At the 2018 IPCPR I had the distinct pleasure of meeting the team from a small boutique company based out of San Antonio, Texas known as Warfighter Cigars. This is a company that is owned and operated by combat war veterans and according to the company’s website:
“We aren’t even close to heroes, but we have been lucky enough to get to know, and serve with, a bunch of ass-kickers who are. “
https://www.warfightertobacco.com/
At the show, Warfighter Cigars were kind enough to present me samples of their craft and one of those is the subject of today’s review, the Garrison 7.62 MM Double Corona. I will have more reviews of the Warfighter Cigar line soon.
The Warfighter Garrison 7.62 MM Line is a bold and refreshing Nicaraguan puro blend described as:
- Wrapper – Habano Rosado (Nicaragua)
- Binder – Habano (Nicaragua)
- Filler – Habano (Jalapa, Nicaragua), Habano (Ometepe, Nicaragua), Habano (Estelí, Nicaragua)
The Garrison 7.62 MM line comes in 4 vitolas and packaged in 20-count boxes:
- Robusto (5 x 52) MSRP $8.50
- Toro (6 x 52) MSRP $9.50
- Double Corona (7 x 52) MSRP $10.50
- Rocco (6 x 60) MSRP $12.50
As noted, for this review I sampled the Warfighter Cigars Garrison 7.62 MM Double Corona.
Pre-Light Examination
The Warfighter 7.62 mm Garrison Double Corona is a satiny, medium brown cigar that has a few veins and bumps along the barrel. It has a solid well packed feel and is finished with a simple cap.
There is a single silver and black band that adorns the cigar with the company’s logo proudly displayed front and center and the word “GARRISON” on top. The side of the band identifies it as the 7.62 MM.
The barrel of this cigar has a sweet curing barn aroma to it and the foot exudes on notes of malt and fruit.
As always, I sliced the cap with a straight cut and took some cold puffs. The draw on this long cigar was spot on and offered very enticing notes of fruit and cream. There was also a pepper note that lingered in the lips and eventually made to the palate warming the cheeks.
With the battlefield assessment done it was time to take the rest of the march as I torched it with my triple flame lighter, igniting it to a warm even glow and took the first salvo of pepper laden puffs of smoke.
Cigar Review Notes
- Peppery spice to start especially on the nasals the
- Pepper tones down to more of a lightly sweet cinnamon spice after half inch of initial burn
- White ash develops on medium char line
- Sweet coffee aroma
- Smoke volume is palate filling and creamy in texture
- Mouth watering citrus zest enters with a long finish
- Slight off burn near end of first third
- As the ash fell there was an inward burn which required a touch-up
- Coffee notes increase
- Spice starts to make a move to the front line along with a second
Echelon of cedar in the second third - Aroma has moved to more of a roasted chestnut – that just brought me back to the streets of NY
- Spice meets up with a sweetness midway for a truly pleasing flavor sensation
- Burn line is thick but behaving with a slight off burn at time but no more touch-ups
- Flavors pretty much the same through the final – spice, sweetness, and a hint of coffee
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was just over 2 hours
Overall, the Warfighter Garrison 7.62 MM Double Corona was a complex palate pleasing cigar. The shifts and changes in the flavors and aroma profile would keep any cigar enthusiast interested, as it did to me. The construction was pretty decent, although it did develop a inward tunnel effect in the first third. Once I touched it up the cigar behaved decently to the finish. I would also call out the long ash in the second run of the ash burn which garnishes this cigar a bonus point. I rate this a 91.
In closing, I would like to thank the whole team from Warfighter Cigars for their service to our country and the tremendous sacrifice that have offered.
Point Deductions: (-3) Tunnel Burn in the First third; (-1) Required Touch-up; (-1) Wave/Slight Off Burn; (-1) Would Buy on Again
Bonus Point: (+1) Long Ash
