Protocol Phoebe Couzins Maduro

Today, we review the Protocol Phoebe Couzins Maduro. Protocol Phoebe Couzins is the fourth installment of Protocol’s Lawman Series. The Lawman Series is an extension of Protocol Cigars’ cigars and law enforcement theme. The Lawman Series pays homage to some of the historical figures in law enforcement. This series is a more premium offering in the Protocol Cigars portfolio. This is reflected in both the blends and the corresponding packaging. Phoebe Couzins is the first installment of the Lawman Series that pays homage to a female. As with all of the Lawman Series releases, Phoebe Couzins comes in Natural and Maduro blends. As mentioned, our focus in this assessment is on the Maduro blend.

Phoebe Couzins was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She became the first woman in United States history to graduate from a law school and later one of the first female lawyers in the country. In 1887, she became the first female U.S. Marshal in the country. Couzins was also a women’s rights activist. She was a member of the St. Louis Woman Suffrage Association, where she drew attention as a public speaker.

Box of the Protocol Phoebe Couzins Maduro

To date, the Lawmen Series has four installments, each released in Natural and Maduro lines.

Protocol Sir Robert Peel (Natural and Maduro)
Protocol Eliot Ness (Natural and Maduro)
Protocol Bass Reeves (Natural and Maduro)
Protocol Phoebe Couzins (Natural and Maduro)

Let’s break down the Phoebe Couzins Maduro without further ado and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Protocol Phoebe Couzins Maduro – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Phoebe Couzins Maduro features a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and all Nicaraguan fillers. Production comes from AJ Fernandez’s San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua.

Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano Oscuro
Binder: Jalapa
Fillers: Ligero Condega, Viso Esteli, and Viso Jalapa Corojo
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: San Lotano

Vitolas Offered

Both blends of the Phoebe Couzins have been released in one size—a 6 x 52 box-pressed Toro. This is the same size and format that the other installments of the Lawmen Series were first released in. The cigars come in ten-count boxes.

Appearance (*)

The Nicaraguan Habano Oscar wrapper of the Phoebe Couzins Maduro was chocolate/cocoa in color. There wasn’t much in the way of oil on this wrapper, but the surface had some mottling. There were a few thin, visible veins and almost no visible seams. The cigar itself has a square press shape.

Close-up of the Protocol Phoebe Couzins Maduro

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

A straight cut was used to remove the cap of the Phoebe Couzins Maduro. Once the cap was removed, it was time to commence the pre-light draw experience. The cold draw delivered a mix of cocoa and raisins. I usually am not a fan of raisin notes as sometimes this indicates non-aged tobacco, but in this case, it was a nice raisin sweetness, and there were no signs of the tobacco not being aged enough. In fact, the flavors delivered an excellent pre-light draw experience. From that point, it was time to remove the footer ribbon, toast up the Phoebe Couzins Maduro, and move into the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The Phoebe Couzins Maduro opened with more notes of cocoa and raisin, which were the primary notes. In the background, notes of earth, cream, and mixed pepper emerged. As the cigar burned through the first third, the cocoa notes eventually became the primary note. The raisin notes started to recede into the background. Meanwhile, the retro-hale produced an additional layer of mixed pepper.

During the second third of the Phoebe Couzins Maduro, the cocoa notes started out as the primary note. Some coffee notes emerged in the background. Both the coffee and pepper notes increased in intensity. At the same time, the raisin notes continued to recede. The coffee notes displaced the cocoa as the primary note just past the halfway point. The coffee notes were primary as the second third came to a close. Cocoa, raisin, earth, and pepper notes rounded out these out. There were still touches of the cream present.

The final third saw the coffee notes remain primary, and the pepper notes closed in as the primary note. Meanwhile, there were still notes of coffee, raisin, and earth secondary. By this phase of the smoke, the cream notes had dissipated. This is how the Phoebe Couzins Maduro came to a close. The resulting nub was cool in temperature and soft to the touch.

Burn

The Phoebe Couzins Maduro scored well when it came to burn. The cigar did not need a lot of touch-ups to maintain a straight burn path and keep a straight burn line. The resulting ash was skewed toward the firmer side. This was an ash that was silver-gray. As for the burn temperature and burn rate, both maintained ideal levels.

Burn of the Protocol Phoebe Couzins Maduro

Draw

The draw to Phoebe Couzins Maduro was open but not loose. Typically, I prefer a little bit of resistance to my draw. In the end, this was more of a personal preference, and it did not result in any significant adverse effects.

Strength and Body

The Phoebe Couzins Maduro opened up as a medium-strength and medium-bodied smoke. The body quickly picked up and moved into medium to full territory in the first third. The body increased throughout the smoking experience but remained in the medium to full range of the spectrum. Meanwhile, the strength of the smoke increased throughout the experience. It wasn’t until the final third that the strength crossed the threshold into medium to full territory.

The body maintained the edge throughout the smoking experience regarding strength versus body.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

Protocol has done an excellent job with the packaging of the Lawman Series, and the Phoebe Couzins release is no exception. Pulling off pink on cigar packaging is difficult, but Protocol does this nicely. I wish the bands had said “Maduro” or “Natural,” but Protocol distinguishes the blends from the footer band (pink for Maduro, yellow for Natural).

Packaging of the Protocol Phoebe Couzins Maduro

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

I know I have said this in a lot of Protocol reviews. Protocol’s core regular production lines are, for the most part, excellent offerings. These cigars offer something for everybody, and each brings a different flavor profile. Chalk up the Phoebe Couzins Maduro as another outstanding offering. As I said, a cigar with raisin notes usually does not appeal to me, but in this case, it imparted a nice sweetness, complementing the cocoa, earthy notes, and pepper spice. This is a cigar I would recommend to either an experienced cigar enthusiast or a novice looking to get into a “medium plus” profile. As for myself, this is a cigar I would undoubtedly buy and smoke again.

Summary

Key Flavors: Cocoa, Coffee, Raisin, Earth, Cream, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium (Start), Medium to Full (Remainder)
Body: Medium (1st 2/3), Medium to Full (Last Third)
Finish: Very Good