For those of you who don’t know I work for Two Guys Smoke Shop during the week maintaining their website and doing mail order. I also work for The Cigar Authority which is a completely separate entity. Yesterday, for the first time in 30 years Two Guys Smoke Shop had to close because of the blizzard that hit New England. In Nashua where I work we got 31″ of snow while Salem and Seabrook each came in 30″ of snow. I got off easy where I live with 21″ in Manchester.
Anyway, its good to be back at work and smoking again and this is the first cigar I had in 36 hours so without further adieu…
Cigar: Azan White Premium Line
Size: 4 7/8 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuador Corjo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa & Esteli), Brazil (Matafina)
Strength: Medium
Source: Two Guys Smoke Shop
The Look: The Azan White Premium features a white band with gold and black accents. It states Azan with “Est. Cuba 1928” which is where the origin of the brand dates back to. The corojo wrapper is gritty and the roll of the cigar looks a little more Dominican than Nicaraguan with a double cap in place. In the hand the cigar is firm with an above average weight and well packed foot.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Azan White Premium has some hints of figs and rye while the nose serves up some similar notes and a hint pepper. Once the cigar is lit there is a minimal spice through the nose.
The first third of the cigar begins to develop some earth components with a bit of nuts and some continued rye. As we progress closer to the second third the rye notes begin to transition into wood, and the aroma of the cigar begins to become noticeable.
In the second third the aroma is similar to baking spices and as a result there are similar notes developing as well on the palate. This wonderfully complex smoke almost reminds me of fresh bread right out of the oven.
In the final third of the Azan White Premium Line it loses some of the baking spices on the palate but not the aroma. The notes remain that of bread, cedar and nuts.
The Burn: The light color ash has a bit of flake to it but it hold on strong for each third of the smoke. The draw was as perfect as I would look for in a cigar. The burn line of the cigar was a little uneven in the first inch of the smoke before self-correcting to a perfect burn with a thin mascara line.
The Finish: So far every cigar we have smoked from Roberto Duran has been a winner. From the Azan Burgundy to the Roberto Duran. This cigar is no different and offers a nice distinct complex profile the delivers from first light to last puff. With notes of warm bread, nuts and cedar this cigar is a welcome addition to any humidor and a must smoke for those who like Corojo.
Score: 93
Price: $6.29 each / $55.99 (Box of 10)
Azan White Premium Line
Azan White Premium Line Foot
Azan White Premium Line Burn
