Today I’m reviewing a spanking new brand, Devil’s Weed by Molina Cigar Co. This Cigar was introduced at this years ICPCR, and is the first cigar venture for Luis Molina.

The name…Devil’s Weed… has come under fire, for obvious reasons, and ironically, the controversy over the name mimics the very history for which the cigar was named and created. I’ll save a little space and let you read the history on Devil’s Weed’s very slick website, www.devilsweedcigars.com. You can also find an interview with Luis Molina on www.lasvegashtv.com. I found it interesting that there has always been an “anti-tobacco” group, since the “discovery” of tobacco by Rodrigo de Jerez.

Now to the review!

Cigar Stats
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican (4 leaves)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Don Leoncio, SA
Size: 515 (Corona 5 5/8″ x 43)
Price Point: $5-8.00 (I paid $5.95 at my local B&M, but have nothing to reference that to.)
Drinking: Sweet Tea and Water
Location: Office

The immediate impact that Devil’s Weed has, is that it doesn’t look like any other cigar in the humidor. Its adorned with paper that has the logo of the brand repeated all over it. It can look a bit cartoony and a bit like a firecracker, but you cannot deny that it will stick out like a sore thumb in any B&M’s humidor, and it begs to be looked at. I had a chance to converse with Luis Molina and the paper packaging is just for the first shipment of the sticks. He says that “future shipments will be packaged with the cigars wrapped in white tissue paper with the band on the outside (like El Rey del Mundo’s)”. I personally like the appearance. I feel it reinforces the whole idea of being something new and different, even if people don’t understand it. But hey… He makes cigars, and I spend my spare time on here! What do I know? But I will say that the paper wrap has a couple flaws that would need attention if Molina were to continue to use it…. I’ll get to that in a sec. Maybe he could print the logo on the tissue paper???

The paper wrap is pretty snug on the cigar and takes a good nudge to get it out. You may ask, “why not just peel it off?” Well, its taped the entire length of cigar with that same tape that cedar wraps are bound with, and we all know that its impossible to tear that tape! Underneath is a beautifully golden cigar, with a classy detailed label with the Devil’s Weed logo which features a devil head with tobacco wings and a pointed tail curling from underneath a banner with the name of the brand. The label is very detailed with even the eyes of the devil being embossed and subtle shading applied to the wings.

Now the problem with the paper wrap, is that it does make it hard to see any flaws that may exist before buying (don’t even try pulling out the stick and putting it back… its not going to happen), and on one of the cigars I had, when I removed the paper… the label came with it, and unfortunately, it snagged a bit of the wrapper. That aside, the cigar is very well constructed, with a triple cap that is a little lumpy. Veins are visible, but are completely flush and smooth. There is a decent amount of sheen for a Connecticut wrapper, and there are no real flaws to the leaf nor soft spots along the cigar. It is full with tobacco with just a little give. I have found a couple black specs around the cap (only around the cap), which appear to be something picked up in the factory, and not necessarily a flaw in the leaf (if anyone has any suggestions to what they may be… feel free to let me know… I’m curious).

First Impressions:
There isn’t much smell on the wrapper itself, just a slight hint of cedar. The foot has a nice mixture of cedar, and what I would describe as chili powder or paprika. The cold draw is a little snug and full of the aforementioned chili powder, with hints of cedar. Definitely a new experience for me.

The first puff is a huge amount of very flavorful smoke. Its a strong toasty tobacco very much like a corojo… with subtle cedar, only the tiniest hint of chili. The smoke is slightly sweet on the tongue, and the finish is slightly bitter and clean, and makes the mouth water. It goes through the sinuses very easy, with hints of sweet spice, verging on nutmeg and cinnamon. The cap is so well made and smooth that you cannot feel where it begins or ends. The aroma is your typical cigar aroma… a little on the sweet side… and probably offensive to a non-smoker.

1/3 (20 min):
The flavor mellows out around 1/2″ and settles into a mild-medium range. Its more creamy, and rounded. The majority of the character now resides in the sinuses, where the sweet spices still hold their ground. The smoke on the tongue is more savory now rather than sweet, and has an acidic twang when swished around. The finish has lost its bitterness, and has become slightly fuller with woody notes and occasional hints of citrus, and has an interesting mouth watering effect. The burn line is pretty wavey on this one, but nothing to worry about. The others I have smoked faired better. The ash is a light grey, speckled with white, with a slight brown tone on the ends when left to grow. It is fairly resilient with occasional flowering. I knocked off the first half inch, because I forgot I was doing a review….woops…

2/3 (40 min):
The cigar has now returned to the beginning. The flavor is very much like the first light. Full tobacco flavor, with a slight bite. There are now hints of caramel, and cream. The spice on the sinuses has shifted to a very light milk chocolate and I pick up the occasional hint of peanuts. The smoke on the tongue is very sweet now, and carries a bit of bite with the finish settling into a distinctly clean finish. Also, the chili flavor makes subtle and brief appearances in the last part of the cigar, along with some cedar. This is when the cigar really hits its stride.

Around the 1″ mark (70 min) the cigar gets a little hot, and is turning bitter, but slowing the pace a little, helps to calm it down, and I was actually able to enjoy it until my fingers started becoming an unwanted addition to the flavors…

Final thoughts:
Devil’s Weed is a very fascinating cigar. When taken into account, the history, the flavor, the packaging…. its just a very unique experience. Very few cigars I have smoked have had as many different faces/changes to the flavor profile as this stick. The very first one I had kept me on my toes and guessing from puff to puff. And now that I am very familiar with this cigar, I can really appreciate the complexities it offers. It goes from a full flavor smoke, teasing at a full body powerhouse, then settles into a smooth creamy and consistent mild, then back to a complex mild-medium. Nicotine wise, its not particularly strong, I’d say its firmly in the medium strength range, leaning towards the mild. The price for this smoke is right on the money (so to speak)…at around $6 a stick, but I think it would do better at $5. Thats not to say its overpriced… but being a new brand, I was hesitant to pick it up, because of the price, being a strange new cigar from a new company.

With all of that in mind, I really like this cigar for its uniqueness. Its a solid smoke, but some of the flavors (like the chili), may be more odd than enjoyable for some. And those looking for consistency of flavor from start to finish, might find this cigar a little schizophrenic. For me it is intriguing enough to keep a few in the Humi, and a box to age. I can’t wait to see how these do with a year or so under their belt! I think Mr. Molina has made a solid debut with this brand, and I look forward to what he has up his sleeves next.

Liked it: Very much…a fascinating cigar!
Buy it again: I have and will buy a lot more.
Recommend it: Absolutely! Its one of the more interesting cigars I have had, and I think stogie fans of all experience levels could find something they like about this one.