Ahhh, the story continues to be told, by Ventura Cigars. Building on the success of their premier Archetype cigar line, the company was making a splash at the Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) 2020 trade show last month. They showcased the release of 2 new blends – “The Master” and “The Pupil”. I got to hang out with Master Blender, Michael Giannini, at the show and he is quite pleased with how these two blends came out and is grateful to the Joya De Nicaragua factory for their excellent work on them.
He then told me the story behind the names.
The story Michael tells, is that of Dr. Sigmund Freud and student Dr. Carl Jung. The older Freud saw himself in the younger Jung and he took him in as a student. Freud noted that he found his heir and called him his adopted son. But things did not work out so well in the newly formed relationship which lasted 6 years. Jung was not on the same page as Freud with regards to the libido (sex) being the core of our personality. Jung believed his personal development was influenced by factors he felt were unrelated to sexuality. This riff in the relationship grew over the years with added disagreements on the science of psychiatry. The relationship came to end, and Jung became the master where many in his field followed him.
The story of master and pupil is told in numerous works of art and literature. There is a Danish fairly tale that talks of a young boy and a wizard. It is summarized on Wikipedia as follows:
“A boy trying to get himself hired is asked by a man if he can read who rejects him when the boy says he can even though his duties would only be to dust the man’s books. The boy runs ahead of the man and asks again for a job and this time claims he cannot read. The man accepts the boy and while he dusts the books he reads them. As his master is a wizard, the boy learns some magic and is then able to transform into any animal.
Later, the boy runs away and returns to his parents where he assists them by turning into a horse, being sold by his father, turning back into a boy, and escaping back to his parents.
The wizard hears about this and goes to the father to buy the boy/horse. He then attempts to have a red-hot nail driven into the horse’s mouth, as this will stop the transformation. The boy turns into a dove to escape but the wizard turns himself into a hawk to chase him. Then the boy transforms into a gold ring and drops into a girl’s lap. The wizard attempts to purchase the ring but the girl refuses as it has fallen from heaven. The wizard continues to offer ever increasing amounts of money until the boy, in fear, transforms into a grain of barley. The wizard turns into a hen intending to eat the boy, but the grain changes into a polecat which then bites the hen’s head off.
The polecat then transforms back into the boy who marries the girl and does no more magic.“
A small search for “Master and Pupil’ returns many interesting results including works of art. Wherever we go in life, there are times we are pupil and other times master or teacher. Embrace your role, whatever it is, and enjoy learning things new as often as you can.
The Master by Ventura Cigars
Enough of the background story, today I am here to talk about Ventura Cigars “The Master”. One of two blends in the Master and Pupil line. We will have a review of The Pupil later.
The Master is described by the company as a bold, confident Nicaraguan puro that has a blend described as:
- Wrapper – Nicaraguan
- Binder – Nicaraguan
- Filler – Nicaraguan
It is expressed in a single 6 x 52 vitola and comes packaged in glossy 20-count boxes and carries an MSRP of $15.79/cigar.
The cigar sampled for this review was provided to me by Ventura Cigars at the TPE Trade show.
Pre-Light Examination
The Master, by Ventura Cigars, is a stunningly attractive, dark oily brown cigar with a red tinge to it. It is heavy in the hand with tight and solid packing, along with a well applied triple cap to finish the construction. There are some noticeable veins running along the barrel, but nothing that seams like it would have an impact on the experience.
Two bands adorn the cigar. The primary band uses a blue background that has a print of Carl Jung wearing a hat. The hat uses holographic ink. On the left is the name “Archetype Special Edition” and the other side “The Master”. The secondary band is on the foot and uses the standard Archetype logo in white on holographic paper. Quite attractive in eyes if i do say so myself.
I ran The Master along the nose and was intrigued by the aromas my sense was picking up. There was sweetness and baking spice along the barrel and behind that was the pungent notes from the well fermented wrapper. I moved down to the foot and was further intrigued as I picked up a smoked hickory note. Very interesting indeed.
Slicing the cap with my double blade cutter, I proceeded to take a cold puff or two. The draw was good and notes of hickory graced the palate along with a light pepper note on the lips.
Alright then, pre-light is done, it was now time to warm the foot and take in the first puffs of The Master, by Ventura Cigars. Follow along as I learn the story of The Master.
Cigar Review Notes
- Cream and baking spice notes start the journey
- A touch of pepper hits the throat
- Smoke is thick and full yet giving a clean finish
- A medium grey ash forms on a fairly thick char line
- Cinnamon aroma starts wafting off the foot
- Ash fell early but displayed a good burn cone
- Cream maintains and a cocoa powder note grows in the background
- Woody notes find their way in at the start of the second third
- Nice oiling above the burn line
- Butter cream with a very light spice starts to build my interest
- Mild nut nuance teases the palate then fades away
- Dang, the ash falls again
- Coffee notes blend excellently with the cream
- Spice builds enters by midway
- Aroma shifts to more of an Amaretto aroma or a bag of shelled almonds
- Flavors are blending well, a pleasing profile of coffee, spice, and dark chocolate
- Profile stays similar through the final third with just a slight increase in spice and a hint of natural sweetness
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 40 minutes to the nub
I have to say, Ventura Cigars knocked it out of the park with The Master. I have not tried The Pupil yet, but The Master was stunning from pre-light down to the nub. The Masters at Joya de Nicaragua, where these are made, truly shine in this blend. Complex and smooth with delicate and shifting aromas make this cigar one you should consider buying a box of. I rate this one a solid 95.
Point Deductions: (-1) Medium Grey Ash; (-1) Ash Fell Early and Often;
Bonus Points: (+1) Oils Build Well on Wrapper; (+1) Buy a Box; (+1) Extremely Complex in Flavor and Aroma
Looked online but couldn’t find anyone who had any. Any ideas where to shop for them?
Check Smoke Inn our of Florida.