Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Tarred & Feathered

RoMa Craft Tobac has never been shy about incorporating some academic themes to the names of its cigars, whether its the study of human history and evolution or key moments in American history.

In the case of the Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 line, it is named for a period that lasted from 1791 to 1794 and was the result of the United States government taxing distilled spirits to create revenue for the payment of debt incurred during the Revolutionary War. It also marked the first time a domestic product had been subject to a tax. It came to an end when President George Washington rode to Pennsylvania to quell the insurrection.

But along with a history lesson, it also came with a message from company co-founder Skip Martin:

What the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 represents, for me, is two things. First, that we must resist tyrannous taxes and regulations, and second that this resistance is not futile.

The line, which debuted in 2016, is the result of a collaboration with the online cigar community Cigar Dojo and was originally released exclusively through Famous Smoke Shop before being released to additional retailers in January 2019. The blend features an Ecuadorian habano ligero wrapper, an Indonesian Besuki binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

When it was released in November 2020, Tarred & Feathered became the eighth vitola in the Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 line:

• Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Bradford (5 x 56)
• Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Hamilton (4 x 46)
• Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Jefferson (4 1/2 x 50)
• Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 McFarlane (5 x 50)
• Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Washington (5 1/2 x 54)
• Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Pennsatucky (6 1/2 x 44)
• Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Gran Perfecto (5 5/8 x 60)
• Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Tarred & Feathered (5 x 56 box-pressed)

While it’s not a limited edition, it was released as a limited production, with just 500 boxes of 12 cigars made per year.

Here’s what I said about the Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Tarred & Feathered when I reviewed it in December 2020:

Make no mistake about it, the Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Tarred & Feathered is a strong cigar; where it ranks compared to others in the RoMa Craft Tobac portfolio will largely be a personal decision, but it’s up there. Beyond being strong, it is flavorful, balanced and engaging from start to finish. While strength will do its best to command your attention, the true rewards are found by paying attention to what else is going on, namely the earth, pepper and sweetness that dance beautifully throughout the profile and provide the movement from start to finish. While the one cigar’s draw had me worried, smoking three seemed to prove that sample to be an aberration, though it still cost the overall score a number of points. When free of issues and smoked with the proper attention, the Tarred & Feathered rewards the palate handsomely and plentifully. If you can find this particular size and are up for a strong cigar, it’s definitely worth it.

• Cigar Reviewed: Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Tarred & Feathered
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos NicaSueño S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano Ligero)
• Binder: Indonesia (Besuki)
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
• Length: 5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 56
• Vitola: Robusto Gordo
• MSRP: $9.35 (Box of 12, $112.20)
• Release Date: November 2020
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Redux: 3

As soon as I slide the Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Tarred & Feathered out of its cellophane, I’m greeted by one of the more aggressive box-pressed cigars I’ve seen recently. The corners have a sharp bend, and my fingers drop off one side with the drop of a steep roller coaster. The cigar is generally smooth but has some underlying texture, an interesting mix of remnant oil and a velvety leaf. The wrapper is a dark brown that shows some variance on either side of the seam lines, while the veins are small and scattered. It takes a moment to recognize that the wrapper doesn’t go all the way to the end of the cigar, as the exposed tobacco is just a few shades lighter than the wrapper. The cigar is firm, firmer than most box-pressed cigars, but not as firm as most parejos coming from the Nica Sueño factory. The foot has a light aroma that reminds me of dry leaves and fallen seed pods. The cold draw reveals a very loose airflow, as the cold draw shows very little resistance. The flavor is so mild that it reveals very little beyond dry tobacco.

The Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Tarred & Feathered starts with a bit of a woody funk that catches my attention and makes me wonder just what I’m tasting. By the time I can rack my brain to come up with things, the profile changes to become earthier and more pepper-laden, particularly through the nose. It’s an interesting swing of the pendulum within the first inch, with the flavor then progressing to a midpoint, still earthy, still a bit peppery, but also now a bit funky as the first clump of ash reluctantly drops off, requiring two gentle taps to finally dislodge. The flavor gets increasingly complex, yet not particularly harmonious, as a bit of chalk comes in to disrupt the progress that the cigar was making towards balance. Flavor is medium-plus, body is medium and strength is mild. Construction is very good, with solid amounts of smoke, a fairly even burn line, and no problems with the draw despite my pre-light concerns.

The second half of the Intemperance Whiskey Rebellion 1794 Tarred & Feathered feels like it’s starting on a better foot than how the first half concluded. The chalk has departed, there’s little funkiness, and the profile has settled back into a spot where there’s a good amount of earthiness that is vibrant, dry, yet rich and somewhat rocky, while black pepper finishes off the offering. Some damp wood comes in as the burn line crosses into the final third, while a clean black pepper emerges in the retrohale to give the cigar one of its cleanest sensations yet. It’s also a much more RoMa Craft-esque profile, not quite what I think of from CroMagnon, but not that far off. A bit of sweetness begins to emerge in the final inch or so, almost bubbling up from the earth and affected by that heartier, richer soil sensation. A touch more black pepper emerges in the final inch to finish off the experience with a lot of tingle on my taste buds. Flavor finishes near medium-full, body is medium-plus, and strength is surprisingly mild. Construction is very good, as the draw firms up just a touch, the burn line is largely even, and smoke production is good. The smoking time clocks in around two hours and 20 minutes.