Wow. it’s hard to believe it has been over two years since I reviewed the first Southern Draw Cigars – QuickDraw. I think Robert Holt’s hair was darker back then but then again, this amazing cigar man has been pushing hard, criss-crossing the country, preaching the word of Southern Draw. During one of those trips, Robert was able to take a little down time and hang at the Stogie Press lounge here in Melbourne, FL. During that visit he turned me onto the third blend in the QuickDraw line; the Habano. I let that little cigar rest for a while in its new home and finally broke it out one afternoon to see what it had to offer. I figured it was time to turn it to ash, like I did to its siblings, the Quick Draw Pennsylvania Broadleaf and the QuickDraw Connecticut.
As a reminder, the Southern Draw Quick Draw line is designed to give you a full Southern Draw smoking experience when you don’t have an hour plus to smoke. I like to think of them as lunch hour cigars. The blend of each QuickDraw contains the same filler and binder but with different wrappers. Here is the blend for the QuickDraw Habano:
- Wrapper – Ecuadorian Dark Habano
- Binder – Nicaraguan
- Filler – Nicaraguan/Honduran
All QuickDraw cigars are proudly hand crafted in Esteli, Nicaragua and are available in 3 vitolas and come packaged in 25-count boxes except the Petite Corona which comes in a 50-count box.
- Petite Corona (4.5 X 44) MSRP $5.35
- Short Panatella (5.5 X 40) MSRP $5.75
- Corona Gorda (5.5 x 46) MSRP $6.30
Pre-Light Examination
The QuickDraw Habano is one of those cigars that you would easily see on a humidor shelf with its medium brown, lightly marbled, wrapper that is banded with a bright green and gold band. This little gem is finished with a twist cap that is just prefect to for biting off – no need for a cutter on this one. With no noticeable veins and tight seams, this is a finely constructed cigar. Like all Southern Draw cigars the foot is closed, so when you light it, the first flavors you experience are the wrapper.
The barrel on the QuickDraw Habano has a delectable light sweet spice aroma to it. With the closed foot you don;t get much more than wrapper aroma.
As mentioned, I chose to bite the cap – just a nip off the top and gave it a some cold draw puffs that were nicely restricted and filled with notes of earth, leather, and pepper. Rolling it about the pepper grows a bit more on the lips.
Well, it was time to hit it with the flame and send this one to cigar heaven like I did to its siblings so long ago.
Cigar Review Notes
QuickDraw Habano
QuickDraw Habano
QuickDraw Habano
QuickDraw Habano
QuickDraw Habano
QuickDraw Habano
QuickDraw Habano
- 1st light offered a creamy note delivered through a full volume of smoke
- Pepper and spice quickly take over as it burns into the filler
- A medium grey ash forms on a thick char line
- Sweetness moves in to round our the early profile
- Sweet chocolate aroma wafts off the foot
- Ash falls after an inch plus revealing a nicely centered and slightly protruding burn cone
- Espresso notes enter moving into second third
- Spice increases near the end of the second third
- Ash picked up where it fell and held even longer down to the band with perfect form
- The sweetness faded as it moves into the final third giving way to the spice and hint of fruit
- Smoke volume is amazingly full and creamy
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was right at one hour – perfect!
Overall, the Southern Draw QuickDraw Habano offered an exquisite smoking experience highlighting the craft Robert Holt consistently offers the consumer. For a short smoke this cigar had plenty of balanced flavors, an excellent burn, and a full volume of creamy smoke. The construction was solid, never getting soft during the burn and cool to the touch from foot to nub. If you are looking for a perfect lunch time smoke, or maybe one to finish the night, this is one I highly recommend,
QuickDraw Habano