Epic Ten

Epic Cigars

• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
• Wrapper: Cameroon
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 54
• Vitola: Toro
• MSRP: $16 (Box of 10, $160)
• Release Date: November 2020
• Number of Cigars Released: 1,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)
• Original Score: 92

For the cigar to celebrate Epic Cigars’ 10th anniversary, owner Dean Parsons turned to Abdel “AJ” Fernández and the use of a Cameroon wrapper, something you simply don’t see every day in the cigar industry, particularly from smaller brands that might not have access to the leaf. Maybe more surprisingly, that Cameroon wrapper was paired with a Nicaraguan binder and filler, a combination rarely seen until the last few years.

The result was not only an impressive cigar on its own, but another indication that Cameroon tobacco can work well with Nicaraguan tobacco. It’s an exciting and palate-stimulatingcombination of the spicy flavors of the Cameroon leaf and the rich, earthier flavors of the Nicaraguan leaves, a pairing that works largely because the blend manages to keep both balanced. This is a stellar example of a flavor profile that can be achieved when existing blending norms are challenged and quality tobaccos are brought together to work in harmony. The two drivers of the profile are beautifully intertwined in the flavor and aroma, hence why it earned the acclaim it did. — Patrick Lagreid.