Nicaragua has a rich and complex history. I remember growing up in the USA and frequently hearing about Nicaragua on the evening news. As a young boy in the 1970s, Nicaragua seemed to be a scary place with lots of danger. Once I was in college in the early 1990s, I barely gave a thought to Nicaragua. Things were calm, so the evening news didn’t care anymore. The more things change, right? Either way, even when I began to sample premium cigars a few years later, I didn’t even give a thought to where they came from. I either asked the tobacconist for a recommendation, or reached for the prettiest band. In the last handful of years I have come, not only to appreciate, but a thirst for knowledge about the places and people who make these wonderful cigars. I have been fortunate to travel to Nicaragua more than once, and each time I go I find more to love about the place and the people.
This new cigar is a celebration of Nicaragua. Enrique Sanchez is not only the CEO and founder of 1502 Cigars, he is a proud native son of Nicaragua. Enrique has a great passion for his homeland, and wants to see Nicaraguan cigars flourish in the industry. This cigar is extremely limited, as only 100 10-count boxes have been made. They will only be available from Serious cigars and the MSRP will be $13.00/cigar. The cigar is a 6 x 50 Toro with beautiful dual ribbons of blue and white, like those on the Nicaraguan flag. It should go without saying, but this is a Nicaraguan puro.
The blue and white ribbons are such a nice bright contrast against the ultra dark brown wrapper. It has beautiful tooth and texture. The wrapper has classic scents of cedar and rich aged tobacco. A deep inhale from the foot has intense aromas of pepper, cocoa, and a unique musty note. That same note is also present on the cold draw, along with the classic grassy flavors and some black pepper.
First Third
The fire hits and this cigar goes right to work, giving plenty of rich smoke and bold flavors. It is truly Nicaraguan in flavor profile. The first few draws have a nice mix of sweet and spicy with notes of brown sugar and black pepper. Some of the musty notes show up on the finish and a bit in the retrohale. It id definitely a medium plus at this point.
As the cigar warms up, the flavors continue to develop nicely. Dark espresso and something that reminds me of raisin or prune are the new flavors in the profile. This is a nice mix with the still present black pepper. That musty/earthy note is pretty much gone now. The retrohale is now nice and spicy but not to the point of being painful. The overall strength factor is increasing, but still not too much.
Final Third
This last third goes into high gear and delivers a very solid finish. Some classic notes of leather, charred wood, and bitter coffee join the profile, even so the subtle sweetness remains and rounds things out nicely. The retrohale has good bite at the very end, with just a hint of that sweetness to finish it off. It closes with a nice ramp up in strength, but not so much that I get a case of the meat sweats.
Small production runs can be tricky, but they can also be lots of fun. Sometimes they will find smaller quantities of really high quality leaf that blend together to make a great combination of flavor and burn. It can make a statement and draw attention to a brand at the same time. I think 1502 accomplished that with this cigar. It makes a statement about 1502 as a brand, and also makes a statement about Nicaragua. The classic Nicaraguan flavors, great construction, and impeccable burn make this a cigar that you can just sit back and enjoy without worry. Since the cigars are so extremely limited, you should keep an eye on the social media accounts for 1502 cigars to be sure you don’t miss out on this one. I really enjoyed it.
The 1502 Serious Cigar Limited Edition will go on sale May 14th, 2018, and only be available at SeriousCigars.com.
Small production runs can be tricky, but they can also be lots of fun. Sometimes they will find smaller quantities of really high quality leaf that blend together to make a great combination of flavor and burn. It can make a statement and draw attention to a brand at the same time. I think 1502 accomplished that with this cigar. It makes a statement about 1502 as a brand, and also makes a statement about Nicaragua. The classic Nicaraguan flavors, great construction, and impeccable burn make this a cigar that you can just sit back and enjoy without worry. Since the cigars are so extremely limited, you should keep an eye on the social media accounts for 1502 cigars to be sure you don't miss out on this one. I really enjoyed it.
