Size: 54 х 127 (5")
Shape: Robusto
Filler: Nicaraguan
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Havana Sabido
Binder: Nicaraguan
Beverage: Some kind of beer
Note: Sorry about the crappy photo, all we had was an iPhone...
The Brick House line is produced by the J. C. Newman Company – America’s oldest family owned premium cigar manufacturer. The Brickhouse line of cigars was first released in 1937 and was re-released last year after a 50 year hiatus. Interestingly, the original Brickhouse blend was Cuban puro and was made of only the finest tobacco. This new edition has been marketed as a low-cost alternative to other premium cigar brands such as Padron and Tatuaje…and at around $5 a stick these cigars would certainly appear to be a bargain. This cigar first caught my attention when I was reading the December issue of Cigar Aficionado and noticed that the Churchill size of the Brickhouse line was granted a 91. The Churchill was later named the best bargain cigar of 2009 by Cigar Aficionado and the Robusto size also scored a very respectable 88. It was time to give this well-packed little bundle of cigar pleasure a try.
To be honest, despite the decent reviews posted by Cigar Aficionado and others we weren’t expecting much. In fact, this cigar was really only meant to be a “warm-up” for the Padron 1964 Anniversary Diplomatico Natural’s that were sitting patiently in our travel humidors (which were sensational as always). However, from the moment we clipped the caps we were pleasantly surprised. The cigar began with loads of pepper, wood, and leather and virtually no hints of youth. The official Brick House website rates this cigar as being medium bodied and I would certainly agree with this claim – perhaps even medium-full. Surprisingly, the flavor profile of the cigar changed throughout with hints of honey and dried fruit subtly making brief appearances on my palate. Ironically, I was almost disappointed to have to put it down despite having a Padron 1964 Diplomatico valued at $60 in Canada as our follow-up cigar.
It is a rare occurrence that a cigar truly surprises us and it is far too often in a negative direction when it does happen. The Brickhouse Robusto deserves its recognition first as a wonderful, spicy, complex Nicaraguan puro and secondly as one hell of a bargain. I have no hesitation giving this cigar four Castro heads out of five and look foreword to purchasing a box in the very near future.
1 comments: