the tv show that Marshall Thomas and I helmed, I wrote a theme song for the intro and outro. It was a theme based on the 12-bar blues progression. I was fortunate that the Tower of Power horn section was in town. I snagged them up for a 4-hour session at my recording studio. They turned the song from good to killer. Our first episode had Richard Berry (Louie, Louie) and The Larks (The Jerk) as guests. A real throwback to the 1950’s/1960’s. After the show, I was speaking to Berry and I set myself up for destruction when I asked what he thought of the theme song…while making sure to mention that I had written it. He said, “It sounds like All Night Long.” Damn. He was right. Clearly, the man pulled no punches but I deserved it. So, I scrapped the tune and wrote something new…without the advantage of the ToP horn section. Damn.

Flavors are subdued. Mild and tempered. This is not a bold nor brash blend. Subtle with the advantage of having a polished approach. The balance of sweet v. savory is 50/50. But it will need to step it up from here.

Cavalier Genève has called out medium/full strength for this blend’s experience. As inch two dissolves into memory, it is only now that I feel the creep. A slow transition that doesn’t kick you in the gonadal placemat. Not a hint of nicotine is in play. The slow roll has me sipping from the cigar in the most casual of manners.

We lived in Mesa, Arizona in the 1990’s. The heat was deafening. But the best part of Arizona? Guns. At age 11, I taught my daughter how to shoot. At age 12, I bought her a Browning .380 semi-automatic pistol. We went to gun shows and boys would tug at their daddy’s shirt and point at my little girl packing. A friend owned a WWII .50 tripod mounted machine gun. Everyone ponied up $100 and took turns shooting it. .50 cal ammo is fucking expensive. Our turns lasted, at most, 5 minutes. Still, everyone should shoot one of those mama jamas at least once in their lives. Keep your orthopedic surgeon on speed dial. Katie and her Milwaukee police officer husband took me shooting a few months back. I shoot my 1998 Glock 30. A cool 10 round subcompact that packs a punch with its .45 caliber rounds. It shoots straight. Me? Not so much. And then I shot my son in law’s 9mm with a laser sight. Finally, I hit things I was aiming at. Living at home, this is how Katie asked for her allowance.

The sweet spot kicks in at the start of the second half. Know what it reminds me of? The Dunbarton Umbabog Bronzeback, but more sophisticated. The Bronzeback is brash and unapologetic. The Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Boartamer follows the same rules but is a smoother operator. Now that I know how much a few months of home humidor time positively affect the blend, I will check my moth ridden wallet for life.

I’m getting a persona from the Honduran tobacco that sends me signals of the original Camacho. How it was done right before Davidoff turned the line into a Joe Camel singalong.

Chocolate covered raisins. Unmistakable. Sourdough is present but lessens the tartness that first sought my attention. Hazelnuts are overwrought in the hands of we reviewers, but it is unambiguous. And the creamy leather is undeniable.

The last 1-1/2” is the test. Most cigars fail in the last third. Edges become rough. Flavors and depth mute. Harshness may kick in. We normally don’t remember much about initial enjoyment if the cigar fails in the final analysis.

Transitionally, there are no demarcation points. It flowed nicely. The cigar never became harsh or tarry. It remained smooth to the end. The medium/full strength was arguably an even keel throughout the second half. And overall, the blend performed beautifully.

This was an excellent cigar. Is it a must have? Maybe. Depends on your funds at hand for discretionary purchases. If your dough exceeds your common sense, I’d snag a few. If you’re wondering where you are getting the dough for baby’s formula, then sure, buy a few. Babies are resilient.

You can purchase the Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Boartamer from sponsor Small Batch Cigar. Take 10% off with promo code KATMAN.

RATING: 93

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Boartamer | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, katman, phil kohn