Upon the passing of Holt’s mascot in 2006, a Bulldog named Old Henry, the Old Henry brand was created to remember the company’s best friend. Blended by Jose “Pepin” Garcia, Old Henry cigars have been available for the better part of a decade, with the Pure Breed being the most recent release.  The Pure Breed features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Available vitolas include: Robusto (5 by 54), Gransire (5 1/2 by 60), Toro (5 by 52), and Churchill (7 by 49).

You can find the other reviews from the Best in Show Assortment below:

• Old Henry
• Old Henry Maduro
• Old Henry Gold Label

You can purchase your own by visiting their site here.

The Facts

Samples Provided by Holt’s Cigar Company
Price: $6.50 per single | $93.95 per box of 20
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 15 Minutes

Pre-light

The Old Henry Pure Breed features a medium brown wrapper that has a crazy amount of bumps, a very fine tooth, and small to medium veins crisscrossing down the leaf. Gently pressing my fingers down the cigar, I find a soft spot or more of a void in the tobaccos just before I reach the “Pure Breed” secondary band.

Big notes of damp earth and wet wood, reminiscent of the smell you may find in the forest after a drizzle, come off of the wrapper. The woodsy notes are also on the foot, but fuller and richer, along with white pepper and a faint cinnamon. The draw is a hair firmer than preferred even after two cuts, but workable, bringing forth rich cedar and cinnamon on the dry draw. A medium spice heats is already lingering in my mouth.

First Third

Once lit, the cinnamon spice is first to greet my palate and a rich cedar is trailing close behind. A honey sweetness contrasts a bitter earthiness that pulls through on the finish. The smoke is thin in the mouth, which may be a result of the stiff draw. As the Pure Breed warms up, the oils begin to move to the surface of the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper leaf. The burn is thick and wavy.

Middle Third

The richness of the smoke has toned down and the earth on the finish has moved into the profile without the bitterness and more diesel-like. The cinnamon is now very subtle and hard to pick up on behind the diesel flavor. The sweetness has diminished, but no longer having to combat the earlier sourness the profile remains fairly balanced. Moving the smoke through my nose, there is a full amount of spice that is on the brighter side. The Old Henry Pure Breed seems to be opening up, but multiple puffs are still required to get a satisfactory amount of smoke.

Final Third

Transitioning into the last third of the Old Henry Pure Breed, the diesel is holding strong and a char flavor has also joined in alongside it.  Taking slower, longer draws, the earlier, more pleasant flavors of cedar and cinnamon shine through. I would characterize the body of the smoke on the low-side of medium, while the strength is most definitely full as I close out this cigar. 

Wrap-up

I was mistaken to say the firm draw was manageable. Yes, I made it through the cigar without a headache, but the impact that it had on the flavors was damaging. The flavors were thin, and the likable flavors of cinnamon, cedar, and honey were constantly fighting off the earth, diesel, and char that finally gained the upper hand by the second third. I know this because the other sample for pictures smoked like a completely different cigar – satisfying smoke production, rich flavors throughout with the cedar, cinnamon, and sweetness keeping the darker flavors at bay. The ash on both samples held firm, but got a little flaky in the final third and the burn maintained a consistent wave over the course of the smoke. It is interesting to note that while the second sample smoked much better, the smoke was still light on the palate. This surprised me considering the smoke density and texture in the Classic, Gold Label, and Maduro.  The Pure Breed also delivers a higher amount of nicotine than the other cigars in the assortment. With one good and one bad experience with the Pure Breed, I will need to grab a couple more before I make a final assessment. So how would I rank the sampler?

#1 – Old Henry Classic
#2 – Old Henry Gold Label
#3 – Old Henry Maduro
#4 – Old Henry Pure Breed

The post Holt’s Cigar Company – Old Henry Pure Breed appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Upon the passing of Holt’s mascot in 2006, a Bulldog named Old Henry, the Old Henry brand was created to remember the company’s best friend. Blended by Jose “Pepin” Garcia, Old Henry cigars have been available for the better part of a decade with four different wrapper options: Nicaraguan Corojo, Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro, Connecticut, and the more recent Ecuadorian Sumatra (Pure Breed).

Available vitolas in the Maduro version include:  Corona (5 ½ by 44), Robusto (5 by 50), Belicoso (5 ½ by 52), Toro (6 by 52), and Bully (6 by 60). Thanks goes out to the Holts team for sending these our way to review. You can purchase your own by visiting their site here.

The Facts

Samples Provided by Holt’s Cigar Company
Price: $5.50 per single | $99.95 per box of 25
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 52
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes

Pre-light

The Old Henry Maduro features an extremely dark brown wrapper full of oils and sugar-like crystals that glisten in the light. The exterior leaf has small to medium sized veins webbing the length of the cigar, a very fine tooth, and an aroma of dirt, cocoa, and some muskiness. Bringing the foot of the cigar to my nose, I find brighter notes of rich cedar, along with dirt and a deep red fruit note.

Gently pressing the cigar from head to foot, I find no soft spots and the Old Henry Maduro is firmly and evenly filled. A quick cut through the triple cap reveals an intriguing dry draw that has a hoppy flavor common in an IPA, maybe grapefruit-ish. Woodsy notes are also present, along with a spice that is warming my mouth and lips.

First Third

The Maduro version of the Old Henry opens with full flavors and body. A sweet cocoa flavor is matching up well with the spicy filler tobaccos and a similar earthiness that I found in the original Old Henry. The pepper is medium/full in both flavors and heat, warming my mouth nicely, and causing a minor itch in the back of the throat. Even so, the retrohale is manageable and adds to the profile every few puffs. For the most part, the burn is even and a beautiful light gray ash is being formed.  

Middle Third

Now in the second third, the sweetness is dialed back, but still hanging on enough to contrast the earth and pepper that are gaining ground. A toasted bread flavor that has joined the mix is working well with the rest of the profile. There is also a citrus and tartness that come across sharply every couple of puffs. I am already feeling a bit of strength from this Old Henry Maduro. A portion of the wrapper is burning slower than the rest of the cigar, but I am going to hold of and see if it will self-correct.

Final Third

Transitioning into the final third, the Old Henry Maduro develops in both richness and savoriness. The main profile is a combination of rich cedar, earth, cocoa, and a saltiness, followed by more subtle toasted bread and citrus notes. The citrus works well with the profile playing a minor role. The strength has built steadily from the second third as I am now feeling a bit of nicotine kick in the gut.The sweetness has jumped right back into the profile bringing a great finish to this stick!

Wrap-up

It always amazes me the impact the wrapper leaf has on a cigar. While some similarities were noted between the Old Henry and the Old Henry Maduro, for the most part, they offered up two very distinct experiences. Flavors of cocoa, earth, pepper, toasted-bread, and citrus were picked up on over the hour and half of smoking. The flavors evolved throughout the smoke and new flavors arrived in each third. While I would classify the Maduro as a more complex smoke than its counterpart, there were times when the flavors came across a bit unbalanced, mainly in the second third. With that said, Holt’s Old Henry Maduro ended on a very high note with a rich profile that was satisfying in flavors and strength. This is a great cigar for someone looking for an affordable, Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro cigar that works wells with spicy Nicaraguan filler tobaccos.

Giveaway

We have partnered up with our great friends at Holt’s Cigar Company to bring you an exciting giveaway. Holts will be sending 1 lucky winner and 8-Ct Old Henry “Best in Show” Sampler containing 2 of each of the four Old Henry Blends.

Sampler includes:

• 2 – Old Henry Toro (6 x 52)
• 2 – Old Henry Gold Label Toro (6 x 52)
• 2 – Old Henry Maduro Toro (6 x 52)
• 2 – Old Henry Pure Breed Toro (6 x 52)

Simply follow the rules in the giveaway to enter. NOTE: You can do the”Tweeting a message” option once per day. You must be 21 or older and live in the US. A winner will be chosen at random on the morning of 4/22/2016 and announced on this blog. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Holt’s Cigar Company – Old Henry Maduro + GIVEAWAY! appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Upon the passing of Holt’s mascot in 2006, a Bulldog named Old Henry, the Old Henry brand was created to remember the company’s best friend. Blended by Jose “Pepin” Garcia, Old Henry cigars have been available for the better part of a decade with four different wrapper options: Nicaraguan Corojo, Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro, Connecticut, and Ecuadorian Sumatra (Pure Breed).

Available vitolas of the original Old Henry include: Runt (4 /12 by 42), Corona (5 ½ by 44), Robusto (5 ½ by 50), Belicoso (5 ½ by 52), Toro (6 by 52), Champion (6 ½ by 56), and Churchill (7 by 48). Thanks goes out to the Holts team for sending these our way to review. You can purchase your own by visiting their site here.

The Facts

Samples Provided by Holt’s Cigar Company
Price: $5.50 per single | $99.95 per box of 25
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 52
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes

Pre-light

The Old Henry wears a medium brown Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper that contains several medium to large veins, noticeable seams, scattered bumps, and a few color variations. From head to foot, the Old Henry is packed evenly and remains stiff as I pinch it between my fingers. 

The wrapper gives off a combination of manure, earth, and cocoa, while the foot shows off a hefty pepper spice, chocolate covered cherries, and some deep earth notes. The triple cap does its job, but in a not overly pretty way.  Upon clipping the cap, flavors of rich cedar, cinnamon, pepper, and cardboard greet my palate.

First Third

Opening with flavors on the low side of medium, the Old Henry shows off rich, sweet cedar, an earthiness, dark red fruit, and pepper. The spice heat is mild to medium allowing the smoke to be easily retro-haled at this point. A wavy burn with a couple of sharp edges is leaving behind a light gray ash.  So far, the burn seems to be self-correcting.

Middle Third

Pulling into the second third of Holt’s Old Henry, the flavor remain consistent with the prior third with some development within the earth notes that have become more of a damp earth and a leather quality has joined into the mix. The sweetness is still holding strong and providing a nice balance to the deep earth notes. Earth and pepper lingers on the finish of the smoke. Right at the halfway point, a major shift takes places in terms of body and strength with both stepping up to medium/full. A portion of the wrapper required some assistance to get the burn back in-line.

Final Third

Considering where the cigar began, I am surprised to find the strength creeping up on me.  Once again, it is the earth flavor that had the most significant change becoming more diesel like. While the sweet woodsy notes are still around, they are getting pushed back. The retro-hale remains easy on the sinuses and an very enjoyable part of the experience. A second quick touch-up was required before closing out the cigar.

Wrap-up

You never know what to expect from house brands even when they come from reputable companies. But seeing Pepin’s name behind the blend, my expectation were immediately high. And all those expectations were exceeded. The profile featured a nice mixture of sweet woodsy flavors that were easy and soft on the palate, combined with heavier flavors of earth, leather, and pepper. The play between the sweet and dark flavors created an excellent mixture that fit my palate. However, I would not classify the Old Henry as complex, but solid from start to finish. Two touch-ups were required throughout the hour and a half smoke, but with everything else working out for the cigar, fixing the burn a couple times didn’t really matter. For just over $5, this may be the best bang for the buck cigar that I have smoked all year.

The post Holt’s Cigar Company – Old Henry appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.