Kralot Mag 50

As far as announcements go, Jas Sum Kral seems to be on a tear in recent months: not only did the company announce it would be shipping a new line of CBD infused premium cigars in April, but it also added German distribution of its products and a new brand to its portfolio named Tyrannical Buc.

However, the news seemed to start back in November 2018, when Jas Sum Kral officially released its newest creation named Kralot, which translates to King from Macedonian. Although it was released as a single 7 x 50 vitola during an event at Minnetonka, Minn.-based retailer Cigar Jones, Riste Ristevski, the brand’s owner, is on record as saying there are plans for Kralot to become a full-fledged, multi-size line with three other vitolas planned for this year: 4 x 52, 6 x 44 and 7 x 38.

Blend-wise, the Kralot incorporates a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, Nicaragua Somoto and Ometepe binders and fillers from Condega, Estelí and Jalapa. Packaged in boxes of 20, the regular production cigar is priced at $14 each and is produced at the Tabacalera de Aragon S.A. factory in Nicaragua.

• Cigar Reviewed: Kralot Mag 50
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Tabacalera de Aragon S.A.
• Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
• Binder: Nicaragua (Ometepe & Somoto)
• Filler: Nicaragua (Condega, Estelí & Jalapa)
• Length: 7 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Churchill
• MSRP: $14 (Boxes of 20, $280)
• Release Date: Nov. 21, 2018
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

A very attractive espresso brown wrapper covers the Kralot, and while it is rough to the touch, there is virtually no oil whatsoever. The cigar is extremely spongy when squeezed—almost to the point where I think it might cause issues—and I can see very small flecks of gold embedded in the wrapper after a visual inspection. Aroma from the wrapper is a combination of earth, manure, leather, coffee beans, cloves and rasins, while the cold draw brings flavors of strong oak, leather, raisins, bread, anise and slight spice.

From the first puff of the Kralot, I am immediately inundated with a strong, dominant flavor of sweet raisins on both the finish and the retrohale, followed by notes of creamy oak, earth cocoa nibs, cinnamon, baker’s spices, espresso beans and yeast, along with a noticeable amount of black pepper on the retrohale. There is also a fairly large amount of spice on my tongue, strong enough that I am convinced it will be sticking around for a while. Construction-wise, the draw is excellent after a clean straight cut, and while the burn is not exactly razor sharp from the start, it is not nearly bad enough to need help yet. The smoke production is about average while the overall strength closes out the first third well short of the medium mark, although it does seem to be increasing.

The rich raisin sweetness continues to dominate both the finish and the retrohale during the second third of the Kralot, while the rest of the profile seems to also be close to carbon copy of first third as well, including flavors of creamy oak, cinnamon, bitter chocolate, baker’s spices, floral and freshly roasted coffee beans. The black pepper note on the retrohale is still present as is the spice on my tongue, and while both have not seemed to increase in strength, they have also not seemed to begin to fade either. The draw continues to impress with just the right amount of resistance, but the burn finally becomes problematic enough that I am forced to touch it up once. Strength-wise, the Kralot has increased noticeably compared to the first third of the cigar, but not quite enough to hit the medium mark by the of the second third. 

Unfortunately, the final third of the Jas Sum Kral sees some significant changes, not all of which are for the best: while the raisin sweetness is still very noticeable, it is not as distinct on the palate, and both the spice and black pepper have faded into obscurity, leaving behind a profile that is less complex. Other notes of dark chocolate, bitter espresso beans, earth, creamy oak, hay and a touch of creamy peanuts continue to flit in and out, but none of them come close to being strong enough to take over the top spot. Thankfully, the burn has gotten back on track after its issues in the second third, while the draw is as good as ever. Finally, the strength level does finally hit the medium mark by the end of the final third, and I put the nub down with a little less than an inch to go.

Final Notes

• While this vitola was supposedly released at 7 x 50, all three of my samples—and one at the office—actually measured 6.8 inches. In addition, in Cuba a Robusto Extra is officially 156mm x 50, or 6.14 x 50, so regardless this specific cigar is much closer to a traditional Churchill than a traditional Robusto Extra.
• The Macedonian word Kralot is actually spelled кралот.

• As I mentioned above, I noticed some little flecks of gold all over the wrapper, and although I can’t tell with 100 percent certainty if it is from the soil—ala Tatuaje Connecticut broadleaf—or the extremely gold band, I would bet on it being the latter.
• While the burn line was far from flawless visually, the physical construction was pretty good on all three samples; I only had to touch up two samples a single time, both in the second third.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• The smoking time for all three samples averaged one hour and 41 minutes on average.
• If you would like to purchase any of the Kralots, site sponsor JR Cigar has them in stock.