Cigar Geeks - Highclere Castle Cigar Co. Victorian Churchill

Cigar Geeks Geek Critique

Highclere Castle Cigar Co. Victorian Churchill
Written by Cigar Geeks Member: Jared (The Burn Ward)

67
Cigar Geeks Rating

Welcome to another Member sponsored Geek Critique. This one has been generously sponsored by our member Adwinistrator (Ryan). The cigar provided for this round is the http://www.cigargeeks.com/cigardb/default.asp?action=showcig&cigar_id=192310">Highclere Castle Cigar Co. Victorian Churchill by Foundation Cigar Company. This was an interesting critique in that it was done blind. No members had any idea wat they were smoking until after everyone had submitted their reviews. So there were no preconceived biases. The cigar is hand-rolled in Esteli, Nicaragua, using the finest upper priming Habano Ecuador wrapper, and both Criollo and Corojo from the volcanic soils of Esteli, Jalapa and the island of Ometepe. Thanks very much Ryan for sponsoring this!

Highclere Castle Cigar Co. Victorian Churchill

Brand:: Highclere Castle Cigar Co.
Name:: Victorian Churchill
Length:: 7
Ring Gauge:: 48
Country of Origin:: Nicaragua
Filler:: Nicaragua
Binder:: Brazil
Wrapper:: Ecuador
Habano
Color:: Colorado Maduro
Strength:: Medium-Full
Shape:: Churchill
Average Member Purchase Price:: $10.22
Average Member Rating:: (1 Review(s))
Notes:: https://halfwheel.com/collections/highclere-castle-victorian/

This cigar was enjoyed with Water and Black coffee lager

Pre-Light: 9 Points of 10 Possible

Slightly veiny. The wrapper color is even. Well filled and rolled. Pre-light scent in not very pungent. The top of the cap looked a little wonky but it snipped of clean with my Xikar. It looked great in the humidor.

Lighting and Burn: 12 Points of 15 Possible

The burn maintained a pretty even line. The ash held on well but it looked loose and dark so I would tap it off at about 1/4". The ash was dark grey. Big billows of smoke with each puff. The smoke was not very thick in consistency but there was plenty of smoke production.

Construction: 27 Points of 30 Possible

Excellent draw. Decent crown looks like a double cap. no veins to be seen at the head. Milk chocolate color wrapper with visible seams. Perhaps a darker Sumatra wrapper. Overall a well constructed cigar.

Flavor and Aroma: 19 Points of 45 Possible

The resting aroma was nice and pleasant with some sweetness which I would get a faint taste occasionally on the retrohale.

1/3: Earthy, mellow, woody, mineral, grass. Seems well rested, at least several months to a year.

2/3: Some leather, toasted bread, lots of grassy notes.

3/3:Cereal grassy, mineral, earth. Some decent taste on the retrohale. More mineral in the final third.

Quite mild. My palate is left with an earthy papery taste after I finished smoking.

Summary

The cigar remained fairly straightforward with a similar profile throughout. It tasted best in the middle of the final third after letting it sit a bit. This cigar tastes like a Honduran puro. Not a profile I would reach for.