Iconic Leaf–Recluse
Thanks to Iconic Leaf Cigar Company for sending me a couple samples of the Recluse. I know little about this brand, but their website has some information, should you want to check them out. I am always leery of new cigar companies, since many of them are just people who fork over some cash, and get their brand name stamped on an existing cigar. That’s not to say all of those guys have bad products. I give them all a fair chance. Is Iconic Leaf just another fly by night cigar company? It appears that they aren’t. Anyway, I was happy to give their first release a try…
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Dominican
Size: Toro 6 1/4 x 50
Price: $7.80
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
Glancing at the wrapper, the first thing that grabbed my attention was how nice it looked. No visible flaws, minimal veins, virtually no seams, and a perfect box pressed shape. Dare I say, it looked pretty. The smell of the wrapper was earth with slight barnyard. Overall, the cigar was evenly packed, with a slight tight spot towards the head. The draw had slight resistance, and a flavor of coffee and sweetness.
The burn required quite a few minor corrections, and the ash was firm for over an inch.
Flavor:
The first third had a dominant flavor of coffee. Earthiness, along with a dark cocoa, would take the spotlight from time to time. The smoke feel bordered on creaminess, and had a nice peppery zing. As I transitioned into the second third, I picked up some woody and nutty notes.
The second third kept those wispy background notes of wood, earth, and nuts. Coffee, cocoa, and sweet peppery spice mixed evenly. The aftertaste lingered for quite some time after exhaling.
The last third kept the same basic flavor profile as before. The main difference was the smoke feel, which became dry and crisp. It left a spicy tingle on the tongue, and had a tinge of sweet bitterness.
Conclusion:
This was a good medium to full bodied cigar. The flavor profile was refined, and everything fit together nicely. I didn’t pay much attention to the burn corrections, since it was on par with a typical box pressed cigar. The price point was easily met, and I think Iconic has a good debut cigar here.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012 at 12:00 am and is filed under Cigar Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
JohnG October 3rd, 2012 at 11:00 am
I’ve read some very positive reviews about this new cigar. I’m curious. I’ll give it a try if I run into it. Thanks Tom.