Wrapper: Dominican
Binder: Mexican
Filler: Dominican ~ 5 types of tobacco
Size: 5 x 50 Robusto “Ki”
Strength: Medium
Price: $16.00
Date Released: 2024
Quantity Released: Undisclosed
Factory: Tabacalera Díaz Cabrera

BACKGROUND:
From Luxury Cigar Club:
“The Don Emmanuel Anunnaki line is inspired by the legendary beings of Sumerian mythology, the Annunaki, said to have descended from the planet Nibiru over 440,000 years ago to shape humanity’s destiny. Their story, inscribed on ancient tablets, speaks of divine creation, knowledge shared with humankind, and monuments like the Egyptian pyramids that still stand as testaments to their influence. This collection pays homage to that heritage, weaving myth and artistry into every leaf.

“Ki embodies celestial essence and the nurturing force of the divine mother. Harmonizing earth and sky, Ki is both powerful and welcoming, creating a smoke that mirrors her duality, imposing yet inviting, refined yet accessible.

“Anu reflects the life force of nature, a symbol of abundance, fertility, and humanity’s eternal bond with the earth. Bold, vital, and deeply connected, this blend honors the god regarded as the father of gods and men, channeling strength and vitality into every puff.

“Corona Fina delivers a compact yet grand experience in a refined 4 x 38 vitola, crafted as a long-filler cigar with a delicate pigtail finish and striking band. Presented in tins of 5, it’s the perfect union of practicality and luxury. Its flavor is layered and balanced, with an impeccable finish that honors the Annunaki’s gift of knowledge and refinement.

“Together, Ki, Anu, and Corona Fina form the foundation of the Don Emmanuel Anunnaki Collection, a trio that celebrates creation, abundance, and celestial harmony. Each cigar is a journey into ancient mythology, inviting smokers to savor not only masterful craftsmanship but also a story that stretches back to the dawn of humanity.”

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
That’s a lot of adjectives.

Unco B reviewed this cigar in March of this year with a rating of 98. I wasn’t sure about adding my 2¢. We prefer not to step on each other’s dicks. But since I have the Anunnaki Ki, I thought it might be fun. I pledge to post my critique regardless of which way I lean. Something the girls in my high school classes wondered about me. Although, butt jokes aren’t as funny to me as they once were.

Not a lot going on from wrapper aromas. A slight trifecta of milky earthiness, spicy cedar, and just the tiniest milk chocolate.

The stick is built like a tank. My PerfecPunch hears that and, because it suffers from delirium paranoia, spews “OK Coach. I’m flinty, sharp, and determined.” I have no idea why Dr. Rod added a vocal chip in this thing. He could have saved $8 and just allowed weird facial expressions. I pierce the toast with serious alacrity and the 8mm fails me not. It begins to say something, and I bitch slap it across the room…and I can still hear it mumbling. There are plenty of crappy punches out there that don’t have vocal cords. Buy one.

The draw is dead in the water. I grab the PP’s spastic sister, the PerfecDraw and go to work. It takes one swoosh and a flood of flavors unfold: Milk chocolate, tasty malt, salted caramel, filberts, and a touch of mintyness.

There’s an immediate well-roundedness I love. A perfect balance of sweet v. savory that contains bold notes of café au lait, caramel, cinnamon, rich earthiness, malt, mild black pepper, a mix of milk and dark chocolate, and something vegetal that I can’t put my finger on. A very good start.

Brendan Delumpa is a big fan of the Don Emmanuel line. So, if Unco B likes it, I don’t need to guess if I like it too. We have similar palates.

The excellent construction shows itself in how slowly the burn moves. I peek at the cherry, and it looks like a concrete pylon, dense and affectionate. Like me.

The maltiness increases numerically by powers of 3. I love malt flavor in cigars but I don’t recollect one as intricate and intense as the Ki. This is good. This is very good.

And now for the sidebar: It is unusual for someone in their 70’s, or older, to know how to type proficiently. In our school days, typing was for girls who wanted to be secretaries. In high school, my mother insisted I learn how to dance the light fantastic on a typewriter. So, I was shamed into taking a typing class. There I was with 29 girls…and just me. I was teased constantly. They probably thought I was queer. As far as I knew, I wasn’t, I just had a mother that thought typing would be a good skill to have in college. At the end of the semester, I could type 40 wpm without errors. And my poor mother was correct as the skill served me well. In fact, I made some dough typing papers for my idiot fellow male students who didn’t have the forbearance of reptiles or a forward-thinking mother. These days, every kid by the age of 10 can type. But they will forever miss out on the thrill of typing on an electric Smith Corona Electra 220.

I become antsy as the first half inch eases into memory. I want more of these cigars if this one can keep impressing. There is an intensity that you don’t see in most cigars. It has a wonderful width and breadth. See, a cigar sommelier could break this shit down for you in succinct terms…and not meander like me. But I’m all you got for the next 3 minutes…unless you’ve already scrolled to the rating.

A new sweetness appears. I’m slapping my tongue all over the interior and exterior of my mouth like a happy dog. It is an instinctual reaction. I have no control. I think this is because the flavor points aren’t bold. They’re subtle and the tongue darting is an effort by my lackadaisical brain trying to make them stand out. But the Ki won’t have any of this and continues to show a classy restraint. This is a grown-up cigar.

Cookie dough! This is what I couldn’t nail. Cookie dough! Mildly sweet, earthy, creamy, vanilla paste, hazelnuts, and dripping with pastry effluence.

School was no joke in the 1950’s and 60’s. In the 50’s, we were constantly practicing drop and roll so that we could survive a direct nuclear hit. In gym classes, the instructors were sadistic and allowed to smack the shit out of you with paddles the size of a VW. In college, Biology 101 required you to dissect a fetal pig. All the while huffing fumes of horrid formaldehyde. In woodshop, fingers were flying off like pigs in a blanket. Walking to school was like a pedophilia holiday as there were so many perverts that they had to stand in line so you could pick your favorite executioner. Poor Charlotte went to Catholic school in Germany. Imagine nuns with armbands beating the shit out of you with a ruler. In 7th grade, a history teacher asked the class, “What does a Jew look like?” The girl behind me said we have little scars on our forehead where the horns were removed at birth…and we have little tails. Upon hearing that, I immediately had my tail removed. Climbing the two-story rope in gym class saw kids by the thousands falling and breaking bones…all while the teacher yelled and told you to get your lazy ass off the deck. Or playing dodge ball with angry psychopaths that aimed at the weak kids. During a basketball free throw contest in gym, I thought that the teacher motioned me to hand him the basketball. I tossed it, hitting his hand and bouncing away. He became so angry that he threw the ball into my face knocking me out cold. I spent overnight in the hospital from a concussion. In middle school, it was popular to play Mumblety-peg on the grass. After a few kids lost toes, it was outlawed…well, not really as we were allowed to do it with sharpened #2 pencils. In 1967, my 10th grade German/History teacher covered the walls of his class with Nazi memorabilia so we could study the sad loss of the war by Germany. My midterm was about the Holocaust. I got my paper covered in red pen asking lots of questions like “How do you know that? Do you have proof?” Two years later, he mysteriously drove off a cliff on his way to Lake Arrowhead. I had an alibi. I was boning his wife.

Strength began at medium. As the first third ends, it remains at medium. The black pepper is a bit spicier but not over the top. The flavor pods move in unison. The intensity increases; not the individual flavors, but rather the depth, complexity, and richness. It took the first third 30 minutes. That’s a long time. Especially, for a Robusto.

I begin thinking of Gran Marnier. The cigar is adding an acidic orange peel note. The blend becomes buttery. This is a fancy cigar.

Instead of leaning in towards the computer monitor, I scrunch back into my seat. My feet go up on the footrest. I settle in. I’m relaxed.

Cinnamon graham crackers. Vanilla shortbread. Milk chocolate. Earth galore. Espresso. Malt.

This has become one of the smoothest cigars I’ve smoked in a long time. Just a delightful blend. I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to try something by Don Emmanuel.

The first half is history. I godamm love this cigar. I chose to review it after supper which was a gamble. Medium strength cigars don’t always translate with food in your gut. This one did…and does. As a morning cigar, on a fresh palate, I bet it sings like Melania after 2 hours in bed with Mitch McConnell.

The second half either steps up, or it weakens. I’m pulling for it to show its stuff.

Strength remains at medium. The construction borders on brilliant as the char line is a sharp gig line. And the depth and richness of this blend cadaver up on a rising trajectory.

As a kid in the 1950’s, I was enamored with space travel just like every other American. Sci fi movies were the rage. And then in 1957, we were able to listen to Sputnik orbiting the earth. It was wondrous. The excitement for the American manned missions stopped the world each time. Fast forward to 1970 when I was a junior in college. It was the first Earth Day and astronaut Scott Glenn spoke to a couple of hundred students. He told us the stories that no one knew. How he had to pee so badly that they allowed him to do it in his suit. I was working at my part-time college gig at Knott’s Berry Farm when we landed on the moon in 1969. One of the guys ran out to me as I was about to steer the steamboat from its docking to tell me. I grabbed the bullhorn and announced it to my passengers. There was a dull quiet. Not a sound. No yelling in proud patriotism and no clapping. I still don’t get it. It was too soon for deniers. Must have been Democratic Socialists.
I’m tempted to compare this cigar to the best Cubans. I’m also tempted to compare it to the best Jermey Casdagli ever blended. But the blend stands alone. It is quickly becoming a contender for not only a part of my last ever top 25 list, but quite possibly in my top 5. It’s that good.
I dash over to Luxury Cigar Club to check what they have by Don Emmanuel. A lot. But these aren’t cheap cigars. It takes quite the wallet to go whole hog to satisfy my current craving. I can put off my liver transplant until next month. But not my subscribe and save monthly supply of Kishka Pops.

I had an early dinner so I could indulge in another cigar after this review. But I don’t have a clue what to pick because no matter what the choice, it is going to pale.

Clearly, the flavor points are now canonized. The constant improvement is the transitions of excellence. This is a perfect cigar.

Strength morphs into medium/full in the couple of inches.

The last third didn’t fuck around. It is a stellar creation. I could find no information about the number of cigars released into the wild. My suggestion is that you buy as many of these as you can without upsetting your wife. While $16 or $17 ain’t cheap, considering the quality of this blend, it’s damn cheap.

Now that I’ve finished my review, I scoot over to see what Unco B’s Stogie Diary thought. We are wholly in step with each other proving consistency in the blend. We have a winner.

You can purchase the cigar from my friend, Ben Rotem, at Luxury Cigar Club. Not a sponsor but Ben allows for a 15% off code: KATMAN15. The cigar comes in three sizes: Corona Fina 4 x 38 ($8.00), Robusto 5 x 50 ($16.00), and Toro 6 x 52 ($17.00).

RATING: 100

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, Don Emmanuel Anunnaki Ki | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, katman, phil kohn