Single Cask Nation Cigar Review

Single Cask Nation™ began as a social fellowship / membership society organized around the right to purchase rare, fine single cask whiskies under the Single Cask Nation label. In 2019 they reached out to Aganorsa Leaf and 2GuysCigars.com about a cigar that was aged in a barrel that was used for one of their releases called Whiskey Jewbilee.

That release was a blend of 5 Year Aged Rye & 12 Year Aged Rye. The 106 proof whiskey was limited to 280 bottles and on our 500th episode we sampled some of it to see how it would pair with the cigar. The whiskey is long sold out and is said to sell on the black market for close to $1,000 a bottle.

J&J Spirits the company behind Single Cask Nation shipped the barrel that the Whiskey Jewbilee was aged in to Aganorsa who in turn aged the cigar inside the bottle imparting the notes of the whiskey into the stick.

Limited to 200 boxes the cigar is on sale exclusively at 2GuysCigars.com.

Cigar Review: Single Cask Nation
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 5.25″
Ring Gauge: 52
Size: Robusto

The Look: Packaged in a simple cedar slide top box that features one row of 10 cigars; the lid features the Single Cask Nation logo. Inside that logo appears on the primary band while the secondary band is the gold and black Aganorsa Leaf Habano label that appears on the line of the same name. The cocoa color wrapper has a few veins and a lot of oils from the barrel process. The foot of the cigar is well packed and the cigar is firm to the touch.

The Notes: The cold draw of the cigar has notes of cherry and honey from the oak barrel that housed the rye/bourbon blend. The foot of the cigar is less potent than that of the cold draw but it still has a sweetness that gives the cigar an infused feel. Once the cigar is lit that experience changes considerably.

Smoking the first third there is an orange and honey sweetness to the cigar while the aroma and retrohale offers up that classic Aganorsa spice. As the pepper dies down the barrel aging once again begins to show with hints of vanilla, cream and apricots. The finish offers up vanilla sweetness and some oak.

In the second third the sweetness begins to pull back as notes of wood take center stage. The honey notes remain in the background but serve as more of an afterthought. This finish of the smoke has a hint of marzipan and the retrohale serves up pepper and earth.

As we finish the Single Cask Nation collaboration with Aganorsa Leaf, the cigar offers up notes of oak and walnuts. The sweet vanilla tastes becomes a distant afterthought on the finish of the cigar which is relatively long. The retrohale of the smoke has hints white pepper and a subtle cream that also appears on the finish.

The Finish: I’ve smoked this cigar four different ways since I got the finished product. The first way and the way for this review was straight forward with no pairing. It is this way that the cigar tastes most like the liquor that was once housed in the oak barrel they were aged in. Rating: 90

The second way I smoked the cigar I paired it once with Eagle Rare and once with Woodford Reserve. When paired the sweetness remained but it definitely was dialed back considerably.  Rating: 91

The third time paired it with rum, but not my typical Flor de Cana. Instead, I opted for Kirk & Sweeney 23-year-old which has a nice vanilla note to it. The sweetness of the rum actually enhanced the sweetness of the cigar on the finish with the vanilla notes lasting between each puff.  Rating: 94

Finally, I smoked it with the Whiskey Jewbilee and it is this way that the cigar seems most like a traditional cigar with the sweetness of the whiskey canceling out the sweetness off the cigar. Rating: 92

I’ve smoked 7 of 10 cigars from my first box and the first time I smoked it I was not sure how I felt. The more I smoke it, the more I find myself enjoying the Single Cask Nation. It’s different than a traditional cigar, but the strength from the Aganorsa Leaf grows and gives the smoke a true Nicaraguan flair by the time the cigar is put down. It’s different, but in a way I very much enjoyed and I will continue to smoke them with sweeter rum like Ron Zacapa and Kirk & Sweeney.

Score: 92 (Average of 4 Ways Smoked)
Price: $12.00 / $119.99

Single Cask Nation

Single Cask Nation Foot

Single Cask Nation Burn

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