It’s understandable if you haven’t yet heard of Statesman Cigar Company as they are relatively new on the scene. Here’s the Statesman story, pulled from their website:
“Launched in 2023, Statesman Cigar Co. was birthed out of the founders’ shared passion for cigar smoking, great community, and the finer things of life. At Statesman, it’s not about simply selling a product, it’s about bringing people into an experience. Our mission is to bring as many people into the Statesman lifestyle, a lifestyle of memorable cigar-smoking experiences, sophisticated elegance, and the most important thing – great community. We look forward to having a smoke with you!”
Statesman recently reached out to the TNCC and asked if we’d be interested in reviewing some samples of their initial offerings, so here we are…
THE CIGAR – THE STATESMAN by STATESMAN CIGAR COMPANY
Size: 5 3/8 × 52 (salomon)
Wrapper: Undisclosed
Binder: Undisclosed
Filler: Undisclosed
Price: $11.00
The first thing I notice about this small cigar is that the wrapper leaf surrounding the foot of The Statesman appears to be tightly wound around the base, it’s unusual visually as it appears that a separate piece of tobacco was used just at the bottom of the cigar.
Prelight aromas of faint cedar and hay are detected and The Statesman has just the right amount of give to it when gently squeezed between two fingers.
After experiencing a cold draw comprised of grass, hay, and a slight earthiness, it’s time to set this tiny sucker on fire. First impressions are of slight white pepper through the nose and a creamy café au lait note pouring in via the draw backed by light cedar. The uniquely constructed foot is burning slightly uneven here early on but I decide to exercise some patience rather than getting my lighter involved again just yet.
Some must and salt arise underneath the mellow white pepper as The Statesman crosses the 1” mark. The draw’s mild coffee and cedar flavor combination is quite enjoyable. The cigar is drawing nicely and, with the exception of the uneven burn line, construction is good.
Just before the fifty yard line, the pepper spice takes an uptick in strength and becomes far more pronounced than before. Fortunately, this increase in strength does not clash with the softer, creamier flavors consistently pouring through the draw. Guess what? That initial wonky burn line has mostly straightened itself out now, as I had hoped it would. I think that some reviewers are far too hasty to jump in with their torch lighters in an effort to manually “correct” construction issues and the end result may cause more harm than good when it comes to their overall impression of the cigar. It always impresses me when a premium cigar solves its own problems without any help, it’s as if they know what to do and considering that we’re talking about a bunch of rolled-up dead leaves here – well, that shit’s crazy cool to witness time and time again. A hint of vanilla cake icing begins developing on the retrohale just as the burn line reaches The Statesman’s green & gold band.
The vanilla note, while very muted, obviously plays nicely with the draw’s dominant, creamy coffee flavor. While the cedar remains present, much like the retro’s white pepper, its influence comes and goes in waves. With the band now removed, The Statesman begins to smoke slightly harsher with a few inches to go and this harshness begins to suppress the overall flavor profile which is unfortunate as I was enjoying the smoking experience quite a bit…
The harsh char sensation does diminish somewhat in The Statesman’s final act, thankfully, and it allows all the flavors that I was previously enjoying to shine through once again before things come to an end.
THE NUB
TNCC FINAL SCORE = 90
Premium cigars are like people. You’d be foolish to judge them solely on their atypical appearance or on their slight, often temporary imperfections. Patience is indeed an invaluable virtue in both life and cigars. The Statesman delivers a pleasant, mostly mild smoking experience for the majority of its 45 minute duration. While the $11 price tag is certainly high, I’ve spent the same amount on a delicious pint of craft beer that lasted half as long so I’m not going to bitch about the cost here. Maybe I would be more critical if I had actually paid for these cigars? Perhaps. But I’m doin the best I can here so please be patient with me.
