Today I had no idea what to put up for review, so I asked my co-worker to pick me out a cigar. The only requirement was that it had to be a corona or smaller. The result is today’s 22N / 83W review. The numbers on the cigar are coordinates for Cuba, specifically Hacienda el Corojo, a plantation that once (1930 – 1990) grew arguably the best tobacco in the world.
Today, having low yield and being highly susceptible to disease that tobacco seed is not used there anymore, but the seeds still exists and are used in all aspects of this particular blend.
Cigar Review: 22N / 83W
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacos de Oriente
Wrapper: Brazilian Corojo
Binder: Costa Rica
Filler: Nicaragua, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Honduras
Length: 5.5″
Ring Gauge: 46
Vitola: Corona Extra
Strength: Medium
The Look: The cigars come packaged in cabinet style box, and inside the cigars are in a wheel of twenty held in place with a ribbon and then wrapped in tissue paper. Once the cigars themselves are unveiled they are packaged without cello where they sit with a rustic look to them, which I feel is trait of tobacco grown in Brazil where this wrapper hails from. The cigar has some thin veins and subtle tooth it. The band features a compass and the brand name 22N / 83W. In the hand the cigar is firm with a nice weight to it and a well packed foot.
The Notes: Once the cigar is cut with my Jaws cutter, there is a honey mustard like note on the cold draw that makes me want a pretzel from a street vendor in New York City. There is also a subtle cashew like note that is intriguing. The foot offers cedar and nuts in equal portions.
Smoking my way through the first third of the cigar there is a definitive saltiness to it along with a couple of variations of nuts thrown into the mix. There are some cashews, almonds and a hint of pecans. On the retrohale the cigar shows off the strength from the Corojo tobacco with a blast of black pepper and some espresso like notes.
In the second third of the 22N / 83W the nuttiness becomes more of an afterthought though there is some walnuts on the somewhat length finish. The dominant note here is coffee with hints of cedar. There is still some saltiness on the front end and a bit of honey mustard as well on this complex cigar.
In the last third the nuts return with walnuts as the dominant note with cedar and pepper easily defined as well. On the finish some honey mustard lingers on the length finish of the cigar which is extremely enjoyable with a woody aroma.
The Burn: A slow burning cigar with a perfect burn and razor-thin combustion line, the stick clocked in at just north of 90 minutes for me. As always noted I am a slow smoker so smoking time might vary. The draw served up the right amount of resistance and the light color ash was firm holding for a little bit longer than a third.
The Finish: If I had to sum up this cigar in one word, that word would be epic. The 22N/83W is a value at under $100 for the box and the complexity is something that keeps me coming back time and time again. As a brand that came out after 2007 it is a shame that this one will go away once FDA regulations are in place.
Score: 93
Price: $5.99 / $99.99
22N / 83W
22N / 83W Foot
22N / 83W Burn
