On the day after the Two Guys Smoke Shop 30th Anniversary Eric Hanson of Hammer + Sickle stopped by to drop off a few samples of Tver which is available at select retailers in Texas.
According to their Tver website, “Maduro is an art, a passion rooted in generations of tradition. True maduro is about purity, and to that end, the tobacco must be allowed to ferment longer. That is where patience meets perfect execution, and the cigar enthusiast is provided the finest smoking experience available. TVER by Hammer + Sickle is a true maduro cigar. Constructed of only the finest Connecticut grown broadleaf, TVER provides the consumer with a cigar that is sweet off the light and matures to a creamy smoke with hints of rare fruits and nutty overtones. TVER is quintessential Hammer + Sickle.”
Cigar Review: Hammer + Sickle Tver
Size: 6 x 50 (Toro)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium-Full
Source: Hammer + Sickle
The Look: Packaged in a tube of black and gold with smoke and the words Tver at the top and Edicion Limitada at the base, the cigar is the only tubed smoke in the Hammer + Sickle catalog to date. Inside the tube the cigar is toothy with some significant veins. Firm to the touch the unbanded cigar has an average weight for the size.
The Notes: The cold draw of the cigar has notes of chocolate and wood which wasn’t what I expected for a cigar made at Tabadom. The aroma off the foot fit what one would expect from the factory that makes Davidoff with some earth and hay.
Once the cigar is lit there is a classic broadleaf profile that consists of chocolate, earth and coffee with a touch of hay. As the cigar progresses into the first third the hay and earth linger in the background but the cigar is dominated by notes of dark chocolate, toffee and espresso.
In the second third of the cigar the espresso notes become dominant and when the cigar is retrohaled there is the addition of toffee and pepper added to the mix. The coffee notes remain the focal point through the middle of the cigar with an aroma that is a bit nutty.
The last third of the Tver sees the pepper notes grow especially though the nose on the retrohale. The coffee remains on the finish of the cigar along with some earth and red pepper.
The Burn: The Tver had a burn that was jagged at times, and around the half way point I needed to touch it up it up to bring it closer to even. The combustion line of the cigar became progressively thinner as the cigar smoked and it remained from first light to last puff. The dark gray ash held in one-third increments.
The Finish: They say everything is bigger in Texas and that holds true for Tver which has some big flavor to it along with some strength not seen on many Hammer + Sickle cigars. The result might just be my personal favorite in the line as the cigar is right in my wheelhouse in terms of strength and flavors. I asked Eric Hanson if he had plans to release these out side of Texas and sadly his answer was a firm, no.
Score: 92
Price: $9.99
Bullet Points
- The cigar is exclusive to Texas and the samples were provided by site advertiser Hammer + Sickle
- Tver is a city in Russia located northwest of Moscow on the same road as Klin which Hammer + Sickle does business under (Klin Tobacco Group).
- The text on the tube could have been sharper in my opinion and it would have helped the packaging pop a little more.
- I believe the cigar not having a brand hurts the visibility of the cigar on places like social media and blogs in the photography.
- Tabadom isn’t known for working with Broadleaf tobacco but the Tver creates a thirst for other offerings using this wrapper.
- The review was based on two cigars.
- Around the halfway point I paired the cigar with some Cuban coffee.
- Smoking time was 2 hours.
Hammer + Sickle Tver
Hammer + Sickle Tver Foot
Hammer + Sickle Tver Burn
