2021 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List): #10 - Southern Draw Jacobs Ladder Brimstone Un Presidente

2021 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List): #10 – Southern Draw Jacobs Ladder Brimstone Un Presidente

“Un Presidente is going to require a three-hour investment to smoke, and it’s going to be worth the time. This is a fantastic size of the Brimstone. It’s one I would easily recommend to any cigar enthusiast, and it’s one that I would smoke again – and buy a tray/bundle purchase with no problem.”

Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Binder: USA Maduro
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
Un Presidente: 9 x 48
Price: $15.00

Sponsor: No
Samples Provided for Initial Review: Yes
Review: Southern Draw Jacobs Ladder Brimstone Un Presidente (4/29/21)
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Brand): 5 (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

Coming in at #10 is the Southern Draw Jacobs Ladder Brimstone Un Presidente. Southern Draw lands on the 2021 Countdown for a second time. Much like the #18 ranked Rose of Sharon Desert Rose Lonsdale was an offshoot of the Rose of Sharon line, the Brimstone is an offshoot of the Jacobs Ladder line. Notably, it’s the second year in a row each of these blends have placed on the Countdown.

Like the original Jacobs Ladder, the Brimstone uses a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper. The remainder of the blend is different. The binder is a USA Maduro and a filler that consists of triple ligero Nicaraguan tobaccos. Late in 2020, Southern Draw introduced a massive 9 x 48 line extension dubbed “Un Presidente.” It’s easily the longest cigar since the Debonaire 33rd Maduro landed #2 in 2015.

Last year, it was the Brimstone Perfecto that landed on the list at #9. Brimstone was originally positioned as a bolder version of the powerhouse Jacobs Ladder blend, but over time I saw the Perfecto mellowed and instead became richer in flavor. In the case of the Brimstone Un Presidente, these cigars were aging in Nicaragua for over a year and already had mellowed a bit. These cigars delivered a medium strength, medium-bodied profile with notes of coffee, earth, fruit, chocolate, red pepper, and toast. It’s going to take an investment in time, but it will be worth every second.

2021 is the fifth year Southern Draw Cigars has landed on the Countdown – all of those years have been consecutive since 2017. It’s also the fourth time there has been an AJ Fernandez-made cigar on the Countdown. Nicaragua has been the dominant country on this year’s Countdown. Of the 21 cigars we have unveiled moving up the Countdown, this is the 15th one from Nicaragua.