So after my little tour of the Navarre cigar factory in the tiny town of Navarrenx, I proceeded across the street to purchase a few of the jewels that had tantalized my imagination at the factory. It turns out that French law prohibits the sale or distribution of tobacco products except at local tobacconist shops… go figure, a cigar manufacturer isn’t allowed to sell his own product, like a winery would. That said, France has never had a tobacco manufacturer before, so that is bound to change.
The excellent looking stick came in a truly French package—a very elegant cardboard box that made me feel like I was about to smoke a chocolate truffle. My feeling at this point is that it can’t get any more French than that.
The cigar itself has a very interesting golden brown color. The wrapper is impeccable, as I would expect it to be, and the aroma is mildly buttery at this point with some cinnamon and nutmeg hints. I clipped the triple cap on the cigar and proceeded to give it a pre-light draw. I got an initial note of hay that moved more and more toward dried red chilly peppers—sort of like crushed pepper flakes, but without the piquant effect… a nice start.
On the light, the foot releases a slightly earthy aroma. The smoke is grassy with defining notes of red bell peppers. There is a good body to it as well. It gave the impression of strength, and I was reassured that I wasn’t smoking a slacker. When solicited frequently, the stick is able to deliver black pepper and spicy notes too. The complexity of the cigar so far made a good impression, considering that it was probably just rolled.
I wasn’t very happy about the quality of the burn, but here I feel that I have to cut these guys a break. I mean, I virtually grabbed this stick right off the roller’s table and, since I’m on the road, I haven’t given it the much needed stabilizing time in my humidor. This is a cigar that I’ll have to re-examine in a couple of years.
At around the half way mark, the cigar takes on a darker, grilled, profile. I was pleased with the roasted notes and the graphite undertone. Increasing notes of grilled bell pepper hint slightly at the classic Ramon Allones Specially Selected. Toward the end I got a dose of coffee and sweet wood, which contributed to the smooth woody finish.
I can only speculate about how the cigar will do with aging. Remember that this cigar is very, very young. But seeing that even in this young state it exhibits some complexity and many nuances, I can only guess it will be great in six months to a year. Beyond that, we’ll have to wait and see… hats off the Navarre for a very good effort!!
