Paul Stulac Lord – Cigar Review

I was away on business this week and was loaded down with work related activities resulting in very little time to write reviews. During the week I received an email from John Vaccaro from Paul Stulac Cigars wondering if I had an opportunty to sample their cigars. I told him not yet, but I will move them to the front of the line as soon as I get home from business. I wanted them to rest in my humidor after returning from the IPCPR show in Vegas.

So I got home this evening, and as promised, I searched out the Paul Stulac Lord and proceeded to give it a whirl. I settled into the Gar-Cave with my dog Rufus, who is happy I am back home, as he likes to do these reviews with me.

The Lord is a 6 x 44 beautiful dark Ecuadorian Habano wrapped Nicaraguan blended lonsdale vitola made in Esteli Nicaragua. The Lord is the result of a collaboration between Travis Lord from Famous Smoke Shop and Paul Stulac. I have also heard this stogie is affectionately known as the “Lord of Albany” paying tribute to Travis’ Famous Smoke Shop in Albany, NY. Though it has been around for a little while, I was introduced to it at this years IPCPR convention in Las Vegas.

The Paul Stulac Lord has a dark chocolate oily wrapper with  little to no veins.  It has a sweet earthy scent and after clipping the head I  get an earthy draw.

Paul Stulac Lord

I fire it up and cue some Led Zeppelin III on the old turntable. I am greeted with a nice sweet citrus at the start and  a bright white ash with a pin point eyeliner burn. Shortly into the burn there is a bit of complexity coming through. Notes of coffee blended in with the citrus. As a matter of taste, it was like having a dark Italian espresso with a twist of lemon peel. If you ever had that, you know what I am talking about. If you havent, try it sometime, it is delicious just like this stogie.

Puffing away, the draw was perfect and the smoke was rich and full. It was so tasty at the start, I wanted to chief the stick, but
I restrain my desire and puff gently to enjoy every inch of it.

Continuing through the 1st third, the coffee and citrus is prominent and front and center with a hint of pepper in the background. It is a well-balanced cigar. The pepper tingles the tip of my tongue as Bonham beats the drums to “Tangerine”.  I’m in that laid back mood tonight as I slide into the couch to enjoy this stick.

The ash holds on tight for a good 2 inches and the  burn is impeccable. Based on the construction I am sure the ash will grow again, and as you will see, it did. The flavors are really starting to kick in now as I get into the 2nd third. There is an intense creaminess coming through, masking the citrus but not the pepper. The Lord still tingles my tongue and also my nostrils on the retro-hale. The gentle pepper adds a wonderful compliment to the citrus and creamy notes.

Examining the stick during the burn,  there are tiny oily breads decorating  the dark  Habano wrapper. This was definitely a great choice for a Friday night back home. I bit off a piece of the tobacco on the clipped head and that was sweet and tasty too.

Page’s bluesy riffs are adding to the experience and like a good Zeppelin song, the Lord starts to pick up on strength and changes.  The retro-hale has mellowed and there is a nutmeg like scent coming off the foot.  The pepper has coated my tongue igniting the taste buds as the citrus becomes prominent again.

I understand the Lord is about an 8 dollar cigar. The FDA says 10 dollars is considered premium; they obviously never smoked a great 8 dollar stick like the Paul Stulac Lord.

As it finished the burn got a little hot near the nub, but hey, it’s the nub. I can’t complain about that. Maybe I smoked it just a bit too fast at the end.

Paul Stulac Lord

Well, I was certainly pleased to have  smoked the Paul Stulac Lord  and I will search these out at my local shops here in Melbourne, FL.

Thanks Paul and Travis. You have a winner here.