Review: Declaration from Jameson Cigars

[OHRD]

Size: 5.5×50, Iniquity

Wrapper: Dominican Habano (’98)

Binder: Dominican Criollo (’98)

Filler: Dominican

Strength: Medium-Full

Price: Box of 21, $120

Grade: 8.7

Jameson Cigars, founded in 2007, is most known for their Red and Black Label, which debuted at the 2008 IPCPR and have received high praise; their Red Label Perfecto received a panel average of 93 from Smoke Magazine. The last year or so has brought two exciting new releases for Jameson Cigars and owner Brad Mayo—the Declaration and their new line of coffee, RockStone. It’s been a busy few years for Brad and the gang, who are also currently working on a new home right in the heart of Florida’s Little Havana, at 1336 SW 8th Street, or, as others affectionately call it, Calle Ocho.

The Declaration, which debuted at the 2009 IPCPR, uses some nicely aged tobacco from the Dominican to create what Brad calls deep, bold flavors that embody their spirit to “Smoke to be Free.”

You can learn more about Jameson Cigars online or follow Brad Mayo on Twitter. Jameson Cigars is one of the few Twitter accounts actually run by the cigar brand owner, and to that we should all say thank you—the access is excellent.

Pre-light, 1.8:
The first thing that jumps out on this smoke is the band. Jameson Cigars did a great job with the design and it is an eye catcher. The Dominican Habano ‘98 wrapper was in great shape and had a nice medium to dark brown color that was smooth to the touch. The cap was a bit sloppy but the cigar had some good weight and the tobacco was firmly packed throughout. The pre-light aroma and cold draw both consisted of tobacco, leather, and a hint of spice.

Burn, 1.6:
The Declaration lit and toasted well with an even burn line and no jagged edges. This continued throughout the smoke except for one re-light needed about halfway through the second third. The ash was layered and held well throughout the smoke. The draw was tight the entire smoke and it never opened up like I hoped it would and this translated into a reduction in this category. Though the smoke produced was adequate, I felt like I really had to work at it to get a nice sampling.

Flavor, 2.6:
The first third of this Dominican puro was of new leather and clean tobacco with a hint of sweetness. I also picked up a hint of melon, which was a surprise. The second third continued the above flavor profile but added some pepper to the mix, very subtle but still present. The last third produced an increase in pepper, which was the only change in the flavor profile. Unfortunately, the smoke became a bit sour in the last third; it could have been the struggling draw that produced this profile. I let it rest a good bit when this happened and it seemed to improve but it was still there on the edges.

Overall, 2.7:
Though this is a good smoke, I was disappointed with the draw and the last third of the cigar. At six dollars a stick, it is not going to break the bank but I would like to see the consistency improve. These are available online but may be hard to find locally. If you get a chance try one and shoot us an email or leave a comment to let us know what you think.

(Total: 8.7)