Back in 2017, I had the pleasure of reviewing the Rolling Thunder Cigar Co. .50 Caliber “Boot Camp” Habano robusto. The cigar offered some fine flavors and decent burn qualities. Now, Dave Cribbin, owner of Rolling Thunder Cigars has added another round to his .50 Caliber chamber. Known as the .50 Caliber “Pre-War” Vintage Double Ligero, it is the latest blend to come out of this small boutique cigar armory.
Before I get into the review, let me say that Dave Cribbin and his Rolling Thunder Cigar Company, is the only company I know of that offers you the option to purchase and donate cigars as part of your overall purchase. Kudos to you Dave for keeping our brave men and women in your business model.
Now let’s get into the review.
As noted, the .50 Caliber “Pre-War” Vintage Double Ligero is the latest introduction by Rolling Thunder Cigars. It is currently available in a single 5 x 52 Robusto Vitola. It is avaiable in 5, 10, and 20 packs on their website with an MSRP ranging from $42.49/5-pack to 162.49/20-pack.
The company has described the blend to me as:
- Wrapper – San Andres
- Binder – Corojo 99 (Jalapa)
- Filler – Seco, Viso, Ligero (Nicaragua)
Like all other Rolling Thunder Cigars, the .50 Caliber “Pre-War” Vintage Double Ligero is handcrafted at Tobacalera La Perla, S.A. in Estelí Nicaragua.
Pre-Light Examination
The .50 Caliber “Pre-War” Vintage Double Ligero is a dark brown and veiny cigar that has a light tooth (grit) to the touch and is finished with a triple cap. The cigar is solid to the touch from head to foot.
A single large gold and black sleeve adorns the cigar. It is the same band that adorns all Rolling Thunder Cigars in the company’ portfolio. There are no distinguishing marks that identify it as the “Pre-War” Vintage Double Ligero.
The pre-light aromas included notes of earth along the barrel and peppery spice and earth off the foot.
I opened it up using a straight cut and the cold draw had a decent restriction and offered a predominate earthy note with a pleasantly growing pepper component as I gave it a few more cold puffs.
Well, I enjoyed the “Boot Camp” habano in 2017, so let’s see how powerful this new bold .50 Caliber “Pre-War” Vintage Double Ligero is. I used my 3 flame torch to heat the foot before I pulled the trigger on the first puffs. Follow along as we break down the trajectory of this cigar.
Cigar Review Notes
- As anticipated there was an immediate pepper shot in the first salvo of smoke
- A white and toothy ash evolves atop of a medium char line
- The pepper tones down and makes room for the coffee and cream echelon
- Fruit note reserves build on both the palate and aroma
- Slightly wavy line evolves
- Sweet creamy fruit is predominant with a light spice undertone midway
- The ash has grown deep into the burn
- Ash finally fell revealing a slightly off centered and sharply pointed burn cone
- Coffee notes enter to back up the spice and a maple syrup aroma enters to add air support deep in the second third
- Peppery spice increases in the final as the strength moves up close to full
- Total Smoking Time was just over 1 hour
Overall, the Rolling Thunder .50 Caliber “Pre-War” Vintage Double Ligero was cigar that offered pepper, spice and an decent array of balanced flavors from foot to nub. It is a cigar that kicks in with some heavy strength in the the final third. From a construction view, it kept a long white ash before falling but did reveal a pointed and off centered burn cone. There was a slightly wavy burn that ended with a off burn in the final. I still feel this is worth buying a five pack especially if you like spicy and strong cigars. I rate this a 93.
Point Deductions: (-1) Wavy Burn Line; (-1) Off-centered Burn Cone; (-1) Pointed Burn Cone; (-1) Off Burn in the final
Bonus Points: (+1) Long ash
