Today I would like to offer my 3rd review of the Rebellion Cigars line. I will be staying with “The Country Range” of cigars in this review. The country line includes 3 blends;
- 5 O’Clock Somewhere
- Ring of Fire
- Redneck Woman
So far, I have enjoyed the blends that Rebellion Cigars has offered the market. So, keeping with the Country Line, I will be talking about the 5 O’Clock Somewhere cigar which is named after the famous drinking song “It’s 5’Oclock Somewhere”
“It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” is a song performed by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett, and written by Jim “Moose” Brown and Don Rollins. It was released in June 2003 as the lead single from Jackson’s 2003 compilation album Greatest Hits Volume II. It spent eight non-consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard Hot Country Songs in the summer of 2003, and ranked #4 on the year-end chart. In addition, the song peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September, and ranked #65 on the year-end Hot 100, making it the biggest pop hit for Jackson and the first top forty hit for Buffett since the 1970s.
The Rebellion Cigars 5 O’Clock Somewhere blend is described as:
- Wrapper – Habano
- Binder – Connecticut
- Filler – Special Blend Featuring Trojes
The Rebellion Cigars 5 O’Clock Somewhere is expressed in 3 different vitolas, each packaged in 20-count bundles. The company chose to go with bundles and offers display trays for cigar shops.
- Gordo – (6 x 60) MSRP $12.80
- Robusto (5 x 52) – MSRP $10.00
- Toro – (6 x 52) MSRP $11.00
Rebellion Cigars are handcrafted at Seven Cigars factory in Danli, Honduras.
For this review, I sampled one of the Rebellion Cigars 5 O’Clock Somewhere, which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
Pre-Light Examination
The Rebellion Cigars 5 O’Clock Somewhere is cloaked in a med brown wrapper that has a matte finish. It exhibits some noticeable minimum veins and a slight bit of marbling. It feels nicely packed and rolled from head to foot. A double cap finishes the construction.
Two bands adorn the cigar. Both bands use a pink, white and black motif. The primary band is the same used on all the company’s offerings and proudly displays the company’s logo in the center. The secondary band is placed just below and declares this as the “5 O’Clock Somewhere”.
I ran the barrel of the 5 O’Clock Somewhere along my nose and was greeted with a pleasant floral aroma while the foot offered hickory and earth notes.
I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder with my double blade Xikar cutter and gave it some cold draws that I found to be just fine with restriction while treating the palate to earthy and nutmeg notes.
Using Xikar fan flame torch, I warmed the foot gently to an even orange glow and drew in the first draws of decent peppery kick to start the journey.
Cigar Review Notes
- Peppery kick starts the journey especially on the retrohale
- A salt and pepper ash forms on top of a thin wavy char line
- The draw is easy and produces a full volume of smoke from each puff
- Salty chocolate notes develop
- Ash fell in a decent chunk revealing an off-centered, long pointed cone
- Milder spice notes moving into the second third
- Sugary sweetness begins to develop moving providing a pleasant balance
- Earlier chocolate evolves into a darker chocolate note
- Walnut notes join the pleasure midway, blending well with the chocolate and sweetness
- A mild almond note enters in the final third leaving a tasty lingering note on the palate
- Medium in strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 30 minutes
Final Analysis
The Rebellion Cigars 5 O’Clock Somewhere Toro experience begins with a bold, peppery kick that ignites the journey, especially noticeable on the retrohale. The draw is smooth and perfectly restricted, releasing a thick, voluminous smoke with each puff. As the journey settles in, distinct salty chocolate notes begin to emerge moistening the palate. As the smoke progresses into the second third, the peppery spice mellows, giving way to subtler, milder flavors. A delicate, sugary sweetness begins to develop, bringing a pleasant balance to the profile and smoothing out the intensity. The earlier chocolate flavor evolves into a darker, more complex note, deepening the richness. Midway through, walnut notes make their entrance, harmonizing beautifully with the dark chocolate and sweetness, creating a tasty blend of flavors. As the final third unfolds, a mild almond note emerges, leaving behind a tasty, lingering impression on the palate down to the finish. This is one that I would say is a box buy with its enticing flavor profile. I rate this a 94.
Point Deductions:(-1) Mild Wave in burn; (-1) Long off centered pointed burn cone after first ash drop
Bonus Points: (+1) Box Buy; (+1) Pleasurable and complex yet balanced profile
