Located in Hampshire, England on 5,000 acres sits Highclere Castle. The castle was made famous in modern culture due to the series Downton Abbey where it served as the principle filming location. The Highclere Castle cigar was crafted by master blender, Nicholas Melillo owner of Foundation Cigar Company. It is inspired by the style and flavor profile of cigars imported by the earlier Earls of Carnarvon to Highclere Castle at the turn of the 19th century. The cigar was featured at the last two trade shows where Lord Carnarvon was on hand.
Cigar Review: Highclare Castle
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Nicaragua (Criollo & Corojo)
Length: 5.5
Ring Gauge: 46
Size: Corona
The Look: Packaged in 20 count boxes, the Highclare Castle is presented in a blue and gold box. In side the blonde look Connecticut Shade tobacco is flawless looking with only a minimal amount of veins. The cigar band is off-white, gold, black and shades of red. The logo on the band is reminiscent of Chanel with a crown over it and the words Highclare Castle. In the hand the cigar is firm with no voids of tobacco and a well packed foot.
The Notes: Once we use a straight cut to remove the cap of the cigar the cold draw reveals notes of hay and cedar. The aroma off the wrapper is earthy with elements of hay and grass. Once the cigar is lit a subtle rum raisin note that pulls you right into the cigar. As we slide into the first third of the cigar there is a salty cashew component with a touch of butterscotch that develops further as we smoke the cigar. The retrohale offers up a subtle rye component and a minimal amount of pepper.
The second third sees the butterscotch intensify as notes of caramel quickly develop becoming dominant by the half way point of the smoke. The caramel notes are short-lived as they are over taken by wood notes and a subtle pepper. The retrohale serves up a continued rye note with a lingering butterscotch finish.
As we remove the band to smoke the last third the notes of rye make it to the palate with hints of cedar, dry earth and a touch of nuttiness. The finish of the cigar is long and dry so I suggest pairing it with a beverage. Despite the dry nature the cigar is extremely enjoyable up to the finish.
The Finish: The Highclare Castle is smooth, rich and complex which caught me off guard. I was expecting something overly mild and lacking depth but given the master blender behind this cigar I should have never doubted it. Nick Melillo has created a Connecticut shade masterpiece, It’s worthy of a smoke, and on January 26th he will be a guest on The Cigar Authority where we will talk about the history of tobacco in Connecticut.
Score: 92
Price: $13.19 / $233.99
Highclere Castle
Highclere Castle Foot
