Imagine my surprise when I sat down to record a Short Ashes Review of the La Hermandad, by El Primer Mundo, and realized that we haven’t done an in-depth review of this cigar yet. How is that even possible, Brian Hewitt and Sean Williams are in the same area and see one another regularly?

While I didn’t have time or the number of cigars required for one of the old thirty-minute style video reviews, I did want to remedy the situation. With my one and only La Hermandad in hand, I flipped on my camcorder and got down to business.

Immediately, the La Hermandad grabbed my attention. The aroma coming off of the foot during the toasting process was incredible. It had a sort of musty and sweet mixture that doesn’t sound appealing on paper, but trust me, is was something special.

Once fully lit, I was disappointed to find the draw much tighter than I prefer. Throughout the cigar I experimented with gently pinching the head with my teeth. If I pinched it in just the right spot, the draw would open up and plenty of dense smoke would flow through. Eventually I was able to get the hang of opening the draw but the process left a lot to be desired.

The saving grace to the draw problem came in the form of flavors. Not to gush over the cigar but the flavor profile of the La Hermandad was the richest and most dynamic that I’ve experienced in some time. I picked up prominent notes of leather, pepper, and spice. The retrohale produced a cedar aroma that left me feeling cleansed and refreshed. The further the cigar burned, the richer and bolder the flavors became.

Despite the construction issues, I think that this cigar was an amazing example of a boutique cigar. I hope to smoke more in the future and am keeping my fingers crossed that the tight draw was a fluke.