Cigar Federation 729 Calloway Lane

Small Batch Cigar

OVERVIEW

VITOLA:   Toro
SIZE:   6″ x 52

ORIGIN:   Dominican Republic
FACTORY:   Tabacalera La Alianza S.A.

WRAPPER:   Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER:   Nicaraguan
FILLER:   Nicaraguan

STRENGTH:   Medium

SOURCE:   
Trade w/ the one and only Stogie Bear

ENVIRONMENT

WHERE:   
Three Season Porch at Home

WHEN:   
October 04, 2017 @ 11 PM

DRINKS:   
Blanton’s Single-Barrel Bourbon

WEATHER:   
Cool fall night, low 60s – no precipitation

WHAT’S ON:   
Nothin’ – busting out some architectural drawing reviews

PRODUCTION

RELEASE TYPE  Limited Production

ORIGINALLY RELEASE DATE  July 2016

TOTAL PRODUCTION
Typical Box Size:     Boxes of 10
Production Totals:  200 boxes; 2,000 cigars total

VITOLA BREAKDOWN
o  Toro – 6″ x 52

Image courtesy of halfwheel

RESEARCH & BACKGROUND INFO

  • Logan Lowler formerly of Cigar Federation got together with Crowned Heads to develop this cigar to celebrate the birth of his daughter.
  • The main goal of the stogie was to be approachable for a novice smoker, but also complex enough to capture the seasoned aficionado. 
  • “729” is Logan’s daughter’s birth date.
  • “Calloway Lane” is Logan’s daughter’s name.

BAND DESIGN

So … I’m usually a huge fan a minimalist design.  I dig the singular green band – it’s clean, iconic, and …. well … forgettable.  Specifically, we all have humidors full of sticks.  I don’t know about you – but sometimes I need the gentle nudge to remind what’s what in that jungle that’s my cigar collection because eventually, if you only have a green band – someone else will do the same thing (cough … JW Marshall) and everyone will be confused.  Additionally, cigar bands are meant to be inspired by the creative process behind the cigar’s development or indicative of what the brand represents.  Logan/Crowned Head’s had a beautiful event to commemorate and the best they could do was a plain, green foot band.  I have to say – try harder.

PRE-LIGHT OBSERVATIONS

CONSTRUCTION
There is no doubt, this is a superbly made cigar.  The Habano wrapper is smooth with the exception of one big vein running down two-thirds of the body.  It’s almost hard to find the seams!  You can tell from the foot that this is a well constructed stick – everything looks tightly rolled and orderly.  The cap is perfect and held excellently once I sliced it.  This stogie is clearly made with some pride for sure.  The cigar is firm with some give – I placed in my humidor for the past couple days, but trust u/stogie-bear took good care of these.

AROMA
Smells light and fresh.  There is something herbal I can’t quite identify. There’s a citrus-y, fresh-cut lumber smell that’s fantastic.

COLD DRAW
There is something forest-like about the cold draw.  Maybe mossy or wet wood with a hint of smoke.  The musty, aged tobacco is prominent.

SMOKING EXPERIENCE

LIGHT & DRAW
I used a single flame butane torch to get it going around 11 PM (I’m a night owl – only time to myself with one toddler and a 6-month old!).  Initial draws are pleasant with a good amount of smoke right off the bat.  Very smooth, creamy with sweetness lingering on the tongue – almost like honey or milk.

SMOKE
Goldilocks – Just right. Not too much, not too little.  Great white, flavorful smoke.

FIRST THIRD
>> Caramel, vanilla latte

Impossibly mellow and chill.  Great notes of vanilla married with some caramel latte.  The musty wood is all but gone.  Already, I wish there were boxes still available.  The burn line is raggedly but consistent.

SECOND THIRD
>> Nutty, light pepper, vanilla

Smooth profile continues.  Vanilla continues with some subtle pepper and spice.  Cigar Fed’s description noted nuttiness and it’s not wrong – the nuttiness is not overt and I could not place a specific nut, it’s more more of a the dryness of eating some pecans that I’m picking up.  I ran into some minor issues keeping it lit.  I’m usually a fairly aggressive puffer but after a minute sitting on its own, I had to re-light a couple times.  The burn line corrected to be very even all the way around.  Smoke production is still fairly high on the draw but non-existent when laid down.  Speaking of the draw, it’s fantastic – almost no effort.

FINAL THIRD
>> Cream, earth, meat

Did I already say smooth?  The sweet, creaminess is still ever present but there’s more complexity now.  As I worked it down to the nub, there was a little more earthiness to it – much more meaty than it started.  This one creeps up a little in terms of strength.  As it builds, it definitely is on the high side of medium strength.

RATING & FINAL THOUGHTS

RATING BREAKDOWN
0.80 / 0.80 … Craft & Aesthetic
0.38 / 0.50 … Pre-Light Characteristics
0.44 / 0.50 … Lighting Process
6.93 / 7.70 … Smoking Experience
0.50 / 0.50 … Personal Enjoyment

A CIGAR FITTING FOR A BIRTH.

This is one of my favorite recent smokes.  It starts out so smooth and sweet with great introductory flavors that build and work together to a fantastic finish that’s much different from how it all began.  

I can see how this very limited production cigar would be an excellent gift to your daughter.  The love that went into its production and blending is evident throughout the cigar – from construction to taste – all the way throughout.  

SIMPLY STOGIES RATING:  9.1 / 10.0

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