Intemperance EC XVIII

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Intemperance EC XVIII

Intemperance EC XVIII

Welcome to May, loyal Stogie Review fans. A new month brings us a new cigar line: Intemperance by RoMa Craft Tobac. You’ll recall back in November I reviewed the CroMagnon Knuckle Dragger, the brainchild of Skip Martin (aka @ChiefHava), which I liked so much that it wound up in my list of the Top 5 Cigars of 2011. Well, Skip is back with his latest creation, the new Intemperance line, again in collaboration with Michael Rosales of Adrian’s Cigars fame. Together, Skip and Michael have formed RoMa Craft Tobac, and this is their first release under the newly-formed company.

The name “Intemperance” harkens back to the Temperance Movement of the 19th century that brought us 13 joyless years of prohibition in the United States. The branding is intended to rally opposition against the modern temperance movement, which today targets smoking tobacco in place of alcoholic beverages. The Intemperance is offered in two different wrappers. The first, called the EC XVIII, is an Ecuadorian Connecticut in light of the Temperance Movement’s origins in rural Connecticut and the 18th Amendment establishing prohibition. The second is the BA XXI, a Brazil Arapiraca celebrating the ratification of the 21st Amendment repealing the failed “noble experiment.”

Intemperance EC XVIII

My original plan was to cover both wrappers in a single review, since I had mistakenly assumed they surrounded the same blend. However, upon checking with Skip, I learned that the two blends are composed of almost completely different tobaccos. So, this review will serve as part one of my coverage of the Intemperance line, with part two to follow in the coming weeks.

Intemperance EC XVIII

Intemperance EC XVIII by the numbers:
Size: 5.5×54 belicoso
Vitola: Industry
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder & Filler: described as “primarily Nicaraguan” with the remainder being “not Nicaraguan”
Strength: Mild-Medium
Factory: Fabrica de Tobacco NicaSueno in Esteli, Nicaragua
No. smoked for review: 3
Duration: 1.75 hours
Source: review samples
Price: $7.00
Website: www.havacigarshop.com
Twitter: @RoMaCraft

Intemperance EC XVIII

The pre-light inspection reveals a nice and well-packed roll with just a little give. The wrapper is a very light brown color, with tiny veins and minor wrinkles here & there. About an 1/8 of an inch of the binder is exposed at the end of the foot. Off the wrapper, I picked up a light barnyard scent, while the foot gave off some sweet hay and light manure. The cold draw provided just the right amount of resistance with barnyard and manure mixed with an almost raisinette-like flavor.

Intemperance EC XVIII

Right off the bat, the EC XVIII offered a great draw that produced lots of smoke. Initial flavors were coffee & cream with some red pepper and a gentle sweetness. This quickly gave way to nutty and woodsy notes, with a slightly flaky white ash.

Intemperance EC XVIII

In the second third, the creamy flavors continued to build, and while the spice remained, it seemed to transition into a cinnamon-nutmeg profile. The burn was quite well-behaved, requiring only the slightest of touch-ups even in a stiff breeze.

Intemperance EC XVIII

Towards the end, the flavors mellowed-out a bit (almost approaching “bland” in comparison to the saporous CroMagnon line), as I was left with just a bit of black pepper. The strength grew ever-so-slightly from mild into the mild-medium range as the final third came to a close, with the nicotine proving to be barely noticeable even early in the day on an empty stomach.

Intemperance EC XVIII

The Intemperance EC XVIII is quite a change of pace from the full-bodied, full-flavored CroMagnon line released last year. Although I enjoyed it, the Ecuadorian Connecticut was a bit milder than I prefer. The flavors are somewhat delicate, so I’d recommend trying it as a first cigar of the day when your palate is still fresh. I’d like to thank Skip for kindly sending these review samples to me, and I invite you all to stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion of this two-part series of my reviews of the Intemperance line, as I share my thoughts on the Brazil Arapiraca-wrapped BA XXI in the near future.

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Charlie has been enjoying cigars since 2000 and generally prefers a medium-bodied, full-flavored smoke. A USAF vet, he currently works as a data scientist focusing on natural language processing and is pursuing a PhD in computer science in his spare time. Originally from Connecticut and now residing in Northern Virginia, Charlie is also a fan of football, science fiction, political philosophy, and single malt scotch. You can contact Charlie on Twitter @greenbacker.

6 thoughts on “Intemperance EC XVIII

  1. Thanks for the great in-depth review, Charlie, as well as for the use of the word “saporous”. 🙂 I, too, love the full flavor of the CroMagnon, but this sounds like a nice first thing in the morning smoke that I enjoy as well. I’m definitely scraping the pennies together to get at least a sampler pack of these. I look forward to the thrilling conclusion of your Intemperance review!

  2. Charlie, any reason they leave some of the binder exposed on the foot? That was the first thing I noticed in the pictures above. Does it help light the cigar and get it off to a nice even burn or is it just for show?

  3. Nice write up Charlie, I’m excited to try his lines I have yet to have any but I hear great things about this line and the Cro Mag. Keep up the good work

  4. Hey Charlie, I have not had the Intemperance EC XVIII. I did order the BA XXI and find it to be very flavorful. An excellent cigar. Thanks for the review.

  5. Thanks for taking the time to write this up Charlie.

    To answer the question, the exposed foot has two purposes.

    1. It is asthetic to the brand. The Tree of Intemperance features a root system. The exposed foot reflects that root system.

    2. It allows the smoker to taste the blend without the wrapper. When the wrapper kicks in the flavor profile shifts.

    Skip

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