What makes a “limited edition” cigar special? Is it the just the rarity of the blend? Is it the low numbers produced? Or is it a clever marketing ploy designed to feed into American consumerism? I don’t know the answer; and God knows there’s enough “limited edition” cigars out there that are anything but limited. The Vow Higher Caller from Avowed Cigars is not one of them. Limited to just 450 boxes of 10, the Higher Calling is definitely limited…but that’s not the only unique thing about this cigar. The Vow Higher Calling was released for Father’s Day this year. From their press release, Dave West says that a Father’s Day celebratory cigar from Avowed is something consumers should look for each year. It also differs from the original Vow 6.29 by using higher priming tobacco leaves in the filler. This includes Cotui from Monika Kelner’s farms. The Higher Calling was aged for two full years. What’s even more unique about this cigar is, it is one of the first blends produced by Kelner Cigars.Â
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****EDITOR’S NOTE: AVOWED CGIARS AND SMALL BATCH CIGAR ARE SPONSORS OF THE BOTH OUR WEBSITE AND PODCAST. THE BOX OF HIGHER CALLING WAS PURCHASED BY SIMPLY STOGIES FROM SMALL BATCH CIGAR AT FULL PRICE****
OVERVIEW
VITOLA:Â Â Toro
SIZE:Â Â 6″ x 50
ORIGIN:Â Â Dominican Republic
FACTORY:Â Â Kelner Cigars S.A.S.
WRAPPER:Â Â Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER:Â Â Ecuadorian Habano
FILLER:Â Â Dominican Piloto Cubano/ Criollo ’98/ Corojo ’99/ San Vicente/Cotui
STRENGTH:Â Â Medium
SOURCE:Â Â Â
Small Batch Cigar
ENVIRONMENT
WHERE:Â Â
Studio/Lounge
WHEN:Â Â
August 26 @2pm
DRINKS:Â Â
Bottled Water
WEATHER:Â Â
Indoors
HOW MANY CIGARS SMOKED:Â Â
3
PRODUCTION
RELEASE TYPE Â Limited Edition
ORIGINALLY RELEASE DATE Â May ’25
TOTAL PRODUCTION
Typical Box Size:Â Â Â Boxes of 10
Production Totals:Â 4,500 total cigars
VITOLA BREAKDOWN
o  Toro (6″ x 50)
BAND DESIGN
The Vow 6.29 Higher Calling has a very similar band to the regular production Vow, with one marked difference: the Higher Calling is a white band with green gold accents. The company’s logo is prominently displayed in the middle. While similar to the original Vow band, the Higher Calling has a more elegant and elevated aesthetic.
PRE-LIGHT OBSERVATIONS
CONSTRUCTION
The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper is a very light shade of brown. It reminds me more of a Connecticut shade than anything else. Regardless of the color, the wrapper is gorgeous. Veins crisscross the length of the cigar. It is slightly rough to the touch, like fine grit sandpaper. It is toothy and has a nice oily sheen to it. The cap appears to be expertly applied. On one cigar smoked for this review, there does appear to be a soft spot just behind the band; other than that one spot, the Vow 6.29 Higher Calling feels good between may fingers. It has just the right amount of give.Â
AROMA
The Higher Calling’s Ecuadorian Habano wrapper gives off an intoxicating note of barnyard. Buried under that are subtle notes of cedar and baking spices. The foot has notes of coffee, fruit, sweet tobacco, and barnyard.
COLD DRAW
The cold draw is where the 6.29 Higher Calling shines. Notes of bread, baking spices, hazelnut, chocolate, and vanilla jump out with each cold draw. The draw itself is perfect.Â
SMOKING EXPERIENCE
LIGHT & DRAW
Cut: Le Petit by Les Fines Lames
Fire: Vector Icon II
The initial light has big notes of black pepper on the retrohale. Chocolate, toast, nuts, earth, and lemon zest all come through. Baking spices and red pepper hold everything together. There’s a hint of honey in there, too. An earthy nuttiness lingers on the palate.
SMOKE
The smoke is chewy and thick. Each draw provides a satisfying amount of smoke. It’s somewhere between a creamy and a dry smoke.
FIRST THIRD
>> Baking Spices, Coffee, Black Pepper
As the initial light begins to fade big notes of cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and a herbaceousness come through. Black pepper rules the retrohale. There is a sweetness that really shines, followed by an earthy/nutty note. A hint of citrus rounds it out. The ash looks compact, though the ashtray shows a bit of flaking. The burn is a bit lopsided, but nothing too concerning. There is a depth and richness to this initial third. Coffee, nuts, baking spices, citrus, and graham cracker. A fruity element begins to morph out of the citrus note. It, in all honesty, reminds me of a fruit jam. There’s a brightness and sweetness to it, without the tartness of citrus. Complex, nuanced, and firmly medium…the 6.29 Higher Calling is off to a strong start.
SECOND THIRD
>> Bread, Sweet Cream, Fruit, Baking Spices
The middle third begins with bread, coffee, nuts, fruit, sweet cream, and baking spices. The burn line has evened out on its own. The ash still has a few stray flakes, and seems to lose all cohesion halfway through this third. The retrohale is warm baking spices. A hint of cedar joins the choir of flavors emanating from the 6.29 Higher Calling. The coffee note is much lighter in this middle third. The smoke output is is close to perfect still. Mocha, wood, bread, nuts, honey, sweet cream, and a bit of fruit (though, it’s fading). A salty note pops against the earthiness, and the sweetness provides the juxtaposition. The baking spices really start to amp up near the end of the middle third. Chocolate lingers on my palate. The flavors really start to deepen, but the profile stays medium.
FINAL THIRD
>> Chocolate, Charred Wood, Baking Spices, White Pepper
The final third begins with rich notes of chocolate, coffee, charred wood, and earth. Citrus returns, as does cayenne pepper. Sweet cinnamon raisin bread linger on my palate. White pepper on the retrohale. Baking spices lead the charge to kick off the final third. Bread, honey, and earthy coffee are surrounded by baking spices. Charred wood comes and goes. This final third seems less nuanced and more straightforward than the first two thirds, but it is delicious nonetheless. The ash seems to have regained its cohesiveness. The burn is relatively straight. The 6.29 Higher Calling ends with notes of chocolate, bread, earth, charred, wood, a hint of cayenne pepper, and baking spices.Â
RATING & FINAL THOUGHTS
FLAVOR PROGRESSION
The Vow 6.92 Higher Calling starts with a bang and builds on that through the middle third. Where it falters, for me, is in the final third. Big notes of baking spices, black pepper, cayenne, are flanked by earthy notes of coffee, chocolate, and nuts. All of that is held up with citrus and fruit notes. The middle third continues with complex and nuanced notes of sweet cream, mocha, fruit, nuts, bread and salt. The final third just kind of repeats everything; it’s playing the greatest hits, but remastered. Yes, it’s good…but it’s still more of the same.
BURN EXPERIENCE
RATING BREAKDOWN
0.78Â / 0.80 … Craft & Aesthetic
0.50Â / 0.50 …Â Pre-Light Characteristics
0.50Â / 0.50 …Â Lighting Process
7.00Â / 7.70 …Â Smoking Experience
0.49Â / 0.50 …Â Personal Enjoyment
COMPLIMENTS & CRITIQUES
- Rich and complex flavors that were not lacking on the nuance.
- From presentation to taste, the Higher Calling screams sophistication.
- The final third is too similar to the first two thirds.
CAN YOU TAKE ME HIGHER?
The Vow 6.29 Higher Calling has a lot of things going for it: 1) One of the first blends from Kelner Cigars S.A.S. 2) A true limited edition cigar 3) One of the best habano wrapped cigars I’ve had in recent memory 4) It truly elevates and existing blend. That last one is something that does not happen too often in this industry, and it speaks to the care that Andrew Considine, Dave West, the rest of the Avowed Cigars team, and Klaas Kelner put in to what they do. It isn’t “marketing” with them. They are cigar nerds. They are cigar guys. It’s in their DNA. I see the Higher Calling as a love letter to cigar smokers (and fathers) everywhere. The flavors are amazing. Rich and complex without sacrificing nuance. Is it perfect? No, but what father is. I find myself repeating the same things over and over. If that’s my big critique of the Higher Calling, you should do yourself a favor and go get this before they’re all gone.
