Noble Cigars has an event coming to my local store. Since I moved to New Hampshire I have shopped at Twins Smoke Shop because of their vast selection of cigars and bourbon. Over the last 15 months, they have become the only local shop I purchase from and visit. If you know, you know.
So when they advertised they were having a pairing event with this brand I had to ask Pastor Padron their buyer what the deal with Noble cigars was. Like me he isn’t a huge fan of Dominican Cigars but he described these as Dominican without the grittiness.
Noble Cigars are made at the PDR Factory and the company is owned by Eddy and Elizabeth Santos a pair of cigar enthusiasts who have entered the cigar industry. Elizabeth Santos is better known as Remarkable Liz who was part of the new wave of female smokers on Instagram to make a name for themselves in the sausage party dominated cigar world.
Will they beat the odds and survive where most “brand owners” without control of production often fail?
Cigar Review: Noble Cigars Act II
Size: 6 x 52 (Toro)
Wrapper: San Andres Natural
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Factory: PDR Cigars
Release Date: Spring 2022
Box Count: 20
The Cigar: A gorgeous red foil over red and black band with white letters that almost gets lost on the dark San Andres wrapper which is a shame as it is a beautiful band. The wrapper has a few veins but none that detract from the beauty of the cigar. In the hand the cigar is a little bit light with a slight void in tobacco near the cap and and underfilled foot which is disappointing considering the price.
The Taste: The cold draw is extremely floral which isn’t a surprise given the factory as soapy floral notes seem to synonymous with PDR cigars. The foot of the cigar is soapy with a subtle molasses that lingers in the background. Once the cigar is toasted and lit the initial flavor profile is spicy mix of cumin and red pepper flakes.
As we settle back and enjoy our Noble Act II on a crisp fall morning notes of fennel and red pepper are dominant to starbut quickly fade to reveal notes of dark chocolate and macadamia nuts. The Noble Cigars Act II is smooth with easily definable notes to conclude the first third. The retrohale has a subtle floral note which detracts slightly from the cigar but the chocolate components are enhanced on the finish.
Moving into the second third the chocolate notes remain with nuances of oak and continued nuttiness. The floral of the cold draw and retrohale makes it way back into the profile of the cigar before we reach the halfway point. As the first half comes to a close the floral aspect comes and goes sporadically as the cigar develops an oak like finish.
Moving into the final third of the Noble Cigars notes of coffee begin to develop over oak and a touch of leather that lingers on the finish.As we finish our last few puffs of the Noble Act II it becomes mostly leather with some red pepper on the finish with a relatively short finish that leaves the palate clean.
Conclusion: I reached out to the company to verify these cigars were indeed made at PDR but my message went unanswered. If I was to start a new cigar brand, PDR would probably be the last company I would turn to. The company from my perception has struggled to gain major traction in cigar shops and has relied on deep discounting via cigar catalogs. On the cold draw I was worried this would be another PDR dud, but that simply was not the case.
While price point is never a factor in our final score I have to admit it was tough dropping $16.00 on a cigar from a new company and had I known the cigar was made at PDR I would have probably not purchased it. I am however glad that I did not know that until after purchase because it turned out to be a great purchase and probably the only cigar made at the PDR factory I actually like to this point.
Score: 90
Price: $16.00 (Before any local or state taxes)
