El Septimo, a luxury cigar brand known for its artistic and ultra-premium releases, introduced the Culinary Art Collection in March 2024 at the PCA Trade Show. The line draws inspiration from celebrated culinary and wine traditions around the world, pairing refined tobacco craftsmanship with the character of regions such as Bordeaux, Tuscany, Rioja, and Japan.
Within the collection, the Japan Nigori (a 6 × 46 Corona Gordo) pays tribute to Nigori sake; Japan’s traditional unfiltered sake, noted for its cloudy appearance and lightly sweet, creamy character. Handcrafted in Costa Rica with aged tobaccos and an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, it reflects El Septimo’s focus on elegant, approachable expressions of the brand’s luxury standards.
(See also my review of the El Septimo Culinary Art Collection Rioja.)
Stogie At A Glance
Review
First Third
Vanilla and spice up front with light sweetness, and pepper on the retrohale. Very enjoyable. The finish brings coffee and some spice. Cedar starts to emerge alongside the spice and light sweetness. Creamy notes begin to appear as I get most of the way through the first third, with coffee and spice still showing on the finish. Near the end of the first third, nutty notes come out with slightly sweet coffee and cedar, and the finish carries spice and pepper. Right at the end of the first third, the draw gets pretty tight. Hopefully it loosens back up.
Second Third
At the start of the second third, either floral or dried fruit notes come out, along with creamy notes and spice on the finish. Creamy cedar comes through with a slight vanilla sweetness and pepper on the finish. The floral note becomes clearer at the halfway point of the second third, and the creamy notes are more prominent as well. Light spice and pepper on the finish. Marshmallow sweetness and cedar emerge at the end of the second third, with the creamy notes still present but diminished.
Final Third
Cedar, roasted coffee, and spice come out on the palate in the final third, with cream and spice on the finish. Some earthy notes begin to appear, along with a hint of the dried berry note from before. Cream and coffee continue to come through, with light spice and pepper on the finish. A cinnamon or oatmeal cookie note comes through. The creamy notes are still there but much less so than in the second third, and the finish is almost savory. The marshmallow note returns at the end of the final third, with cedar and roasted coffee.
Score
89/100