Brand: Brick House Double Connecticut
Size: Short Torp (5 ½” x 52)
Factory: J.C. Newman PENSA, Estelí, Nicaragua
Wrapper: Genuine U.S. Connecticut Shade
Binder: Genuine U.S. Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaragua
The Brick House Double Connecticut was the latest addition to Brick House family of cigars. Not many cigars in the $8 price range use a real U.S. Connecticut wrapper. Most of them use a much cheaper, less flavorful Ecuadorian shade-grown wrapper. The Double Connecticut not only uses a genuine Connecticut wrapper but also features a U.S. Connecticut Broadleaf binder, hence the name.
The wrapper on the cigar is pristine, with a nice brownish tan color. The color is a lot darker than an Ecuador shade wrapper and the veins are a lot beefier. The wrapper is silky and has a nice gloss to it. Upon squeezing the cigar, it has a little bit of give while the cap has a little more of a spongey feel. I expect no trouble getting a good draw from this torpedo, which is normally my gripe with any cigar this shape. The foot band has an appealing patriotic look, making this the perfect cigar for any American Holiday. The five stars are indicative of Connecticut, as it was the fifth state to join the union.
I can see a lot of Brick House consumers gravitating towards this cigar on 4th of July.
PRE-LIGHT
Smelling the foot of the cigar is very crisp. Hay, peanuts, and white pepper are the first thing that come to mind. No doubt that the wrapper is delivering the peanut scent when giving the outside of the cigar a good whiff. Cutting the cigar was very clean due to the spongey nature of the tapered cap. The cold draw was consistent with the smell of the foot but added a little more complexity. Peanuts, cedar, and grass were present. The wrapper had a faint sweetness to it and can be described as savory, which is very unlike a shade grown cigar
FIRST THIRD
Lighting the cigar was nice and easy, even with the wind factor. The first few puffs were very flavorful, and the easy draw made for a good smoke output. Overall, the first third was medium bodied with flavors of white pepper, wood, and grass taking the stage. Hints of nuts and cedar still lingered in the background. On the retrohale, I got a little more strength than I was expecting and added a little hint of citrus to the finish.
SECOND THIRD
During the second third of the cigar, I was greeted with a smooth transition into creaminess. The strength mellowed out to light to medium and the smoke coated the mouth nicely. With lingering sweetness, peanuts and white pepper take the stage while a creamy hint of lemongrass finished things off. The burn only required a few small touch ups which was impressive given the decent amount of wind it had to withstand. The ash remained sturdy and never got flaky. I only had to ash it when I felt it was time.
FINAL THIRD
The final third reverted to nearly the same taste as the beginning of the cigar. Grass and white pepper were present until the end with a nice peanut finish. A mild sweetness was still faint but present nonetheless.
Overall, the construction was great: no cracking or uneven burning. Usually torpedoes tend to spit out the filler towards the end, not this time. Everything stayed together nicely and made for a consistent smoke with enough flavor variants to keep me intrigued.
I would like to note the wrapper as a great selling point. I do not see someone walking by this one on the shelf without picking it up, looking at it shine, and admiring the vein structure. With the current surge of Connecticut River Valley tobacco, I see this cigar as a must have due to the price point and complexity. If you want to experience a more flavorful Connecticut, do yourself a favor and light this one up!
A Note to Retailers:
I would like to note the wrapper as a great selling point. I do not see someone walking by this one on the shelf without picking it up, looking at it shine, and admiring the vein structure. With the current surge of Connecticut River Valley tobacco, I see this cigar as a must-have due to the price point and complexity.
About Nikolaos Psilopoulos
Nik has been working on the retail side of the cigar industry for 5 years. The past 3 years his palette has been experienced enough to formally taste and review cigars for your reading pleasure. At El Reloj he is running our factory store and giving tours. He is a Certified Retail Tobacconist with the PCA’s educational resource, Tobacconist University. You can expect him to further his tobacco knowledge with us at J.C. Newman and encourages visitors to ask all the questions that come to mind.
Outside of the world of cigars, you can find him enjoying the great outdoors or participating in dog sports with his Australian Shepherd.
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