Cayman Cigar Company – Sovereign No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, Monarch, and Diplomat

By Tony Casas | February 27, 2023

That’s right, these cigars are produced in the Cayman Islands. Not only is that unique, the cigar is also the world’s only premium cigar company that donates 100% of their net profits to charity! 

Cayman Cigar Company began with the combined vision of two friends, John Lemuel “Lem” Hurlston and Granger Haugh. While serving together as board members of local charitable organizations, Granger and Lem proposed a “for-profit/non-profit” business model that would help charitable organizations while making some of the world’s most exclusive cigars. They call their shared concept of innovation, entrepreneurship and social responsibility “Philanthro-Capitalism.”  

We are proud to be the world’s only premium cigar company to donate 100% of net profits to charity. Every dollar we don’t use to roll cigars goes back to local and international charitable organizations, from creating entrepreneurial opportunities for marginalized populations to supporting the self-sufficiency of those in addiction recovery and providing specialized assistance to U.S. veterans.  When you smoke a Cayman cigar, you’ll enjoy all the satisfaction of a hand-rolled premium product while also improving and enhancing the life of others around the globe.

From: www.caymancigars.com

Currently, Cayman Cigar Company has 6 offerings. For the sake of the ones included in the sample I smoked we’ll only focus on the Sovereign No.1, Sovereign No.2, Sovereign No. 3, Monarch, and Diplomat. The details to these will follow however I did not smoke the Caravel which is the other offering by the company which features Cuban and Brazilian long leaf filler with a Connecticut Capa Alto wrapper. Since I only smoked one of each of these there will be no pairing notes and only quick thoughts on each cigar. Quite honestly I was pretty excited to try these out. Huge thanks to the folks at Cayman Cigar Company for sending these our way to check out.

Sovereign No.1

The Sovereign No. 1 features Cuban seed Criollo Viso, Seco, and Ligero fillers wrapper in a Brazillian Bahia Sumatran wrapper. These run $18 per cigar. This was honestly my favorite out of the bunch and started the kit off with a bang. My tasting notes included a good amount of black papper to start which transitioned into a great mixture of bold black tea, cinnamon, plum and spice over lighter notes of earthiness and cedar. The flavors were consistent and cigar burned great. There was a bit of sap build up which was likely due to me enjoying it so much I smoked too quickly as it fixed once I slowed my pace. 

Sovereign No.2

The Cayman Cigar company doesn’t list the makeup of the Sovereign No.2 however I can say a few things. First, it’s listed as the mildest blend in the mix formulated for “the perfect gift for the “I’m not sure what kind of cigar to get” person.” as stated by the company. This cigar is also $18 per cigar. This one was much, much milder than the others in the bunch. The flavor profile was overall very nutty with notes of cashew and pecan over vanilla, creamy coffee, and a whole mess of earthiness. This one is perfect for the cigar smoker looking for an early morning smoke or just something more mild in general.

Sovereign No.3

The Sovereign No. 3 features Cuban see Criollo and Brazilian long leaf fillers under a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. As the others, this one also runs $18 per cigar and was my second favorite out of the bunch and it was close. First, I love BA wrappers and this cigar was a great showcase of it. The flavors are bold, and body is full leading with notes of black cherry, leather, musk, and oak over lighter notes of spice, pine, and floral hints that faded in and out of the profile. The No. 3 burned flawless from start to finish and actually burned at a quicker speed that the other 2 in the line.

Monarch

The Monarch seems like a mashup up the Sovereign No. 1 and No. 3 which carries so much of my favorite tobacco that I don’t mind that at all. Like all the others, this blend also runs $18 per stick. It features Cuban see Ligero, Seco, and Viso with a Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. Due to the wrapper the cigar’s profile is very similar to the No. 3 with notes of black cherry, leather and musk, however the body is quite a bit lighter and the finish is way more earthy with notes of grain and moss. This is another great offering and this cigar in particular I think fits a great niche in my personal profile where I could find myself coming back to this one often, and just about any time of the day.

Diplomat

The Diplomat carries long leaf Cuban seed fillers with a San Andres binder and Brazilian shade wrapper. Can you guess how much this one runs? That’s right, $18 per stick. This cigar seems familiar. Out of all the cigars in the bunch it’s the most common feeling experience, which is a great thing as it offers a hell of a profile with notes of chocolate, tart raisin, coffee, and leather with a nice vanilla finish.

All the cigars in the Cayman Cigar Company portfolio that I smoked were great in their own rites. Not only that, but they offered a unique experience in terms of flavor make-up that wasn’t so vastly different that I either had to think too hard about what flavors were present, or got turned off of the profile. I could see myself going back to them again. While the price points are higher than your average cigar there are a few things to note. The simple fact that 100% of the profits go to charity. That’s huge! I don’t even know exactly how that works out in terms of an operating business, but it’s not something you see too often and is extremely commendable and attractive in my book.