Hammer + Sickle Hermitage No. 1 – Quick Draw

I’ve been in a bit of a slump with my reviews as I finish getting over a sinus infection mixed with a whole mess of work duties so I took a look in my archive and found a quick draw I wrote up a a few months back just in case I ever got sidelined for a bit. While I expect to be back in shape for next weekend’s review, today I leave you with The Hammer + Sickle Hermitage No. 1.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo / Ligero
Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo / Ligero, Seco, Viso
Size: 5 x 52
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium
Price: $7.50

Prelight:

The Hammer + Sickle Hermitage No. 1 starts with a beautiful looking wrapper. Rustic, yet gorgeous. The wrapper carries a splotchy medium brown color with areas of dark yellow and darker brown scattered throughout. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy with a good amount of grit and small amount of oils. The soft-box-pressed body is flawless leading up to the cigar’s round double cap. The cigar is then finished off with a yellow, manilla, and brown band stating “Hermitage No. 1” across the front as well as “St. Petersburg 1975”. The cigar’s wrapper gives off some great cashew and cedar aromas while the foot of the cigar is much more grainy with natural tobacco aromas.

Draw/Burn:

The draw is wonderful in The Hammer + Sickle Hermitage No. 1. Each tiny puff releases a whole mess of thick, white smoke which tends to dissipate rather quickly. As I expressed numerous times, I absolutely love how comfortable soft-box-pressed cigar feel both in hand and mouth. The burnline was a bit wavy at times with this cigar, but it required very little help from my butane torch so I can’t really complain.

Flavors:

The Hammer + Sickle Hermitage No. 1 starts off with a very subtle burst of black pepper which quickly fades leaving behind notes of oak, cedar, coffee, cashew, and cocoa. The body is rather light and the flavors are a bit hard to pick up, but the cigar as a whole is nice and smooth. As I get into the second third the cocoa and coffee become a bit more pronounced while the cashew has completely dropped off. The final third is lead by the coffee with backing flavors of cocoa, oak, leather, and cedar.

Overview:

The Hammer + Sickle Hermitage No. 1 is a solid cigar, but nothing really impressed me about it. Maybe that’s a good thing, maybe it isn’t. If you’re looking for a smooth, creamy flavor profile and a cigar you really don’t have to worry too much about then this is a great choice for you. However if you expect more from a cigar, want something more flavorful, or want to pick apart flavors then you may want to look elsewhere.