After the huge success of the Rose of Sharon, Southern Draw released the Rose of Sharon Desert Rose at the 2019 IPCPR. The cigar is a limited release of 75,000 cigars for 2019 with production increasing to 150,000 for 2020 and 2021. The cigar is being made by AJ Fernandez as their in Esteli, Nicaragua. The cigar is named after Sharon Holt, aka “Boss Lady” of Southern Draw Cigars. Here is the explanation of the new Desert Rose of Sharon from Southern Draw Cigars:
“Desert Rose, has a heartier wrapper and is a more robust version of our original blend, a symbol of the family as we stand our ground and confront the changing seasons and mounting challenges that we continue to encounter as we execute our mission of unity, charity and the service via this little brand,” per Sharon Holt – aka the boss lady. The Desert Rose is covered in a velvety smooth Ecuadorian cloud-grown Claro wrapper, and integrity from a thick and flavorful Condega, Nicaraguan Habano binder and a new filler combination marrying both Corojo 99 and Piloto Cubano ligeros from Honduras and the Dominican Republic. The Desert Rose is an almost flawless medium bodied, medium flavored cigar that is as beautiful as the original blend while offering a buttery smooth yet spicy “burst of flavor” with each draw before yielding to a very clean palate.
Courtesy of Souther Draw Cigars
- Wrapper: Ecuador Claro
- Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
- Filler: Honduran Corojo ’99 and Dominican Piloto Cubano
- Vitola: Belicoso Fino
- Size: 5.5 x 52
- MSRP: $11.99
- Factory: AJ Fernandez, Esteli, Nicaragua
Prelight
The Rose of Sharon Desert Rose has a British desert tan colored wrapper with a soft boxed press. After I clipped the tip of the cigar, I tested the draw which was a little tight, but not bad. On the cold draw, I get notes of cedar, hay, and earth.
First Draw
I get notes of black pepper, salted caramel, almonds, and buttered toast with some cream. On the retrohale, I get a lot more spice along with some creaminess. The cigar is mild bodied with medium flavor. The draw is quite good and it is burning great.
Last Half
The cigar is a little less sweet in the last half and more savory. I’m getting notes of cedar, black pepper, and buttered toast. I get very little of the salted caramel now and just a hint of the sweet creaminess. I do get a hint of nuttiness in the background which is a nice addition to the flavor profile. The cigar is now both medium to full bodied and medium flavored.
Conclusion
I think I actually prefer the Desert Rose over the original Rose of Sharon. I think the added body of the cigar had a little something special to make the blend shine more. The spices, woody notes, buttered bread notes and caramel notes with the creaminess gives the cigar a very tasty flavor profile that I think most will enjoy. Nothing really overpowers the other notes making the blend well balanced. Overall, I think this is a quality cigar and one you should try.
