Cigar Info
Last year, German Engineered Cigars announced a new line of cigars, NN. Prior to the formation of German Engineered Cigar, the company RVGN (which is now under the German Engineered Cigars umbrella) sold the Rauchvergnügen, which you may recognize. We reviewed that cigar in 2019 and gave it a 91. German Engineered Cigars NN01 is the first cigar released under the German Engineered Cigars brand and the NN line, with more expected in the coming months and years.
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.
NN is an engineering term short for “non nominandum“ or “not named.” German Engineered Cigars describes NN as “a very reduced cigar concept and a logical continuation on this path.” Being German engineers, the brand is build on two pillars: manufacturing quality and sensory experience. This new brand only focuses on these essentials. NN is a no-frills brand with no lavish pictures, complex boxes, or distracting story. Only 5,000 NN01 cigars were made so this is a quite limited run. They come in boxes of 25 and are rolled at rolled at Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic. German Engineered Cigars NN01 and comes in one size, a Churchill 7“ x 48 which the company says gives it the ideal balance of length and diameter for this blend. It is a medium-bodied cigar and blend info is undisclosed, also intended to keep from distraction. NN01 sells for $8.90 per cigar.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Churchill
Length: 7″
Ring Gauge: 48
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Undisclosed
Binder: Undisclosed
Filler: Undisclosed
Factory: Tabacalera William Ventura
Blender: Undisclosed
Number of reviewers: 5 – Sean F. (fullermaine) Kevin A. (Kevin A.) Matt Cade (CadeTNCC) Allison T. (The Yoga Ash) Vance T. (Vance)
Price: $8.90
Age: 4 Months
Release Date: April 2021
Contributed by: German Engineered Cigars
Initial Impressions – German Engineered Cigars NN01
Appearance: 91
“This attractive long cigar, I'm guessing a Churchill vitola or close to it, features a light brown wrapper with minimal veins and no evident soft spots.” –Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)
Aroma: 91
“Fresh cut wild Spring flowers with a notes of fatty cocoa butter & the sent of pink tea roses that float in the breeze during Summer time.” –Allison T. (The Yoga Ash)
First Third
Flavor: 94
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Immediately upon lighting it I'm met with a wonderful blend of caramel, toasted pecan, and lilac. I don't usually vibe with floral notes but this is a subtle expression that sneaks in at the very end of a long, pleasant finish. A half-inch in and the floral note is right on the verge of tasting “soapy” (my primary case against floral in cigars) but is still presenting as light and crisp. Hopeful it holds that very fine line. I'm also getting a nice cayenne at the very end of the retrohale.
An inch into it and I'm getting a really interesting tart note on the finish that's fully replaced the earlier floral note. It reminds me of rhubarb and is really freaking good. The caramel and nuttiness have faded away and I'm left with a sweet, tart, crisp profile of rhubarb, honey, and green apple. The construction and draw are rock solid. Whatever this is, I already want more. Through the 2nd inch and the profile is warming up again. A nice buttered toffee comes through upfront and lingers on the palate while the crisp green apple from the first inch trails. The fact that the flavor profile has evolved this much, without feeling schizophrenic, in just two inches, is blowing my mind.” –Vance T. (Vance)
“This cigar starts off with heavy almond notes, with hints of barnyard and cedar. There is also a faint hint of vanilla on the finish, as well as the retrohale. White pepper joins the vanilla on the retrohale, making for a very pleasant smoking experience. The draw is just about perfect, with the resistance of a thick milkshake. The burn is slightly lopsided but still straight with a very thin carbon line. Smoke output is not overly heavy, but solid. Strength is mild-medium, but body/complexity is a solid medium. We are off to a good start!” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
Second Third
Flavor: 93
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“The second third sees a dramatic uptick in the rertrohale's dominance as far as the overall flavor profile is concerned. That combination of pleasant mild pepper and the ever-growing warm mineral is highly enjoyable. Having said that, the cedar and light coffee are still very pronounced on the draw. Speaking of coffee, the more I smoke this cigar the more I want to pair it with my morning six cups of joe. And speaking of Joe, this cigar has me thinking of my buddy Joe Gro who works for Drew Estate as this cigar reminds me very much of the Undercrown Shade Churchill which is one of my favorite early morning cigars. And speaking of, no no I'm done with all that nonsense… Towards the end of the middle third, a slight creaminess accompanied by a salty note appears on the draw and I welcome them both with open arms.” –Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)”
“From years of managing coffee houses & a roaster I always know the smell of creamed coffee, now add in baking spices & fresh-cut wood you have a recipe of greatness. So smooth with transitions of black pepper in the top of the throat as the draw has loosened up to excellent. The creaminess has backed off toward the end of the 2nd third to opened up to a great spice.” –Allison T. (The Yoga Ash)
Final Third
Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“Heading into the final third and the buttercream is picking up strength. The green apple note from earlier has hung around throughout and I'm picking up on a new cinnamon toast on the retro. In the final two inches, there is a little bitterness that lingers on the finish that's reminiscent of dandelion greens. It doesn't hurt the profile, however, and the cigar continues to smoke perfectly right down to the nub.” –Vance T. (Vance)
“The cigar transitions once again moving to the final third. Roasted cashews, salted caramel, and sweet cream are all present, with the coffee, chocolate, and leather from the previous third still there, but moved to the background and nowhere near dominant. This gives the cigar an overall umami profile hitting literally all flavor receptors on the tongue. Wow! The retrohale is black pepper, citrus, with creamy caramel on the finish to keep both of those notes in check. The last inch of the cigar gets bitter and spicy. Coffee and leather return to dominance. Burn and draw finish just like they started, excellent!” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
Overall Impressions – German Engineered Cigars NN01
Draw: 97
“The draw was excellent throughout the smoking experience.” –Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)
Burn: 96
“The burn had to be touched up every so often, but I think it more had to do with the humidity in the air as it is 85% .” –Allison T. (The Yoga Ash)
Construction: 96
“I love this vitola, and they nailed it.” –Vance T. (Vance)
Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Experience Overall: 94
“I really liked this cigar, It looked great, had excellent burn and draw, and continued to develop in profile all the way to the last puff. The medium strength makes it smokeable by smokers of any experience level, and the complexity and flavors will please the most discerning palates. This was a great cigar and I am really looking forward to finding out what it is.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
“The cigar's aesthetic presentation alone was impressive as the wrapper itself was beautiful to look at but once I torched the foot… well, I continued to be impressed and pleasantly surprised with every puff. This was a great cigar! The constant mild pepper and warm mineral combo via the retrohale played so nicely with the draw's core flavors of cedar and light coffee. When other notes of leather, cream, and salt revealed themselves throughout the smoking experience it sealed this complex cigar's fate as one I will actively seek out and smoke many times again. ” –Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)
“A poor smoke by the manufacturer. With the exception of a few good notes of cherry, hickory, and toasted oats this was a nasty smoke. Other notes included are turpentine, grass, and dirt. It was a waste of time to smoke. Not one I'd seek out or include in my humidor. Multiple touch-ups with six relights.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)
“After smoking 1179, it has stood out in my mind as an amazing experience with which I wish to smoke it again. As Fall is on its way in I could really see enjoying this on a patio after brunch with a good group of friends.” –Allison T. (The Yoga Ash)
“This cigar was simply phenomenal. An incredibly unique flavor profile that maintained a perfect balance throughout and was supported by a flawlessly constructed cigar and perfect draw. The flavor transitions were massive in the first third and, although the evolution showed down the further it smoked, the flavors of honey, green apple, buttered toffee, and cream were bright, crisp, and balanced. I would absolutely seek this cigar to smoke again.” –Vance T. (Vance)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 103
| Reviewer | Appear. | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall Experience |
| Sean F. | 78 | 78 | 80 | 80 | 78 | 75 | 75 | 78 | 75 |
| Kevin A. | 88 | 88 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 95 | 95 | 93 | 90 |
| Matt Cade | 90 | 90 | 90 | 93 | 93 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 93 |
| Allison T. | 92 | 95 | 97 | 95 | 95 | 97 | 95 | 97 | 97 |
| Vance T. | 92 | 92 | 100 | 95 | 95 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 97 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.