The term “celebrity” has become a double-edged sword in today’s world. It seems that, in the modern era, celebrities have a very niche following with equal numbers of “fans” and “haters.” Rarely does the acknowledgement of fame cross generations, sexes, and economic class… and then comes Guy Fieri. It’s no surprise that food is a universal language, but I find it interesting that I can bring up Guy Fieri to my children, parents, and patrons of my mobile cigar lounge with immediate recognition. His approachable “Joe Six-Pack” personality, combined with his knowledge of all things culinary, have made him a well-recognized household name.
You might be saying, “Yeah, yeah, get to the review,” but I feel it’s important to recognize the weight that Fieri pulls when it comes to popular opinion. In today’s anti-tobacco climate, being able to add such a broadly liked celebrity like Fieri to the ranks may be one of the biggest positives our beloved industry has had in a long time. Collaborating with the mind of Erik Espinosa and his team at Espinosa Premium Cigars on the Knuckle Sandwich brand is another great decision on his part, and has led to the first two releases in the lineup: Knuckle Sandwich Maduro and Knuckle Sandwich Habano (as well as a couple limited editions to boot). Both were met with high ratings and awards, including the Habano receiving the No. 3 spot on Cigar Dojo’s top 10 regular-production list for 2022. Needless to say, Guy’s first foray into the world of premium cigars has been a successful one.
Which brings us to today’s cigar: Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut. This Ecuadorian Connecticut-wrapped stick is the third regular-production release in the Knuckle Sandwich lineup. As with all other cigars in the brand, the Connecticut is rolled at A.J. Fernández’s San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua. A press release from Espinosa describes both Guy and the brand’s excitement for this release.
“In the last year, Guy’s has shown his enthusiasm and commitment to our industry and the Knuckle Sandwich line. He is excited about adding a Connecticut offering to the Knuckle Sandwich brand and providing yet another smoking option to its fans.”
Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut Robusto J Breakdown
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Factory: San Lotano (Nicaragua)
- Production: Regular Production
- Vitola: 5″ × 52 (Robusto)
- Price: $12.50 (MSRP)
Appearance
The Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut may be the most rustic roll I’ve seen in all of the iterations of this brand. Noticeable veins are present in the golden straw-colored wrapper (as well as a light oily sheen), and the top cap of both cigars smoked for review lifted at the edges. While I am not against either visual by themselves—because veins are part of the leaf and smoking experience, and I’m going to clip the cap off anyway—the combination leaves me with a lackluster first impression.
As I deeply inhale with the robusto under my nose, I find dried hay, barnyard dust, and a light manure are the dominant aromas, with an agave nectar sweetness and menthol coming from the foot. Even though I could have easily peeled the cap off with my thumbnail, I still clip the Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut with my double-blade guillotine to give it the best possible smoking experience. The cold draw is a snug-but-still-acceptable 6/10. Flavors on the draw include tart molasses, dry florals, and a white pepper tingle on the tongue.
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Smoking Experience
A quick toast is all that is needed, as the robusto springs to life easily. Ample yet not overly thick smoke fills my mouth with flavors of tangy cedar and buttered toast, backed with a delicate white pepper. The retrohale is very easy on the sinuses, and amplifies the notes even further. I highly recommend retrohaling (at least portions of) your cigars, and if you don’t know how, this stick is an easy one to start attempting to learn.
Moving past the first-light impressions, the draw is still a snug 6/10, and the flavors have begun an odd dance. I pick up a very dominant rough wood note that mixes with a sweet hay. However, backing these flavors is an acrid acrylic paint… It’s a weird mix, and I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come. The funny thing is, it’s not a continuous presence; it’s coming and going. Flavor is medium/full, body is medium, and strength is light/medium.
I’ve reached the mid-point of the Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut, and I am confused by this cigar. At times the stick is flavorful, creamy, and very enjoyable, and then it will flip to a completely different profile for a few puffs, showing quite the opposite. On the positive side, the burn has stayed nice and even, and when the flavors are on, tangy cedar, roasted peanuts, and an overall enjoyable mustiness mingles with a bright cayenne pepper finish. These flavors don’t stay consistent—about every five minutes an overwhelming bitter grass, menthol, and ammonia profile rears its head and leaves me scratching mine. Flavor, body, and strength have remained unchanged at this point, and the ash dropped for the first time at this point in the smoke.
Popping the band on this robusto I wish I could say that things have improved, but more of the same components continue to show the bipolar nature of the cigar. The only real addition to the mix is a floral, dried grass note that does add some balance, but not enough to wipe out the now ever-present menthol/ammonia note. Flavor sits at medium-plus, with body still at medium and strength being light/medium.
No real changes happen in the final puffs I take from the Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut; I set the nub of this stick in the ashtray to end my smoke in an unceremonious fashion.
Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?
As much as it pains me to say, I am in no hurry to smoke this cigar again. While it showed that there could be some great flavors to be had, the bipolar nature of the Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut was not an enjoyable experience for me. I would snag one of the Habano or maduro-wrapped versions of this brand over the Connecticut. That being said, I don’t want to give up on this blend yet, as I have seen what great cigars have already been blended in the Knuckle Sandwich line. I am going to put a few of these sticks in my humidor for a few months and then revisit to see if time helps to remove the ammonia/acrylic paint flavors that I got from these. We’ll see.
- Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut is available in three sizes:
- Robusto J: (5″ x 52)
- Short Churchill G: (6½” x 48)
- Toro H: (6″ x 54)
- The Short Churchill size was smoked by reviewer Jordan Guttormson on the Cigar First Impressions 9th Edition episode of Smoke Night LIVE earlier this year. He seemed to have a similar overall experience (perhaps enjoying the cigar slightly more than this review), where he gave the cigar a score of 87.
- The Knuckle Sandwich Connecticut is currently ranked 379 out of 4.7k cigars with a “97% Smokeable” rating on dojoverse.com.
- Flavor: Medium / Full
- Strength: Medium-Light
- Body: Medium
- Cedar
- Buttered toast
- Barnyard
- Sweet hay
- White pepper
- Acrylic paint / ammonia
- Smoke Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Pairing Recommendation: Light-roast black coffee | Green tea | Rum
- Purchase Recommendation: Buy a couple and decide for yourself
Short Link:
- Voluminous smoke output
- Balanced profile
- Easily distinguished flavors
- Burn required two touchups on average
- The balanced smoke becomes slightly uninteresting
- Transitions and complexity are soft