As you may have followed I have discovered Costa Rican cigars not long ago with the great El Septimo brand. Since then I have tried to find more cigars from this region and heard about Horacio. Sadly, only the binder is from Costa Rica, the filer is from Nicaragua. The brand used to produce with Costa Rican fillers before moving to Nicaragua in one of the best tobacco growing part of the country.
Origin : Nicaragua Format : Lancero Size : 7 x 38 Wrapper : Ecuadorian Habano Light Claro Filler : Undisclosed Binder : Half Mexican San Andres/Half Jalapa Seco Leaf Hand-Made (factory: New Order of the Ages (NOA)) Body : Medium to Medium-Full Price : $9.50 each
The idea came from one man, Riste Risteski, who was disappointed with most cigars currently available on the market. Smoking mainly Cuban cigars, he wanted to create a profile which maintained Cuban standards, while adding an interesting yet elegant twist. He wanted to add value to what is already a saturated boutique market. Being Macedonian and both large in stature AND personality, the name for this cigar came easily, JAS SUM KRAL, I AM KING in English.
He noticed many of those calling themselves boutique cigar makers, weren’t involved in the actual blending process. He decided the only way to properly create JAS SUM KRAL, was to set out to find the right factory. After speaking with several trusted individuals in the industry, he decided on New Order of the Ages, owned by master blender, Noel Rojas.
Upon arriving in Esteli, Noel suggested getting right to work. Having discussed with Noel prior to arriving Noel already had a profile in mind. Riste and Noel sampled leaf after leaf of the finest tobacco. Finally assembling what is sure to change the boutique cigar market. We are extremely proud and excited to release JAS SUM KRAL. We hope that you will join Riste on this journey.
Riste is a hard-working guy who is very present on social media. It’s been fun to watch his boutique brand take off, and great reviews have come flooding in over and over. Let’s take a look at the JSK Red Knight Lancero.
Origin : Nicaragua Format : Corona Size : 5.6 x 46 Wrapper : Nicaraguan Corojo Filler : Nicaragua Binder : Nicaragua Hand-Made Factory : Casa Fernandez Body : Medium Price : $10.50 MSRP
Warped is a rising star boutique brand (as far as I’m concerned, they have arrived) founded by Kyle Gellis. In recent years, they’ve received accolades for their unique blends, and if you haven’t delved into the Warped brand yet, now is the time. A great place to start is with La Hacienda (“The Estate”). Warped brought back an old Cuban brand for this blend, and this Nicaraguan puro has been a home run, and it’s a staple in my humidor. I’m amazed at the consistency in performance and flavor profile.