On March 13th, Cigar Dojo and Cubariqueño Cigar Co. announced a collaborative project titled Protocol K9. The cigars follow the law enforcement theme established by Cubariqueño in their first three official releases. With Protocol K9, the cigars honor K9 officers and their loyal companions. This is especially relevant for Cigar Dojo staff members, whom share ties with K9 law enforcement.
With animals such as the German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, and Dutch Shepherd in mind, the Protocol K9 was crafted to showcase the small, yet voracious and disciplined character of the trained K9. To accomplish this, Cigar Dojo and Cubariqueño partnered with Erik Espinosa and his La Zona factory for production. The blending process was guided by Héctor J. Alfonso Sr., Director of Operations for Espinosa Premium Cigars. With Héctor’s knack for creating powerhouse blends, K9 took on its short and stalky, yet robust, pepper-bomb smoking style.
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Protocol K9 is the first Nicaraguan puro for both Cubariqueño and Cigar Dojo, being potentially the strongest release from either company as well. In addition, the 5″ x 56 “Fur Missile” (a nickname given to K9s by the police force) size is the largest vitola from either company (tying Cigar Dojo’s previous release, Undercrown Dogma and its box-pressed 56 gauge).
Protocol K9 Breakdown
- Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Rosado
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Factory: La Zona (Nicaragua)
- Production: Limited Edition (300 bundles of 10 cigars)
- Vitola: 5″ x 56 “Fur Missile”
- Price: $9.00 (MSRP)
- Flavor: Medium-Plus
- Strength: Full
- Body: Full
- Black Pepper
- Sage
- Sweet Cedar
- Salted Steak
- Salted Caramel
- Horseradish
- Smoke Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Pairing Recommendation: Barrel-proof bourbon, barrel-aged Belgian quad, old fashioned cocktail
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