For the inaugural cigar review here at The Stogie Gentry, I elected to smoke and review a cigar I’ve been looking forward to for a long time: The Angel’s Anvil. This cigar was announced by Crowned Heads back in March. As a huge fan of the Four Kicks and Headley Grange lines, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I’m not usually a big fan of the Churchill size, but I can make an exception for a limited release from the likes of Crowned Heads.

Stats:

Size: 7 1/8” x 49 (Churchill)

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Havana

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Origin: Tabacalera La Alianza, S.A., Dominican Republic

The cigar looks quite appetizing, with a milk chocolate hue, a smooth wrapper with slight veins, and a simple but attractive band. The cigar feels firm to the touch and has very little give when pinched. A quick pre-light draw tastes of hay, nuts, and some sweetness.

Let’s get smoking!

The first few puffs provide a burst of nuts, leather, and a light spice at the back of the tongue. Continuing on, it smooths out into a nice combination of cream, roasted nuts, cinnamon, and a light syrupy sweetness. The Angel’s Anvil falls into the medium-bodied category at this point, with the flavors resting lightly on the palate. The medium-gray ash held on for a solid 1 1/2” chunk before I knocked it off for fear of it dropping in my lap.

Getting into the second third, I noticed a definite uptick to a medium-full body. The cinnamon from the first third has sort of transitioned into a more general spice, the creaminess has faded significantly, and the smoke has taken on a noticeably dry character. The syrup-like sweetness is gone, replaced with a subtle malty sweetness. Its a little windy outside, so I haven’t been able to get much of the aroma of the cigar. However, when I do catch a whiff I’m rewarded with a rich, sweet tobacco scent.

Moving into the final third, I’m pleased with how the cigar has kept my attention. My usual problem with Churchills is that they can become boring over such a long smoke time. This one, though, is doing well at keeping me interested. The flavors are still medium-full bodied. I’m getting a toasty leather flavor with a light graham cracker sweetness on the finish. The retrohale has a definite light pepper note, but is not overwhelming the overall flavors. After each puff, a toasted nut flavor remains on the tongue. Very nice way to wrap it up.

The Angel’s Anvil is very well-constructed. Despite a bit of wind, the burn has remained razor sharp with no touch-ups needed. I did have to relight once, but I take the blame for that as I let it sit for a bit too long without taking a puff.

Overall:

I really enjoyed The Angel’s Anvil. I expected it to be a bit stronger given the high Nicaraguan content. Also, with a word like “Anvil” in the name, I’d expect a little more oomph. Despite that, the flavors were tasty with a few nice transitions that kept the cigar interesting throughout its 7 1/8” length.

Rating:

3.5

I’m not a big fan of 1-100 rating scales. I think the difference in a 91 and a 92 is far too subtle to discern on a smoke-by-smoke basis. Instead, reviews on The Stogie Gentry will employ a 5-point scale, measured in half-point increments as follows:

0 - No Thanks - a cigar that just isn’t worth the time to smoke it

1 - Acceptable - a decent cigar, but I wouldn’t pay for one

2 - Enjoyable - this could become a go-to cigar that I’d keep on hand

3 - Tasty - so good I don’t want to be without it, worthy of buying a 5’er

4 - Superb - Find a buddy and split a box!

5 - Perfect - BRB, buying a full box now!

Based on this scale, The Angel’s Anvil comes in at a solid 3.5 for me. It was a very tasty smoke and I’m glad I have another waiting on me in my humidor. Even so, a Churchill is a big commitment for me and this one didn’t shine enough to merit having a box full of them. The only caveat to this is that with this cigar being a limited release, I could see myself splitting a box just to have a few on hand to enjoy after they’re sold out from retailers.