Back in 2019, I had the opportunity to interview Documentary Film Producer, Kareem (Reem) Fort, to talk about his latest project “Smoke BIG“. A new documentary film, which was scheduled to be released in early 2020, and focused on the Los Angeles cigar culture. Of course the pandemic got in the way and the release was pushed out. Now here in 2023, Kareem and his production team are releasing the film this month. As part of the release, Kareem decided to release a special limited edition cigar through the Privada Cigar Club, known as “The Director’s Cut“.
In announcing the release of the new cigar, Kareem stated:
“It is my pleasure to present a cigar that directly reflects the sentiments of my film Smoke BIG. This was designed for the novice and/or intermediate smoker that have fallen in love with this culture but want to know more and are genuinely curious about the lifestyle!! Thank you to the good folks at Privada Cigar Club for making this happen! (And it won’t hurt your pockets!) enjoy.”
The blend is described as:
- Wrapper – Ecuadorian Connecticut (aged 3 years)
- Binder – Dominican Piloto Cubano
- Filler – Nicaraguan and Dominican Republic
The Director’s Cut is expressed in a single (5 x 60) Robusto gordito vitola and are available in single counts with an MSRP of $10.00/cigar
For this review I sampled two of these cigars, which I received from Kareem for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
Pre-Light Examination
The Director’s Cut is an exquisitely crafted cigar, boasting a lustrous, dark-golden tan wrapper with delicate veining and a subtle shine. The cigar is superbly rolled, yielding a firm feel without the heft commonly associated with cigars of similar dimensions. A meticulously applied pigtail cap adds to the cigar’s visual appeal, with a noticeably elongated twist that sets it apart from others. The closed foot adds an additional touch of elegance to this already impressive looking cigar.
The cigar’s single band is strikingly adorned with a vivid yellow, white, and black color scheme. The bold letters of “THE DIRECTOR’S CUT” command attention against the backdrop of a tobacco plant image. Two silhouetted palm trees in a vibrant yellow hue accentuate the band’s edges, while the “Privada Cigar Club” logo is prominently displayed on the far right. Surrounding the central imagery, the phrase “Smoke Big Productions” is cleverly incorporated into the design, adding a touch of flair.
Running the cigar along the nose, I detected a light spice along the barrel while the foot presented notes of cocoa and spice.
With this being a large ring gauge cigar, I opted to straight cut the cap across the shoulder of the cigar and gave it some cold draw puffs that graced the palate with notes of cocoa a hint of black pepper.
I used a lit cedar spill to warm the foot with the soft flame bringing it to an even orange glow as I drew in the the initial puffs of bitter citrus peel and black pepper notes. Follow along as burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Initial light offers a touch of bitter citrus peel and a hint of black pepper
- Light grey ash forms on top of a fairly even char line
- Mild jag develops in the burn after an inch plus
- Ash dropped in decent chunk revealing a decent and centered burn cone
- Bitter dark chocolate nuances try to burst forward from behind the citrus
- Slight off burn develops but did not need a touch up
- A hint of black coffee entered deep in the burn
- Mild to medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 30 minutes
Final Analysis
In my experience, the Smoke Big Productions – The Director’s Cut cigar had a mild to medium strength profile that was somewhat limited in complexity. The dominant flavor note throughout much of the smoking experience was a distinct bitterness of citrus, which persisted for a good portion of the cigar’s journey. While mild nuances of dark chocolate and coffee did emerge after the halfway point, they were not particularly pronounced. In my opinion, this cigar would benefit from having some of the later flavor notes appear earlier in the burn and perhaps introducing a creamier or sweeter element to balance out the profile. Overall, I would give this cigar an 89 rating and like Kareen noted, it may be for the novice and/or intermediate smoker.
Point Deductions: (-1) One Dimensional; (-1) Overly Bitter Notes; (-1) Jagged burn; (-1) Off Burn; (-1) Could be better balanced
