Thurman Thomas Hall of Fame Natural

At the end of January, I reviewed the Thurman Thomas Hall of Fame Maduro (review can be found here), which ended up being surprisingly pleasant, especially for the price.  After a couple of months of rest in my humidor, I decided it was time to break out the Natural version of the Hall of Fame.

StogieBoys.com has this to say about Thurman Thomas cigars:

NFL Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas has teamed up with StogieBoys and the highly reputable General Cigar Company to create a gem of a cigar brand. Manufactured by General Cigar (manufacturer of popular brands such as Punch, Macanudo, Partagas, Hoyo de Monterey, and more), these cigars will set the cigar world on fire.

Just the way he played football throughout his Hall of Fame career, Thurman Thomas’ cigars are silky smooth and deliver ample amounts of flavor. Smoke what the pros smoke and pick up a Thurman Thomas cigar today, only at StogieBoys.com.

The Facts

Samples Provided by StogieBoys.com
Price: $3.95 per Single/ $79.95 per Bundle/ $84.95 per Box
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 52
Wrapper: Dominican (Natural)
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Pairing: Water
Smoke Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Pre-light

The natural wrapper is very light brown in color and greenish in some areas.  The tiny veins look like hundreds of cracks running down the cigar.  There are a few small tears in the wrapper, making it known that this wrapper is probably on the delicate side. The wrapper is firmly packed and I have located only one soft spot on the entire cigar.

The faint aroma off the wrapper is of wood, a light hay sweetness, and paper, while the foot gives off tobacco, light pepper, and some more woodiness. What appears to be a triple cap cuts clean with my Xikar Xi cutter revealing a beautiful, easy draw.  The cold draw is leaving a coolness in the mouth much like spearmint.  I am looking forward to lighting up this Thurman Thomas Hall of Fame Natural.

First Third

The smoke is light on the palate.  There are two dimensions to the flavor profile of the Hall of Fame Natural. On one side, there are softer flavors of sweet hay and wood.  The other side of the profile brings out the darker notes that include black coffee,  light pepper, and a toastyness. The black coffee is really brought forth on the retrohale, along with some spice.  A light grey, flaky ash is being left behind by an eyeliner burn that has a slight wave to it. An inch and a half in, a crack has formed running just short of an inch from the burn line down the wrapper. The flavors are mild moving up to medium as I put a close to the first third.

Middle Third

The milder flavors are hanging in the background and incorporate a sweet hay/woodiness that  is similar to the sweet bread flavor I picked up on in the Maduro version of the Hall of Fame. However, it is not as pronounced in the natural version.  Along with the coffee and toasty notes from the first third, there is also a unique popcorn flavor.  The smoke continues to be light on the palate.  I am really surprised by the boldness of the retrohale, while not overwhelming, it is much more than I anticipated with this natural wrapper.  The finish is short with some nuttiness and black coffee. The burn has surpassed the crack in the wrapper with no additional construction issues thus far. The flavors and strength have moved up to a solid medium.  The ash is holding firm close to an inch and half.

Final Third

Entering into the final third, I am now understanding the pace this cigar is to be smoked.  By letting it rest for a minute or two between draws has had a major impact on the flavor profile. The bitter notes fade, while the sweet wood, coffee and nuttiness are showcased.  However, the pace is way too slow for me.  Coming down to the band, I remove it with ease, but I am not sure if I will be smoking this cigar too much farther.  Bitter coffee is dominating the profile and it is time to put this Thurman Thomas cigar to rest.

Wrap-up

First off, a big thanks to the crew at StogieBoys.com for providing the samples.  The Thurman Thomas Hall of Fame Natural delivered consistent flavors (other than the bitterness in the final third) and it offered an excellent burn and a decent ash.  It was interesting to see the darker coffee and toasted notes in this Natural cigar. However, I believe a more pronounced sweetness would round out the profile and that is exactly what I found in the Maduro version. The Hall of Fame Maduro just fits my palate much more.  Also, the pace in which I smoked the Hall of Fame samples had an impact on both the Maduro and Natural versions.  So, if you have an opportunity to smoke the Thurman Thomas Hall of Fame, make sure to take your time.  With that said, you really can’t go wrong trying out this cigar.  You can pick up a single cigar or a five pack, heck even a bundle, without breaking the bank.