One June 8, 2018 the cigar industry lost a dear friend in Eric P. Hanson. Since his passing Hammer + Sickle has strived to continue the path laid out before them by Hanson, led by Erik Wentworth the Executive Vice President of Klin Tobacco. The passing of our dear friend was a difficult time, but now we look back on the life of Eric P. Hanson via stories he would tell and his endless barrage of jokes.
in January of 2018, Erik Wentworth traveled to the Dominican Republic with Eric’s father Rick to begin the process of a limited edition signature cigar memorializing his son’s memory. The result is this 250 box production of the E.P.H by Hammer + Sickle and the subject of today’s cigar review.
Cigar Review: E.P.H.
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Proprietary
Filler: Proprietary
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Size: Torpedo
The Look: Packaged in an elegant looking elongated blue octagon box the E.P.H packaging has a distinct look to it. The front of the boxes has the Hammer + Sickle logo in white with a wreath in rose gold foil. Inside sits 10 cigars with each box number branded into the wood, in this case my box is numbered 25/250. The cigar features a bronze band with the signature of Eric P. Hanson. It’s a toothy looking wrapper that has a Sumatra like appearance. In the hand the cigar has an average weight with no voids of tobacco.
The Notes: The cold of the cigar is free flowing with notes of pine nuts and tea biscuits while the aroma off the foot serves up a similar profile. Once the cigar is lit there is a nutty component and a hint of buttermilk which is a new taste for me as I can’t recall a cigar I’ve tasted it in before.
The first third sees the buttermilk notes remain as the cigar primary note where it is joined by cinnamon and cedar. As the first third comes to a close notes of pine nuts begin to develop that linger on to the finish of this smooth medium strength cigar. The retrohale serves up notes of cedar with a moderate to long finish that has a nice aroma to it.
Moving on to the second third notes of pine nuts become dominant with hints of wood that border on oak leading me to feel like this cigar will pair well with a nice bourbon. Around the half way point the oak notes become the focal point with a subtle earthy finish. The retrohale sees the addition of some subtle pepper notes as the aroma from the cigar begins to dissipate.
As cigar comes to close there is a long nutty finish that lingers on the palate after the cigar is finished. Notes of cedar become dominant on the front end while the retrohale has a continued pepper along with some nuttiness.
The Finish: The E.P.H Signature is a great tribute to a great man. It’s bold, robust with a touch of spice which sums up the personality of the late Eric P. Hanson. It’s a cigar that creates a wonderful experience to PSSITA (Put Some Smoke In The Air) in memory of my friend. I have a feeling I’ll smoke this box before the weekend is up, so I’ll be adding a second box to age and keep on hand to light up each June.
Score: 94
Price: $14.99 / $129.99
E. P. H. by Hammer + Sickle
E. P. H. by Hammer + Sickle Foot
