Stoic Cigars is a new cigar brand that launched in 2024 by Vance Taylor.
Vance Taylor is not from a family with cigar lineage, nor is he of latin decent. Hailing for Utah he spent 20+ years in the dental industry before launching his own brand. The brand which is made at Kelner Cigars S.A.S. in the Dominican Republic draws inspiration from the tenets of stoicism. According to Stoic Cigars these cigars offer cigar enthusiasts a sophisticated smoking experience “that blends exceptional taste with mindful reflection.”
Vance Taylor goes on to add via an interview on Small Batch Cigar, “We’ll be releasing a new, slightly darker blend this summer that will join Stoic as a core line, available in the 4 existing vitolas. We also have planned a really exciting release for PCA 2026 that will add two new blends to the portfolio and really round out our core offering. I don’t want to overwhelm retailers with a whole bunch of new blends, LEs and exclusives, so we’re planning to build slowly and with intentionality, supporting our retail partners in acquiring new, regular customers and providing an unbeatable smoking experience.”
Today we review their initial release which comes in four sizes: Courage (5 x 50), Justice (6 x 52), Wisdom (7 x 48) and Moderation (5.5 x 46)
Cigar Review: Stoic Moderation
Size: 5.5 x 46 (Corona Gorda)
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Ecuador Habano
Filler Dominican Republic, USA, Undisclosed (South America)
Factory: Kelner Cigars S.A.S.
Release Date: November 2024
Production: Regular Production
Box Size: 20 Cigars
The Cigar: The Stoic features a blue and black band that has a nice contrast to it and draws the eye to it The Habano wrapper is dark with a nice amount of oils present and some notable veins that detract slightly from the appearance. In the hand the cigar is firm appearing to be well packaged and it has an above average weight for its size.
The Taste: The cold draw serves up notes of oats, leather and a subtle brown sugar while the aroma from the foot has a slight manure like aroma to it. Once the cigar is toasted and lit there are baking spices to start.
As we settle into the first third of this Stoic there are notes of cashews that take control with a subtle wheat that grows in intensity. As the first third comes to a close wheat becomes dominant with a lingering pepper and hint of caramel on the retrohale that also sees some citrus.
Moving into the second third, toasted caramel becomes more identifiable on the palate though by the halfway point the sweetness is just about a memory. The cigar remains nutty with notes of cedar, wheat and as the second third comes to a close to mild coffee notes begin to emerge. The retrohale has a nice amount of red pepper with some lemon zest in the background.
The final third sees notes of wood and coffee as the dominant flavor profile with a continued wheat and nuts in the background. For the first time a subtle floral component emerges as well serving as an afterthought. The retrohale sees more red pepper and an abundance of earth that lingers on the finish with a touch of mocha.
Conclusion: Despite being made in the Dominican Republic the cigar didn’t have a heavy Dominican flavor profile. Over the years I’ve lost the taste for Dominican made cigars so for me this was a worthwhile departure from the flavor profile that cigars from that country tend to offer. The Stoic is great offering for a new company that has me excited for what their future may hold.
Score: 89
Price: $10.80 (Before any local or state taxes)
You can find Stoic Cigars at SmallBatchCigars.com and if you use the coupon code BARRELBURNER you can save 10% off your order.
