With Spring in swing here there’s some work needing done around the farm today. I was trying to decide what to smoke and as I dug into my stash I found a couple Warped offerings that got shuffled down. This Nicotina spoke to me, and since I purchased it to review, I thought I’d do a Sessions review. Based on the information released from Warped Cigars, Nicotina was originally a Cuban brand from the late 1800s. The initial release is available in only one size, however, more vitolas are expected to follow.
According to Kyle Gellis, owner of Warped Cigars, “I wanted to craft a full-bodied blend, but with our signature style of Warped, which is balanced and complex. This is not what your average cigar smoker would consider a full, powerful blend, but it is indeed for Warped.” I am interested to see how the smoking experience compares to this claim.
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A.
Wrapper: Corojo ‘99 (Nicaragua)
Binder: Criollo ‘98 (Nicaragua)
Filler: Corojo ‘99 & Criollo ‘98 (Nicaragua)
Vitola: 5 ½ x 52 Belicoso
Price: $11.00 MSRP
Release Date: January 2022
Company Website: www.warpedcigars.com
This is a very firmly packed, heavy cigar. The brown paper bag colored wrapper has a satin feel to it, minimal veins, and no seams to be seen. I am torn on the band. I like the color scheme, as it is simple and goes nicely with this shade of wrapper. However, I am not sure if I like the portrait. Sometimes I think it looks elegant, other times, cheesy. The cigar smells of pepper, cedar, and slightly sweet earth. The cold draw is like a slightly sweet lemon bread. First light is medium-full in body with medium flavors of bread crust, some citrus fruit rind, earthy spices, and a bit of honey like sweetness. About a half inch in the bread crust has been replaced by a slightly tannic wood and pepper. The retrohale has a little citrus, some musty type of spice that I can’t really place, and a hint of brown sugary sweetness. Nearing the end of the first third the honey has moved to the forefront of the draw flavors with some breadiness and earth. Into the second third there’s some pepper matching the honey. The retrohale still has citrus and spice, but with less brown sugar. Passing halfway there is still honey, spices, and now a bit of cocoa. The bread and earth have stepped back. The retrohale is showing some cream with the citrus. The body and flavor are still full and I have yet to encounter any strength. Entering the final third the cigar starts to tunnel so I have to touch it up. Moving along the earth has picked up along with some pepper and slightly tannic wood. The honey has subsided. Into the band point I have to do another touch up due to it wanting to go out. It was all harsh pepper and earth until the touch up. I am wondering if the tips of the filler leaves are packed into this final third in an effort to add the strength the blend is intended to have? After the touch up there is some more honey coming back in. The harsh pepper didn’t last. There’s still some wood and earth as well. Coming to an end at an hour and 15 minutes it’s burning a bit hot but the flavors aren’t impacted. It still has a little honey sweetness with some earth and pepper and the body and flavor are full with the strength maybe hitting medium.
Overall Experience
Overall the cigar was probably the best Warped cigar I’ve smoked in awhile. I really like the way the honey, spices, and earth melded together. The cigar wasn’t super transitional but different flavors were highlighted and balanced nicely throughout. Besides some burn issues in the final third it performed very well. I really didn’t experience any more strength in this blend than I have in other Warped cigars. That being said, based on the burn and some flavor components in the final third, I think that the blend was backfilled with either some higher priming leaves or the tips of the filler leaves. Though the final third had some quirks in performance, it made for a nice change of pace adding some more pepper and earth at times. The Nicotina is something I will look to smoke again and would recommend to anyone, but especially someone who hasn’t been too impressed with Warped’s releases.
Try the cigar yourself at Small Batch Cigars and let me know what you think! Use code “Whiskey” to get 10% off your entire order. Plus, sign up and begin earning 5% back in rewards points with each purchase.
Feel free to reach out to me with questions, concerns, criticisms, or just to talk at @guitarsandcigarsfarm on Instagram, or via email at trevor@whiskeyandwhitetails.com.