Just before Memorial Day last year, Southern Draw announced its 2019 lineup of the IGNITE series. All proceeds from this years IGNITE lineup will go tothe Navy SEAL Foundation.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
The event schedules for IGNITE 2019 were led by Harry “Phil” and Shelly Hogan U.S. Navy Retired, the two for which the Cedus The Hogan was named after, and Daniel Peterson US Navy Retired, SEAL Team 1 – BUD/S Class 54.
Production for 2019 was 50,000 cigars that all come in black enamel humi-jars of 10. A total of 6 new cigars were created for the 2019 series, each in one blend and one vitola. Boveda donated a humidity pack for each jar. Each creates 12.5% of the cost of the jar in money for the Navy SEAL Foundation.
The blend for Private Blend Habano #3 uses a Ecuador Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and filler from Nicaragua, Brazil, and Ecuador. The size is a Double Corona that measures 7.5 x 50. 11,000 cigars were made for a total of 800 jars and 300 bundles of 10. The price is $11.69 per cigar of $116.99 for a 10 count humi-jar. Each jar has cigar bands that represent the Navy SEAL Foundation with secondary bands with the name of the cigar. Each bundles is wrapped in the new Southern Draw Cigars tissue paper and cellophane. Also with every jar is A Navy SEAL Foundation brochure and A Navy SEAL Foundation die cut sticker on the exterior jar.
“Quite an oily wrapper with quite a few visible veins on this double corona sumbitch.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Aroma: 91
“Aroma is very pronounced and quite loud. Walnut wood from the foot. Raisins and other dried fruit from the wrapper. Very nice smells being emitted from this cigar.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
Flavor: 90 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“I have smoked 1 1/2 inch before I even started to write. For the first 1 1/2 inch has been a singular black pepper spice that is very enjoyable I wait for anything else to come through, ah here we go. Walnut wood joins. Cigar is medium in strength. Draw is amazing and ash is very strong, burn is also spectacular. Some coriander is joining just through the nose some earth as well very sweet finish. Very balanced as well.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“Cold draw I get a very musty component along with some wood, not much else. Wrapper is already loose and coming off the head…….not good sign, but I’m a professional and will continue on. This cigar is starting out quite nice. Getting quite a bit of sweetness from it along with the wood flavors…….they compliment each other nicely. Strength is just barely a medium. There is a sweet tea element on the finish of the retro.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Flavor: 87 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“Moving into the second third, the flavor profile switched into more of a traditional flavor profile with sweet tobacco in the forefront with an amalgamation of bakers spices with hints of cocoa and a slight wet leather mustiness flirting in and out of the background.The burn at this point is spot on with a slightly flaky ash. The finish is very long leaving a candy like sweetness remaining on the tongue.” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
“Very flaky ash, but still holds on……impressive. Nothing really to report…..this is not a bad thing, I’m really enjoying this monster of a stick…..staying consistent and performing quite well so far. Strength is starting to ramp up, but spice……hard to explain.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Final Third
Flavor: 91 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“Sweet finish has sweetened to more of a molasses. Very enjoyable cigar wood also still present. Fine cigar, wouldn’t mind smoking again but don’t think I would splurge on a box.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“Creamy cedar and pepper continue into the home stretch of this cigar. This cigar has been a bit like a road trip. Nothing overly exciting, but just taking in the scenery and enjoying the time. You know what goes well with cream and cedar? Almonds…lots and lots of almonds now, and the road trip offers something unique and different like seeing an old muscle car.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 94
“The dry draw was a little tight but opened up with heat creating a nice resistance and slow even burn.” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
Burn: 94
“No touch ups. Burn performed wonderfully.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
Construction: 94
“Excellent construction, even though the wrapper came off around the head the cigar performed flawlessly” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Overall Strength: Medium Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full Experience Overall: 88
“Overall, eh, it was a cigar! The first half of this cigar lacked flavor or “interesting” factor. The flavor really only picked into a worthy flavor profile at the last two inches sadly as this is where this cigar blossomed. Other technical specs such as burn and construction were spot on perfect…” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“Good cigar draw and burn performed great. Not a lot of complexity but an enjoyable cigar none the less. Loved the sweet finish” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“This cigar was just what I needed. With the coronavirus going on the cigar shops are closed, except for carry out and some are doing deliveries….which is a first I believe. Anyway this was the first day that was nice enough for me to spark up in my man cave *garage* and even though there wasn’t many flavors on this cigar what I got was wood, some sweet tobacco and a bit of leather. The cigar still held up and didn’t let me down……stay safe everyone this is the end of the world……..if ya got em’ smoke em’.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
“This cigar begged to be smoked from the beginning. Flavors danced around throughout creating a very complex smoking experience. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would highly suggest the reader to give it a try.” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
“Decent complexity but not a lot of flavors I really look for when smoking. I’d revisit again to see if that printer paper came up again before picking up more.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
"This cigar was just what I needed. With the coronavirus going on the cigar shops are closed, except for carry out and some are doing deliveries....which is a 1st I believe. Anyway this was the 1st day that was nice enough for me to spark up in my man cave *garage* and even though there wasn't many flavors on this cigar what I got was wood, some sweet tobacco and a bit of leather. The cigar still held up and didn't let me down......stay safe everyone this is the end of the world........if ya got em' smoke em'." -Mickey T. (irratebass)
