A friend of mine recently got picked up as a rep for Rolling Thunder cigars. He has been looking to get into the industry for awhile and here was his chance! I got a call from him last week and he asked if he could stop by and give me the rundown on these .50 Cal cigars. I wasn’t familiar with Rolling Thunder cigars or with the .50 Cal line, so I was excited to try some new-to-me cigars. Here is the info and my thoughts on it!

Blend Profile
Wrapper: Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Vitola: 5×52 Robusto

Appearance & Smell
This cigar has a reddish/brown look to it. The veins are noticeable but don’t detract from a solid look. The smell is earthy with notes of cedar and a little pepper.

Smoke Preparation
I cut this cigar with a flat cut by using my Xikar Xi1. The cigar was lit using my double torch Xikar Enigma.

Burn & Draw
This cigar lit up easily with a good draw. The draw was easy and enjoyable. The cigar was well-constructed but it was not the tightest roll. I had to ash the cigar about every half inch in fear that it would drop off when I didn’t want it to.

Strength & Body
In terms of strength, this was a solid medium. Maybe even a little medium-plus towards the end. The body was lovely and showed some flavors like earthiness, cedar, red pepper, and a little bit of cream.

Final Thoughts
This cigar was very enjoyable! I would gladly smoke this again on my own dime. These cigars are made at the Placencia factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. The tobacco is tasty, the burn was good, and it’s hard to beat for a cigar under $10. If you happen to see one in your local shop, don’t be afraid to grab one and try it out!

Source: Gift from a Friend
Brand Information: Rolling Thunder Cigars