Regius Seleccion Orchant 2014 – Robusto

The Regius Seleccion Orchant is a collaboration done between Regius Cigars and Mitchell Orchant of Alfie Turmeaus Tobacconist in the London, England.  Regius founder Akhil Kapacee has taken a unique approach by building some releases that are collaborations with some leading retailers (another such project is the Regius Damaris being done with That Cigar Place in Houston).  The Seleccion Orchant was introduced in 2013 in a robusto format.  As we reported a few weeks ago, the Seleccion Orchant is returning in both the robusto and a new limited edition torpedo format – with plans to keep this blend as an annual release.  Recently I’ve had an opportunity to smoke the Regius Seleccion Orchant for the first time in the robusto format from 2014.  Overall, I’ve been very high on what Kapacee and Regius are doing and the Seleccion Orchant does not disappoint.

When we previewed the Seleccion Orchant, Mitchell Orchant told Cigar Coop the following information:

“This is the second year that I have been delighted to work with Akhil on the limited edition Orchant Seleccion Regius made for Turmeaus Tobacconist of London est. 1817. We have again produced a blend of character and merit which I believe will prove as popular and successful as last year’s edition.  We have ensured that the price is very attractive and competitive without any compromise on quality of leaf. Regius brand has become one of the bestselling New World cigars in the United Kingdom and particularly in our 10 specialist cigars shops across the country Considering that the UK is primarily a Havana cigar market we are very pleased at the acceptance by experienced smokers of this excellent Nicaraguan cigar The blends are balanced and sophisticated but are still accessible for the novice as well as the experienced cigar smoker.”

Kapacee also told Cigar Coop, “Mitchell’s knowledge of Havana cigars and his palate is exceptional. This blend is consistent with last years and the 2013 edition have aged superbly. This blend will please those who have a penchant for traditional cigars with the old world flavour – complex and nuanced whilst retaining a good balance.”

Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the Regius Seleccion Orchant in the robusto format and see what this cigar brings to the table:

Blend Profile

The Regius Seleccion Orchant 2014 is a Nicaraguan puro.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan


Vitolas Available

For 2014, the Regius Seleccion Orchant comes in two frontmarks.  Production is limited to 600 boxes in each side.  200 boxes will go to Alfie Turmeaus Tobacconist and the remaining four will go to preferred retailers in the United States.

Robusto: 4 3/4 x 52
Campana: 5 1/2 x 52 (Torpedo)

Appearance

The Regius Seleccion Orchant Robusto’s wrapper had a medium brown color.  The wrapper itself has a small amount of oil on it. There are some visible veins, but the wrapper seams are well hidden.

There are two bands on the Regius Seleccion Orchant.  The primary band is the same that is found not the regular production Regius of London – “aka Black Label” line. This band has a black background with some gold trim. In the center of the band is the text “REGIUS” in red font with gold trim. There is a gold crown above the text and several gold-colored adornments on the band. Below the text is a gold ribbon with the text “ARBITER ELEGANTiE in an etched on it.

The secondary band is on the footer (this differed from the 2013 edition in which it was below the primary band).  The secondary band has a metallic gold color with the text “SELECCION ORCHANT” in black font.  There is a black stripe with the text “LONDON” below th

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting up my Regius Seleccion Orchant 2014 Robusto, I went with a straight cut.  After successfully clipping the cap, I proceeded with the pre-light draw.  The cold draw provided me a mix of chocolate natural tobacco, and a mix of cedar and pepper spice.  Overall, I found the pre-light draw to the Seleccion Orchant to be excellent.  At this point, I removed the footer band from the cigar and prepared to begin the smoking phase of the Seleccion Orchant.

Flavor Profile

The start to the Regius Seleccion Orchant provided notes of white pepper.  I picked up the pepper on the tongue and retro-hale.  In both cases the spice was not overwhelming.  It didn’t take long before some notes of cream and milk chocolate surfaced with the pepper.  I found very early that this cigar’s flavor profile really worked in harmony: sweetness (from the chocolate notes), smoothness (from the cream notes) and spice (from the pepper notes).

Later in the first third, a malt note surfaced in the background adding yet another dimension to this flavor.  In the second third, the pepper and milk chocolate notes still were primary flavors.  While the pepper was in the forefront, it still did not overwhelm the pallet.  The spice had a slight “twang” to it.  The cream and malt notes remained in the background.

I found the last third to be similar to the second third. Many cigars see an increase in the spice toward the end, but that didn’t happen here. This cigar was smooth and flavorful right until the end. The resulting nub was slightly soft to the touch, but cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

I’ve come to expect stellar construction on Regius Cigars and the Regius Seleccion Orchant 2014 Robusto did not disappoint. The burn line remained straight throughout the entire smoking experience. The ash seemed to be more of a medium gray color with some darker streaks in it. There was some occasional minor flaking with this cigar, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. The burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

Burn of the Regius Seleccion Orchant 2014 – Robusto

The draw was outstanding on the Regius Seleccion Orchant 2014 as well. I found this to be a low maintenance draw that was not too loose and not too tight.  This made for an enjoyable smoking experience from start to finish.

Strength and Body

I found the  Regius Seleccion Orchant 2014 edition to have a little more strength and body than the  Regius of London Black Label version.  In terms of strength, I assessed the Regius Seleccion Orchant 2014 as being on the high end of medium, just short of medium to full.  As for the body, I found he Seleccion Orchant did provide some nice weight on the pallet.  I assessed this cigar as being a medium to full-bodied smoke.  In terms of strength versus body for the Seleccion Orchant, I gave the edge to the body.

Final Thoughts

It’s evident that both Kapacee and Orchant took their time when it came to putting the Seleccion Orchant blend together.  Many times we see cigar blends that are “rushed to market” – not such the case with this blend.  This cigar fires on all cylinders delivering excellent flavor, top-notch construction, and superb balance all around.  I found this to be a different cigar than the Black Label blend both flavor-wise as well as in terms of strength and body.  At the same time, I found is that the Seleccion Orchant still has Regius “Cubanesque” profile to it.  I’d recommend this cigar to either a novice or experienced cigar enthusiast.  As for myself, this is another outstanding cigar by Regius – and its easily a box worthy cigar.

Summary

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Good
Assessment: 4.0 – Box Worthy
Score: 93

References

News: Regius Cigars Seleccion Orchant Returning for 2014; Adds New Vitola (Cigar Preview)
Price: n/a
Source: Sample Provided by Manufacturer (*)
Stogie Geeks Episode: n/a
Stogie Feed: n/a

* The cigars for this assessment was given to Cigar Coop by Regius Cigars.  Cigar Coop is appreciative for the samples, but this does not influence the review.