Wilson Adams Habano No. 3

Wilson Adams Cigars entered the boutique cigar arena in 2012 with their first release, Wilson Adams Habano. Since then, brand owners Brandon Wilson and Stephen Miller have been diligently promoting their cigars, and along the way, garnering no small amount of critical acclaim. Having heard the buzz surrounding the Habano, created by the two southern California entrepreneurs, I decided to see for myself what these cigars were all about.

The Habano comes in 5 vitolas: No.2—5×50 robusto, No. 3—5 7/8×46 corona gorda, No.4—6×52 toro, No.5—6 1/2×56 toro grande, and the No. 6—7×40 lancero. All are blended personally by Wilson and Miller and produced in Nestor Placentia’s factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. According to the Wilson Adams website, the wrapper is Ecuadorian Habano, the binder Nicaraguan, and the filler is stated as being predominately Nicaraguan. Price-wise, these are fairly economical – Tobacco Barn lists them from $6.50 (No.2) to $8.50 (No.5). For this review, I’ve chosen the 5 7/8 X 46 Habano No. 3 corona gorda.

This is one of those cigars that just looks good to me. The wrapper is a nice chocolate brown color that, when held to the light, shows a beautiful reddish cast. It has no obvious imperfections. The vein structure is slight and the seams are virtually indistinguishable. The roll is even and solid throughout and shows the slight lumpiness that I like to see in a well-crafted, “hecho a mano” type cigar.

The word, “transitions” gets used a lot when cigar people get together to discuss the attributes of any given cigar. I sometimes wonder if such a thing is really that important. If a cigar has great flavor, does it really matter if that flavor comes through numerous transitions or as one single component that is satisfying through the course of the entire cigar? I guess I could argue that the concept of a well-transitioned cigar being somehow better than a cigar with a linear flavor profile is all hokum conjured up by cigar bloggers to elevate their feelings of self-importance.

That noted, this cigar is rife with delicious transitions. What begins in pre-light as an earthy, barnyard and hay smell caramelizes nicely when lit. It starts with a sweet caramel and nuttiness. Later, towards the middle of the cigar, the nuttiness significantly backs off, allowing the caramel to feature. Further on, the flavors once again change – this time to a sweet cream. Finally, past the band, the nuttiness returns and is paired with a simple, yet satisfying, rich tobacco. I should note for all you retrohale enthusiasts that the smoke does have an initial, clean sharpness through the sinuses that slowly morphs into a sweetness that mirrors the flavors off the palate.

Would I smoke this cigar again?

Simple answer—yes! I really enjoyed this cigar. It’s a full-bodied, medium strength cigar that smokes well from end to end. I think it would pair just as well with morning coffee as it would with a couple fingers of bourbon later in the day. I highly recommend this cigar and encourage everyone to try it.

What’s next for Wilson Adams Cigars? Due out in early 2014 is the Wilson Adams Sumatra. It boasts a Sumatra wrapper and a Pennsylvania Broadleaf binder – personally, one of my favorite combinations.

– So, until next time… Dojo mojo, ya’ll!!

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