Stolen Throne War Council
It is a cool, cloudy morning. I just got back from vacation and am still off work, so I thought I would start my morning out in style and smoke a cigar for review.
The cigar I elected to smoke this morning is the War Council from Stolen Throne Cigars. This is a limited edition of only 1,895 cigars released through the Cigar Federation Store. I missed these cigars when they became available, but got one courtesy of a friend of mine (@rightcalf_cigars on instagram). I will save you the trouble of sifting through the CFed description and tell you there is not a whole lot of backstory to this cigar. I have some more information from a credible source, but I do not feel comfortable disclosing that here.
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Rojas Cigar Factory
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan and Undisclosed
Vitola: 6x46 “Skinny Toro” (Buried in the Cigar Federation Marketing)
Price: $11.00 MSRP
Release Date: August 2021
Company Website: https://www.facebook.com/StolenThroneCigars/
Expectations
Given the disclosed aspects of the blend and my experience with other releases from the company, I anticipate a fuller flavor and strength smoking experience. Given that there are undisclosed tobaccos, my assumption is that these are harder to acquire leaves. This makes me believe there will be a bit more finesse in this cigar as compared to their core line offerings (Crook of the Crown and Call to Arms). I expect pepper and earthy notes from the Nicaraguan components and am hopeful for some cream given the Habano wrapper. The impact from the undisclosed portions of the blend will be a surprise!
Prelight Characteristics
I am not a fan of the band on this cigar. It definitely seems fitting for a CFed release. The wrapper is clean. The foot is closed. The cigar is heavy for the size. The cold draw is unpronounced and surprisingly loose for having a closed foot. The cigar has a raisiny sweet smell to it.
First Third
The first light is pepper forward, full in body and flavor. There is an oak and creaminess on the back end. The finish is nutty, salty and creamy. It has a very thick mouthfeel. The pepper subsides a few puffs in but the rest of the flavors are there. About an inch in and the texture is still thick and creamy but the creamy, nutty flavor is not substantial. It is mainly salty and oaky. The cigar is becoming more oaky, salty, and meaty as it progresses through this third. The ash dropped about an inch and a half in. I am nearing the end of the first third and the flavor has come down to a medium. The strength is medium-full, the body is still full. There are hints of cream coming in and out, but it is still primarily an oaky, salty meatiness.
Second Third
Moving into the second third and some pepper is joining in. The meatiness seems to be subsiding. The creaminess is still in and out. The performance and draw have been flawless to this point. After an inch or so, the flavors are thankfully becoming more like the first few puffs. Nutty, creamy, some oak, and a little salt. There is still some pepper holding on. I say “thankfully” not because the previous flavors were unappealing, but there was not enough going on with them to keep me as engaged. Nearing halfway and the first third oaky, salty meat flavor is starting to come back in, this time with a slight bitterness on the finish. The strength is at a medium. At about halfway I had to do a slight touch up, but nothing major. This third is keeping my attention as the flavors shifted again; adding a citrus to the creamy, nutty flavors that keep coming back.
Final Third
Moving into the final third, the citrus has picked up with a touch of cream still subtly in the mix. The smoke is thoroughly coating the palate and the finish leaves a charred oak between puffs. Halfway through this third and the citrus is primary with some cream and pepper to start the finish before fading to the charred oakiness. Nearing the end and the creamy, nutty first light flavors are returning. The smoke has been, and still is, full in body. The strength has maintained a medium-full level. The finish still holds some oakiness and has a kind of “grit” to it, like it gets to the back of the throat a tad. This third has had a little sting through the nose. As the cigar comes to an end, the flavors remain pretty much unchanged.
Overall Experience
Overall I enjoyed this cigar. I got about an hour and 42 minutes of smoke time, and the cigar performed wonderfully throughout, with only a minor touch up after the ash dropped in the second third. For the most part, the flavor profile kept me engaged as there were several shifts, and at times, many layers of flavor. There was definitely more to this cigar than I had anticipated. I would say that this cigar would fill a gap in the core line offerings for Stolen Throne. The existing two core blends offer two different flavor profiles and execute nicely on those profiles, whereas this blend offers a bit more dimension. The Stolen Throne War Council is worth trying if you have the opportunity, and is second, behind the Call to Arms, for my preferred blends in their portfolio.