At this years Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) I had the pleasure of introducing myself to the owner of a new cigar brand – Family X Loyalty. The company is owned by Ernesto Cordova and Allen Sanabria who are brothers by loyalty. They actually met in 2018 at a school event for their daughters and realized they had common goals and desires.
The two “brothers” originally founded CS Cigars, a company that manufactured handmade pipes for cigar. As CS Cigars grew, the two grew also and came to realize they could express their common concerns through tobacco blends and that is when the new company – FAMILY X LOYALTY – was launched.
At this years TPE, Family X Loyalty launched three more blends to the market, making for a total of 5. Today I will be talking about one of those blends, the Fenrir. The name is also Norse, and refers to Fenrisúlfr, a monstrous wolf in the myths who was the son of the demoniac god Loki.
The Family X Loyalty Cigars – Fenrir has a blend described as:
- Wrapper – Nicaragua (Sumatra)
- Binder – Dominican Republic (Criollo 98)
- Filler – Nicaragua (Cubano 98 and Corojo 2006)
The Fenrir is expressed in three vitolas, two of which come packaged in 21-count boxes and the smaller (Pipe Size) in 25-count boxes. Why pipe size? Because it fits into the original CS Cigars, pipe for cigars.
- Robusto (5 x 50) – MSRP $11.99
- Box Pressed Gran Toro (6 x 54) – MSRP $12.99
- Pipe Size (3 1/2 x 52) – MSRP $9.83
Pre-light Examination
The Family X Loyalty Cigars – Fenrir is a well constructed reddish brown cigar that has an oval pressing. The wrapper has a fine oily sheen and smooth to the touch and a light marbling throughout. It feel firmly packed to the touch and is neatly finished with a well applied pigtail cap and a semi-closed foot.
Two bands adorn the Fenrir. The primary uses a red and black motif and display the company’s wolf logo and the name Fenrir written in Norse lettering. The secondary footer band uses a silver and blue motif and declares this as Family X Loyalty product.
Running the Fenrir along the nose, I picked up a sweet and spicy note along the barrel and similar notes off the foot.
I sliced the well applied cap straight across the shoulder of the cigar and proceeded to give it some cold draw puffs that I found to be fine from a restriction perspective and offering a growing pepper and slight tartiness.
With the pre-light examination out of the way, I used my double flame torch to warm the foot to an even orange glow and drew in the first pepper shots that opened the nasals and started the journey. Follow along as I burn this wolf to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Decent pepper shot to the nasals to start
- Full volume of smoke right off the first puffs
- Light grey flaky ash forms on top of a medium thick wavy char line
- Continued pepper through the first inch of burn
- Bit of an off burn developed early in the journey
- Mild nut aroma begins to waft off the foot
- Ash fell early revealing a flat but centered burn cone
- Pleasant sweetness begins to flow into the profile
- Burn line has straightened out
- Hint of cedar appears in the background
- Spice notes enter in the second third
- Bitter notes offset the profile followed by a tangy fruit
- Wave in burn started again
- Touch of cream deep balances out the tangy fruit – deep in the second third
- Sweetness, fruit and cream take it to the end
- Medium Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 35 minutes
Final Analysis
The Family X Loyalty Cigars – Fenrir Robusto was a decent cigar that started with a roar of pepper notes that lasted for a good inch of the burn before receding and offering a pleasant sweetness joined with a nut aromas. It did have some bitter notes that offset the pleasantly developing profile before transitioning to notes of cream and fruit. The burn was a bit wonky throughout the experience and it carried short drops of a flaky ash. This is one I may try again and I rate it an 88.
Point Deductions: (-1) Early Off Burn; (-1) Wavy Burn; (-1) Flat Burn Cone; (-1) Bitter notes start of second third; (-1) Flaky Ash; (-1) May try one again.
