The Statesman Cigar Company is a new up and comer to the cigar industry. Officially established in 2023, Statesman’s origin is rooted in relationship. Born out of the chaos of the pandemic, the founders along with a select group of close friends started living what has now become known as the Statesman lifestyle. A lifestyle of memorable cigar smoking experiences, sophisticated elegance, and the most important part - community. At Statesman it's about so much more than selling a product, it's about bringing people into a lifestyle - the Statesman lifestyle. Statesman exists to lead the revolt against fast-paced, disconnected culture with the intent of fostering a lifestyle where people can slow down and connect around the finer things in life. Today we look at “El Cerdito”, or the little pig. This was a very interesting and intriguing cigar. It’s noted as a Nicaraguan puro, made into a short perfecto with a deep, dark and rich Maduro wrapper. This cigar was a treat to say the least. Let’s get into it!
Profile: Medium to Full
Wrapper: Nicaragua Maduro
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Shape: Short Perfecto
Length: 4.25
Gauge: 60
Country: Nicaragua
Box-pressed: N/A
Sweet: N/A
Pricing: ($320 Bundle of 20) ($20.00 per stick)
First Impression: The wrapper was very rich and oily with a very fine Maduro and barnyard aroma. Perfectos are difficult to roll, especially with a pig tail. Ensuring the cigar doesn’t unravel when cut shows the true signs of quality and skill of a master. Good weight and no soft spots whatsoever.
Lighting, Draw, and Burn: For this review, several cutters were used since a total of three cigars were smoked. Guillotine, V Cutter and simply bit off the tail. Honestly the two best were the v cutter and biting the tail. A three-flame torch lighter was used, and the humidity was around 62%. The cold draw was a heavy barnyard, with a hint of figs, raisins, and a slight leather finish. When lit, it was very uneven, but that is normal with a perfecto, so please be patient, one of the signs of a good, fermented and well rested tobacco is that it will eventually even up on its own, which it did.
First Third: Into the first third, the mustiness of the barnyard has dissipated and was replaced by a smooth, yet slightly bitter extra dark roast coffee flavor. The sweetness of the figs and the raisin still remain, while the leather is a slight memory.
Second Third: The interesting thing about this cigar, is the sweetness that a Nicaraguan Maduro is known for, isn’t here. Now, don’t be disappointed by this because knowing what to expect from a cigar is boring!! This shows that tobacco, especially when processed properly with time and care, can still surprise and inspire! The raisins and figs are all but gone and the leather has returned and the coffee is very forward in flavor. The finish is short and doesn’t overwhelm the palate.
Final Third: Over the course of these cigars, something I noted was the ember can overheat very easily. The fellas at Statesman say it’s a 45 min smoke. Take your time and use the hour. If smoked too fast, it will get very bitter and harsh, but when you enjoy it and slow time down, it remains smooth and rich. This cigar had a great and even burn and goes well with a cask bourbon.
Overall Flavor: Its rare one finds a cigar with simplicity and yet still very complex in flavor. Starting with heavy barnyard cold draw, to raisins and figs, and finishing off with a very dark roast coffee. El Cerdito is a full course meal packed into a tiny prize.
Final Thoughts: As a cigar smoker, this isn’t the type of cigar I would personally go out to find. With that said, I am very glad to have had the opportunity to smoke and try this cigar. I would 100% go out and smoke this again and I can’t wait to try the rest of The Statesman Cigar line. For more information, please check them out online at https://www.statesmancigarco.com/ , on Instagram @statesmancigarco , on Tiktok and Youtube!
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