This past father’s day weekend we were lucky enough to be joined on the podcast by Scott Weeks & his dad, and J.R. Dominguez along with his father. It was that weekend I got to try the Recluse Amadeus Habano Lancero for the first time. It was a pre-release and generally I do not like to review cigars that aren’t yet official.
Well that time has come as the cigar arrived this past week and I grabbed a few out of the box and let them sit a couple of days in my humidor. With Scott & JR Dominguez in town for Two Guys Smoke Shop’s 31st Anniversary event (more on that tomorrow), and for the podcast on Saturday I figured it was also time to review the cigar.
Cigar Review: Recluse Amadeus Habano Reserve
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Mexico (San Andres)
Filler: Dominican Republic, USA (Pennsylvania Broadleaf)
Length: 7″
Ring Gauge: 38
Vitola: Lancero
Cutter: Lotus Jaws
Lighter: Vertigo Twister
The Look: The Recluse Amadeus Habano features two bands of red and silver with the first baand denoting the brand, and the second band denoting the line. The cigar also features a textured silver ribbon that serves as a foot band of the cigar. The Habano wrapper which has a network of thin veins and rolled flawlessly right down to it pigtailed cap. In the hand the cigar is balanced with a heavy feel for its size.
The Notes: The cold draw is flawless with notes of pecans and hints of hay and a touch anise. The foot of the cigar and wrapper remind me a bit of coffee beans after it has gone through the grinder.
Once the cigar is lit there are subtle nots of pecans that make their way over from the cold draw. About an inch in they fade away and notes of pepper, wood and the finish as a touch of sweetness bordering on salted caramel. Through the nose black pepper is dominant with a bit of a woodsy finish.
Moving on to the second third of the cigar, it opens up in terms of flavors. Some sweet cherry notes begin to appear with nutmeg and wood. The finish which is fairly short has a touch of cinnamon.
The last third of the Recluse Amadeus Habano Lancero is hard to put down. There are notes of roasted nuts, wood and a subtle underlying sweetness with a salty finish. The retrohale of the cigar prolongs the finish with notes of pepper, earth and salted caramel notes.
The Finish: Note to self, stop reviewing pre-release cigars. While the regular Recluse Amadeus Habano which won Cigar of the Year here on The Cigar Authority was sweeter, the lancero provides a bit more character and kick. On the pre-release I made the mistake of expecting the box pressed version, but this cigar while remaining true to itself, is different in a good way. All I know is this, it is now one of my favorite lancero cigars.
Score: 93
Price: $ 9.19 / $189.99
Recluse Amadeus Habano Lancero
