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
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
