It feels like the 49th Anniversary of the Tobacconist Association of America has seen some banner limited edition releases from the companies that have taken part in the exclusive release program for the nations top retailers. One by one as the cigars have made their way to retailers we have been thoroughly impressed by the blend. Brands like La Flor Dominicana, Jaime Garcia and Asylum have introduced cigars that I personally enjoy on epic levels.
Today we light up the Kristoff TAA 49th Salomon with high expectations and we ask the question, will this continue the list of excellent releases?
Cigar Review: Kristoff TAA 49th
Wrapper: Honduran Habano Criollo
Binder: Dominican Republic Habano Criollo
Filler: Dominican Republic Habano & Nicaragua Habano
Length: 7.5″
Ring Gauge: 56
Size: Salomon
The Look: The exclusive TAA release comes packaged in black 10 count boxes. Inside the boxes, the cigars are packaged under a black ribbon with loose tobacco around the cigars. The Salomon 7.5 x 56 features an oily looking wrapper that has a serious brindle like effect tand a network of thin veins. The band features a black background with a gray tribal logo with gold lettering denoting the name of the line.
The Look: The cold draw serves up notes of earth and hay and a sweetness that reminds me of bazooka bubble gum. It makes me feel gipped that I didn’t get a little comic of Bazooka Joe. The aroma off the wrapper only furthers the Bazooka notes, especially the power that coats the gum.
When lighting a Salomon it is important to get the cigar properly toasted and lit. Numerous times I’ve see people light up the vitola incorrectly only to complain about how bad the cigar burns. The initial puffs of the cigar serves up notes of sunflower seeds and subtle earth. As we progress into the first third the sunflower seeds really the hold with a subtle coffee note on the retrohale.
As we move into the second third of this cigar I am really loving the sunflower notes of this cigar which also features coffee, nuts and a touch of earth. The retrohale offers up some subtle spice and coffee aromas. I am impressed at this point how balanced this cigar is along with being masterfully blended.
The last third sees the sunflower notes fade as a nuttiness takes hold with nuances of oats, cedar and coffee. The cigar has a moderate finish with a nice spicy retrohale as the cigar comes to a close.
The Finish: There is only one cigar I have smoked in the past that had this potent of a sunflower note and that was the original release of Puro Vintage 2003 from La Aurora. That cigar I loved so much I went out of my way to grab all I could. Sadly, once the initial release was gone the cigar was never the same. This cigar took me back to that special place. If you asked me what the perfect cigar would be for my flavor profile in terms of notes, sunflower seeds would be at the top of the list. It might not be for everyone, but it is definitely for me.
Score: 95
Price: $11.19 / $99.99
Kristoff TAA 49th Salomon
Kristoff TAA 49th Salomon Foot
Kristoff TAA 49th Salomon Burn
