Brick House

[kaisersozei]

Maker: Fabrica de Tabacos San Rafael
Distributor: J.C. Newman Cigar Co.
Release Date: September 2009
Filler/Binder/Wrapper: Nicaragua
Vitola: Robusto (5x54)

From the Brick House website:
The original Brick House cigars were Cuban puros, handmade with the finest Havana tobaccos. Third-generation cigar makers, Eric and Bobby Newman, have recreated this vintage cigar brand by blending specially aged Nicaraguan tobaccos with hearty Havana Subido wrapper leaves to match the rich, well-balanced flavor of their grandfather’s Brick House cigars.

From Cigar Insider:
A resurrected vintage brand once made by the Newmans in Cleveland, Brick House is back and now made in the same factory as the company’s El Baton cigar. It is priced for the recession, offering value and flavor. Average Rating (vertical brand tasting) = 88.8

I was gifted this cigar at last week’s herf by Winstonshumidor (thanks, Kevin!) Decided to torch it up on this dreary Saturday afternoon and share my thoughts with CA.





Appearance/Construction
The wrapper on this was smooth & silky, slightly oily and virtually vein-free. There seemed to be one prominent stem just below the surface, but it didn’t affect the cigar. The tobacco at the foot was bunched nicely. The band caught my eye: the artwork was simple, and the colors & font gave it a vintage Victorian look. The draw was easy, the cigar put out copious smoke, the burn was sharp, never needed a touch-up and the ash held well for about 1½” at a time.

Flavor
The first third was consistent, mostly dusty earth and spice, with a nice sweet cedar finish. About midway, a raisin fruitiness came forward and the underlying profile reminded me of a toasted bagel. I could snork the smoke with just a little pinch in the sinuses. The body was on the full side of medium, and I could feel the strength starting to slowly build.



About midway I added a rootbeer accompaniment, and the two paired well: the creamy sweetness offset the dry earthiness of the smoke. The last half of the cigar picked up in complexity and was very enjoyable. At times it reminded me of a Tatuaje Noellas: complex mixture of flavors—earthy, cedar, and hints of grilled steak, with a fruity finish. A mouth coating, tingly spice returned in the last third to really make things interesting.



Overall
I did not know anything about this cigar before Kevin gifted it, including the price. After my smoking session, I would have guessed this was an $8-9 cigar, and was pleased to learn MSRP on the whole line is at about $5. This was a surprisingly good smoke. Construction was top notch, and I particularly enjoyed the flavor complexity in the second half. Definitely an outstanding value.