Everyone is familiar with fire cured tobacco, but Hammer + Sickle takes things one step further in an age where cigar companies are coming out with cigars marketed to pair with adult beverages. The Caleanoch utilizes peat cured tobacco by Scottish peat that is harvested by hand utilizing the same tools that have been employed for hundreds of years.
The dried peat is the packaged and shipped to the Dominican Republic where it undergoes a process creating smoke and heat that releases phenols which are absorbed directly into the tobacco leaf. These phenols provide peat flavor without harming the tobacco leaf. Once the process is complete the tobacco is allowed to age for 60 days before moving to the blending and rolling phase. Once the cigar is rolled it ages for another 60 days before shipping from the Dominican Republic to the United States
Cigar Review: The Caleanoch 25
Size: Toro (6 x 50)
Wrapper: Ecuador Shade Grown
Binder: Dominican Corojo
Filler: Dominican Corojo (Air-Cured, 65%), Dominican Corojo (Peat Cured, 25%), Dominican San Vicente (10%)
Strength: Mild-Medium
Source: Hammer + Sickle
The Look: The unbanded cigar that comes packaged in a tin cylinder reminiscent of scotch bottle packaging features a blonde looking Ecuador wrapper that is toothy. There are some thin veins present and there are portions of the wrapper that looks darker than others almost like a bruised piece of fruit. Thankfully this isn’t a beauty contest; and looks are almost always deceiving.
The Notes: The foot of the cigar serves up to no surprise notes of peat but there is also a slight note of molasses hiding in the background. The cold draw serves up some notes of peat and a touch of nuttiness, similar to pistachios.
Once the cigar is lit, the peat that was experienced on the cold draw and aroma isn’t as dominant as expected. I liken the finish of the cigar to that of a scotch that has some peat much like Laphroig though not as dominant. The cigar has more going on then one would expect. There is some earthy components as well as a nuttiness.
In the second third of the cigar the peat is still an after thought though as we reach the halfway point it is more visible and it is more dominant on the finish. On the retrohale there is a mix of wasabi and it heights some nutty notes on the palate as well.
The final third of sees the peat notes become the dominant flavor profile with some earthy components in the background and some nuttiness on the finish mixed with peat. While the finish lingers it doesn’t over power the palate making it extremely enjoyable.
The Burn: The draw of The Caleanoch was fluid and the razor-sharp burn revealed a thin combustion line and a solid white ash that held for roughly 1.5″ increments. The cigar remained lit throughout out which I was worried about with the peat cured tobacco and I never needed to touch it up.
The Finish: How does one rate a cigar that does not fit what a typical cigar is. For me the answer is you need to look at the cigar for what it is, and not compare it to more traditional tobacco. The Caleanoch is as good as it is original and for that reason alone it scores high. It is a cigar that can be smoked by someone who loves peaty scotch or on its own with out the beverage. For me it is enjoyable either way.
Score: 91
Price: $12.69 / 134.99 (12 Count)
Random Notes
- There are plans for a 50% and 75% peat cured tobacco versions of Caleanoch.
- There is talk about the cigars eventually getting bands once the other versions are released.
- I’ve gotten to smoke some samples of the higher percentages and it does change things up considerably. While I reserve final judgement until I smoke the official releases this one has been my personal favorite of those samples.
- The owner of Hammer + Sickle was in Two Guys Smoke Shop today while I was reviewing this and he bought 3 veterans a box of cigars each for their service.
- It’s a rainy day in New Hampshire so I took the picture of the cigar indoors.
- For the purpose of the review I did not pair the cigar with a beverage.
- Smoking Time was 90 minutes.
The Caleanoch
The Caleanoch Burn
