2019 Cigar of the Year Countdown #17: Southern Draw IGNITE Corojo No. 4 Rothschild

“I really liked the direction that Southern Draw took for the 2019 IGNITE Series – namely going with different blends from the core portfolio… it is one that certainly delivers in terms of overall performance.”

Wrapper: Honduran Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan and Honduran
Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez
Rothschild: 5 x 50
Price: $11.49
Review: Southern Draw IGNITE Corojo No. 4 Rothschild
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Brand): 3 (2017, 2018, 2019)

Coming in at #17 is the Southern Draw IGNITE Corojo No. 4 Rothschild. In 2018, Southern Draw Cigars would launch a collaborative charity project under a brand known as IGNITE. The 2018 releases would feature a series of unique line extensions to Southern Draw’s core lines. In 2019, Southern Draw would announce its 2019 IGNITE releases, selecting the Navy Seal Foundation as its charity. While the 2018 IGNITE releases would be line extensions involving key retail partners, the 2019 releases would focus on new blends and have a much wider distribution to retailers. The IGNITE Corojo No. 4 Rothschild is one of those blends that lands on this year’s Countdown.

There are a couple of firsts for Southern Draw Cigars with the IGNITE Corojo No. 4 Rothschild. The cigar utilizes a Honduran Corojo wrapper, making it the first major Southern Draw release to use both Corojo and a Honduran-grown wrapper. Both the binders and fillers utilize Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos, making this the most Honduran-forward blend by Southern Draw to date. As with all Southern Draw cigars, the IGNITE Corojo No. 4 is produced at AJ Fernandez’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. While this cigar was showcased at the 2019 IPCPR Trade Show, it had its official launch just prior to the Trade Show qualifying it for this year’s Countdown.

The IGNITE Corojo No. 4 Rothshchld was made available in reusable humi-jar canisters.

For Southern Draw Cigars, this is the third consecutive year that the company has landed on the Cigar Coop Countdown. At this point of the Countdown, it’s the third cigar out of Tabacalera AJ Fernandez to land on this year’s list – making that factory the leader in the clubhouse.

Flavorwise, the IGNITE Corojo No. 4 Rothschild delivers notes of mixed fruit, nut, natural tobacco, earth, black pepper, and baker’s spice. Both the strength and body start out medium in the first half before progressing to medium to full in the second half.

A Honduran-forward blend is not something often seen from Tabacalera AJ Fernandez or Southern Draw Cigars. In this case, the cigar is a winner for Southern Draw earning its place on the 2019 Countdown.