United Cigar Group is the company that distributes Selected Tobacco in the United States and today’s cigar is part of the United Cigar portfolio. It shares the name of the company of which Oliver Nivaud is the National Sales Manager. It’s a box pressed cigar available in two different wrappers with the first being a lighter Connecticut Broadleaf while the Maduro, today’s cigar features Connecticut Broadleaf #1 Darks.
Cigar Review: United Cigar
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf #1 Darks
Binder: Cuban-seed Habano
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina, Dominican Habano Corojo and Dominican Habano Criollo 98
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 54
Vitola: Robusto
The Look: Packed in weathered looking wooden cigar boxes the box pressed United Cigar features a band that matches the packaging. Featuring a nostalgic looking shield of red, white and blue on a wood like background the United Cigar screams patriotism. It features a hard box press and by this I mean the square lines are clean. Quite frankly, the cigar looks awesome.
The Notes: The cold draw of the cigar has some sweetness of mocha, but there is an abundance of earth and some cedar. The aroma off the foot has some pepper and wood notes too, giving this cigar a very traditional and enjoyable feel to it.
Once the foot is toasted and lit, the initial draw of this offering from United has an abundance of pepper. However, in the background there are notes of toasted marshmallows, graham cracked and dark chocolate. Through the nose there is an abundance of black pepper and hint of oak.
As we enter the half-way point the cigar loses some of its sweetness as black pepper and oak notes come dominant. There is a subtle peppermint like note on the finish and the pepper through the nose subsides offering up an oaky aroma.
The last third sees the addition of coffee notes which for me tends to be synonymous with Connecticut Broadleaf. There is some leather on the finish and the black pepper remains on the retrohale with some continuation of oak.
The Finish: There are a few brands that do box-pressed right and this is one of them. It offers an amazing draw and well defined notes and the price, don’t even get me going. It’s one of those cigar I always keep in my humidor and I bet it is a cigar that you have overlooked. So this weekend, get united and stand proud. Remember, this is the land of the free, because of the brave.
Score: 92
Price: $4.99 each / $84.99 Box