Rose of Sharon CDM Exclusive

Today, we review the Rose of Sharon in the Salomon size. This is an exclusive offering that Southern Draw has made available to Casa de Montecristo, the premium retail arm of Tabacalera USA. Given the Salomon is a difficult size to roll, it is often produced in lower quantities. As a result, Southern Draw opted to release this in limited distribution (in this case Casa de Montecristo). Rose of Sharon is a brand that has been a part of the Southern Draw portfolio since 2017. The naming of the Rose of Sharon remains consistent with the company’s theme of naming its premium core lines after flowering plants. The name is also a tribute to Sharon Holt, the wife of Southern Draw Cigars’ Chief Evangelist, Robert Holt.

SPECIFICATIONS

The Rose of Sharon consists of an Ecuadorian Connecticut shade wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. As with all Southern Draw Cigars, it is produced at AJ Fernandez’s Tabacalera Fernandez factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Salomon measures 7 1/8 x 58.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
Salomon: 7 1/8 x 58

PERFORMANCE

Rose of Sharon Salomon opened up with very familiar notes of cream, berry, cedar, and black pepper. These are notes that I’ve encountered on other sizes of th Rose of Sharon. The berry note moved into the forefront early on, with the cream, cedar, and black pepper settling in the background. There was an additional layer of black pepper on the retro-hale. As the cigar moved through the first third, the berry notes lost some sweetness, and it had a slightly burnt quality. By the second third, earth notes displaced the berry in the forefront. The berry receded into the background, and the cream dissipated. At the same, the cedar and pepper increased. The cedar notes slowly increased in intensity, and by the final third, the cedar closed in on the earth notes.

Rose of Sharon Salomon produced medium-bodied flavors countered by medium strength. Throughout the smoking experience, the body had an edge over the cigar. The burn and draw were both excellent. The burn required minimal touch-ups throughout the smoking experience, which was particularly impressive for a Salomon that is prone to burn problems. Finally, the draw had a touch of resistance, which is something that I like.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

Southern Draw’s Rose of Sharon line has done quite well on Cigar Coop. The Toro and Lancero sizes landed Top 20 positions in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Given how well Rose of Sharon has done, I was pretty excited to see what this blend could deliver in a Salomon size. Unfortunately, the Salomon didn’t deliver like the Toro and Lancero. Out of the gate, the Salomon had the creaminess and sweetness Rose of Sharon is known for. As the cigar experience progressed, the blend became more earthy and cedary – and ultimately less enjoyable. Ultimately, the Rose of Sharon CDM Exclusive was a fun size to smoke, but it didn’t perform as well as its larger counterparts. I recommend trying a sample before making a purchase decision.