Cigar Review: The Kind Petit

“Don’t be caught smoking just any kind of cigar.” That’s the marketing pitch for The Kind, a new micro-batch that has been crafted exclusively for three Buffalo-area retailers.

The Kind was launched on February 28 by Nice Ash Cigars, Cigars at Your Price, and Egars. For now, it’s a house blend, though it’s one of those house blends that doesn’t require you to be at the house to get your hands on one; it can be bought online. The brand owner, Rob Roth, has plans to eventually distribute it to tobacconists throughout New York State (he sits on the Board of Directors for the New York Tobacco Association).

The blend includes a Jalapa-grown Corojo wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. It is fashioned in Estelí by Omar Ortez, known for his Omar Ortez Originals and the Warlock line. Each of the five sizes—Petit (4.5 x 46), Robusto (5.1 x 52), Toro (5.75 x 56), Gordo (6 x 60), and Churchill (7 x 54)—is sharply box-pressed with a closed foot and a pigtail cap. Prices range from about $6.50 to $8 per cigar.

I smoked several in the Petit format for this review. It is an attractive, golden-colored smoke with very thin veins and a firm packing of tobacco. Only faint notes of honey are apparent off the wrapper. The cap clips easily to reveal an effortless draw.

Roth calls The Kind “the perfect combination of strength and flavor” and says that it’s “full-bodied but only medium strength.” He also claims, despite the Nicaraguan spice, “it’s sweeter than most people would expect.” In my experience, the Petit is a flavor rush of dry wood and spice at the outset. Cedar, spice, and that familiar Nicaraguan zing take center stage. The intensity of the spice can be controlled by your puffing frequency, though I think most would agree the spice is the defining characteristic.

As the cigar progresses, it becomes a little mellower, with the majority of the spice being relegated to the long aftertaste. Buttery notes of cream and nut join in. A sweetness adds balance. Still, there’s lots of body with little nicotine kick. This is how the Petit remains until the end. Construction is solid with a straight burn, firm ash, smooth draw, and tons of smoke production.

Enthusiasts who crave spice and are generally fans of Nicaraguan cigars would do well to give The Kind a shot—especially since you can order online without having to commit to a full box purchase (five-packs and single sticks are available). I’m awarding The Kind Petit a respectable rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys