Nomad Esteli Lot 1386 Cigar Review

This past January I got home from a business trip and landed in Orlando Airport. A friend of mine was due to arrive later in the day and I agreed to pick him up so instead of driving home and back to the airport, I chose instead to drive over to the Corona Cigars Lounge in Orlando. I decided to contact Fred Rewey from Nomad Cigars to see if he wanted to meet up and burn one for an hour or so since is office is nearby. Fred agreed to meet after he got out of the office and we sat outside Coronas in the cool January air smoking and talking cigars and life in general. I could have turned this into an interview but instead I chose to just relax and enjoy a smoke with a fellow Brother of the Leaf.

As it got near the time for me to leave, I was saying my goodbyes and Fred gifted me something very special, a couple of his original Esteli Lot 1386 cigars. The Nomad Esteli Lot 1386 was introduced at the 2013 IPCPR and was described as a break from the previous Nomad Dominican based cigars. The 1386 was a very Limited Edition cigar with only 307 12 count boxes produced. It was avaiable in one vitola a 6×52 Toro.

Now there is no doubt that I enjoy the creations Fred has to offer and it was a real honor to have been provided 2 of these. If you are wondering why only 307 boxes were produced it is a reference to the approximate square miles of Esteli. It is pretty clear to me that Fred found a new love of this fertile land.

Well, I took these 2 gems back home and put them in safe storage not knowing whether to smoke them or save them. A week or so later Fred asked if i smoked them yet and I told him no, I am letting them rest. He explained they have rested long enough, so now go smoke them!

Now, who am I to argue with the @GodFadr. So I took one out and just sat in the Stogie Press lounge and discovered the flavors and enjoyment of this fine smoke. I don’t know if it was the aging or if this cigar was just that good when it was released, but this was a terrific smoke. So It was time to smoke the second and take some notes.

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To start with, the cellophane on the cigar had a touch of yellowing with age and of course it was signed by the @GodFadr himself.

Sliding it out of the cellophane, the Nomad Esteli Lot 1386 was a sight to be seen; rich chocolate-brown in color, with an already waxy and oily wrapper. Don’t look for veins, you find many and the seams were tight.  The unlit cigar had a sweet tea aroma to it, pleasant to the nose.

The Nomad Esteli Lot 1386 is a blend of Ecuadorian and Nicaraguan tobaccos:

• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
• Binder: Nicaragua (Estelí & Jalapa)
• Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa)

After slicing the triple cap the cold draw had flavors of fruit, pepper, and spice. Having already smoked one I knew what I was in for and as I toasted it up, my palate was once again awoken with white pepper for the first few puffs.

It is a terrific Sunday morning here as the 1386 begins it journey from leaf to ash. Mark Knoplfer is streaming in and my pup Ziggy lays at my side keeping a careful watch on the yard for invasive squirrels and lizards.

The pepper tones down as a creamy  buttery note takes over along with just the right amount of spice to keep the palate tantalized. The smoke production full with no draw issues. The white ash has a touch of flake to it but is holding onto a thin char line.

A coffee component fills in the profile and there is a deciduous sweetness to the smoke perhaps even a touch of milk chocolate.

As it moves into the second third, a bit of cedar comes which eventually gives way to a pleasant sweet almond note at the end of the second third blending well with the coffee.The ash was fairly long, holding on down to the band, I knew enough to ash it this time from my initial experience.

The final third offers wood and leather with an ever-present touch of sweetness that lingered long on the palate.

Overall, I would say this Nomad Esteli Lot 1386 aged very well. I don’t know what it was like back in 2013 but I certainly enjoyed it now. Fred Rewey certainly knows how to blend a cigar and knowing how well the 1386  aged, I have decided to put one of my rcigars in the “do not touch” box for some time. Maybe in a couple of years I will review that and compare it to my original review here.  I would like to thank the @GodFadr Fred Rewey for the samples and making sure I turned them to ash.

If you live in the Sunshine State and want to know where to pick up Nomad Cigars, Fred has inked a deal with ABC Fine Wine and Spirits state-wide to carry the Nomad brand.