Kurt Kendall's 7-20-4 Torpedo

Overall Score

1 review for Kurt Kendall’s 7-20-4 Torpedo

  1. Ed

    7-20-4 Torpedo

    Origin : Honduras
    7-20-4 cigarsFormat : Torpedo
    Size : 6.125 x 52
    Wrapper : Brazilian Mata Fina
    Filler : Colombia
    Binder : Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico
    Hand-Made
    Price : ~$135.00/Box of 20

    My family and I spent Christmas with the in-laws in New Hampshire; as I was driving, I saw a very large sign across the Mall of New Hampshire advertising the 7-20-4 cigar line. These cigars have been a part of New Hampshire’s history since 1875. These were produced right on Elm St. in Manchester, NH until 1963. Kurt Kendall, who owns Twins Smoke Shop in Londonderry, NH, has revived the cigar line. The original filler was a Havana blend, so Kurt has re-blended it with a mix of three different fillers. It is rather snowy and windy in New England today, so I decided to keep up the New England roots and write about this historic cigar. It is available in five sizes; today’s featured cigar is the 6.125 X 52 Torpedo.

    Appearance : [rating:4/5]
    The wrapper had a dark chocolate color and it appears very veiny. Furthermore, it had a nice oily sheen and was very soft to the touch. It was also interesting to see the different shades of tobacco in the filler; it went from dark-colored in the middle to lighter-colored tobacco.

    Construction : [rating:4/5]
    One soft spot was found about the halfway mark in the cigar. It looked like three caps were holding the wrapper together although this was tough to identify. The cigar did not offer much resistance during the pre-light draw although the draw got tighter during the first 1/3 of the smoke.
    The ash was nice and tight and predominantly light grey with charcoal grey spots. The smoke was very abundant from start to finish and it seemed to rise very quickly.

    Flavor : [rating:4/5]
    The wrapper had a very earthy aroma with notes of maple syrup behind it. The foot had more of a hay scent with the same sweetness as the wrapper. The pre-light draw had hints of chocolate and coffee. The cigar had a spiciness to the tongue which lasted for a very long time.
    The initial draw had a lot of saltiness and spice. A good dose of almonds was perceived during the retrohale. As the cigar got hotter, the smoke became sweeter with a creamier texture. As I continued to smoke the cigar, the flavors reminded me of a Boston Cream pie; it had that nice sweetness with creaminess. The second half of the cigar had some wood notes (oak) while the sweetness seemed to diminish.
    The last third was dominated by nutty flavors; the finish was long and nutty with the smoke coating the entire mouth.

    Value : [rating:4/5]
    The 7-20-4 Torpedo checks out at ~$6.75/stick; based on the quality of the cigar, I would definitely consider that I can smoke this one on a daily basis.

    Overall Rating : [rating:4/5]
    The 7-20-4 Torpedo offers a lot to those of us who seek many different flavors in a cigar. I highly recommend everyone picks up a few of these and enjoy them with a good libation (I had a classic Gin Martini with it). Londonderry, NH is only about 30 minutes away, so one of these days, I will drive up to Twins Smoke Shop and congratulate Mr. Kendall personally on a great cigar revival (and pick up a few more in the process). I am getting more and more into the history of cigars, and smoking the 7-20-4 makes this a more enjoyable endeavor. One more thought: the Mata Fina wrapper from Brazil is quickly becoming one of my favorites. It adds that sweetness to the smoke which balances well with the earthiness in the cigar.

    Helpful?
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    • kurt kendall

      Thank you very much for the nice review,I’m glad our sign on the highway drew you in. I’m glad you enjoyed the cigar!

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Cigar Region Nicaragua
Filler Colombia
Wrapper Connecticut Shade
Binder Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico
Length 6 1/2
Ring Gauge 54
Vitola Torpedo
Construction Hand Made