Cigar Name: Nording Torpedo (4 x 54)
Cigar Description: Costa Rican Maduro wrapper over Nicaraguan long fillers and Mexican binder
Cigar Strength: Full
Review of the Cigar itself: This cigar, when I got it, made me think of the NUB cigars that I sometimes like for a "quick" smoke. NUBs, however, tend to be rather light on flavour. This is definitely not the case with the Nording, by Rocky Patel. This cigar was created specially for Erik Nording, whose pipes are amongst the most sought after pipes in the world. I think if my grandfather were still alive today, I'd get him a Nording (either a
Woodcock or
Traditional Rustic; myself, I'd want a
Churchwarden if I got into pipes). Erik has been smoking a pipe since the age of 15 and
his story of how he turned his passion for making pipes as hobby into a profession, for over 40 years, is fascinating one. Today, it's estimated that about 90% or so of the roughly 50,000 pipes produced by Nording's facility, all handmade, are exported. Nice export for Denmark to have, no?
It's not surprising that the construction of this cigar is so well done. Rocky Patel cigars have very good quality control and stake their reputation on often creating some of the best blends you'll find. The wrapper is a dark, almost burnt chocolate colour, a stark contrast to the creamy but simple band. I inhaled the scent of the tobacco and was rewarded with a sweet but earthy aroma. Toasting the end of the cigar, I thought of my grandfather and how much more it would have meant if I could share this with him. He, unfortunately, passed away due to throat cancer in 1993 at the age of 75. As the smoke floated above, the rich earthy scent tickled my nose.
The cigar itself had wonderfully lush sweet flavour enveloped with deeper earthy and leather tones to it. The burn on the cigar was incredibly consistent and the ash steady, even when I went outside to investigate the abundance of news helicopters dancing in the dark cloudy sky. What exactly they were searching for, I have no idea. Perhaps the tax collectors in hopes of finding more tax avenues (apparently the
SCHIP tax on large cigars has been set to 52.4%, with a maximum cap of 40 cents per cigar; definitely a far cry from the feared $3-10 cap per cigar). As I stood out on the balcony and watched the world below, I drew in on the cigar. The inch or so ash remained attached even as the cold wind blustered about. I decided that it would be more enjoyable inside than out, especially in my shorts and t-shirt not provided enough of a buffer against the 39F/3C weather.
As I sat down in front of my computer and finished off my work for the night, I enjoyed the rich flavour that the Nording offered. It definite lives up to its namesake as a fine tribute to a craftsman. So light up a Nording in salute of a man and the fine art of pipemaking.
Enjoyed with: water
Smoke time: approximately 75 minutes
Final Review Rating: 9/10
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