Cigar Review: Hiram & Solomon Veiled Prophet Lancero – Rated 94

Introduced Earlier this year, the Hiram & Solomon Veiled Prophet Lancero is the third line extension to the Veiled Prophet blend since the original Grand Monarch (7 x 60) hit the market in 2016. Since it has been some time since I did a full introduction to the Veiled Prophet, allow me to repeat it here:

From “Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm.” Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. . Encyclopedia.com. 12 Mar. 2018<http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

“In spite of its name, the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm is not an occult or mystical organization, but entirely a fellowship association for Master Masons. The order was created in 1889 by LeRoy Fairchild and members of a Masonic lodge in Hamilton, New York. It grew out of an expressed desire of lodge members for diversions from the mundane concerns. Meeting for the first time in September of 1889, the order was originally known as the Fairchild Deviltry Committee. The idea proved a popular one, and the next year, members of the growing organization formally instituted the Supreme Council of the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm. From the beginning, membership was limited to Master Masons in good standing.
In spite of its major membership requirement, the order is not formally connected to any particular Masonic organization and does not engage in Masonic rituals. It does encourage the members’ participation in their lodge, but the rituals and activities of the order are strictly for fun. The unique ritual of the order is an elaborately staged production that amid its humor offers lessons in optimism, brotherhood, and the benefits of fellowship.”

Now, whenever a brand owner takes a blend and churns out a lancero variety of it, I am all in. Most manufacturers blend to a robusto or toro these days, as that is the most popular vitolas on the market. It takes a skillful torcedor to roll a well constructed lancero and the master blender is challenged to get a flavor profile close to the larger ring gauges as there is a limited amount of leaf. In the case of the Plasencia factory, they did Hiram & Solomon right with the Veiled Prophet Lancero.

The blend is equivalent to the previous vitolas in the line-up, and is described as:

Wrapper– Aged Brazilian Arapiraca Colorado
Binder– Indonesia
Filler– Habano Esteli, Paraguay, Habano Jalapa Ligero

The Veiled Prophet Lancero comes packaged in 30-count boxes and carries an MSRP of $12.00/cigar.

Pre-Light Examination

The Veiled Prophet Lancero is a dark brown cigar with a deep reddish tinge. The wrapper has a fine gritty tooth with a few noticeable veins and a decent oily sheen to it. A gentle squeeze up and down the long barrel shows no soft spots and the foot highlights a tight packing. It is finished with a simple cap.

A single band adorns the cigar which is the same that is used on the other vitolas with a silver Masonic logo emblazoned on a deep red background.

The pre-light aromas included a lightly pungent and naturally sweet barrel joined with a spice and cocoa note of the foot.

Using my double blade Xikar cutter, I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder and gave it some cold draw puffs that I would described as a bit snug while offering a growing pepper, a touch of earth, and some mild sweetness in the background.

Using a double flame torch, I carefully and gently warmed the foot to a fine orange glow and drew in the first peppery puffs of smoke that pried open the nasals on the retro-hale. OK then, with the preliminary inspection out of the way, follow along as I burn this one to ash. This review is based on 5 samples that I have enjoyed over the past month and a half.

Cigar Review Notes

Initial pepper blast to the nose
Natural Sweetness moves forward as the pepper tones down
Light grey ash forms on top of a decent thin burn line
A dry leather nuance enters along with a touch of cedar
Ash fell early revealing a flat but centered burn cone
Caramel notes begin to form moving the natural sweetness to a new dimension
Pleasant cocoa and mint notes enter moving through the second quarter
Strength has gone from medium to full
Peppery spice enters deep in the second half
Barrel starts to get squishy
Dry fruit notes and toasted caramel finish the long slow burning journey
Full Strength
Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 50 minutes – did I mention a slow burn!

Overall, this is by far my favorite in the Hiram and Solomon Veiled Prophet lineup. The flavors in this cigar were just scrumptious from pre-light to nub. There was no harshness, bitterness, or sour tastes and I would say the flavors were balanced and well transitioning. The cigar burned slowly and evenly for the most part. It did have a flat burn cone when as ash fell in solid chunks. I would certainly recommend buying a box (or splitting a box with a friend). I rate this a 94.