All Saints Solamente 2023

In 2019, a then fairly new cigar company called All Saints decided to release a limited edition cigar honoring the Christian holy day of All Saints’ Day. The cigar, called Solamente, is called “the culmination of our passion for the craft” said co-founder Micky Pegg.

In October 2023, the cigar made another appearance, this time with a bit more of an announcement than the quietly released original version.

The blend features an Ecuadorian habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and a mix of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobacco in the filler. It is offered in a beefy 5 x 58 vitola and produced at Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua, a factory often referred to as TAVICUSA and best known for being the factory that produces Rocky Patel’s higher-end premium cigars.

For the 2023 release, pricing was set at $20 per cigar—an increase from the $11.95 price of the 2019 release—with production limited to 500 boxes of 23 cigars, a total run of just 11,500 cigars.

• Cigar Reviewed: All Saints Solamente 2023
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua
• Length: 5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 58
• Vitola: Petit Gordo
• MSRP: $20 (Box of 23, $460)
• Release Date: October 4, 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: 500 Boxes of 23 Cigars (11,500 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

The wrapper is a dark, even shade of brown with just the slightest bit of oil that is more perceptible via touch than sight. Veins are small and generally easy to overlook, though there is a vein on one cigar that looks like it is coming right out of the peak of the band, an interesting choice made by the person putting on the band. Otherwise, all three cigars look well-rolled at arm’s length, though I do notice a little nick on the seam line of one cigar. The first cigar is fairly dense with a good weight in the hand, the second is a bit lighter but almost equally dense, while the third feels the firmest of the three with a fairly typical weight. The foot has a light, bright aroma that is slightly sweet, though that sweetness manifests in different manners. The most distinguishable version smells like a dry chocolate brownie with a bit of black pepper on the finish, while another has a Frappucino smell and yet another has a bit more of a sweet corn cereal aroma. The cold draw is smooth, with only one cigar a bit firmer than ideal. The flavor is fairly soft in texture, suggesting the insides of a chocolate brownie at first. There’s not a lot of pepper, and in some of the cigars, there’s none at all though there’s a bit of tingle on my lips and tongue from where they make contact with the cigar.

The first of the three All Saints Solamente 2023s starts off with a funky taste that I can’t quite place, though the first thing that comes to mind is a small dollop of plain toothpaste. Neither the second or third cigars get this experience, which I’m thankful for, but am now really curious as to what caused that particular sensation. That odd flavor goes away quickly, pushed aside by a lot of damp wood and lumber, some earth and black pepper, which are the common components of all three cigars. One cigar has a bit of a bran muffin flavor in the very background as well, while another leans into the earth and pepper more so than the others. There is a good amount of flavor that engages the palate quite well, as the intensity is dialed in so as not to be too overpowering out of the gate. Retrohales add just a touch more pepper for a bit of an accent to the puffs, and the combination seems to result in some creaminess emerging. The flavor intensity backs down just a touch ahead of the one-inch mark, though there’s still plenty of tingle delivered by the finish of each puff, eventually losing most of whatever edge it had and delivering a profile that has me back thinking about the moist inside of a brownie. A bit of thick creaminess comes in as this section comes to a close. Flavor starts medium-full but comes back to medium, body is medium and strength is mild. Construction is pretty solid on the whole, though I do see a bit of unevenness on the burn line.

Retrohales at the start of the second third are quite good, still leading with just enough pepper to be called an accent to the profile, but now with a richer profile. The creaminess is gone, but it left behind a slight dampness that gives the smoke depth and texture. On the taste buds, the profile is a bit earthier and less sweet, as most of the chocolate brownie sensation has departed. The finish of each puff brightens up the profile a bit, finishing on a crisper, slightly drier note that leaves a subtle tingle on my tongue. There’s a touch of nuttiness emerging in the retrohales, and in some of the puffs across the three cigars I get a faint hint of barnyard from the resting aroma. By the end of this section, the flavor feels like it is having a hard time standing out from the much thicker body of the smoke, save for a bit of lumber and peanut shells that give the flavor some definition. Flavor has dialed back to medium while the body thickens up to medium-full, and strength stays in mild territory. On the whole, construction is good and problem-free, with just an occasionally uneven burn line that I probably wouldn’t think much of if smoking this simply for pleasure.

A bit of creaminess returns to the flavor and aroma to kick off the final third of the All Saints Solamente 2023, while a pinch of black pepper isn’t far behind to help brighten up the profile after what I would called a subdued second third. The flavor then takes a turn for a drier profile, as the creaminess dries up and reminds me of powdered creamer for a few puffs. Then the earth also gets drier and takes a step forward in the profile, and when combined with the creaminess makes for a flavor that reminds me of the final sips of a cream-heavy French press coffee with the grounds getting into my mouth. The flavor picks up a bit of campfire smoke in the cigar’s final inch, and while I wouldn’t call the flavor metallic, there is something in the background giving me that impression. Flavor finishes medium-full, body is full and strength is just barely medium-minus at its strongest. Construction has been solid across the three samples, with only a sporadically uneven burn line and thus a touch-up needed to remedy it, but plenty of smoke production and no draw issues.

Final Notes

• We’ve been measuring and weighing cigars before review for a while now, and most of the time, I don’t find there to be anything that I would define as eye-catching, but in the case of the All Saints Solamente 2023, one cigar weighed just over 3 grams more than the other two, 18.8 grams to 15.43 and 15.76. It was also the thickest by half a ring gauge—56.5 to 56 for the other two—and the shortest, 4.94 inches to 4.95 and 4.97 inches.
• In terms of the in-the-hand feel, that one cigar clearly felt heavier than the other two, though I wouldn’t call it heavy without the comparison. If anything, the one that felt 15.43 grams felt a touch light, while the other two were in the realm of a typical feel for a robusto.
• I’m kind of a stickler for vitola names, even though the vast majority of the industry isn’t, or at least takes some liberties at times. Using the guide on CubanCigarWebsite.com, this would simply be considered a robusto, yet that doesn’t feel right. The term gordo has been increasingly used for 60-ring gauge cigars, using the Spanish word for fat. At 58-ring gauge, this is certainly closer to that, though the length is an inch shorter than the common 6 x 60, which would then seemingly necessitate tacking on the word petit, making this a petit gordo.
• In terms of Cuban factory names for vitolas, this would be a Magnificos, and was used for the Cohiba Robusto Supremos EL 2014.
• Interestingly, the Solamente line does not appear on All Saints’ website.
• All Saints Day is celebrated on Nov. 1 every year.
• Growing up in a Catholic family and attending Catholic school, I certainly went to my share of All Saints Day Masses and probably did some school-related activities, but I can’t remember ever having an All Saints Day celebration that would warrant the smoking of cigars.
• Solamente means only in Italian.
• The All Saints Solamente 2023 didn’t hit me with much nicotine strength, as only one cigar had enough in its final third to be noticeable.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 10 minutes on average.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co. and Famous Smoke Shop carry the All Saints Solamente 2023.

Editor’s Note: This review incorrectly stated that All Saints was planning on releasing 24-count boxes of the Solamente. The text has been changed to reflect the correct information. We regret the error.