Quick Draw Episode 15 – Henry Clay

I don’t know if I should call this a revisit, or just a quick draw. Eh, whatever. It’s a quick review of a cigar that I find no matter what, sneaks its way into my daily rotation. No one should really be a stranger to the Henry Clay given it’s past, and how long it has been around. But what people don’t often realize is just how much bang for your buck this cigar carries.

As I said, I have visited this cigar on Casas Fumando before. The only catch is it was a blind review that Brooks from Halfwheel (Smoking Stogie at the time) sent my way. You can check that review out here. Anywho, Henry Clay is an old-time brand that’s distributed by Altadis. The blend starts with and ugly, yet beautiful Nicaraguan Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and a mix of Nicaraguan, Peruvian, and Honduran fillers. From what I gather the cigar comes in four sizes. The Brevas (5 1/8 x 42), Brevas Finas (6 ½ x 48), Rothchilde (5 x 50), and the Toro (6 x 50). I’ve had a number of each of the sizes, but I am partial to the Brevas and Brevas Finas. These cigars come packed in boxes of 25 (the Brevas is available in a 50 ct. box) and run anywhere from $4.95 – $5.75 a stick. If that wasn’t enough, I have scored these as low as $2.50 a cigar at times. This plays a huge factor in the value of the cigar and I urge you to shop around. You may find them on sale.

First of all, isn’t the Henry Clay an ugly little cigar? It’s not much to look at, but in my book that type of personality often transpires into a great cigar experience. The cigar is a messy, toothy, veiny, dark brown with some very dark spots. The cigar is polished of with the familiar Henry Clay crest. I love this band. Simple, clean, and direct. It doesn’t need flashy marketing to find it’s way into your humidor.

Despite being and ugly looking cigar, I rarely have any trouble with construction or burn on these bad boys. I have had a ton and, while a few have had draw issues, they were very few and very far between. This cigar kicks out tons of unsuspecting flavor. The Henry Clay leads off with some very strong sweetness, brown sugar, cedar, syrup, and plum. It’s quite comparable to a lot of cigar flavors out in the market today. While there isn’t much of a change up throughout the cigar, the flavors always remain strong and pleasant.

One note. When I did my blind review of this cigar I could have sworn it was going to be a Tatuaje. Brooks then told me how Pete Johnson himself really enjoys this blend and it shed a little light on the flavors. The sweetness and balance really matched up with a lot of cigars that Pete is blending today and I can see why he was so drawn to the Henry Clay. Seriously, at $2.50 – $5.00 a cigar who wouldn’t give this a try? It’s perfect for those long drives home, that endless yardwork, and those times in-between when you need a nice cigar that packs great flavor at a value price.