This morning I had no idea what I wanted to smoke when I came in to work. That dilemma was solved when Eric Wentworth the sales manager for Klin tobacco walked in the door. I opted at that point to light up the cigar that was featured at my wedding back in September. According to the Hammer + Sickle website, “Trademark series Connecticut is the quintessential mild cigar. Boasting a four-year aged golden Connecticut shade wrapper Trademark is comprised of a proprietary blend of local Dominican tobaccos, aged from three to five years, that unite to provide a truly flavorful mild cigar experience.”
Cigar Review: Trademark
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Mild
The Look: A near golden brown wrapper that is applied with precision adorns this Trademark cigar. The band of white and silver has an embossed honeycomb effect to it. The Hammer + Sickle band does not denote communism, but instead pays homage to the working man. The cigar has some visible oils and a hearty weight with a will packed foot.
The Notes: Henke. That is the one word that comes to mind once the cigar is clipped and the cold draw is performed. The notes are that of barnyard with elements of hay and grass, but there is also a butter note as if melted down in a frying pan present. The foot of the cigar has a subtle cedar note and some more earth. The reason I say, Henke is the cigar comes to us from the Davidoff factory in the Dominican Republic.
The initial third of the Trademark from Hammer + Sickle reveals some notes of caramel and hearty wood notes such as oak. There was a buttery richness and a hint of earth on the short finish of the cigar. Through the nose there was an almost vanilla like component that lingered well beyond the finish.
In the second third the cigar becomes extremely creamy and while the caramel begins to fade some nuttiness begin to emerge much like a payday candy bar. Through the nose the cigar develops a molasses like sweetness that lingers. As the third comes to a close some of the butter notes experienced on the cold draw begin to emerge.
The last third of the cigar develops some citrus notes, with an abundance of cedar. The cigar has a buttery finish which is longer than the firs two-thirds and through the nose sees the introduction of some pepper which causes me to sneeze.
The Finish: Over the last 3 years or so I have developed a taste for a good mild cigar. Maybe those around me have influenced me, but I think creating a mild cigar with a lot of flavor such as the Hammer + Sickle is harder than blending a strong cigar. I like to refer to the Trademark as the poor man’s Davidoff because there are similarities at a fraction of the cost. Mild may not be for everyone, but they do account for the majority of sales in the industry today. Trademark deserves to be near the top of that list.
Score: 93
Price: $8.79 / $155.99
Hammer + Sickle Trademark Connecticut
Hammer + Sickle Trademark Connecticut Foot
Hammer + Sickle Trademark Connecticut Burn
