A couple of Fridays ago I was hanging out at Blue Havana II for a Don Pepin Garcia rolling event (which I recommend checking out if you get a chance) when some cigar reps that were there mentioned they’d be doing an event at another shop the following day. The shop was Selective Cigars, and I hadn’t had a chance to check it out yet. I knew the wife would be off at work for a good deal of the day, and I didn’t have anything else going on, so a plan was formed.

Shortly after I arrived the following day, a friendly staff member took me for a tour of their sizable humidor. As I checked out their stock of smokes, I noticed something very cool. On one of the lower shelves, in an unassuming wooden box, were a couple of football shaped cigars! I grabbed one, and was told that these cigars were part of the house blend and were rolled by PD Cigars out of Stockbridge, Georgia. Cigar rollers based in the Atlanta area? Madness! I thought.

Unfortunately one of the football cigars was badly damaged so I only bought one. Not enough for a proper review. But my guide told me that the whole line is a favorite of shop regulars and I should try one of the more common vitolas. So I picked up a couple of the churchills to review. Hey, I figure if somebody in Georgia is rolling cigars, I gotta check them out and support the local guy!

It’s a football- Let’s smoke it!

Cigar Stats:
Size: 6 1/2 x 48
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaraguan Cuban Seed
Smoking Time: 2 hours
Beverage: Water
Price: ~$4.00

The Pre-Smoke
This house blend cigar comes without any ornamentation or extras. No flashy band, no cellophane there’s just the mottled natural wrapper that stands between you and the binder and filler. In my inspection of the wrapper leaf, I noticed big differences between the two cigars I smoked fort this review. The first had holes in the wrapper not too far in from the foot. A lot of holes. Probably more than I’ve ever seen on a wrapper before. This cigar was also very veiny and very lumpy. In contrast, the second cigar, while still mottled in appearance was considerably smoother and less veiny. And more importantly, no holes.

I found both cigars to be nicely firm to the touch, and I also noted that they were tripled capped. The scent on the wrapper was an interesting combination of what reminded me of Fritos corn chips and barnyard. After clipping the cigars with my Xikar scissors, I noticed a very pronounced, sweet prune flavor in the cold taste.

The Burn
While I didn’t get a perfect burn from these cigars, it was respectable. The cigars occasionally needed touching up to even the mildly erratic burn line. The first cigar I smoked did go out a number of times, most notably right around the transition from one third to another. The second cigar didn’t have this problem until the final third, which unfortunately led to me giving up on the cigar a bit early.

The ash on the other hand was nicely solid, and pretty light in color. The cigars did a great job of holding a nice length of ash, generally around an inch long.

The Flavor
Right off the bat the cigar started with a sweet, creamy roasted nuts and coffee flavor that really got my attention. By about halfway through the first third, my entire mouth felt coated by a creamy nutty flavor that really lingered long after the puff. At points it was like creamy peanut butter. As the first third progressed the creaminess starts to fade, and is replaced by a sweet caramel flavor, some spiciness, and some coffee.

There was some more nutty flavor at the beginning of the second third, but in very short order the sweet caramel returned. (In one cigar, I got an interest pocket of a distinctly orange flavor.) Later on in the third the cigar started to become more woody and a little more spicy. This woody flavor was sometimes a little dry, and other times was a little more like aromatic cedar.

In the final third started out about the same with both cigars with a rich, buttery wood flavor. After that I did get a little more creamy coffee and the occasional bit of nuttiness and finally some leather at the end.

The Price
I’d say the prices is pretty reasonable for these cigars. I don’t remember exactly what I paid for them, but I believe it was around the four dollar mark. In fact, I believe all the vitolas are priced around four dollars.

The Verdict
While this cigar doesn’t shine in the cosmetic department, and has it’s flaws when it comes to the burn, it really makes up for it in the flavor department. I really enjoyed the mouth-coating creamy nuttiness of the first third, and the sweet caramel flavor that made up so much of the first half of the cigar. Sure, the issues I had keeping the cigars burning was a little annoying, but I’m cutting them some slack. The humidity has been out of control the past week or so and I’ve been having similar issues in other cigars as well.

Liked It: Yes
Buy It Again: Yeah, but first I might try those baseball bat cigars. (Yeah they make those too.)
Recommend It: Yeah, give it a shot

Tower of Burn
Here for your viewing pleasure is my trademark Tower of Burn.