Country of origin: Dominican Republic
Color: Colorado Claro
Length: 6"
Ring gauge: 52
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Dominican
Premium boutique cigars out of Wellington, Colorado, USA...I know, my thoughts exactly - hard to equate fine cigars with a small town in central Colorado. However, Terry Johnson, a fly fisherman and cigar enthusiast, founded the namesake cigar company, partnering with Alex Johnson (with expertise in sales and marketing) and cigar blender/roller Clay Carlton. After years of experience under the tutelage of a Cuban Master Blender and Roller, Clayton had created Case de Palma Cigars, becoming the only cigar roller in the Rocky Mountain region. T.L. Cigar Company is expanding rapidly, and is now distributed by The Cuban Tradition Cigar Group in Miami, FL. With sales office still in Wellington, CO, the cigars are manufactured from a factory in Tamboril, Dominican Republic.
I received two cigars from three lines of T.L. Johnson cigars from Terry Johnson back in May 2013: the Signature Maduro Torpedo, the Legend Reserve 63 Torpedo, and the Signature Connecticut Torpedo, the focus of this current review.
The Signature Connecticut Torpedo has a very nice colorado claro wrapper with few prominent green-tinged veins present and visible seams. The wrapper is smooth to the touch. The foot of the cigar has a mild sweet aroma. The cold draw after a guillotine cut did not reveal much flavor. The cigar lights quite easily and has an impeccable burn - producing perfectly even and long, tight ashes.
The cigar has a great draw and produces a nice amount of smoke. The flavor profile is consistent throughout the entire smoke. The tobacco flavor is very smooth and buttery in nature, with hints of nuttiness and very mild spice. Grassy, earthy flavor is revealed only upon retrohale, which is why I retrohaled more frequently than usual. About midway through the smoke, the flavors are unchanged; however, the intensity picks up a bit through the finish. The T.L. Johnson Signature Connecticut Torpedo is a very nice cigar that is mild in strength and light in body - quite perfect for novice cigar smokers. While milder than my preference, this is an enjoyable cigar.
Check out the company website (T.L. Johnson Cigars), follow them on Twitter (@TLJohnsonCigars), and LIKE them on Facebook at T.L. Johnson Cigars.