 |
| 262 Revere |
At the 2012 IPCPR Trade Show, 262 Cigars made their first appearance in a manufacturer’s booth. It was there that 262 President Clint Aaron and his team showcased an upcoming cigar called the 262 Revere. The Revere had been announced prior to the trade show and was already generating interest as this would be 262’s first Nicaraguan puro. It also marked the fourth blend to be released by 262 Cigars and the second one this year (joining the 262 Manifesto which was released back in February). At the time of publication of this article, a national launch of the Revere was scheduled for 10/19/12 at Riverside Cigars in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Given that timing, I thought it would be good to fire up a pre-release sample of the 262 Revere and see what this cigar was all about. In a nutshell, the 262 Revere is definitely the finest release by 262 to date, and definitely one of the revelations out of the 2012 IPCPR Trade Show.
For the past two years, 262 Cigars have been building a nice following among cigar enthusiasts. In addition to making cigars that have been well-received by consumers, there is an underlying theme with 262 Cigars. The name “262” is symbolic of February, 1962 – when Kennedy signed the embargo against Cuba. There is a story that Kennedy had his press secretary, Pierre Salinger secure him some Cuban cigar before signing the decree. There is a hypocrisy involved in these actions, and 262 Cigars looks at the on-going hypocrisy 50 years later especially in light of many government regulations in the cigar industry. The name “Revere” fits into a theme of fighting for freedom. The other 262 Cigars (Paradigm, Ideology, and Manifesto) also fit that theme.
In the end, it all comes down to the cigar itself. Let’s take a closer look at the 262 Revere. Since this write-up is based on a pre-release sample, we will default to a pre-review to provide some thoughts and perspectives. When the cigar hits the retailer shelves following the full launch, we will smoke this again and provide an assessment rating and score. It is worth noting this write-up is based on a single cigar smoking experience.
Blend Profile
As mentioned at the start, the 262 Revere marks the first Nicaraguan puro done by 262 Cigars. Here are some more specifics:
Wrapper: Nicaragua (Jalapa)
Binder: Nicaragua (Double binder – Jalapa and Esteli)
Filler: Nicaragua (Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa)
Vitolas Available
The 262 Revere is initially being launched in three vitolas:
Corona: 5 1/2 x 44
Robusto: 5 x 50
Toro (Box-press): 6 x 54
Appearance
For this cigar experience, I smoked the robusto vitola. The wrapper of the 262 Revere has a rich milk chocolate color to it with a slight bit of colorado red in it. The wrapper has an oily complexion and does a good job at hiding the wrapper seams and veins. From the foot of the cigar, there is a nice barnyard aroma.
The 262 Revere features a band with a black, silver, and white color scheme. The band is primarily black with silver trim. Prominently showcased on the band is the text “262” with “REVERE” right under it in a modern styled white font. Below that text is the 262 slogan “smoke the revolution” in a smaller white font.
Preparation for the Cigar Experience
For my smoking experience of the 262 Revere, I placed a straight cut into the cap of the cigar. It was then time to commence with the pre-light draw. I then proceeded to start the pre-light draw. The dry draw yielded a mix of natural tobacco, coffee, and a spice that (at this point) was a little tough to put my finger on. Overall, this was a very nice pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to toast the foot of my 262 Revere and see what this cigar would bring to the table.
Flavor Profile
The start to the 262 Revere yielded a classic blast of black pepper. The pepper would subside quickly and some notes of coffee began to creep in. By about the five percent mark, the coffee notes moved out in front with the pepper notes a close second.
As the smoking experience of the Revere progressed, the flavor profile grew in its complexity. Around the 15 percent mark, some cream notes joined the pepper in the background. I noticed a decrease in pepper as the cigar experience moved into the second third. The pepper notes moved to more of a subtle tertiary note in the second third. Meanwhile the coffee notes remained primary, and some wood notes joined the cream notes as secondary flavors.
Later in the second third, the coffee notes transitioned to more of a natural tobacco flavor. The background notes of cream and wood transitioned to a citrus flavor. The pepper also began to surface again joining the citrus as a secondary note.
As the cigar came to a close, the flavors did finish a little on the bitter side, but I wouldn’t categorize it as harsh. The resulting nub was ideal – firm to the touch and cool in temperature.
Burn and Draw
262 Cigars are often not given the credit they deserve when it comes to construction. The line has consistently produced well-constructed cigars. The excellent construction is reflected in the burn and draw and the 262 Revere is no exception. The burn remained straight during the smoke experience requiring minimal touch-ups from my butane lighter. There was one point where the burn did begin to tunnel, but I was able to touch it up and it didn’t real prove to be a big deal. The resulting ash was tight and white in color. The burn rate and burn temperature were also ideal.
 |
| Burn of the 262 Revere |
The draw was outstanding on the 262 Revere. This made the 262 an enjoyable cigar to puff on from start to finish.
Strength and Body
From a strength perspective, the 262 Revere had some kick to it. I wouldn’t categorize it as an overwhelming cigar, but it still had enough pop to be considered a medium to full strength smoke. The flavors to the 262 Revere have some nice depth to them. I assessed this cigar to be medium to full-bodied. The Revere does a great job at balancing both the strength and body as neither attribute gets the upper hand over the other.
Final Thoughts
There is a lot to like about the 262 Revere. It has a nice complex flavor profile. The flavors that are a part of this profile are excellent. The construction of the cigar is also outstanding – and it also provides a nicely balanced cigar. As I said up-front, this is perhaps the best blend that has been produced by 262 Cigars – and there have been some very good ones. This is a cigar I would not hesitate to recommend to an experienced cigar experience looking for a cigar with all of the attributes I just described. Cigar enthusiasts who like Nicaraguan tobacco will enjoy this cigar. I would even recommend this cigar to a newbie looking for something a little stronger with a nice flavors. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again, and consider a box purchase for.
Summary
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: High
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Good
Source: The cigar for this assessment was provided by 262 Cigars. The request was initiated by 262 Cigars to myself (Cigar Coop) to provide feedback. Cigar Coop is appreciative to samples provided but this plays no role in a final assessment rating and write-up.
