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Cigar Review: Iconic Leaf Recluse Toro

1 Oct 2012

By now, most of us know that the new Iconic Leaf Cigar Co. was “founded by two very well-known and well respected legends in the cigar industry” who have “chosen to keep their identities private in a pursuit to make the very best premium boutique cigars that can be found anywhere in the world without the influence of their names.”

I’ll resist the temptation to guess the identities of the two individuals behind Iconic Leaf. Rather, I’ll keep this review focused on what we know for sure about the company and its first release, Recluse.

Available in ten box-pressed sizes, Recluse debuted this summer at the 2012 IPCPR Trade Show in Orlando. It boasts a Brazilian maduro wrapper, a Cameroon binder, and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic—all of which go through eight fermentation cycles. Recluse is made under the direction of Don Jose Rafael in the Leyendas Cubanas factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

“Every Recluse is rolled in the old Cuban tradition of tubing, which is taking each filler leaf and rolling it into a tube instead of folding it,” reads the Iconic Leaf website. “Once all the filler leaves are each individually rolled into a tube shape, they are brought together and surrounded with the binder. This is time-consuming but creates an effortless draw and an unparalleled smoking experience. We then box press each cigar to compress the leaf and reduce air space.”

I smoked two Recluse Toros for this review, both of which were sent to me by Iconic Leaf. The Toro size measures 6.25 inches with a ring gauge of 50. It carries an MSRP of $7.80 and has a strikingly mottled wrapper that’s oily and devoid of thick veins. The cigar is soft to the touch with pre-light notes of milk chocolate and damp earth.

Establishing an even light is very easy. Once it’s burning, I can instantly appreciate the time and effort that was put into the tubing of the filler tobaccos, as the result of this painstaking process is a wonderful draw that yields bountiful tufts of thick smoke. The Toro’s other physical properties are also excellent, including a straight burn and a solid ash.

Construction is important, but flavor and texture are paramount. Fortunately, Recluse does very well in these categories as well. The smoke is cool and airy with a powdery mouthfeel. The taste is well-balanced with notes of cocoa, leather, cinnamon spice, and creamy nut. The flavor doesn’t change much from light to nub.

And nub it I did. While Iconic Leaf may have sent me the two Toros to make this review possible, I will definitely be purchasing more in the near future for my own enjoyment. This is one of the most impressive new cigars of 2012 (at least among those I’ve tried to date), worthy of a rare rating of four and half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

9 Responses to “Cigar Review: Iconic Leaf Recluse Toro”

  1. TerranceF Monday, October 1, 2012 at 11:03 am #

    I've heard a ton of good things about this cigar. Can't wait to try it myself! Thanks for the review.

  2. BillK Monday, October 1, 2012 at 4:06 pm #

    My guess is one of the founders is Don Kiki.

  3. Swede214 Monday, October 1, 2012 at 10:19 pm #

    Are there any stores that have this cigar at the present time? Thanks, sounds like a nice smoke.

    • Patrick A Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 2:11 pm #

      I haven't seen a list of retailers from Iconic Leaf yet, and I don't see one on their website either. If anyone comes across a list, please post for the benefit of the group.

      • Patrick A Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 5:26 pm #

        I inquired with my contact at Iconic Leaf about the availability of Recluse, and here's what I learned:

        — At least for now, they are not releasing a list of retailers

        — Interested people can go to http://www.iconicleafcigar.com and fill out the contact form and request to know their local retailer. Apparently Iconic Leaf responds to these requests daily.

        — All Recluse cigars are shipping this week for the United States. From there to the store shelves takes about a week and a half.

  4. Jeff Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 1:24 pm #

    I have been waiting to purchase this as well to try and emailed the company. I have not seen it anywhere for sale including online. I did try a fantastic smoke the other day made by Panacea. Red Habano Grande. Amazing stogie and a great price point. A must try.

  5. Recluse Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 12:11 pm #

    http://www.iconicleafcigar.com/retailers.php

    This link should tell you exactly where to find them.

    Merry Christmas!

  6. Recluse Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 5:58 pm #

    For those of you who commented on where to find Recluse, here is the Retailer link:
    http://www.iconicleafcigar.com/retailers.php

Trackbacks and Pingbacks

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