Indian, Omar, and El Baton - Part 1

Last week I thought I would be reviewing the two maduros shown in the photo at the end of the last post. I only managed to smoke one of those, but two unannounced cigars made it into the rotation. As usual, my week took a few unexpected, but always pleasant turns, and turned out to be as unpredictable as ever.

The early part of the week was business as usual: meetings, e-mails, keg filling, printing craft beer propaganda, and preparing for another weekend of beer events, festivals, and fundraisers. The outside temperatures were skyrocketing. Since I do nearly all of my smoking outdoors, this made the prospect of enjoying a smoke pretty slim.

Friday, I made an unscheduled, last-minute run to Madison, Indiana, to deliver a keg of New Albanian Brewing Company's Old 15-B Porter to my friend Steve Thomas, proprietor of Thomas Family Winery in Downtown Madison.

Madison is about an hour drive from the brewery and just the kind of break I needed from an otherwise hectic week. I also looked forward to the opportunity to pay a visit to one of my favorite cigar shops: Churchill Cigars.




Churchill is owned and operated by Edward Roszczynski and his wife Lee. Edward moved to the United States from France when he was thirteen years old (in the mid-60s) and learned English from a school nun. He dreamed of someday owning a business with the same relaxed atmosphere of his parents' small grocery in France and did just that with the opening of his Main Street cigar shop in 2006. Churchill Cigars is nestled among quaint shops in a sleepy little town on the banks of the Ohio River. It's the kind of place that takes you back to another era. Madison reminds you to slow down, take a breath, and enjoy a walk along the river. Churchill reminds you that you have time for a smoke along the way.


I quickly spotted many familiar labels and a wide variety of brands that I was unaccustomed to seeing in my home shops. I instantly navigated toward the less familiar labels. In particularly, one called Indian Tabac Maduro which also fell right in line with my $5 a stick, two-cigar-a-week budget. While it seemed vaguely familiar, I couldn't quite place why I would know it and was sure that I had never smoked one before. I asked Ed about it and he informed me that it was one of Rocky Patel's projects and was quite a nice smoke for the price. Sold. I then inquired about a few others and told Ed that I had been on a maduro kick lately and liked the spiciness of a fermented leaf, but wanted a stout, full-bodied smoked. He pointed to a dark brown, oily cigar with a band that read simply El Baton, a belicoso measuring 56 ring gauge by 6 and 1/4 inches long. With the Indian Tabac Maduro, it was going to put me over my $10 limit by a couple of bucks, but, what the hell.

As I was checking out, I asked what my friend and local winemaker, Steve Thomas, usually smoked. Ed had a look of surprise. He had obviously and appropriately tagged me as a tourist, but seemed pleased that we had a mutual friend.

"Well, those right there," he said, pointing at the Indian. I knew it had somehow seemed familiar, but now I was even more excited about my selection. It came back to me that a year ago, at the Madison Folk Festival, I had asked Steve what he was smoking and he had showed me the same band that I was holding in my hand.

I returned to the brewery, tied up some loose ends, and called my boss, Roger Baylor.

"Do you have a minute to sit down and talk," I asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"I know it's hot as hell outside, but do you want to have a cigar?"

"Yes."

I stopped into Kaiser's, located less than a block from the New Albanian Bank Street Brewhouse, and picked up a cigar for Roger - the La Gloria Cubana #5 Maduro that I reviewed last week. I don't know if he reads blogs since he's quite busy writing his own in addition to numerous newspaper and magazine columns, but I wanted him to try it nonetheless. We poured ourselves a beer and joined our financial guru Gregg Rochman, and brewer Jesse Williams, on the newly constructed patio. It was indeed "hot as hell" and humid - a typical Ohio River Valley day. I lit the Indian Tabac Maduro while Roger fired up the La Gloria Habana Maduro. Moments later, as if summoned by the smoke, the sun faded and an uncharacteristic storm engulfed the brewery. It cooled off the covered patio instantly and hit the ground outside with enough force to raise a nice mist under the canopy. It was stronger than any summer storm we're used to in the Louisville area and my mind suddenly began to wander.

Amidst talk of beer prices and progress, I found myself transported to another place: smoking on the streets of Havana, caught in a storm and seeking refuge in a nearby bar for a pint and a hand-rolled smoke while the storm made it's way across the island.


The storm hammered down for about a half an hour before dissipating as quickly as it had appeared. The only thing that remained of my brief South American voyage was the Honduran cigar.

The Indian Tabac proved to be a great smoke and one that I look forward to enjoying again. It immediately showed the rich, flavorful character of a maduro. It didn't have much sweetness, but hinted at flavors of vanilla and dark-roasted grain. It packed a punch and had my mouth tingling instantly. The burn was fairly even, but not consistent, and left behind a long, dark, solid ash. The cigar burned cool until midway through. I may have sped up, causing it to burn hotter, but the flavors just intensified and brought out notes of dark cocoa and coffee.

I started smoking it with a crisp, but abundantly-hopped, pre-Prohibition Pilsner and finished with a malty, highly-hopped, double IPA (Kaiser and Hoptimus). It was a great combination, intensifying in unison and carrying each other nicely to the finish.


Indian Tabac Tomahawk Maduro
Vitola: 6" x 52
Origin: Danli, Honduras
Wrapper: Connecticut Maduro
Filler: Nicaraguan, Costa Rican and Honduran
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Strength: Full
Body: Full
Purchased: Churchill Cigar
Price: $4.85+tax
Drink: New Albanian Brewing Co. Kaiser and Hoptimus