James Brown and his Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Esteli, Nicaragua create some amazing cigars. One of those is the Green Hornet which is an extension to the company’s Killer Bee line but a bit more amped up in strength.
The Green Hornet was officially announced at the 2016 IPCPR after being spending some time on the market as an “Event Only” cigar.
James Brown, Black Label Trading Co./Black Works Studio owner, noted in a press release back in 2016:
“The Green Hornet started as an event only cigar, however after seeing the response from consumers and retailers we knew it had to become a regular release. The blend is a touch stronger than the Killer Bee to compliment the larger vitola and the closed Candela foot creates a very unique profile from the first puff. The Green Hornet is big, bold, rich and spicy.”
The Green Hornet was originally introduced as a 5 x 48 vitola and since then, the company added an additional, 4.5 x 46 version, that they dubbed the Kato. For this review, I sampled the original Green Hornet.
I have to admit, I applaud James for creating the Green Hornet. It brought me back to my youth. I was a big fan of the short lived TV series of the same name, and as you see, I even dug out my original Green Hornet coloring back from back in the 1960’s. SOCKO!! Thanks James.
The Green Hornet blend is described as:
- Wrapper – Ecuadorian Maduro/Candela
- Binder – Nicaraguan Habano
- Filler – Nicaraguan
As noted, the Green Hornet is a 5 x 48 vitola and come packaged in 20-count boxes. MSRP is set at $9.95/cigar but they can be found in various outlets for up to 20% off if you look for them.
Pre-Light Examination
The Black Works Studio Green Hornet is cloaked in a smooth dark chocolate brown wrapper with a bit of a red clay tinge to it. It has a mild gritty feel to as you run your fingers along the barrel. The wrapper is light on vieins with a mild oily sheen. The vitola is finished with a closed candela foot and a triple cap that has exposed rings of candela around it. The cigar is tightly packed and is truly a work of art.
A single band adorns the cigar, using a black, green, and gold motif. The front of the band declares it as the “GREEN HORNET” in green and “black works studio” in gold. The back of the band has a green hornet (the insect) in the center of a golden decagram.
As I ran the Green Hornet under my nose, I detected a pungent fermented leaf barrel and just a hint of sweetness off the closed foot.
I sliced the cap straight with my double blade cutter and proceeded to give it some cold draw puffs. The draw was perfect for me and offered notes of sweetness, herbal, and pepper.
With the pre-light much to my liking, I used my double flame torch to warm the foot. The loose candela leaf took to the heat well to start the journey. Follow along as I burn the Green Hornet to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Herbal notes off the initial puffs
- Early attack of the “Nicups” – SOCKO – WHACK – POW
- White Pepper shots hit nose and throat
- Light grey ash forms on a thick and wavy char line
- Spicy fruit notes join the early profile
- Slight off burn develops but never needed a touch-up
- Ash fell revealing an off-centered burn cone
- Coffee notes add to the profile
- Cedar and earth nuances fill in the background
- Lemongrass forms deep in second third
- Cedar and spice increase a bit down to the final
- Medium to Full in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 25 minutes
Overall, the Black Works Studio Green Hornet was a flavorful and balanced cigar from foot to nub. I especially liked the lemon grass notes that entered deep in the second third and brightened the profile down to the end. It did have a wavy burn through the first half and an off centered burn cone once the ash fell. I would certainly recommend picking up a fiver of these and I rate it a 91.
Point Deductions: (-1) Wavy Burn; (-1) Off Burn; (-1) Off Centered Burn Cone
The Green Hornet character was originally created by in 1936 by by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. The show was originally a syndicated radio show and in the 1940’s it was a film serial. For those that don’t know, a film serial was a short movie that showed before the main attraction and was broke up into monthly chapters. The show finally made it to TV in the 1960’s and costarred the great Bruce Lee as sidekick Kato. It was Lee’s first major adult role. The TV show lasted only from 1966 – 1967.