It’s no news to any hard-core cigar enthusiast out there, our industry is under constant attack. Every day our government seems to take more rights away from us—little-by-little—slowly reaching further into our lives, taking away from our most fondly loved hobby. But without activists standing up for our rights, where would we be? One such activist, a very influential one at that, Rocky Patel—has created a special cigar just for this fight: Prohibition. As its name suggests, Prohibition was created to send a message to the people attacking our industry—all the while making a fine cigar that any activist would gladly smoke while holding up signs in the city streets.

The Prohibition was released in two skews: the Mexican, featuring a San Andrés maduro wrapper; and the Broadleaf, boasting a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper. Both are packaged in rustic-looking mason jars (true to the prohibition era) and shipped in old fashioned liquor crates. The sheer presentation with these cigars stands high among the crowded shops of thousands of cigar brands fighting for shelf space—truly something not to be missed.

I will be reviewing both Prohibitions back-to-back, so feel free to jump around and compare my thoughts!

First up, the Broadleaf…

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Prohibition – Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro Breakdown

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: TAVICUSA (Estelí, Nicaragua)
Production: Regular release
Vitola: 6.5″ x 52 Toro
Price: $8.00

The cigar itself goes well with the Prohibition theme. A nice, simplistic brown and black band representing the prohibition, with another band directly below identifying it as the broadleaf selection. Both cigars have the same bands, except they are contrasts of each other—a very nice look as a pair. The broadleaf wrapper boasts a dark, dry and toothy wrapper, a few noticeable veins, and a couple sloppy seams.

Smoking Experience

Now to the cigar itself. The broadleaf wrapper has a very nice, musty, chocolate aroma. The cold draw shows a decent performance, foreshadowing a sweet pepper and just a hint of earthy notes. Lighting up the cigar, a slightly loose draw brings out a huge blast of pepper and spice right off the first light. A deep, slightly sweet spice and cocoa infusion really weighs heavy on my palate. The retro-hale adds a bit more of a spice bite, and also a general sweet tobacco. Getting past the first light, the cigar simmers down to medium body.

As I make my way into the first third, not a whole lot has changed thus far. A full-flavored white pepper and spice control the flavors. The finish is very long at this point and quite spicy (not my cup o’ tea). The retro-hale also mellowed out, adding more sweetness than anything else, but not quite enough to be very noticeable. The burn has been going fairly well thus far, and the ash seems to be holding on for a good inch or so.

Reaching about the halfway mark, I start to experience some issues. I seem to be drawing lots of air—but no smoke. What’s this? Tunneling. It’s always a sad day when tunneling starts in a cigar (filler/binder burning more quickly than wrapper), and I rapidly began to try and fix the situation. After I burn a good quarter inch of wrapper down, I start to smoke the Prohibition again. It seems to be smoking decent now, and I continue on my way.

Beverage Pairing

The Natural Brew Crème Soda—a bourbon vanilla soda, made from “the finest Madagascan Bourbon Vanilla Beans.” With my maduro, I decided to pair it with a lighter, sweeter drink than the average pairing. At this point in my cigar, pepper and spice have been the vocal majority in flavor, and a sweet, creamy drink sounds perfect to help liven it up. As I take the first sip, an overwhelmingly creamy and sweet vanilla relentlessly attacks my mouth. I have never tasted something so sweet and creamy. Pairing with the cigar, however, had lesser results than I had hoped. I expected the crème soda to bring out that natural sweetness I had first detected in the Prohibition, but instead it denounced any other flavors, and simply overwhelmed my palate with crème and sweet bourbon vanilla.

With my cigar burning hot again, I begin down the end of the road. At this point, the cigar is still letting off rough notes of pepper and spice, and a general smooth sweetness—maybe a hint of baker’s chocolate. The draw has also changed, actually getting tighter; something rather unusual towards the end of a cigar—probably due to the tunneling problems. With that said, the cigar has remained very consistent with few transitions, but holds a well-balanced body profile, never going beyond a medium.

Would I smoke this again?

Personally, no. These aren’t quite the flavors I look for when smoking a cigar. With that said, any maduro fan who likes a consistent smoke you don’t have to pay any attention to—this is a great choice. The Prohibition balances the pepper and spice superbly, adding in bits of sweetness here and there to keep you interested.

Prohibition Comparison

Looking to the Broadleaf’s twin sister, I can make very noticeable distinctions. Unlike the Broadleaf, the San Andrés wrapper produces rich, full flavors throughout the entire stick. Starting off with a mild, herbal flavor, leading into a creamier wood and subtle leather, and then finishing off with bits of vanilla, anise, and birch wood. While the Broadleaf stayed safely in the caboose, the Mexican Prohibition went off the rails a little bit—exploring more flavor profiles and putting a little edge on the palate. The Mexican also paired far better—although, something to say about the beverage and not the cigar.

Short Link:

Rocky Patel Prohibition - Broadleaf Maduro

From beginning to end, the Prohibition Broadleaf has captured not only my senses, but my attention to the cause for which it stands. With its bold beginning, that really packed a punch, a few issues here and there down the road, and an overall consistent and well balanced body, the cigar tells a story that I believe Rocky Patel truly stands for. In times like these you have to be bold—sometimes getting in the face of your opposition. You also make mistakes from time to time—and learning how to deal with them is equally as important as avoiding them in the first place. And you have to remain consistent—The Prohibition doesn’t stand for a one-time pep rally, this is war, and you have to go all in—not wavering before your enemies if you hope to come out victorious.

Appearance94%

Burn/Construction75%

Draw86%

Flavor89%

Complexity81%

Price/Value94%

Pros

Presentation
Well balanced
Accessible

Cons

Tunneling
Draw was inconsistent

2015-10-07

87%Bold yet plain

Reader Rating: (1 Vote)

87%