Today, I will be taking a look at the 1502 Ruby.  The 1502 brand derives it names from the year Christopher Columbus “discovered” Nicaragua and the cigars are produced by Global PremiumCigars noted by the “GPC” on the back of the band.   Since I don’t know much about Global Premium Cigars, and the 1502 brand, I decided to do a little research (is the word research now interchangeable with googling?). GPC’s site has this to say:

“Global Premium Cigars is a tobacco company Proudly Nicaraguan, which owns the most renown and prestigious brand 1502. Truly a Nicaraguan treasure.

In our Premium brand 1502, you will find three tobacco lines with the highest quality, where the sowing process, harvest, curing, aging and selection of each tobacco leaf is our major concern. It takes more than five years from the time of its sowing until the time you can enjoy one of our fine cigars; this is why patience is one of our greatest virtues in the art of tobacco production.

In our brand 1502, you will find three lines totally different from each other, being 1502 Emerald the “Fina Fuerte” (Fine Strong), 1502 Ruby of medium strength and 1502 Black Gold with strongest character. Three spectacular bindings that exclaim the Nicaraguan flavor, which will delight at all times and will make an unforgettable experience.”

On September 24, 2012 it was announced that Emilio Cigars would be handling the distribution of 1502 Cigars.  Emilio Cigars has not only  made a footprint in the cigar industry by the excellent cigars they have put on the market but also through the distribution of several boutique brands. Emilio Cigars manages the distribution for Ezra Zion (Tony’s review here), Epicurean, Rodrigo, Herederos de Robaina, and Guayacan.  Gary Griffith, owner of Emilio Cigars, has such a passion for the industry that bleeds through in all he does. Here is quote from Gary in a recent press release:

“I am fully dedicated to the mission of bringing an array of quality boutique cigars to a broader market, whether under the Emilio Cigars mark, or the mark of other equally dedicated and passionate manufacturers.”

The Facts

Price: Samples provided by Emilio Cigars
Format: Box Pressed Torpedo
Size: 6 by 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Pairing: Water
Smoke Time: Approx. 1 hour and 25 minutes

Pre-Light

As I do my pre-light inspection, I notice a few prevalent and minor veins running the throughout  the cigar.  However, I have never been one to worry about the impact of veins on the overall smoking experience  The Ruby sports a maroon band, with the trim, the words “1502” and “Ruby”, and center emblem all in gold.  The emblem is similar to the Crusaders’ cross.  The wrapper has minimal oils and is velvety  to the touch. When squeezed, the cigar feels somewhat spongy.  The wrapper hangs over the foot of the cigar, but not as drastic as other shaggy foot (I feel like I should use the word “feet” instead) cigars.  The wrapper is mostly uniform in color with slight imperfections and water spots letting me know this cigar has not been artificially colored.   The foot appears under filled.  As I bring the cigar to my nose, I note sweet earth and barnyard on the wrapper, while the foot reveals a bourbon like sweetness.  The head clips easily as I prepare to light up the cigar.

First Third

I am loving the free draw and amount of smoke that fills my mouth which each small puff.  Pepper and spice are in the forefront.  Beautiful dark, heavy flavors of espresso and earth are in the flavor make up, and a peppery sting is on the retrohale. The spice lingers in the back of my throat for a good amount of time.  The burn line is quite wavy but I’m going to wait it out and see if it will correct itself before doing any touchups. The ash is extremely flaky but holding on as I smoke in a cool afternoon breeze.  I don’t think I would like to smoke this through one of El Paso’s windstorms but I really don’t ever feel like smoking in windstorms unless I am settled in at the local lounge.   As expected, the 1502 Ruby has begun to tunnel but it has not taken away from the flavor department.  Flavors are very much full, with strength on the low side of medium.

Middle Third

After a minor touch up, I am into the second third of the 1502 Ruby.  Spice in the back of the throat resides, or maybe I am just numb to the burn, but the pepper holds strong.  The earth notes become much more prevalent, while a toasty, nuttiness hits the edge of the palette. I am starting to hope for a little sweetness to balance out the profile. The draw and the amount of smoke this cigar is producing is just awesome.  The flavors are still delivering at the same level, while the strength has crept up. The strength has been picking up since the start of the 1502 Ruby.  I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.  On the first sample I smoked, the cigar became extremely spongy about 1.5 to 2 inches from the burn line but the smoke never became too hot to enjoy.  That issue was not encountered on this cigar.

Final Third

The flavors remain consistent with the first and second third but the Ruby is now leaving a bite on the tongue.  The smoke is also drying out my mouth in the same fashion a walnut does.  A small sip of water and my palette quickly restores itself.  Some cocoa notes enter into the mix but fade just as quick as they arrive.  I would have loved for the cocoa to stick around a little longer.  The strength did move up to the high-end of medium, and the burn remained wavy till the very end.

Wrap-Up

The draw and the copious amount of smoke the 1502 Ruby produced was exceptional.  While I did come across a few construction issues, none them took away from the overall smoking experience.  The same construction issues (burn, sponginess and tunneling) were encountered in both samples.  The flavors were rather consistent in its entirety with only a view variations.  I found myself craving more complexity, and, at the least, some sweetness in the profile.  Also, I paired this cigar with water.  A drink that provides some sweetness would be a nice compliment to this profile, such as a big Red Zinfadel.  A local winery has an excellent Red Zin that I could see fitting this cigar perfectly.  I know I will be revisiting this cigar and try pairing it with the 2010 “Rising Star” Red Zinfandel from Zin Valle Vineyards which is located just outside of El Paso.  If you stumble across the 1502 Ruby or can find them online, grab a couple and give it a whirl.

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For those who don’t know, Gran Habano had recently formed a series called the S.T.K. series. The cigars in this special series are limited production, limited release cigars that were created for the sole consumption of George A. Rico and family. Needless to say these are extraordinary cigars and Rico felt the public deserved to try them out as well, thus creating the S.T.K. series. The S.T.K. series will initially only be available at 50 retailers across the U.S.  and limited to no more than 100. Luckily our friends over at Gran Habano Cigars (@ghcigars) where kind enough to send a few of them our way.

After numerous blends and prototypes, George A. Rico has finally came up with a cigar he deemed worthy of the Opium name. This cigar is composed of a Nicaraguan Habano Corojo hybrid wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and an unknown mix of fillers. These cigars come in just one size, 6×52, will run $9 a stick, and will only be available at S.T.K. authorized retailers.

Size: 6×52  –  Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano/Corojo  –  Binder: Nicaraguan  –  Filler: Unknown

Prelight: First and foremost, the band on this G.A.R. Opium is impossible to ignore. The cigar sports a crazy elegant, attention calling double gold, red, and white band along with a third black and gold foot band that simply states that this cigar is part of the S.T.K. series and is a “Limited Edition” “by George A. Rico”. The first band is a huge red and gold crest with the G.A.R. branding followed by a smaller secondary band with a similar design that has the blend’s name “Opium”. The wrapper on this cigar is a beautify dark and medium brown with tons of oils coating the entire body. There are only one or two short, wider veins running through the body of this cigar leading up to the perfectly round triple cap. The cigar in general is extremely firm with no soft spots. The wrapper feels really durable as it didn’t tear or break when I squeezed it. It did however leave a really neat coating of oils on my finger tips. The wrapper on this cigar gives off a very interesting sweet pine aroma while the foot produces nothing more than a bold tobacco scent. The cap cut clean and easy using my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw is interesting. Instead of getting the run of the mill tobacco flavor I was anticipating the G.A.R. Opium let loose this crazy spicy, sweet, cedar flavor with even a bit of pepper on just the cold draw alone.

First Smoke: Instead of this G.A.R. Opium greeting me with the pepper I was expecting due to the cold draw flavors, I was welcomed with a very sweet tobacco flavor with a bit of honey, cinnamon and some subtle cedar with a bit of pepper that only teased my lips and tongue. The draw on this cigar is dead on, filling my mouth with tons of thick smoke with every puff. The burnline is razor sharp and even for the most part with only some very small waves. The ash left behind is white and light grey and extremely tightly compacted. The ash held on for well over an inch before giving way.

Halfway There: The G.A.R. Opium is really starting to open up now. Along with the sweet tobacco, cedar, and honey I am not picking up some interesting floral and citrus notes. I had to double check my hands to make sure they didn’t have soap on them. This cigar is very smooth and has some really interesting flavors. The retrohale is a nice addition to the experience to coating my nasal passage with a very bold, sweet cedar. I’m not really feeling any nicotine at this point, and the cigar is still burning dead even with amazingly white, compact ash.

Finish: Despite the larger bands on this G.A.R. Opium, all three of them slid right off the cigar without a hitch. That always gets huge brownie points with me. The Opium really smoothed out into the final third while the body ramped up a bit. Most of the flavors have dampened with the exception of the sweet tobacco and cedar which are rocking pretty hard at this point. There was no harshness at all, even into the final inch where I felt only a slight nicotine buzz before a smooth, creamy finish.

Overview: Gran Habano is a company that sometimes gets passed by cigar smokers. Just because they are affordable doesn’t mean they aren’t supburb cigars and the Opium is a perfect example of that. Perfect construction, great flavors, complex yet smooth. It really doesn’t get better than that. This is a perfect cigar for any occasion. Light enough to smoke in the morning, flavorful enough for an after meal smoke, and affordable enough for an everyday smoke. Need I say more?

Pairing: Coming in with another Lips of Faith series brew form New Belgium brewing, I paired this G.A.R. Opium with the new “Prickly Passion Saison”. I’ve said it so many times, but Saisons are my poison. I could drink these all day long. This isn’t your standard Saison though, it’s actually a 8.5% ABV beer brewed with natural Prickly Pear Cactus and Passion fruit juices. Usually the fruit would be the focal point of the brew, but in this case it’s nothing more than a slight aftertaste that really helps make this beer one of the smoothest I can say I have ever had. Sweet and citrusy up front with a nice smooth, creamy, fruity finish. This was a PERFECT pairing. I can’t stress that enough. Now that the Opium’s will be easily obtained, I recommend trying this pairing out if you can find the beer. Usually this time of the season I’d be pairing with some nice winter seasonal porters or stouts, but after trying this beer I knew it would go perfect with this cigar. You know what else goes great with this cigar and the beer? The Bouncing Souls. I got some “True Believers” playing as I enjoy the weekend before the chaos on my back porch.

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