Blackbird Cigar Co. Cactus Wren

Blackbird Cigar Co. was founded by brothers Jonas and Vladimir Santana with master blender Papo “El Caballo,” drawing on their roots near Tamboril in the Dominican Republic. Jonas learned the craft from the factory floor up before the company launched its own Blackbird Dominicana factory and built a portfolio of boldly branded, bird-named cigars aimed at consistency and a newer generation of smokers.

Cactus Wren is a limited short-run release rather than a core line. It began as a collaboration between Jonas Santana and Tim Swanson of Cigars Daily, named for Arizona’s state bird and first offered through that Arizona-based platform. Produced at the company’s Dominican factory in sizes such as Robusto and Toro (including a later box-pressed Daily Edition version). It has since reached wider retail distribution as one of Blackbird’s special avian releases.

Stogie At A Glance

Check out our curated music playlist for the Cactus Wren here.

Review

First Third

Earthy coffee notes open the profile, with slight pepper on the retrohale and palate. A brief toasted marshmallow note appears before being overtaken by earthy coffee. Draw is good, though the smoke is slightly thin. A touch more smoke would be welcome. Black coffee and leather begin entering the flavor profile, with a chocolate creaminess and earthy leather lingering on the palate. Nutty, creamy coffee notes close out with a peppery finish. Toward the end of the third, pepper shifts toward a red pepper flake character and begins to intensify. Burn line stayed clean throughout, with ash holding for the entire third. Some Leather starts to come in at the end of the first third. Leather and pepper on the finish, with slight coffee note as well.

Second Third

Leather and pepper begin to intensify, with pepper becoming more pronounced on the finish alongside continued peppery coffee and nutty notes on the palate. Strength holds at medium. Peppery cedar emerges, paired with a stronger leather note. Pepper and leather on the finish offer a nice change of pace from the coffee and nuts. Leather turns very strong but remains smooth, with white pepper on the finish. Past the halfway point, strength starts to climb, joined by more pepper, leather, and an earthy spicy note. Leather becomes the defining note of the third, with creamy pepper accents and a strong tobacco flavor on the finish. Cedar returns, blending with leather and pepper, plus a slight dark chocolate note.

Final Third

Strength moves up to full bodied. Leather and coffee lead, punctuated by occasional big hits of pepper. Otherwise the smoke stays smooth. Coffee notes surge, joined by hints of lemon and pepper. Cedar and black coffee follow, with cedar more dominant than before, finishing on leather and pepper. Nearing the midpoint, cedar and leather move to the front of the profile, again finishing with pepper and leather. Chocolate makes a final appearance, merging with leather into a leathery chocolate note on the palate, finishing with leather and pepper. Leather and pepper remain very strong with occasional chocolate and spice on the finish as the cigar nears its end. Pepper intensifies and grows hotter in the final stretch. Burn turns slightly wavy right at the very end, though nothing of concern.

Score

89/100