Ok, what in Sam Hill is Boston Jimmie talking about, or better still what am I smoking. My friend and mad scientist when it comes to innovative cigar blends, Patrick Potter, has once again emerged from his top secret lab with what may be – one of the most unique cigars on the market. Allow me to introduce, the Green Chili Apple Pie, a Nicaraguan Habano Puro that has some added flavor using a Patent Pending fermentation process developed by Tabac Trading Co.
To begin this review, I don’t know where to start explaining what this is. Is it a dessert cigar? I suppose you could call it that. It is certainly something I would smoke after a large meal. Yet again, it could be a sensory awakening, especially for those whose olfactory lay dormant in the wilds of every day average cigars.
Then again, one may ask – Is it a cigar? The answer to that question is – fuck yea it is!! It is constructed with premium tobacco leaf and masterfully constructed and rolled. The only difference is, it has some special flavors and a little bit (ok a lot) of Capsaicin in it. Capsaicin is the chemical that is naturally found in peppers and is what makes hot peppers “Hot”. Yea – hot, hotter, hottest.
Before I go any further, you may ask, what gave someone the idea of creating a cigar called “Green Chili Apple Pie“?
Well you need to look no further than a search on Google and discover this is a pie that many rave about, especially in New Mexico. The ingredients of which may include:
- Pie Crust that incorporates cheddar cheese
- Filling that includes
- Granny Smith Apples
- Green chiles
- White sugar
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Lemon
- Walnut Streusel Topping
Are your taste buds vibrating yet? After smoking this cigar I can assure you they will be. If you’re like me, you may even want to bake one of these pies and compare it to the cigar. As noted, New Mexico is pretty famous for this pie and I guess that is why Patrick had a release party for the cigar at MONTE’S CIGAR SHOP in Albuquerque, NM.
Alright, enough background information, let’s talk cigars instead of pie shall we.
The first thing to understand about this cigar is that Patrick actually gives these to his best retailers like he has done for other very limited seasonal editions over the years. It is his way of saying thank you for their support, the retailer only pays shipping. The cigar was blended and rolled by Patrick himself. Yes he is a ligador and he also created the packaging for the project.
The Green Chili Apple Pie cigar comes packaged in an eye catching 5-count cardboard box, that just invites you to check it out in a shop. The cigar itself is a rolled into a chunky (5 x 64) vitola and when you open the box, the room just starts to smell like an apple pie, fresh out of the oven. If that was all it was, I may just have stopped here, but there is more, way more…
Tabac Trading Co. Green Chili Apple Pie 
Tabac Trading Co. Green Chili Apple Pie
Go ahead, pick one up and remove the cello and experience the aromatic sensation that begins to awaken your nasals. For me, it brought back memories of the many holidays which my mother baked apple pies to bring to the relatives. Run it across the nasals and smell that toasted caramel, baking spice and inviting sweet and tangy granny smith apple. No NO NO… don’t bite it… savor it… breath in the aroma and close your eyes… you too should have memories coming back.
All right, now examine the construction – solidly rolled, medium tan in color with a mild sheen. Look at the foot, yes an expertly finished closed foot. Damn, those aromas are exciting your endorphins aren’t they? You want to slice the cap and taste this inviting dish of a cigar. Once you take the first cold draw puffs your mouth salivates with the tangy granny smith apple and toasted caramel notes. As you lick your lips the flavors linger and a moderate pepper spice starts to warm the palate.
The question now is – ARE YOU READY?
WARNING !!! As you light this up, DO NOT INHALE the smoke. WARNING!!!
Now that you have been warned, gently light the closed foot and draw a small puff of smoke. Tasty eh? Apple pie for sure, toasted pie crust, and caramel with a mild fruit tang. Exhale the smoke as you would normally do and slowly breath in some air. HOLY CRAP – the heat of the aerated and activated Capsaicin molecules fire up the palate like a drop of Mad Dog 357 No. 9 Plutonium hot sauce. Go ahead, shake your head, I did it too – What in the Hell’s Blazes did I just do? Calm down brothers and sisters, it settles a bit and the apple pie and peppery heat balance out. Whooo!
I would say that would be enough, this might be more than I bargained for, but my mind says otherwise. I want more, like riding the wildest roller coaster, you want to ride again, so you take another puff and repeat the process, each time beginning to understand the effect this cigar has on you puff after puff. I strangely begin to smile and then laugh out loud. Patrick Potter, you are a mad scientist. Why the hell am I loving this punishment to my palate so much? I am thinking I need to have my wife make me some of that Green Chili Apple Pie, just to compare to this.
Tabac Trading Co. Green Chili Apple Pie 
Tabac Trading Co. Green Chili Apple Pie
I convince myself, the more I smoke this, the pepper will fade and the sweetness and fruit will be dominate. Yea, that is not the case. Each puff is like the prior – Apple Pie then crazy Peppery Spice. I keep smiling, keep laughing, as my palate takes it all in. Do I dare retro-hale? OK, maybe once. Dammit, why did I do that? Ahh, the nasals have opened up and I taste more nuances, a hint of cinnamon, touch of nutmeg and more tangy Granny Smith apples. Soothing sweet caramel ties it all together.
As I get down towards the final third, I am not sure if I am just used to it or did the pepper finally fade. It seems to have settled down as a mild vanilla cream note starts to grace the palate, almost like a sweet yogurt you might have with a spicy hot Indian dish or perhaps a side of vanilla ice cream. I smoke it down to the nub as the final is much more soothing easing the palate back to reality.
I know this may not be a cigar for everybody. No cigar really is. We each have our own tastes and desires, but if you like pepper bombs and are searching for a nuclear bomb, beyond anything you ever had before, while offering some amazing and unique flavors, this may well be in your wheel house. I have to say, I smoked two of these so far and after a couple of days pondering my thoughts on it, I want to fire up another.
Where To Get Your Fix of Green Chili Apple Pie
The Green Chili Apple Pie by Tabac Trading Co. is available at select retailers around the country. You can reach out to Patrick Potter on Facebook Messenger and he can tell you where to find them, based on your locality. I do know they can be found at:
- Harry’s, Habana Hut in NYC
- Butthead’s Tobacco Emporium in Danbury, CT
- Knights Cigar Lounge in West Hartford, CT
- Beehive Cigars in Salt Lake City, UT
- Embargo Cigar Lounge in Phoenix, AZ
- Monte’s Cigar Shop in Albuquerque, NM
They retail for $80.00 for a five pack and will be part of the Tabac Trading Co, Gastronomique seasonal line of cigars in the future.
If you smoke this, I would love to hear your feedback. I am not rating this. It so unique and different that I say just go try it especially if you like peppery cigars.
